About LAMBS

Verne R. Hubka, during his college years, was deeply moved by questions about life’s purpose and meaning. Amidst his searching, he encountered the profound peace of Jesus Christ and found unwavering confidence in the truth of His teachings, faithfully preserved by the Catholic Church—the very Church founded by Christ Himself. This encounter led Verne to embrace the Catholic faith while studying at the University of Notre Dame.

After military transfer to San Diego, he met Corinne, whom he introduced to the Catholic faith. Drawn by its beauty and truth, Corinne too embraced the Catholic faith. The couple married and were blessed with nine children, though they bore the sorrow of losing their second child shortly after birth.

Around 1962, Verne and Corinne were providentially introduced to Father Aloysius Ellacuria, CMF, a Claretian priest of deep spiritual insight. Father Aloysius became their spiritual director and entrusted them with a sacred mission: to promote Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, a devotion he called the Perfect Filial Consecration to the Blessed Mother.

In response to this call, Verne and Corinne founded the Lay Apostles of Mary Brotherhood (LAMB) in 1963, establishing it as a religious non-profit corporation dedicated to fostering Marian devotion. About 2004, the organization was renamed LAMBS – Lay Apostles of Mary, Brothers and Sisters, reflecting a broader mission to support the formation and sanctification of Catholic families.

View Original LAMBS Handbook from 1967 (PDF)

The legacy of their devotion lives on. Through the generous provisions of Verne and Corinne’s estate, LAMBS continues to be funded and sustained, faithfully carrying out their vision of strengthening families in faith, fostering holiness, and spreading the love of Mary and her Son, Jesus Christ.

Nikko Dunkas

President

Nikko Alexander Dunkas was born and raised in the Catholic faith. He attended St. Alphonsus Academy and Center for the Arts, where he served as a lead altar server. As a youth, he participated in a pilgrimage to Medjugorje with his mother, his Aunt Cheri, and his grandfather, Verne Hubka, founder of LAMBS. During that pilgrimage, Nikko served as an altar server alongside Fr. Abrams Dono and Fr. Nabil Mounannes at seven holy sites, including St. James Church in Medjugorje, where his cousin had been baptized.

Nikko later attended Loyola Academy High School, where he joined Caritas, a service organization that helped deepen his understanding of the Catholic faith and commitment to service. He went on to earn a Bachelor’s degree in Business with a minor in Language from Miami University’s Farmer School of Business (Oxford, Ohio).

Professionally, Nikko works in the technology sector as an Account Executive with Matterport / CoStar, specializing in technology sales.

Nikko joined LAMBS as President in order to help continue his grandparents’ mission while deepening his own lifelong exploration of the Catholic faith.

Corinna Marija Sparhawk Wydra

Vice-President

Corinna serves as Vice President of LAMBS and is deeply honored to continue the spiritual and evangelical mission founded by her grandparents, Verne and Corinne Hubka.

Born in Medjugorje during her mother’s first of many pilgrimages to the former Yugoslavia, her life has been molded by a deeply spiritual heritage. She was baptized at St. James Church, the Parish where apparitions of Our Blessed Mother are said to have occurred since 1981. Corinna was kissed by Pope Saint John Paul II as an infant and toddler on two separate occasions at the Vatican in Rome. She also received the Pope’s personal blessing at the Duomo di Orvieto, the Roman Catholic hilltop cathedral dedicated to the Assumption of the Virgin Mary and home of the historical Eucharistic Miracle which instituted the Feast of Corpus Christi. Her formal education augmented this foundation in faith, having attended the Academy of Our Lady of Peace Catholic High School and later graduating from John Paul the Great Catholic University, where her formation was firmly grounded in faithful Catholic teaching.

As a wife and mother of four, Corinna embraces her primary vocation of raising her children in the love of Jesus Christ and His Church. In her role at LAMBS, she is devoted to strengthening and expanding programs that support faith formation, moral clarity, and authentic Catholic teaching. Her vision is to see LAMBS resources serve parishes and dioceses across the United States and beyond, equipping families, educators, and clergy with tools that foster conversion, discipleship, and a deeper encounter with Christ.

Teresa Ann Hubka

Secretary/Treasurer

Grounded in faith and guided by prayerful discernment, with a deep respect for the dignity of human life, Dr. Hubka brings wisdom, stewardship, and compassionate leadership to her role as Secretary/Treasurer of LAMBS. She is a dual board-certified physician and professor in obstetrics and gynecology and is nationally recognized as a Distinguished Fellow and Diplomate in her field. Dr. Hubka’s leadership acumen includes serving as the 128th President of the American Osteopathic Association, along with prior presidencies of numerous professional and philanthropic organizations. Her extensive service encompasses board and trustee roles, departmental leadership, and contributions to policy development, medical education, research, and international outreach. Her achievements have been honored through multiple awards, including induction into the AOA Mentor Hall of Fame and receipt of many distinguished service awards. Through each appointment, Dr. Hubka has lived her father’s advice to always strive for Excellence in everything you do and stand strong in your faith, use your voice for the good of others! She has broken barriers in medicine, lead national organizations, and mentored countless young physicians – all while remaining deeply devoted to her Catholic faith, her family, and her patients.

As the third of eight children raised by the founders of LAMBS, she is deeply committed to the organization’s mission and uniquely qualified as a member of the Board of Directors and Officer in advancing its work of supporting families in faith, proclaiming the love and mercy of Jesus Christ, and fostering programs that bring lasting spiritual and transformative impact.

Mary Anne Krupa

Mary Anne Krupa was raised in a Catholic family as one of eight children and has experienced a profound journey of faith that ultimately led her back to the heart of the Church. She holds advanced nursing and midwifery credentials, including a Master of Science in Nursing.

Inspired by a life-changing spiritual reversion influenced by St. John Paul II, Mary Anne dedicated many years to pro-life ministry through volunteer service at The Women’s Center in Chicago, where she assisted with ultrasound services in support of women facing unplanned pregnancies. Her work reflects a deep commitment to the dignity of human life and compassionate care for women and families.

She currently coordinates a Militia Immaculata prayer “village,” carrying forward the spiritual legacy of St. Maximilian Kolbe. Through this ministry, she has distributed hundreds of Miraculous Medals in public settings, often encountering individuals who are spiritually searching and receptive to God’s grace. Her apostolic outreach is rooted in a deep love for Christ and a desire to accompany those seeking hope and truth.

Mary Anne is the mother of three children and grandmother of five. Her family’s commitment to faith-driven service extends through her son, Dave, founder of ROMP Global (rompglobal.org), a nonprofit organization providing prosthetic care to amputees in underserved communities in Guatemala and Ecuador. Inspired by his own experience as an amputee, his work reflects a shared mission of mercy, dignity, and service to others.

Danny McCarthy

Danny is a lifelong Catholic who rediscovered the depth and beauty of his faith as a young adult, leading him into a more intentional relationship with the Lord. He is actively involved in parish life through faith formation, evangelization, and community outreach, seeking to serve both the Church and those on the margins. Danny strives to grow daily through prayer, works of mercy, and a life rooted in Christ. He is deeply grateful to share ministry, friendship, and marriage with his wife, Haley.

Haley McCarthy

Haley is an adult convert to the Catholic faith, whose journey began after falling in love with the Lord and encountering Jesus in the profound reality and power of the Holy Eucharist. She serves actively in parish ministries as an extraordinary minister of the Holy Eucharist, an intercessory prayer warrior and leads courses focused on the healing power of prayer. Haley also supports monthly evangelization and works of mercy for the needy in San Diego. She is a dedicated student of the Bible, continuing to learn, grow, and lead others to Christ through evangelization. She is thankful to walk this path of faith alongside her husband, Dan, as her ministry partner, friend, and spouse. Jesus I Trust in You!

Lisa Zickert

Lisa Zickert brings decades of experience in healthcare, wellness education, and nonprofit ministry leadership to her role as a board member. She holds a Master’s degree in Public Health and spent over twenty years in healthcare, where she designed and led wellness programs focused on improving physical and emotional well-being through education, prevention, and empowerment.

Her professional background includes program development, curriculum design, volunteer leadership, and community engagement—skills that translate directly to effective nonprofit governance and strategic planning. Lisa is particularly adept at aligning mission-driven initiatives with measurable outcomes and sustainable structures.

In 2021, she transitioned from healthcare into full-time spiritual and parish-based service, assuming leadership roles including Director of Children and Family Faith Formation, Coordinator of the Walking with Purpose Women’s Bible Study, and marriage mentorship alongside her husband. These roles strengthened her experience in organizational leadership, volunteer management, and long-term ministry planning.

Married for 36 years, Lisa and her husband have raised three adult children. She is known for her collaborative leadership style, ability to foster strong relationships, and passion for helping organizations—and individuals—reach their highest potential in service of mission and faith.

Tim Staples

Senior Apologist

Tim Staples is an apologist emeritus at Catholic Answers. Raised a Southern Baptist, Tim fell away from the faith of his childhood before returning in his late teen years through the witness of Christian televangelists. Soon after, Tim joined the Marine Corps.

During his four-year tour, he became involved in ministry with various Assemblies of God communities. Immediately after his tour of duty, Tim enrolled in Jimmy Swaggart Bible College and became a youth minister in an Assembly of God community. During his final year in the Marines, however, Tim met a Marine who really knew his faith and challenged Tim to study Catholicism from Catholic and historical sources. That encounter sparked a two-year search for the truth. Tim was determined to prove Catholicism wrong, but he ended up studying his way to the last place he thought he would ever end up: the Catholic Church!

He converted to Catholicism in 1988 and spent the following six years in formation for the priesthood, earning a degree in philosophy from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Pennsylvania. He then studied theology on a graduate level at Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland, for two years. Realizing that his calling was not to the priesthood, Tim left the seminary in 1994 and has been working in Catholic apologetics and evangelization ever since.