Andrew Junker/CATHOLIC SUN FILE PHOTO

Chris benguhe often writes at La Grande Orange, a cafe and restaurant in central Phoenix.

Sun Columnist to address AZ Marian Conference with 'fame to faith' tale

Former tabloid reporter and People Magazine writer turned Catholic Sun columnist Chris Benguhe will be a keynote speaker at the Arizona Marian Conference this year.

Benguhe, a notable Catholic author, will share his personal story of how adversity led him out of Hollywood's glitz and greed and back to his faith.

He'll share other anecdotes about others who put their faith and trust in God when times were tough and found redemption. His talk, "Overcoming Life's 7 Common Tragedies: Opportunities for Discovering God" gives hope to those in times of need.

"Maybe the point of our lives is not to make everything go right, but to learn to love and respect others and God no matter what is going on in our lives," Benguhe said. "Tragedy or tough times are actually the greatest opportunity to do that."

The Sept. 10-12 event at the Doubletree Paradise Valley Resort in Scottsdale will include Mass, confession, adoration and praying the rosary and other speakers.

Benguhe hopes to spread the message that the worst of times are actually often windows to the best times of our lives if we realize they are the opportunity to put our trust in Christ and those He works through in our lives.
 
"God made each of us innately valuable and designed us to derive our fulfillment from loving and respecting Him, each other, and ourselves," Benguhe said. "Our problems, imperfections, and failures are what lead us to reach out to others, to love and respect, and to be loved and respected in return. They actually bring us closer to God and to others, and are not experiences to be ashamed of but to be cherished and understood."