Contact: Mary Anne Hackett, Catholic Citizens of Illinois, 708-354-5373

LA GRANGE, Ill., Feb. 1, 2016 /Christian Newswire/ -- On February 12, 2016, Fr. Thomas Loya will be the featured speaker at the Catholic Citizens Forum Luncheon.

Fr. Thomas J Loya, is currently the pastor of Annunciation of the Mother of God Byzantine Catholic Parish in Homer Glen, IL. He is also the host of two radio programs; "Light of the East" which can be heard in more than 60 cities across the United States on several Catholic radio networks including EWTN Radio as well as "A Body of Truth" which is broadcast on an Internet Radio Site – catholicradiointernational.com.

Before entering the seminary Fr. Loya earned a degree from the Cleveland Institute of Art and pursued a career in commercial art and design. He later completed his studies for the priesthood in both Pennsylvania and Rome. During his time in Rome, Fr. Loya was first exposed to Pope John Paul II's monumental teaching on the human person when he attended his weekly audiences about The Theology of the Body. Inspired by John Paul II, Fr. Loya is a well- known speaker on Marriage and the Theology of the Body.

Fr. Loya was ordained in 1982 and later added to his Bachelor of Fine Arts by earning a Masters in Counseling and Human Services in 1993.

Using his background in art, counseling, and Eastern Catholic spirituality, Fr. Loya brings the principles of The Theology of the Body deep into the lived experience of every aspect of human sexuality.

The subject of his talk will be "Same Sex Attraction: Arriving at true compassion in the Jubilee Year of Mercy."

Father Loya defines True Compassion as a function of truth and not just the affirmation of a person's feelings or prevailing ideologies no matter how deeply felt or believed. What the Church truly teaches is in fact the most authentically compassionate and merciful response to the questions of same sex attraction and related issues.

Luncheons are at 11:45 a.m. at the Union League Club of Chicago, 65 W. Jackson Blvd., Chicago. For Reservations or information, call Maureen at 708-352-5834.

Catholic Citizens of Illinois is a Catholic lay organization founded to support Catholic values in public life, actively addressing American culture and public policy formed in strict fidelity to Holy Scripture, Sacred Tradition and the Magisterium of the Catholic Church.