Maureen Pratt

Bio

Maureen Pratt is a popular speaker and award-winning author of three books, including "Peace in the Storm: Meditations on Chronic Pain & Illness," and the Catholic News Service syndicated column, "Living Well." She focuses on faith, prayer and living with chronic pain and illness, and has presented workshops in professional medical settings, patient support groups, local parishes, and to regional and national faith-based and secular conferences and organizations. Her workshops have been endorsed by patient advocacy groups, continuing medical education accreditation boards, and for use in Catholic education programs.

Maureen is a frequent guest on radio and television media, sharing her experience with multiple chronic illnesses and offering encouragement and suggestions for deepening faith, prayer, and sense of purpose. She has been interviewed and featured on the Hallmark Channel's television program, "New Morning," Wordnet Productions' program, "The Word in the World," and Loma Linda Broadcasting Network, "Christian Connections." She's been a guest on Relevant Radio's morning program and nondenominational Christian radio programs, throughout the United States. Her articles and meditations have been included in "Arthritis Today," "Lupus Now," "Journey for Women Magazine," "The Upper Room Magazine," and Los Angeles Times, and her column, "Living Well," syndicated through Catholic News Service, is published in diocesan newspapers throughout the United States and abroad. She has spoken at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, The Lupus Foundation of America's National Public Policy Summit, the Behet's Disease Association National Medical and Patient Conference, the Association of Professional Chaplain's national conference, and the Crystal Cathedral's International Conference on Care & Kindness. She is also a recurring speaker at diocesan religious education congresses and patient support groups. A graduate of Georgetown University (BSLA) and University of California Los Angeles (UCLA), Maureen speaks French and Spanish and can conduct her workshops in those languages, as well as in English.

As someone who lives daily with multiple, serious illnesses, Maureen's personal, practical and prayerful approach to the role of faith in lives with illness is thoughtful, inspirational, often humorous, and sometimes graced with song. Her Catholic faith, nurtured and informed from childhood, has sustained her through bouts with pneumonia, thyroid disease, and now with lupus, cardiovascular disease, and other chronic illnesses.

"I understand that God can cure me, or anyone, at any time," says Maureen. "But sometimes, God chooses not to do so. In my talks and writing, I try to encourage others who suffer, as well as their loved ones who care for and about them, that even with illness and pain, God does not abandon us, nor does He withhold His love for us. Rather, He is ever-present and gives us strength to persevere and wisdom to discern His will. Even in a storm of illness and pain, peace with God and with our lives is more than possible -- it is a reality. I praise Him every day for His amazing gifts!"

Some of Maureen's topics for workshops and talks include:

Peace in the Storm: Walking with God while Living with Chronic Pain & Illness

Living Well: How Our Faith Informs our Health and Wellness Decisions

Pass It On: Teaching Youth about Faith and Health

Ten Creative Ways to Energize Your Prayer Life

The Emotional Stages a Patient Goes through and How They Affect Compliance and Prognosis (approved for CME credit)

Things Patients Wish Their Doctors Had Told Them -- It's Not too Late! (professional medical presentation)

Why Humor Matters: The Role of Laughter in Finding and Encouraging Hope

Just For You: Nurturing Your Body, Mind and Soul in the Midst of Stress, Overwork, and Not-Enough-Time (especially for religious educators)

How You Care: Tips for Those Who Care for and about People who Suffer