AMDG
February 20, 2020
Dear Father:
First
of all, thank you so much for giving your life to the God, His Church, and to
us. Your work is so important and
crucial in being another Christ in bringing us Mass, the sacraments, counseling
us, teaching us, overseeing parish groups, and managing the parish, an enterprise
just as challenging as running a business enterprise or other
organization. Your duties in running one
or two or even three parishes often with a school and other services can be
overwhelming while keeping up with the indispensable Liturgy of the Hours. Through your most noble vocation over your
career you will have brought the Lord’s mercy to hundreds if not thousands of
souls and help them along the narrow and often difficult road to
salvation. May God reward you richly and
use all of the trials, crosses, and frustrations of your crucial job to make
you a saint. Again my deepest gratitude.
It is the role of the father to assume
spiritual leadership in the family, but in many if not most cases, the
mother assumes that role. As Danny
Abramowicz, 2012 Conference speaker and former All-Pro wide receiver for the
New Orleans Saints, says, “The men have dropped the ball”. If the father takes the spiritual lead, the
probability that the children will remain faithful to the Church in later life
doubles or triples. The Church in
America may be losing a generation of youth.
The men must become the pillars of the parish, not only the women. The men must step up. Thus it is crucial to reach the men and the Steubenville
Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal plays an important part because the enthusiasm
generated is contagious as the men witness to each other. Setting the men on fire means stronger
families which in turn means the renewal of the parish.
The Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal will be
held on Saturday March 7 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Basilica of St. Mary of the
Assumption in Marietta. The theme is “The Challenge of Being Catholic”
with St. Joseph, model of a true man of
God, as the Conference patron.
The goal of the Men's Day of Renewal is
the spiritual development of the men of our diocese. That includes helping the
men to take the right path before having to face the four last
things.......Death, Judgment, Heaven or Hell.
Having spiritually strong men of faith and character translates into more
solid families, more dynamic parishes, and better communities. This is crucial
to the Church and particularly our diocese, now and in the future. It is also
critical for nurturing vocations.
Please excuse the
length. I wanted to be complete. To make it an easier read, I have many
subtitles. Please give it at least a good skim, reading only what you consider
useful.
The Conference will
open with both talks of our main speaker, Dr. Scott Hahn since he will be on
his way to Rome for a lecture series at the Angelicum Pontifical University of
St. Thomas Aquinas. In his first
talk, Scott will draw on Church's teaching and his own experience to
show how ordinary Catholics can effectively share their faith, and
so fulfill the New Evangelization. Every one
of us, as Catholics, is called not only to keep the faith, but also to share it
with others. This talk will help Catholic laymen to reach friends,
co-workers, and family members, especially those who are non-practicing
or have drifted away from the Church. He will also address the
question, why and how can we remain faithful Catholics
-- in the face of clerical corruption and the scandals we have
witnessed?
In his second talk, Dr. Hahn will speak on how to
strengthen our marriages and our family life, both of which are in
crisis. Drawing from Scripture, and forty years of
experience as a husband and a father. Scott will
offer some practical tips on how to make your home a domestic church
--which
St. Pope John Paul II advocated-- particularly with the help of the
Holy Family. He will also share some valuable lessons
learned from his own struggles, drawing from his most
recent book, The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and
the Restoration of the Social Order.
 |
| Scott Hahn |
I
am a member of St. Louis Church in Gallipolis in southeastern Ohio across the
river from you and am a member of the Steering Committee for organizing the
Steubenville Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal.
Our parish, Sacred Heart Church in Point Pleasant WV, and Sacred Heart Church
in Pomeroy, OH have been sister parishes for many years. They invite each other to parish functions
and some go to daily Mass at the other parish when the home pastor is
away. The pastors worked together beautifully
with Penance services and substituted occasionally at a weekend Mass.
In
that same spirit we thought that it would be great if a group of men from your parish
would attend. Perhaps this joint effort
will stimulate more cooperation and pooling of resources among the parishes of
the two dioceses on opposite sides of the Ohio River. If we can attract a good number of men from
both states, we will be able to provide more nationally known speakers in
future years. Of course, we would not
want to interfere with any event of the Wheeling-Charleston Diocese, but I
understand that they have decentralized regional retreats which our men could
also attend. Thus the two are compatible
with each other, especially if one conference or the other is more convenient
for some of the men.
Dr. Scott Hahn
is Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan
University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990. He is
the Founder and President of the St. Paul Center, an apostolate dedicated to
teaching Catholics how to read Scripture from the heart of the Church.
Scott has been married to Kimberly for forty years, and together they have
six children and eighteen grandchildren. Two of their sons
are seminarians studying for the Steubenville Diocese. A former Presbyterian pastor, Scott entered
the Catholic Church in 1986. The author or editor of over forty popular and
academic books, including “Rome Sweet Home” and “The
Lamb’s Supper”, Dr. Hahn has delivered thousands of talks, nationally
and internationally, on a variety of topics related to Scripture and the Catholic
faith.
The following link gives a
good overview of the Men’s Conference:
(244) Scott Hahn to Speak on How to Participate
in the New Evangelization and Building the Domestic Church at the 2020
Steubenville Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal
Attached
for your possible use are 1) Conference Brochure with Registration Form; 2)
Sample Bulletin Announcements; 3) Sample Bulletin Insert; 4) Functions of the
Parish Representative; 5) Promotion Ideas; and 6) Sample Sign Up Sheet to put
in back of the church; 7) Example of an After Mass Talk By a Layman; 8)
Possible Pastor Announcements; 9) A List of My Articles by Subject and Link
(Includes a section on Men’s Conferences).
The backing of the pastor is crucial. Bulletin blurbs and inserts are
not enough. A plug from the pulpit is
helpful. Being already so busy with many
responsibilities, the pastor doesn’t have time to get too involved, but he could appoint a
parish representative or a committee to mobilize the men with one on one
selling, organize a van pool, and register the men. A parish representative would facilitate follow
up on the undecided. Filling out the attached brochure/registration form in
advance with the $25 payment and giving it to a parish representative would
speed things up at the door. If
sufficient time, you may send them to Roger Huck; %Men’s Day of Renewal, P.O. Box 54;
Beverly, OH 45715. That would help our planning. Checks are payable to the Diocese of Steubenville with “Men's Day of Renewal” written on the
memo line of the check. If any man
would like to attend, but can’t afford it, the parish can help or contact me at
the door. We’ll find a way.
NEW:
The men are
encouraged their teen age sons,
godsons, relatives, and friends. Thus
the Conference can also be a
father and son event, a shared experience. Non-Catholics are also welcome. For the first time boys 18
and under will be admitted free of charge.
The goal is to instill in the young men the habit of Lenten sacrifice,
spiritual growth, and preparation for the great feast of Easter. Hopefully, the older boys will help their
fathers to build the domestic church at home and lead their younger siblings in
a domestic evangelization.
The local
Knights of Columbus council can be invaluable in mobilizing their
members and the other men in the surrounding parishes. The spiritual formation of their men is very
much within their mission. A layman
could briefly talk about the conference at the end of Mass. This would be a great supplement to any
promotion that you care to make in the bulletin, from the pulpit, etc.
I
know that there is only one week-end left before the Conference, which is not
much time. But I’m hoping that you can
send at least a few men. I'm sorry about
not being earlier, but it is still very doable.
I apologize and hope to do better next year.
Useful Resources. You and the parish
representatives that you appoint can utilize our Conference Blog at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com. The 2020 series of resources begins with Blog
#184)
A General Overview of the 2020 Steubenville Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal;
#185) Form to Place an Ad in the Program Booklet;
#186) Diocesan Press Release #1: Scott
Hahn to Speak at Men’s Day of Renewal;
#187 Possible Short Announcements For the
Church Bulletin;
#188) Promotion Ideas;
#189) Functions & Crucial Importance of the
Parish Rep;
#190) Sample Sign Up Sheet;
#191) Sample Bulletin Insert & Facebook
Entry;
#192) Diocesan Press Release #2: Urgently
Needed: A Few Good Men to Promote the Men's Conference;
#193) Backing of the Pastor Crucial to the
Men's Conference;
#194) Role of the Deacon in Promoting the Men's
Conference;
#195) Example of an After Mass Promotional Talk
By a Layman;
#196) Examples of Possible Pastor Announcements
Supporting the Men's Conference;
#197) Diocesan Press Release #3: Men Asked to
Make a Lenten Sacrifice to Attend the Men's Conference;
#198) Mobilization of the Knights of Columbus
Councils to Attend & Help Promote the Men’s Conference;
#199) Invitation to Parishes in West Virginia
to Attend the Men's Conference;
#200) Invitation to College Students to Attend
the Men's Conference;
#201) Press Release to Catholic
Newspapers;
#202) Press Release to Secular
Newspapers; and
#203) My Ad in the 2020 Program Booklet; Numbers 184 – 203 will be added in the next
several days. They correspond to numbers
160- 179 of 2019 which are similar in
principle to this year.
The diocesan website at
www.diosteub.org will have a link to the brochure and Additional Information
(for now it has the diocesan newspaper article and photos of last year’s
conference). Hover over the “ABOUT” Menu at the top of home
page. Then hover on “Men’s Ministry” and
click on “Men’s Day of Renewal”. The
link to our brochure and “Additional Information” are on the bottom left under
documents. More direct is https://diosteub.org/mens-day-of-renewal. For your convenience you will find
attached 1) Conference Brochure 2)
Registration Forms, 3) Additional Information, 4) Sample Bulletin
Announcements, 5) Promotion Ideas, 6) Functions of the Parish Representative,
and 7) Sample Bulletin Insert.
There are also
interesting articles on men’s spirituality at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com, along with
summaries of past talks, promotional resources, and other information. After the Conference and throughout the year,
articles will be added to help the men keep in good spiritual shape. Clergy, Religious, and knowledgeable layman
are invited to submit to me for the Conference Blog articles or copies of
homilies that are particularly appropriate for men’s spirituality. For a greater variety, go to “A Little Bit
for God and His People” at http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com.
Marietta,
Ohio is a good distance for some parishes and just across the river for others. In any event it involves sacrificing most of
a Saturday with some travel, but Lent is all about sacrifice and the quest for
holiness. During the middle ages,
pilgrims would travel for days by foot or horseback. Organizing the men to go together in a van
pool for a 2 – 4 hour trip would give it a pilgrimage flavor, especially if
there's a rosary and discussion about the day's events along the way. It's a great opportunity as well. It can solidify the parish as the men get to
know each other better through great fellowship, especially if the pastor
accompanies them.
Another option is to stay at a motel
in Marietta and make a retreat out of it.
The Basilica is one of the most beautiful churches in the world and is
ideal for prayer and reflection. There will be Eucharistic Adoration all day
Friday until 7 pm in the Chapel of the English Martyrs to the right of the main
altar. Stations of the Cross will
follow. The men may bring their families
to stay overnight at a motel and explore Marietta during the Conference. Go to https://mariettaohio.org/.
It
should be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration. The last five
years the men returned refreshed spiritually, reinvigorated, and
enthusiastic. Expect the same this
year. The men sang with such enthusiasm
that the walls reverberated. But most of all, through grace we'll have a few more
good spiritually strong men for the kingdom of God in the battle against
secularism and other evils and problems that our troubled society must
confront.......men --not spiritual weaklings and wimps-- who will put Christ
into their professions. Finally, the men
will become more knowledgeable, firmer in their faith, and better prepared for
a more joyful Easter, not to mention a greater closeness to God and eternity
which life on earth is all about.
Often the enthusiasm
generated at a men's conference is contagious and
there is a spillover into parish life since the men see fellow participants
moved by the beauty and power of the faith.
Non-Catholics are also welcome.
This is all a part of the new evangelization......to fire up the
apathetic Catholic who doesn't do much beyond attending Sunday Mass, the
minimalist; to touch the drifting Catholic and the fallen away through the
publicity and inviting them to attend. The experience of seeing so many men enthusiastically participating and
lifting up their voices in song is uplifting.
Please
don't hesitate to call me at 740-245-9404 or e-mail me at paulrsebastian@yahoo.com if I can be
of help. Hopefully, the men will return
on fire which would make your parish more dynamic. Thank you so much and God bless.
SUMMARY OF WHAT THE MEN'S CONFERENCE CAN DO FOR
YOU.....BENEFITS
·
Get into good spiritual shape and
avoid being a spiritual weakling, i.e., a spiritual wimp.
·
Have a great day of enjoyable fellowship
and spiritual invigoration in the parish van and at the conference,
resulting in deeper friendships and parish cohesion.
· Develop ourselves as men of
character and spiritual strength as we obtain the graces to conquer
ourselves and cope with the problems that our troubled society and economy
brings to us.
·
Be a more effective spiritual leader of
your family as a better husband and father.
· Prepare our hearts for the great feast of
Easter and for eternity as we become closer to God..
· Become knowledgeable about the faith
and grow in Christian maturity. We know
so little about Church teaching.
· Become a more effective soldier of Christ
as you do your part in establishing the kingdom, winning the spiritual-culture
war against secularism, and put Christ into your profession.
*********************************************************************************
St. Joseph, model of a true
man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.
AS A SHORT BULLETIN ANNOUNCEMENT
1. Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday, March 7 from 9 am – 4 pm at the Basilica
of St. Mary of the Assumption in Marietta. In the first talk Dr.
Hahn will draw upon his 1986 conversion experience to help us to be more
effective in the New Evangelization, which applies to all of us. Hopefully the men will leave with a sense of
mission to show fallen away Catholics within their extended families and circle
of friends what they are missing by drifting away. Every Catholic has a part, small or large, in
bringing non-Catholics and unchurched friends to the Faith. Critical is selling them on the
faith........Why be Catholic despite the scandal we have suffered through?
2.
Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday,
March 7 from 9 am – 4 pm at the Basilica
of St. Mary of the Assumption in Marietta. In the second
talk Dr. Hahn will draw upon his experience as the father of six, including two
in the seminary. Scott Hahn can give us
some great tips on how to make your home a domestic church as advocated by St. Pope
John Paul II. Certainly Scott Hahn has had his struggles as we all do in
forming our families and keeping our marriages healthy. He has given
considerable thought to the Domestic Church in writing his book, "The
First Society", which today is in a grave crisis.
