(45) Press Release to Secular Newspapers: Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday March 16 in Caldwell, Ohio

AMDG

            I sent the following introduction and press release to the secular newspapers within a 100 mile radius of Caldwell, our Men's Conference site.  Thus I included Gallipolis, Athens, Marietta, Parkersburg-WV, Zanesville, Cambridge, St. Clairsville, Wheeling, Steubenville, and as very long shots Columbus, Cincinnati, and Cleveland.  In addition I sent it to the diocesan newspapers of Columbus, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Parma (Byzantine), Pittsburgh, and Wheeling-Charleston WV and Steubenville.  

            Essentially, I sent the press release by e-mail tall at once to the entire list. My philosophy was that the e-mail addresses were easy to able to obtain by googling the internet and the press release could be sent out all at once.  If only one or two of the 19 newspaper pick up the release and print at least part of it, the effort is worthwhile.  Even if the reader does not attend the Conference, at least s/he receives the message behind the Conference.  Two years ago the Gallipolis Daily Tribune printed the entire article.

March 8, 2013

            As the person responsible for publicity on the Steering Committee for the Steubenville Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal, I am submitting for your consideration the following article for your News, Events, or Religion sections.  The Men's Conference described in the article submission below is open to men of all faiths and it's good for the people of different denominations to know what other churches are doing.  For those who do not attend, the article also gives a taste of the speaker's message, which challenges the men to be true men as God intended.  Too many really don't know what true manhood is.

            Feel free to edit and condense it as you see fit.  If space is lacking, please at least consider the second paragraph for your Events section or Church Calendar.

Thank you for your consideration and God bless.    

NEWS RELEASE:  STEUBENVILLE DIOCESE MEN'S CONFERENCE IN CALDWELL, OH.

            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.  Set the men on fire and we renew the parish, the diocese and ultimately the Country, thus transforming Society. 

            That’s what the Catholic Diocese of Steubenville is trying to accomplish in sponsoring a Men’s Conference on Saturday March 16 from 9 am to 3 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell (off of I-77 Exit 25).  The theme is: “Embrace the Faith” with St. Joseph as the patron.  The distance may be great, but Lent involves sacrifice and the quest for holiness.  That gives a pilgrimage flavor especially if the men car pool.  During the middle ages, pilgrims would travel for days by foot or horseback.

 

            In the past the men have returned spiritually refreshed, reinvigorated, and enthusiastic since the participants are moved by the beauty and power of the faith.   Non-Catholics are also welcome.  This year the Conference is open to teens so this can also be a father & son event.  There will be opportunities for Eucharistic Adoration & a Lenten Confession.  The new appointed Bishop Jeffrey Montforton will preside at the Mass.

            It is essential that the men take the spiritual lead in the family and in the parish.  Too often the women are the pillars of the parish.  According to our speaker, Fr. Larry Richards, the probability that the children will remain faithful to the Church in later life is about 40% if the mother takes the spiritual lead.  However, if the father does his job as spiritual leader, that probability of later faithfulness doubles to about 80%!!!!  According to Danny Abramowicz, last year’s speaker, the children love Mom, but tend to follow Dad. 

             The main speaker, Fr. Larry Richards is the author of the best seller, “Be a Man!  Becoming the Man God Created You to Be” which challenges men to be true men as God intended with manly virtues such as love, wisdom, courage, integrity, and compassion to pursue holiness, to make a difference in the world, and to live as a beloved son of God, revealing the meaning of a man’s life.  Fr. Larry inspires men to become the true heroes they long to be.  He recounts his struggles to learn true manhood, as well as the inspiring stories of others he has served. He tells men how to focus on the right goals, to live according to the Holy Spirit, to be a man of true love and of wisdom, to appreciate properly the differences between men and women, to pursue holiness, and to make a difference in the world. Not preachy but direct, Father Larry challenges men to be strong, without putting on a mask of false strength or machismo (youtube.com).

            He often appears on EWTN, hosts his own national radio show, “Changed Forever” on Relevant Radio at relevantradio.com and other stations on Saturday 8 pm & Sunday 11 am.  Fr. Larry Richards is the founder and president of the Reason for Hope Foundation dedicated to spreading the good news of the Gospel (see TheReasonForOurHope.org) by educating others about Jesus Christ and giving insights on true manhood.

            There’s more information on the diocesan website, diosteub.org and the Conference Blog, “Becoming a True Man of God” at diosteubmen.blogspot.com which will be devoted to articles to keep men in spiritual shape after the Conference.  For a greater variety, go to “A Little Bit for God and His People” at paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com.

            It should be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration. But most of all, the organizers believe that through grace there will be 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. 

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St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.

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(44) A Posssible Promotional Talk on the 2013 Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal After Sunday Mass

AMDG

Dear Parish Rep:

        Only one week left before the Conference and now we're in the homestretch to get a great turnout from your parish.  Now's the time to get all of those fence sitters on board by personal contact or phone.  It's so important to reach the men because if they are on fire, you renew both the family and the parish.  It's evangelization at its best.  Thank you for all that you've done so far.

        Perhaps you could suggest to your pastor that somebody who has attended a previous Conference give a two minute talk after Mass.  I gave something like the following in the past.

        Thanks again and God bless. 

Fr. Larry Richards

A POSSIBLE PROMOTIONAL TALK ON THE 2013 DIOCESAN MEN'S DAY OF RENEWAL

          Men, let's face it.  Too many of us are spiritual weaklings.....spiritual wimps!  And that includes me.  We have to do something about it.  Our Men's Conference would be a big help to each one of us.

·       We've got to get into spiritual shape and embrace the faith, the theme of this year's Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal.

·       We've got to become spiritually strong to be effective spiritual leaders of our families, to become better fathers, better husbands, and to be able to put Christ into our jobs and professions.  To establish the kingdom, the Lord wants our help.

 

·       We've got to prepare ourselves for Easter and for eternity.

·       Our Men's Conference will help us in all of these areas.  On top of that we'll have a good time of great fellowship both at the Conference and in the van going there and back.  Last year the men came back spiritually invigorated , refreshed, and enthusiastic.  A typical comment was: “I didn't want to go, but they twisted my arm and I'm glad they did.”

·       We'll learn more about our faith too and grow in Christian maturity. We only have a superficial knowledge.  Fr. Larry Richards often appears on EWTN and is a well known speaker throughout the Country. He’s dynamic, captivating, and entertaining.  Fr. Larry wrote a book, “Be a Man” which challenges the men to be true men as God intended.  He’ll really give us insights on what true manhood is.  Most of us really don’t know what true manhood is. 

       Perhaps the women can help by using their feminine mystique to encourage (not nag - tongue in cheek) their men to attend.  Please mark on your calendar Saturday, March 16.  We'll meet in the parking lot at 6:30 am.  Please register with me as soon as you can.  That really helps in organizing and planning.  Of course, better late than never at the door.  Thank you so much.

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St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.

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(43) Invitation to the Men of Neighboring Dioceses to Attend the 2013 Men's Day of Renewal

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St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.

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March 4, 2013                                 

AMDG

Dear Father:

            If the Men of the parish 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.  That's what we're trying to accomplish with the Steubenville Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal.  See the attached brochure with registration form and additional detailed information, both of which are also on the bottom of the home page of the diocesan website at www.diosteub.org (just click on it).

            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, one inviting the other to parish functions, going to daily Mass at the other parish when the home pastor is away, and especially with the priests helping each other out with Penance services, and occasionally a weekend Mass.

            In that same spirit we thought that it would be great if a delegation of men from your Church would attend our Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal on Saturday, March 16 at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell, Ohio from 9 am to 3 pm.  It's across the Ohio River just off of Exit 25 on I-77, about a half hour north of the twin cities of Parkersburg, WV & Marietta, OH and less than a half hour south of I-70.  Perhaps this joint effort will stimulate more cooperation and pooling of resources among the parishes of the two dioceses on opposite sides of the river.  If we can attract a good number of men from both states, we will be able to provide 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.

Fr. Larry Richards brings out a point in one of his conferences.

             The main speaker, Fr. Larry Richards is the author of the best seller, “Be a Man!  Becoming the Man God Created You to Be” which challenges men to be true men as God intended with manly virtues such as love, wisdom, courage, integrity, and compassion to pursue holiness, to make a difference in the world, and to live as a beloved son of God, revealing the meaning of a man’s life.  Fr. Larry inspires men to become the true heroes they long to be.  He recounts his struggles to learn true manhood, as well as the inspiring stories of others he has served. He tells men how to focus on the right goals, to live according to the Holy Spirit, to be a man of true love and of wisdom, to appreciate properly the differences between men and women, to pursue holiness, and to make a difference in the world. Not preachy but direct, Father Larry challenges men to be strong, without putting on a mask of false strength or machismo.  He will talk on both Confession and true manhood.  For a sample of his talks, see www.youtube.com.

            He often appears on EWTN, hosts his own national radio show, “Changed Forever” on Relevant Radio at www.relevantradio.com and other stations on Saturday 8 pm & Sunday 11 am.  Fr. Larry Richards is the founder and president of the Reason for Hope Foundation dedicated to spreading the good news of the Gospel (see www.TheReasonForOurHope.org) by educating others about Jesus Christ and giving insights on true manhood.

            Fr. Richards, born in Pittsburgh, earned a degree in Mental Health at the College Seminary at Gannon University.  He completed his priestly training and studies in Theology at St. Vincent Seminary; received a Master of Divinity degree; and was ordained in 1989.  He is the pastor of St. Joseph Church and the Bread of Life Community in Erie, Pennsylvania.  Fr. Larry is also the Spiritual Director of the TEC (To Encounter Christ) Retreat Program for the Diocese of Erie.  At the same time he is close to completing the requirements for a MA degree in Liturgy at the University of Notre Dame.

The last three years the men returned refreshed spiritually, reinvigorated, and enthusiastic.  Expect the same this year.  Most impressive was the Mass concelebrated by the Bishop with up to 25 pastors who accompanied their men.  The men sang with such enthusiasm that the walls reverberated.  It was great to see how the participants are moved by the beauty and power of the faith and it's contagious.

            You can make copies of the brochure or adapt the attached model and put it into your church bulletin this Sunday as an insert.  Our Conference Blog, “Becoming a True Man of God” at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com has greater detail and resources for promoting the Conference, such as possible bulletin blurbs, promotional ideas, a possible bulletin insert possible talk by the priest or a layman after Mass, etc.  After the Conference it will have articles to help the men in their quest to become true men of God and keep in spiritual shape.  You may adapt and use the materials as you see fit.  For a greater variety, you can go to my personal blog: “A Little Bit for God and His People” at http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com.

            The goal of the Men's Day of Renewal is to focus on the spiritual development of the men of our diocese.  This year's theme is “Embracing the Faith” with St. Joseph as its patron.  Having spiritually strong men of faith and character translates into more solid families, more dynamic parishes, and better communities.  These are crucial to the Church, now and in the future, not to mention the critical need of nurturing vocations.   Set the men on fire and you renew not only the parish, but the entire diocese and ultimately the Country, thus transforming Society.

            It is essential that the men take the spiritual lead in the family and in the parish.  Too often the women are the pillars of the parish.  According to our speaker, Fr. Larry Richards, the probability that the children will remain faithful to the Church in later life is about 40% if the mother takes the spiritual lead.  However, if the father does his job as spiritual leader, that probability of later faithfulness doubles to about 80%!!!!  According to Danny Abramowicz, last year’s speaker, the children love Mom, but tend to follow Dad.   

            True, Caldwell is a good distance for some parishes.  But that's what Lent is all about.  It's sacrifice.  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.  He could help hear confessions and concelebrate the holy liturgy with the newly appointed Bishop Jeffrey Monforton and many other priests from both sides of the river. 

            Another option is to stay in the nearby Best Western Motel, where we have a special rate, on the night of March 15 and make a retreat out of it.  There's Eucharistic Adoration before and after Stations of the Cross at 7 pm and again at 8 pm the next morning.

            It should be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration.  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.  

            You 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.  Filling out the registration form in the easily duplicated brochure in advance with the $25 payment and giving it to a parish representative would speed things up at the door.  If sufficient time, please send them to Steve Ishmael; Chair Men's Day of Renewal; PO Box 167; Lansing, Ohio 43934.  That would help our planning.  This would facilitate follow up on the undecided and for organizing a car or van pool.   Non-Catholics are also welcome.  The men may bring their teen age sons, godsons, nephews, and friends.    

            The local Knights of Columbus council can be invaluable in mobilizing their members and the other men in the surrounding parishes.  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.  I'm sorry about not being earlier, but it is still very doable. 

            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.

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St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, pray for us and for the success of the Men's Conference.