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| Mike Aquilina |
If the Men of the diocese are in good spiritual
shape, the family is renewed. If the
family is renewed, the parish is renewed and so is the diocese. The men must be spiritual leaders in their
families. The men must step up and be
the pillars of the parish.......not only the women. The men must put Christ into the marketplace
and in their jobs. A successful and well
attended Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal on Saturday March 3 at St. Stephen’s Church,
1036 Belford St., Caldwell off of Exit 25 on I-77 (9:00
am to 3:30 pm) would be a big step in that direction. An excellent program is in place.
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.
In his morning talk Mike Aquilina, an expert on the
early Church, will show how the angels were effective witnesses and can teach
us much to apply to our daily lives. In
the afternoon, he will show how the witness of the martyrs of the early Church can
help us to be effective witnesses today in secular America. Mike Aquilina will challenge the men to
follow the example of the early Church Fathers and martyrs and be effective
spiritual leaders and witnesses in their homes, in their parishes, on the job,
and in their communities. Drawing
from his diverse experience as a journalist, prolific author, conference
speaker, and father of a family, Mr. Aquilina can speak to the needs of the
men. As Blessed Pope Paul VI observed, “People
listen more to witnesses than to teachers”.
Marketing at the parish level is
crucial to the success of this Conference.
The Steering Committee for the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal has sent
posters, brochures, and registration forms to every parish in the diocese and
is asking each one to promote the Diocesan Men's Day of
Renewal.......announcements in the bulletin and from the pulpit, a bulletin
insert, etc. Parish organizations such
as the Knights of Columbus can also be a big help. But the most important of all is a leader and
a couple of good men in each parish to assure that the overall promotion is
adequate and to mobilize the other men of the parish to attend.......one on one
selling of the Conference and to organize the men to go as a group in the
parish van, a van pool, or hiring a bus.
That
would be great fellowship and would solidify the parish as the men get to know
each other better, especially if the pastor accompanies them. If the distance is great, that would give it
a pilgrimage flavor, especially if there's prayer and discussion of the day's
events. Pastors, already overworked,
can't do it all, especially the grunt work of promotion. They urgently need the help of the
laity. Even the women could encourage
their men to attend. Promotional resources and detailed information may be
obtained from paulrsebastian@yahoo.com
or from the Conference Blog at diosteubmen.blogspot.com, which also has articles on
men’s spiritually. The diocesan
website at diosteub.org has a link to the brochure and additional information
on its home page.
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 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.
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. 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. This may also be done individually. Make the
$25 check payable to the Diocese of Steubenville and write “Men's Day of
Renewal” on the memo line. One may
register at the door, but advance registration makes planning much easier.
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