Spreading the Gospel with a spirit-filled heart

DEACON STEVE GRECO, a member of Legatus’ Orange County Chapter in California, received the 2021 Bowie Kuhn Special Award for Evangelization at Legatus Summit East 2022 in Florida in January. He is a permanent deacon of the Diocese of Orange assigned to St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish, Irvine, and is founder of Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry, which engages in evangelization, the promotion of spirituality, and support for foreign missions. He is host of a weekly Relevant Radio program called Empowered by the Spirit, has authored seven books on Catholic spirituality, and is a regular contributor to Catholic Stand and Catholic Journal.

He grew up in Southern California and is a retired pharmaceutical industry executive. He has been married to his wife, Mary Anne, for 50 years, and together they have three adult children and four grandchildren.

Tell me about the Saint Joseph Summit your ministry presented in 2021.

It was a first-of-its-kind, online conference featuring 64 Catholic speakers, including prominent members of the clergy, cardinals and bishops, and lay persons. We had outstanding talks on spiritual warfare, healing, and the family themed to the Year of St. Joseph. Father Donald Calloway, author of Consecration to St Joseph, was our keynote presenter. It was a huge success, which impacted 45,000 people. You can visit saintjosephsummit.com and listen to the talks online.

Your ministry also has an internet radio site.

Yes, it’s at spiritfilledmedia.org. It features 20 shows hosted by dynamic members of the clergy and laity who address a wide range of topics related to our faith. We have a Norbertine priest, Fr. Jacob Hsieh, for example, who speaks about liturgy and the beautiful traditions of our faith; we have a couple, Deacon Angelo and Cindy Giambrone, who offer advice on building strong marriages; a lay woman and author, Kathleen Beckman, who talks about issues related to spiritual warfare; and we have a Catholic layman, Andrew O’Keefe, who speaks about addiction. My wife, Mary Anne, and I do a Bible study. I think we have something for everyone, and it’s free to the listener.

Whereas previously Spirit Filled Hearts Ministry had focused on in-person events, the pandemic lockdowns of 2020 and 2021 forced us to bring more of our ministry online, which has allowed us to extend our reach. That led to the launching of the Summit, online radio, and other online initiatives, such as our Virtual Global Healing Services, which we launched last November. I’ve co-hosted these services with Deacon Larry Oney of New Orleans, and they feature prayer, talks, and healing services. These too have been quite popular. We have been able to go back to more in-person events, but our online component is here to stay.

You’ve also brought the message of the gospel overseas.

Yes. Pre-pandemic I went on several trips with volunteers to preach and lead healing services in the Philippines and Indonesia. As a result of one of those trips, our ministry is helping to fund the construction of a parish church in Tondo, a desperately poor neighborhood in Manila. As deacons are called to minister to the poor, I think this has been an important aspect of the ministry.

How has Legatus supported you in your ministry?

Legatus is a wonderful organization of dedicated Catholic business leaders. Its activities have done much to enrich me spiritually, and its members support our ministry. Two members, Ralph Linzmeier and Mark Prather, are not only on our board but also co-host one of our radio programs, Finding Your Way. They’re on fire for the Lord.

I’m most grateful and humbled that Legatus has honored me with the Bowie Kuhn Award.