Sue Beckham

Board Member

Sue and Bucky have been married 27 years, have four children, eight grandchildren and two great-grandchildren.  They are dual parishioners of St. Malachy parish, Brownsburg and Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary Church, Indianapolis where they enjoy attending the Traditional Latin Mass.

Sue participated in Cursillo and also served as a team member on two Cursillo teams. Later, she attended a Christ Renews His Parish (CRHP) retreat at St. Malachy, and was the Co-Spiritual Director on a subsequent team. These movements were formative events in her spiritual journey and a spring board for a deeper prayer life.  The Eucharist is central to the Beckham’s faith life and they are dedicated to weekly Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

Sue served on the first St. Malachy medical mission team in 1997 to provide assistance for parishioners of St. Marguerite, in Port Margot, Haiti.  This mission had a profound impact on her, as she experienced the beauty, humility, faith and dignity of her brothers and sisters in Haiti.

Sue is passionate about her Catholic faith and wants everyone to experience the beauty of the Church’s teachings.  She led the Catholics Returning Home program at St. Malachy to welcome fallen away Catholics back to the Church.  Sue was also involved in the Gabriel Project, an outreach program assisting women and families facing crisis pregnancies. She attended the Epiphany Certification Program, a two year course offered by the Epiphany Academy, to study Formation Science, which is a universally relevant science, anthropology and theology of formation based on the writings of Fr. Adrian Van Kaam and Dr. Susan Muto.

Sue has 30+ years’ experience in the healthcare and health insurance industries.  She has held various leadership positions in healthcare operations including managing call centers, leading clinical transformation projects, directing information technology teams, physician integration and consulting, managing claims processing, excess loss, subrogation, and managed care departments.  Sue successfully led centralization and restructuring initiatives during corporate mergers.  Under her leadership, operational performance improved significantly, labor costs decreased, and customer satisfaction survey results improved. She also served in a consulting role for IPS to facilitate the system selection process for the food and nutrition services division.  Sue currently serves as IU Health Information Services Director at Methodist, University and Riley hospitals in Indianapolis.

Sue’s clinical background is cardiology and cardiovascular nursing.  She served as staff nurse, preceptor for graduate nurses, quality assurance committee member, and charge nurse at a large healthcare facility in Indianapolis.  She graduated from Indiana University School of Nursing with High Honors and received the Academic and Clinical Excellence award.

John Curran

Board Member

John is the husband of Christine, going on 55 years of marriage. They are the parents of eight children and the grandparents of 43 and have been parishioners of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (OLMC) in Carmel, IN for 43 years.

John was born in Nebraska, attending public schools. He attended Benedictine College in Atchison, KS, then Florida State University, receiving a B.S. degree in Meteorology. He met Christine, a nursing student, while serving his first duty assignment with the National Weather Service in Fort Wayne.  Assignments took them to Louisville, Kansas City, Omaha, and Topeka, and the University of Wisconsin where John obtained a MS degree in Atmospheric Science.  He served as the Meteorologist in Charge at Indianapolis and the Indiana Area Manager from 1978 to 2002.

Along the way, John has served as Men’s Club President in a Kansas parish, School Board President for OLMC, and is past President of Right to Life of Indianapolis. He has participated in parish activities such as Christ Renews His Parish, Parish Encounter, Bible Study, That Man is You, Eucharistic Adoration, Extraordinary Minister of the Eucharist, Usher, and Adult Altar Server at OLMC.

John and Christine are most proud of their children and their achievements and cling together to embrace the only thing of everlasting importance, their Roman Catholic faith.

Christine is  is a Registered Nurse by training, but in practice, she has been a daily instiller of strong Faith in her husband, John, and her children. John and Christine discovered Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia in the 1980s, a college they consider a pearl of great value and made educating their children in the Catholic faith at Christendom College their prime priority, banking on their children receiving eternal dividends from a temporary investment. Six of their children attended Christendom College.

One daughter is a discalced Carmelite nun in Buffalo NY. Christendom College’s liberal arts provided skills needed for their children to succeed in the pursuit of careers as doctor, lawyer, Physical Therapist, and homeschooling teaching skills for grades K-12.  Another daughter, the mother of 10, learned values that enabled her to cope with prolonged military absences by her husband who served multiple overseas tours under extreme conditions.  A grandson was ordained a priest for the diocese of Arlington VA in June of 2021.  A granddaughter is a Carmelite nun in St. Louis. Another daughter and her husband are involved with Opus Dei and three of their children are giving their lives to Opus Dei  with  a promise of lifelong chastity in the single state.

John feels CUP provides a vehicle of support for priests striving to teach the Truths of the Catholic Faith. Catholics hunger to be fed the Truth, which is like a burning candle in the darkness, but strangely the light is often covered or obscured by many Bishops and some priests. Being on the Board presents an opportunity to be a positive influence in the prayer, education, and action life of CUP.

Jim Pedzinski

Board Member

Jim and his wife, Kathy, joined Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church – Noblesville, IN (ologn.org) in summer of 1995.  They have two adult children, an amazing daughter in-law, one grandson and two dogs, Max (Black Lab/Shepard) & Meeka (Golden).

Jim graduated from Purdue University with a degree in Health Sciences. Upon graduation he joined Boehringer Mannheim Diagnostics which has since been acquired by ROCHE.  Jim’s interest in pharmaceutical research allowed him to step into a role at SmithKline Beecham Clinical Laboratories which focused on collecting safety data for clinical research projects in support of pharmaceutical development.  More recently, Jim has continued his career working as an independent consultant with numerous startups, providing vision, strategy, business and exit planning.

Our commitment to OLOG started with a dream and a group of parents.  We all had young children and had become frustrated with public school system and their teachings, lack of discipline and respect. Removing the “Pledge of Allegiance” from the classroom was the beginning of indoctrination and replacing it with a moment of silence.

The “Pre-school” was bursting with children, many parents were supportive, the Catholic Diocese of Lafayette blessed the efforts. Father Jim Bates, needed convincing and was slow to say yes but gave the parents a chance to demonstrate our commitment. Our discussions began, why not expand our parish to include a Catholic school for our children which would provide a Catholic foundation through religious and academic excellence, where family values are an extension of the school, respect and discipline are understood and based on Catholic teachings.  

Both Jim & Kathy volunteered early in the concept phase of Our Lady of Grace School, including the planning phases, fundraising efforts, facilities readiness, enrollment efforts, and more.   Jim continued to support the parish and school with numerous after-school activities over the next eight years, along with volunteering at the Noblesville Boys & Girls Club.

As parents, we encouraged our boys to continue their catholic education at Cathedral High School (www.gocathedral.com). We are proud to share that they both graduated from Cathedral High School and went on to graduate from college.

Throughout their experiences at Our Lady of Grace School and Cathedral High school, Jim and his wife encouraged their sons to continue with volunteer activities throughout their life.  Many projects were aligned with the Catholic Youth Organization Indianapolis, Meals on Wheels, Horizon House (www.horizonhouse.cc), United Way (https://youtu.be/tuBGwERxKWw ), and Habitat for Humanity.

I agree with my colleagues on the CUP Board, our faith is being attacked through a culture war.

Vicki Yamasaki

Board Chair

Vicki and Ken have been married for 35 years and have two daughters and three grandchildren.  Vicki worships at St. Luke Catholic Church.   She and Ken were made Hoosiers when they moved to Indiana in 1995.

All of our gifts come from our Heavenly Father and out of deep gratitude, Vicki gives back to the community in a variety of roles.  At OLMC, Vicki’s former parish she werved as a catechist for 22 years. There, she also provided outreach to the suffering as a Stephen Minister, and was a member of the Investment Committee.  Vicki served on the OLMC Re-Open Committee and Strategy Committee and served for three years on Parish Council.  She co-chaired the Gratitude strategic initiative for the parish.

In the community, Vicki created and launched a mentoring program for single mothers and brought this program to The O’Connor House, a maternity home for homeless single pregnant moms.  She also helped guide Dress for Success in the launch of its mentoring program.  A strong proponent of mentoring, She has been an active mentor to dozens of mentees.  Vicki has served on the Marian University dinner gala committee for over 15 years and was the Franciscan Values Honoree at Marian University in 2021.  Vicki is a former board member of The O’Connor House and served as president and other leadership roles for several boards including Financial Executives International (FEI) Indianapolis, YWCA of Indianapolis and National MS of Indiana.

Vicki, a CPA, launched her own business as President of Yamasaki ERM Solutions following her retirement as Chief Risk Officer for OneAmerica Financial Partners, a large insurance organization.  Vicki has experience in finance, risk, strategy, and public accounting.  She has over 35 years of experience, with particular emphasis in strategic planning, insurance, problem solving, risk management and working collaboratively.  Prior to retirement, she spent the last half of her career with OneAmerica Financial.  The first half of Vicki’s career was served in public accounting.  Before joining OneAmerica she served as a partner for PricewaterhouseCoopers in a national role.

Vicki is a summa cum laude accounting graduate from University of Houston, where she later was recognized as the 1998 Distinguished Alumnus of the Year.

Vicki helped launch CUP because we are witnessing Catholics being suppressed for our beliefs.  Our faith is being attacked through a culture war.  Vicki could no longer sit idly by and watch priests, like Fr. Ted Rothrock, who courageously speak truth be cordoned off and told what they can and cannot say – likewise for the faithful.  We cannot stand by any longer and allow every aspect of our environment to be infiltrated with assaults against the sanctity of life and marriage and our religious liberty.  Their methods are insidious as they creep into our media, entertainment, school systems, and even our churches.  When will we stand up?  The time is now.

Mary Carmen Zakrajsek

Board Member

Born in Carmel, IN, Mary Carmen is the youngest of six children. She has been a passionate defender of the preborn since middle school, eventually leading both her high school and university pro-life clubs and inspiring those around her to engage on the nation’s most important cultural, human, and political issues. 

After experiencing a First Amendment battle with her high school and threatening to take legal action, the school eventually changed course and allowed her club to exercise its pro-life beliefs. This experience confirmed her deep commitment to boldly and publicly speaking out against abortion as well as challenging inactive, passive pro-life students to take a stand. 

She graduated summa cud laude from Marian University with degrees in Political Science and Spanish, witnessing her faith and strong convictions in and out of the classroom and abroad, studying for a year at the University of Granada in Spain. She was recognized for outstanding achievement and awarded the Dianna and John Sweany Marian Memorial Spirit Award in 2021 her senior year. 

Her favorite commitments on campus were serving as President of the university’s largest student group, Knights for Life. As a San Damiano Scholar and Lugar Fellow, she feels incredibly blessed with the opportunities and community Marian University gave her. She has spoken for the National Catholic Youth Conference, Missionary Disciples Institute, and spent a summer as a missionary for Catholic Heart Work Camp.

Upon graduating, she spent two years serving as the Great Lakes Regional Coordinator with Students for Life of America, the nation’s largest and most active youth pro-life organization, equipping and mobilizing pro-life students in Indiana and Michigan to strategically abolish abortion in their schools, communities, and states. 

Above all else, Mary Carmen is most passionate about the goodness, beauty, and truth of the Catholic Church. She is in love with the person of Jesus Christ and desires to make Him known. She is dedicated to daily Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and daily reception of Holy Communion. She is a parishioner at Holy Rosary Catholic Church where she enjoys attending the Traditional Latin Mass and discovering the richness of traditional Catholicism. Mary Carmen serves as a board member for Right to Life of Indianapolis and often volunteers for the High School Youth Ministry program at Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. 

She now serves as the Outreach Associate for Women’s Care Center in Indianapolis, the country’s most successful pregnancy help organization. Because of the grace of God and the generosity of donors, 1 out of 6 babies born in Marion County starts with receiving care from this loving center. She enjoys speaking about the pro-life cause, defending the Roman Catholic Faith, and instilling confidence in pro-life student leaders.

Mary Carmen is grateful for the active presence of CUP in the greater Indianapolis area and the organization’s dedication to preserving truth and confronting the culture. All for the love of souls and the glory of God.

“Do not conform to the pattern of this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what God’s will is—his good, pleasing, and perfect will.” Romans 12:2

“I have told you these things, so that in me you may have peace. In this world you will have trouble. But take heart! I have overcome the world.” John 16:33

Tim O’Donnell

Board Member

Timothy J.A. O’Donnell is a scholar and speaker whose commitment to the Pro-life cause and Religious Liberty spans nearly thirty years. Deeply committed to championing the sanctity of human life, he earned a bachelor’s degree in Catholic Theology from Marian University and completed a Masters degree in Catholic Life and Thought from Saint Meinrad School of Theology. Timothy has performed extensive studies and research in cultural, political, economic, and theological disciplines including post-graduate theological studies at the University of Notre Dame.

Timothy is a member of the American Catholic Philosophy Association and the National Catholic Bioethics organizations.

For over a participated as a scholar with the think-tank Acton Institute in multiple colloquiums studying the principles that build a free and virtuous society. He teaches business courses at Butler University in the MBA Program and Ivy Tech Community College in the discipline of Philosophy with a specialization in Ethics. He teaches at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

No stranger to the media, he cohosts The Catholic Cave on Catholic Radio Indy, which focuses on making Catholic philosophy and the rich intellectual tradition of the Holy Mother Church accessible to the laity and applying it to current issues. He speaks and debates publicly and has been active with YouTube video interviews. Concerned with cultural issues, he has lectured at Benedictine College’s Symposium on Transforming the Culture commenting on Gender Ideology,  Totalitarianism, Moral Theology, Natural Law,  Ethics, and Anti-humanism. He has served as the Director of Religious Education for a decade teaching primarily Adult Faith Formation.

Timothy also serves on several Boards including Right to Life of Indianapolis, Providence Christo Rey High School, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. He has served at a local food pantry for over 20 years, and his favorite pastime is playing St.Nicholas / Santa Claus at shelters during the Advent Season.

Timothy is married to his beautiful wife Maureen and moved to rural Indiana a few years ago to try their hand at homesteading. If you are familiar with the TV Show Green Acres” – that’s us! Together we have three adult children, one daughter-in-law, and our first grandchild.