People with addictions — and those who love them — are invited to a day-long conference to learn about the spiritual roots of addiction and how spiritual resources can help heal them. “Freedom in Christ: Breaking the Chains of Addiction,” March 2 from 8 a.m.-8 p.m. at St. Lambert Parish in Skokie will offer those attending a chance to learn about a variety of addictions, including substance abuse and pornography and sexual addictions. It is a joint effort of the Archdiocese of Chicago’s Respect Life Office and Catholic Charismatic Renewal, with sponsorship by Warriors of Worship and Couples for Christ. Relevant Radio is a media sponsor; afternoon host Drew Mariani will be the conference master of ceremonies. The day will open with Mass celebrated by Cardinal George. Speakers include Father Charles Becker, who will talk about substance abuse addiction and the importance of blessing one’s family and home; Father Nicholas Federspeil, from the Diocese of Rockford, who will talk about Catholic teaching on angels, demonic possession, spiritual warfare, the power of curses and the protection of angelic assistance, strategies and sacramentals; Jeannie and Bruce Hannemann, who founded Reclaim, a Catholic program designed to help people overcome addiction to pornography and other unhealthy sexual behaviors; and Father John Harvey, the cardinal’s liaison to the Chicago Catholic Charismatic Renewal, who will lead the closing Holy Hour of adoration. At the closing Holy Hour, prayer teams will be available to pray with people who want them to. Lauretta Froelich of Chicago Catholic Charismatic Renewal said she had the idea for a conference after hearing the Hannemanns speak at another event and Federspeil speak at another conference. As she discussed the idea, several other groups came on board. “We know that there’s another force that’s out there that is trying to detract us from getting to our true home,” Froelich said. “It’s no secret when you see someone struggle with an addiction that just doesn’t just come from someone’s individual choice because the pain is palpable.” It was very important to include pornography addiction because it has become so much more common since the advent of the Internet made it so widely available. “It’s the drug of the 21st century,” she said. The Respect Life Office got involved because pornography is one of the issues that the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops asked diocesan prolife offices to work on, said Victor Vallejo of the Respect Life Office. “We can see how many families are destroyed by addiction,” Vallejo said. “This is about putting the Gospel in everybody’s hands.” It is the annual conference to which all parish pro-life coordinators are invited, but it is also open to the public. Froelich said that the conference, which will also offer praise and worship throughout the day, is intended to offer healing just as much as intellectual learning about addictions. Highlights for her will include Federspeil, who usually blesses sacramentals wherever he speaks and tries to help people arm themselves spiritually to meet the attacks the devil mounts in the modern world. “He says where Mary is present the devil is absent,” Froelich said.