AMDG
This article was originally submitted to the Steubenville Catholic Register on February 18.
MEN’S DAY OF RENEWAL MARCH 7: LENTEN SACRIFICE &
OPPORTUNITY
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.”
Thus the participants in the Diocesan
Men’s Day of Renewal on Saturday March 7 at St. Bernard’s Church in Beverly (9
am to 4 pm) on Route 339 are challenged to become true men of God........dynamic
Catholic leaders who will change the world, beginning with their families,
their parishes, their communities, and the marketplace through their jobs.
Therefore, Dr. Allen
Hunt, a partner of Matthew Kelly at the Dynamic Catholic Institute (www.dynamiccatholic.com), will talk
on “The Four Signs of a Dynamic
Catholic” in the morning session.
His afternoon talk will focus on his
journey to the true faith and how God revolutionizes our lives with His
real presence in the Eucharist and its remarkable power for each of us. A former pastor of a mega-church of 15,000
people, he will share his journey to find the truth and discover the beauty
and splendor of the Catholic Church.
Recent converts and those struggling with the decision to enter the
Church can identify with him. Cradle
Catholics will obtain a deeper appreciation of their Church. Non-Catholics are welcome.
The
men are invited to bring their teenage sons and relatives who are preparing for
manhood so that this Conference may also be a Father and Son shared
experience. Seeing so many men enthusiastically
participating and moved by the beauty and power of the faith are all uplifting. All will enjoy this nationally known speaker,
best selling author, and radio show host.
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 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 about two hours away for a weekend with their wives. Marietta is an attractive tourism center.
For the first
time 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 Montforton.
Promotional
materials and ideas may be obtained from the Conference blog which promotes
men’s spirituality at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com. The diocesan website www.diosteub.org homepage also provides a link
to more detail.
The parish
representative may collect the registration forms and send them to Roger Huck;
Men’s Day of Renewal; P.O. Box 54; Beverly, OH 45715. Individuals may do the same. Make the $25 check payable to the Diocese of
Steubenville and write “Men's Day of Renewal” on the memo line. Although registrations are accepted at the
door, the men are encouraged to register ahead of time to facilitate planning
and to avoid lines.
