Fr. John Burns is a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and author of the bestselling book Lift Up Your Heart: A 10-Day Personal Retreat with St. Francis de Sales. Ordained in 2010, he has served as an associate pastor and pastor in Milwaukee as well as an adjunct professor of moral theology at the Sacred Heart Seminary and School of Theology. He completed a doctorate in moral theology at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome in 2019. His doctoral research focused on the theology of healing through forgiveness. Burns speaks at conferences, preaches missions, and directs retreats throughout the country. He works extensively with the Sisters of Life and St. Mother Teresa’s Missionaries of Charity, and has given retreats, conferences, and spiritual direction for the sisters in Africa, Europe, and the United States. He will be a keynote speaker for the Avila Summit in October of 2023.