Contact: Celina Ortiz, 619-387-7200

SAN DIEGO, May 20, 2014 /Christian Newswire/ -- Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, will be in San Diego to address today's crisis of faith in America. He will deliver the keynote address at Catholic Answers' national conference September 4-6 in San Diego.

The theme of the conference is "Defending the Faith Today," and it will address the special challenges and opportunities that confront the Catholic faithful.

"We are living in the midst of an aggressively anti-Christian culture," said Christopher Check, Catholic Answers director of development. "When Harvard University -- often regarded as our country's most prestigious university -- entertains the idea of hosting a 'black Mass' on campus, we can't conclude anything else.

"Yet our Lord does not call us to retreat in the face of evil but to march forward with the gospel and with our daily example of joy," Check said. "That's what makes Archbishop Sample the ideal guest of honor for our conference. Oregon is shaping up to be the next battleground in the war on marriage, and he has made the defense of marriage a top priority. His defense of basic moral values in the public square is truly courageous."

In addition to keynoting the conference, Archbishop Sample will appear on a special broadcast of Catholic Answers Live, the top-rated show in Catholic radio. He and host Patrick Coffin will field questions from attendees at the site of the conference. The archbishop will also offer Mass on Saturday evening before the closing banquet.

The event will be held at the Sheraton Hotel and Marina. Last year's conference sold out months in advance so register soon. For more information about the conference, and to take advantage of deep registration discounts, visit catholicanswersconference.com.

Catholic Answers is the largest lay-run apologetics and evangelization organization in the English-speaking world. Learn more about its work at catholic.com.