One of Pope St. John Paul II's great contributions to Catholic social teaching is Laborem Exercens, his 1981 encyclical on human work. John Paul, who worked in a rock quarry during World War II, taught that work is good for humanity. Through work, he taught, man transforms nature, adapting it to his own needs, and achieves fulfillment as a human being. In a sense, work allows us to become “more a human being.” Patrick Novecosky, who met the Polish pontiff five times, will unpack the pope’s teaching on how work allows us to contribute to God’s infinite creativity.​

Patrick is one of America’s most accomplished Catholic communicators. He is the author of 100 WAYS JOHN PAUL II CHANGED THE WORLD and has won over two dozen awards from the Catholic Press Association. He has edited and written for some of America’s top publications and has been published in five languages. Patrick serves as the Executive Director of the Warrenton Pregnancy Center in Warrenton, Virginia. He’s the founder of NovaMedia, a public relations firm specializing in the Catholic space. He previously served as Legatus Magazine’s Editor-in-Chief for 12 years. He has traveled to 28 countries and made Pope Francis laugh out loud, but most importantly, he is a husband and father of five beautiful children.