AMDG
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| The Pilgrim Statue of the Immaculate Heart of Mary During her Visit to St. Ann's Church in Chesapeake |
At the
Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal on Saturday March 18 from 9 am – 3:30 pm at St.
Stephen’s Church in Caldwell of Exit 25 of I-77, the men will consecrate themselves
and this Men’s Conference as well as all future ones to the Immaculate Heart of
Mary in the presence of her Pilgrim Statue which will be there to coincide with
the current Year of Reconsecration of the entire Diocese to her. St. Joseph will continue as its patron. The Steering Committee is confident that
Mother Mary will intercede for divine guidance and will round up her sons for a
great turnout from all parts of our far flung diocese.
Since Capt. Guy
Gruters exhibits the spirit of sacrifice that veterans have made, we will
briefly honor all veterans present. They will be thanked by the MC and
asked to stand.
All men, including teens, are invited. Thus this Conference can also be a great father
and son shared experience. In order to
not exclude anyone, we will find a way for those who cannot afford the $25
fee to cover expenses. If that is a
serious impediment, first contact your pastor or parish representative or simply
show up.
The featured
speaker is Capt. Guy Gruters who will reveal how his faith and trust in God
carried him through the ordeal as a Prisoner of War in the notorious “Hanoi
Hilton” and other camps in Vietnam for over five years. Since bitterness is self-destructing, he will
share in the afternoon talk how he learned to show mercy and forgive his brutal
captors who tortured him.. The
participants will discover how they can apply mercy, forgiveness, faith, and
trust to their daily lives as sources of strength in difficult times and a
means to grow in holiness.
Drawing from his
diverse experience in business and being a father of seven children, he will
also touch on leadership and teamwork in the family, parish, the community, and
on the job. An excellent and dynamic
speaker, Mr. Gruters gives talks all over the country and is the author of the
book, “Locked Up With God”.
Although there is registration at
the door, the men are asked to send the $25 registration fee and form
from the brochure to Roger Huck; P.O. Box 54; Beverly, OH 45715. He can be reached at 740-336-9128 or
huck4816@roadrunner.com. Checks should
be made payable to the Diocese of Steubenville.
This makes planning so much easier and minimizes waiting in line at the
door.
If the mother
takes the spiritual lead in the family, the probability that the children will
remain faithful to the Church as adults is about 40%. If the father takes the spiritual lead, that
probability doubles to 80%. This is
crucial because we are losing our youth.
As Danny Abramowicz of “Crossing the Goal” on EWTN likes to point out, “The
children love Mom, but tend to follow Dad.”
The men are challenged through the power of
prayer, as true men of God and dynamic Catholic leaders, to change the world in
little or big ways by prayer, example, word, and deed, beginning with their
families, their parishes, their communities, and the marketplace through their
jobs.
The
men are asked to bring their teenage sons, relatives, and friends. Thus this Conference may also be a Father and
Son event. Seeing so many men enthusiastically
participating and moved by the beauty and power of the faith are all uplifting. Most return spiritually refreshed,
reinvigorated, and enthusiastic.
Even though
this year’s Conference is in the geographic center of the diocese, the Steering
Committee appreciates the fact that the men will be sacrificing most of
a valuable Saturday, but that’s what Lent is all about….penance,
self-examination, personal renewal, spiritual growth, etc. The men on the geographic extremes will have
to leave their homes at an early hour and travel up to three hours, but that
gives the Conference a pilgrimage flavor, especially if there's prayer and
discussion of the day's events. Traveling
together in a van would make for great fellowship and would solidify the
parish as the men get to know each other better, more so if the pastor
accompanies them. There was once a time
when pilgrims would travel for days to a shrine on foot or horseback.
Some from far
away may wish to stay overnight in Caldwell at the Microtel Inn at the
I-77 exit behind Sunoco and Subway or in a motel in nearby Marietta and make it
a weekend retreat, beginning with Stations of the Cross at 7 pm the day before
at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, one of the most beautiful
churches in the world. Both Columbus and
Pittsburgh are less than two hours away for a weekend with their wives. Marietta is an attractive tourism center.
The
Conference will begin with a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament as a preparation
for the Reconciliation Service and Mass presided by the Bishop Monforton.
Promotional
materials, ideas, and articles by past speakers may be obtained from the Conference
blog which promotes men’s spirituality at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com. The diocesan website homepage at www.diosteub.org also provides a link to the
brochure and more detail.
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