Our Foundation
About Us
The JohnPaul2 Renewal Center is a Catholic community dedicated to faith formation, mentorship, and spiritual renewal. Inspired by the life and teachings of Saint John Paul II, we seek to accompany individuals and families on their journey toward a deeper relationship with Christ and His Church.
What is Claymore?
Claymore: Milites Christi (Soldiers for Christ) is here to meet that hunger head-on. Rooted in the teachings of Saint John Paul II and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Immaculate Heart of Mary and Saint Michael the Archangel, Claymore is a discipleship movement for courageous young men—and for those who walk beside them as mentors, fellow sojourners and supporters. Through our Flagship Claymore Battle Plan—a 275+ page handbook structured into 52 short, practical weekly chapters with Q&A and actionable acts—we invite young men into God’s story for their lives and help form them to live it with purpose and integrity. Claymore forms men not only to resist the culture’s confusion, but to become witnesses to truth, goodness, beauty and love in a world that desperately needs them.
Our Vision
A quiet awakening is moving through a generation of young men raised on glowing screens, formed by pornography before they understood love, and now surrounded by AI simulations that imitate intimacy while draining it of meaning. They grew up in a world where the artificial often passes for the authentic, where words are carefully engineered to make the unthinkable sound compassionate. And yet, in conversations across the country, we keep hearing the same restless confession rise from their hearts: There has to be something more. And there is. Claymore gives them a framework, formation, and a brotherhood that sends them outward with confidence—to go out and invite young men into the Catholic faith in a way that reaches the heart, rebuilds identity, and calls them to mission.
Our Team
Our team brings together experienced educators, pastoral leaders, and community organizers united by a shared passion for faith formation and mentorship.
Co-Founder
Jack Rigert
Jack Rigert is the co-founder of the John Paul II Renewal Center and host of the “Claymore: Become Who You Are” podcast. A former professional chef and entrepreneur who built restaurants, real estate ventures, and a financial services company, Jack experienced dramatic encounters with Jesus Christ at his dying brother’s bedside and again in the Eucharist at his brother’s funeral—moments that brought him back to the Church after twenty years away. While pursuing graduate studies in theology, he discovered John Paul II’s Theology of the Body, recognized it as the treasure he had been searching for, sold his businesses, and dedicated his life to evangelization. Jack now travels the country offering parish missions, retreats, and formation programs. He holds an MA in Theology with a concentration in John Paul II Studies from the University of St. Thomas in Houston.
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Executive Director
David Avignone
David is the executive director of John Paul II Renewal Center, which oversees the Claymore milites Christi mission. After working in corporate America for a national beverage company out of college, David had a reversion to The Faith. He then pledged to use his business experience and education for a greater purpose. Soon after his mother’s sickness & passing, when Our Blessed Mother appeared to her, he quickly transitioned to a career in the non-profit world. After finishing his MBA from Loyola University, David began working in the pro-life world, beginning as Associate Director of Students for Life of Illinois. He has since worked for other pro-life and Catholic organizations, including a pro-life political action committee and a Catholic Newman Center. Since his grandfather Mario’s passing in 2011, David effectively became the custodian of the relic Mario received from Padre Pio in 1945. In particular, he is asked on occasion to bring the relic to the bedside of the sick and dying. In David’s reversion to The Faith, he has become devoted to Padre Pio and enjoys sharing his grandfather’s stories and the stories of others who have been impacted by the great saint. In his free time, David officiates collegiate soccer and basketball, enjoys playing sports, & enjoys cooking. If time and money weren’t a factor, David would spend 2-3 months per year with his family on the coast of the Mediterranean in southern Italy where some of his relatives live. David & his wife, Joanna, live in the western suburbs of Chicago where they are raising and homeschooling their 5 young children (10 & under).
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Claymore Leader
Mark Schmitt
Mark was born and raised in the Catholic faith but fell away in college. In his early twenties he encountered the truth and beauty of St. Pope John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. His life would never be the same. Through this incredible teaching he came to see the dignity of the human person, what it means to be made in the image and likeness of God and how we are made for authentic, self-giving love. Through the catalyst of Theology of the Body, Mark came back to his Catholic faith. He is now married to his wonderful wife Margaret. They have three young children. Mark works with his dad in their family landscape business in Wheaton.
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Claymore Leader
Dan McSweeney
My hearts desire is to carry the gospel message of love to all those I encounter; Especially to our youth, who are being relentlessly attacked by the evil one.
Read Bio →Something Real Is Happening
Something real—something hopeful—is happening. A quiet awakening is moving through a generation of young men raised on glowing screens, formed by pornography before they understood love, and now surrounded by AI simulations that imitate intimacy while draining it of meaning. They grew up in a world where the artificial often passes for the authentic, where words are carefully engineered to make the unthinkable sound compassionate. And yet, in conversations across the country, we keep hearing the same restless confession rise from their hearts: There has to be something more. And there is. Claymore: Milites Christi—Soldiers for Christ—exists for this moment. As we build the Claymore Leadership Team, we are meeting extraordinary Catholic men who want to stand in the gap for their sons, nephews, teammates, and friends. They see the confusion. They see the hunger. And they want to help. Claymore gives them a framework, formation, and a brotherhood that sends them outward with confidence—to go out and invite young men into the Catholic faith in a way that reaches the heart, rebuilds identity, and calls them to mission. Young men are waking up. They are searching for solid ground, real brotherhood, demanding truth, and a faith strong enough to build a life on.