New Evangelization Program

Fr. Andy Younan, PhD

Professor of Philosophy

Fr. Andy is the founding Rector of the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great, the seminary of the Chaldean Catholic Diocese of St. Peter the Apostle. He is an avid translator of Aramaic, and is the translator/editor of the Emmanuel prayer book, which contains English translations of Chaldean liturgical prayers. He is the co-author of Introductory Chaldean and Chaldean Grammar, and the author of Perpetual Jubilee: Meditations on the Chaldean Liturgical Year, Thoughtful Theism (Emmaus Press, 2017), and Advice from Aristotle: Life Lessons from the Nicomachean Ethics (Cascade/Wipf & Stock, 2022). He has a forthcoming book titled Matter and Mathematics: An Essentialist Account of Laws of Nature (CUA Press).

Father Andy received his PhD from the Graduate Theological Union in 2019, and his MA in Philosophy and Theology from the Dominican School of Philosophy and Theology in 2005. He received his BA in Philosophy from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit in 2001. He is a current student in the Canon Law program at Catholic University of America.

Steve Kramp

Professor & Chair of Theology and Humanities

Steve is a theologian and prize-winning poet. Prior to coming to JPCatholic he taught courses in writing, literature, and cultural history at a number of universities and colleges, including the University of California, Merced, and the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He holds a BA in English from the University of Oregon, an MFA in Creative Writing from the University of Iowa Writers’ Workshop, and an MA in Theology and Christian Ministry from the Franciscan University of Steubenville. He also worked for three years in youth ministry at a Seattle-area parish.

In his classroom teaching Steve often returns to his primary intellectual interest, which is the intersection of faith practice and artistic practice. In addition to his teaching and administrative service as Humanities Chair at JPCatholic, Steve is currently working on Holy Saturday, a series of long poems.

Fr. Ankido Sipo

Adjunct Professor of Theology

Fr. Ankido entered the Seminary of Mar Abba the Great in January of 2010 and began his studies of philosophy and theology at JPCatholic that Fall. He received his BS Degree in Communications Media with an emphasis in New Evangelization in 2013. He received his Master of Arts in Biblical Theology in 2015, and was ordained a priest for the Chaldean rite Catholic Church in El Cajon, CA, on April 10th, 2015. Currently, he is the Superior of the monastic order of the Sons of the Covenant.

Dr. Shalina Stilley, PhD

Professor of Philosophy & Theology

Shalina has an MA and PhD in Philosophy from Marquette University with a dissertation on natural law theory, a Masters in Theology from University of Dallas, and a BA in Philosophy from Northern Arizona University. In addition, she has over 10 years of international teaching experience, including at Conception Seminary College, Beltei International University, and Paññāsāstra University of Cambodia.

She converted to Catholicism during her first year in college after reading the writings of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila and now lives a form of consecrated life — Consecrated Virginity.

Her academic focuses include: St. Thomas, St. Catherine of Sienna, Jacques Maritain, Aristotle, mystical theology, ethics, Catholic social teachings, the New Evangelization, and fostering dialogue. Her upcoming book Faith, Reason and Perplexity examines aspects of the Catholic faith that seem to contradict reason at first glance.

Bonnie Curtis

Adjunct Professor of Theology

Bonnie teaches theology and scripture at the Diocesan Institute for the Diocese of San Diego where she is involved in the academic formation of permanent deacons. In addition to her studies as a theologian, she is active in her parish, where she leads RCIA, provides adult education, and assists her husband’s ministry as a deacon. Capitalizing on her decades of experience as a military spouse and mother, she has been a featured speaker throughout the Diocese of San Diego on various aspects of marriage and family life in addition to topics related to Biblical Theology. Bonnie’s first career was as a homeschool teacher to her five children. She and her husband, Adam, live in San Diego.

Bonnie holds an MA in Biblical Theology and a Certificate in Philosophy from John Paul the Great Catholic University; and a BA with a double major in Spanish and Political Science from the University of San Diego.

Maisa Haddad

Adjunct Professor of New Evangelization

Maisa is a clinical pharmacist, theologian, public speaker and evangelist. Maisa lives in San Diego with her husband and 4 children. Prior to coming to JPCatholic in August of 2019 where she lived in Michigan most of her life, she volunteered and worked with St. Paul Evangelization Institute as a Senior Regional Missionary since 2013 teaching at parishes, schools and doing street evangelization. She started a street evangelization team in her hometown Plymouth Michigan and at her parish Our Lady of Good Counsel and has helped lead and form street evangelization teams for parishes.

Maisa has also taught Basic Evangelization courses to seminarians at Sacred Heart Major Seminary. In 2004 Maisa worked with Bishop Francis (back then Fr. Frank Kalabat) in the ECRC (Eastern Catholic Re-Evangelization Center) where she assisted in weekly bible study classes. Maisa has given talks on discipleship, evangelization, the Church and the Holy Spirit. She has been featured on the Jeff Cavin’s show, Gary Michuta’s show Hands on Apologetics, Teresa Tomeo’s show on Ave Maria Radio and the St. Paul Evangelization Institute podcasts.

Maisa holds a B.S in Pharmacy from Wayne State University School of Pharmacy in Detroit Mi, an MA in Systematic Theology from Sacred Heart Major Seminary in Detroit Mi and is a PharmD candidate at Shenandoah University in Virginia graduating in May 2021. Maisa is filled with zeal and boldness and set on fire to share the Good News of the Gospel with everyone she meets.

Robin Murray, PhD

Adjunct Professor of Humanities

Robin is a classicist whose research focusses on Imperial Rome, early Christianity and ancient philosophy. Her dissertation analyzed the theme of death and death preparation in the Satyrica, an ancient novel by Petronius who, although a friend to the Emperor Nero, was forced to commit suicide by him in 66 A.D. More broadly, she studies the Graeco-Roman world and strives to make it relevant to people of today. She received her PhD in Classics from UC Irvine where she taught classes on the history and literature of ancient Greece and Rome and served as the assistant editor to the Classics journal TAPA (Transactions of the American Philological Society). She lives in Northern San Diego with her husband and children.

Fr. Simon Esshaki

Adjunct Professor of Theology

Fr. Simon Esshaki is a Chaldean Catholic priest of the Eparchy of St. Peter the Apostle for the Western United States. He joined the Chaldean Catholic Seminary of Mar Abba the Great in 2009 and completed his studies in 2015 with a Masters degree in Biblical Theology. He was ordained a priest that same year and serves as the administrator of St. Michael’s Chaldean Catholic Church in El Cajon, CA. He is currently in the process of becoming a Canon lawyer as he is in the JCL program at the Catholic University of America.