(174) Mobilization of the Councils of the Knights of Columbus to Attend and Help Promote the 2019 Men's Conference

AMDG

        I'm directing this e-mail primarily to the grand knights and district deputies, asking them to mobilize their men to attend the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal. However, I have sent a copy of this to many others, some of whom may now be grand knights, as well as former grand knights and other knights who can also promote the Men's Conference, simply by talking it up or by acting as a parish representative. This letter is also an invitation for all knights to attend.

Mark Nehrbas, the main speaker of the Men's Conference.

March 16, 2019

Worthy Grand Knight:

          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 we're trying to accomplish with the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal and it very much coincides with the mission of the Knights of Columbus.......the spiritual formation of our men and to strengthen families.  However, marketing is crucial to the success of the Men’s Conference and that's where the Knights of Columbus can follow their tradition in being there when help is badly needed. 

          In the spirit of service of the Knights of Columbus, a couple of other 4^th Degree Knights and I are on the Steering Committee and we'd like to ask for your help in two big ways. 

         Number one and the most important.......as the Grand Knight, please help us to promote the Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal.  You and the leaders of your council would be invaluable in helping us to mobilize the men of your Council and the parish to attend the Men's Conference.  It will be on Saturday March 23 at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell (9 am to 4 pm) off of Exit 25 of I-77 a half hour north of Marietta.  One on one personal selling is ideal.  Word of mouth by those who have gone previously would be the best form of advertising.  The help of the district deputies in their contacts with their grand knights and councils would be indispensable.

The goal of the Men's Day of Renewal is to focus on the spiritual development of the participants.  The 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, now and in the future. It is also critical for nurturing vocations.

          The theme is “The Cross as a Source of Strength and Path to Ultimate Victory Over All Adversity” with St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, as the Conference’s patron.

The Conference will open with a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament.  The featured speaker is Mark Nehrbas, a speaker at many conferences.  The morning talk, “Victory of the Cross in My Battle With Cancer”, will include his testimony of his six year battle with an aggressive form of stomach cancer and his healing at Lourdes, France.  In the afternoon talk, “Victory Over Suffering: Lessons Learned From the Cross”.  Mark Nehrbas will explore the mystery of suffering, why God permits it, how he confronted it, how he grew from it, the lessons he learned, how it can be very productive, how it can make one a saint, and tips on how to cope when it’s your turn to suffer.  Sooner or later every one of us must suffer.

The crux of his talk is redemptive suffering, a concept which Protestants and most Catholics do not understand.  Doctors recognize that patients who spiritualize their suffering do better.  Uniting our cross with the Lord’s cross and offering it up as a dynamic prayer for our country, our Church, and our loved ones makes suffering productive and gives it purpose.

          The men will see how the participants are moved by the beauty and power of the faith.   The experience of seeing so many men enthusiastically participating and lifting up their voices in song is uplifting.  The men may bring their teen age sons, godsons, relatives, and friends.  Thus the Conference can also be a father and son event, a shared experience.   After all, the Kof C is all about family.  Non-Catholics are also welcome.  In the past the men have returned spiritually refreshed, reinvigorated, and enthusiastic.  

          It involves sacrificing most of a Saturday with some travel, but Lent is all about sacrifice and the quest for holiness.  Organizing the men to go together in a van pool or even a bus for a two or three hour trip would be great fellowship and give it a pilgrimage flavor, especially if there's a rosary and discussion about the day's events along the way.  During the middle ages, pilgrims would travel for days by foot or horseback.  Traveling together is a great opportunity as well.  It can solidify the parish and the Council as the men get to know each other better, especially if the pastor accompanies them.  We will need confessors.   

          It should be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual reinvigoration. But most of all, the organizers expect 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, which life on earth is all about.  The annual Men's Day of Renewal fulfills a great need.

         

          Often the enthusiasm generated at a men's conference is contagious 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.

It's also an opportunity for your KofC Council because you'll have a captive audience for up to four hours each way and that's great for recruiting.  Another option is to stay at the Microtel behind the Sunoco Gas Station off of the I-77 exit and make a retreat out of it.  Less than two miles from the St. Stephen’s Church which has a parish program of Stations of the Cross (Mass at Immaculate Conception Church nearby) on Friday at 7 pm preceded and followed by Eucharistic Adoration.  Wives could come along and spend the day in Marietta, shopping and sightseeing.  Pittsburgh is two hours away.

       The diocesan website at diosteub.org has a link to the brochure and Additional Information.  Hover over the "ABOUT" Menu at the top of the 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.  The Conference Blog, “Becoming a True Man of God” at diosteubmen.blogspot.com which is also 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.  One may also contact paulrsebastian@yahoo.com or call 740-245-9404.  Attached are the conference brochure and other resources.

          Also very important is a little financial help from your Council, whatever you can afford, in underwriting the Conference so that we can charge the men an affordable price.  My Council 3335 Gallipolis has given $100 each year since 2010.  It costs over $5000 to put this on and we need a reserve for next year to bring in the best speakers. 

          A leader or two in the council could do some one-on-one personal selling, organize a van pool, and register the men, both in the council and in the local parish.  Filling out the attached registration form in advance and giving it with payment of $25 to a representative would speed things up at the door.  A sign-up sheet would also be helpful.  This would also facilitate follow up on the undecided and for organizing a car or van pool.  A few days before the event, send a count to “Roger Huck” <huck4816@roadrunner.com>.  If sufficient time, please send the registration form to Roger Huck; %Men’s Day of Renewal, P.O. Box 54; Beverly, OH 45715.   That would help our planning.  Non-Catholics are also welcome.   

Even if you are no longer the grand knight of your council, please forward this e-mail to the current grand knight and/or bring this letter to the attention of the membership at your next council meeting.   If your next meeting is after the Conference date, please do what you can with the promotion by word of mouth or forward this e-mail to all the members of your council and quickly mobilize the men by phone to go together in a car or van pool.  Such a collaboration with the local diocese could be an example for other councils all over the country.  I copied many others in hope that they may be able to help.  

          The Knights have been invaluable in the past and we need your help again.  Thank you so much for your past promotional and financial help and for anything you can do this year.  The paid ads of different KofC councils in our program booklet are a big help.  I apologize for not sending you this material sooner, but there’s still time to send at least a few men to the Conference.  For the men who are drifting spiritually or are not faithful to the Sunday Mass obligation, this is evangelization at its best.......something that every Catholic is called to do.  God bless. 

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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.

A STARTING POINT FOR A SHORT ANNOUNCEMENT

Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday, March 23 from 9 am – 4 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  The theme is “The Cross as a Source of Strength and Path to Ultimate Victory Over All Adversity”.  The main speaker is Mark Nehrbas, former director of Franciscan University conferences and noted speaker himself, will give a testimony regarding  his victorious six year battle with stomach cancer and miraculous healing at Lourdes.  More important, he will teach us the lessons he learned from his suffering, how to confront it, and how it can make us saints when it’s your turn to suffer as part of the human condition.  The $25 Registration could be a belated Christmas gift for the men in your extended family.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no. & e-mail) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404 or jdoe@gmail.com) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Hall.

(173) Press Release #3: Men Asked to Make a Lenten Sacrifice to Attend the 2019 Diocesan Men's Conference

AMDG

Mark Nehrbas, the main speaker.

           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 23 at St. Stephen’s Church, 1036 Belford St., Caldwell off of Exit 25 on I-77 (9:00 am to 4 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, more so 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 especially if the pastor accompanies them as the men get to know each other better.  There was once a time when pilgrims would travel for days to a shrine on foot or horseback. 

The morning talk, “Victory of the Cross in My Battle With Cancer” will be his personal testimony of what he went through since 2012, a six year journey…….the anxiety, the fear, the pain, and the frustration over two separate bouts of an aggressive form of stomach cancer……two major surgeries, countless days with painful chemo, repeated doses of radiation. Through all this, his prayer life became more intense; his faith and trust in God deepened.  Mark Nehrbas tried every path except one.  He went to Lourdes, the great Marian shrine in France. Miraculously, he was healed.

In the afternoon talk, “Victory Over Suffering: Lessons Learned From the Cross”.  Mark Nehrbas will explore the mystery of suffering, why God permits it, how he confronted it, how he grew from it, the lessons he learned, how it can be very productive, and how it can make you a saint.  The most important of all is that sooner or later every one of us will have to suffer.  We can choose to be miserable or we can choose to unite our suffering with the cross and offer it all up as a dynamic prayer for the conversion of sinners as Mary requested at Fatima, for our Church in deep crisis, for the souls in Purgatory, for the world, and for our loved ones.  Such Redemptive Suffering by many people can ultimately save the world.

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.  

            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 brochure and additional information can be found on the diocesan website at diosteub.org.  Click on About, Men’s Ministries, and Men’s Day of Renewal for the brochure and additional information. 

            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, 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.

(172) Examples of Pulpit Announcements Supporting the 2019 Men's Conference

AMDG

          It is suggested that the Parish Representative ask the pastor to say a few words promoting the Men’s Conference after Mass and to also go.  We need confessors; his accompanying the men will help parish solidarity and help him to know his men better.  It may be something like the following as a starting point and be adapted according to the style of the pastor and the reality of his parish.

Mark Nehrbas

First Announcement

          The Diocese is sponsoring a Men's Conference on Saturday March 23 at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  Mfark Nehrbas will describe his six year battle with an aggressive form of stomach cancer and his healing at Lourdes, France.  Then he will explain the mystery of suffering, why God permits it, how he confronted it, how he grew from it, the lessons he learned, how it can be very productive, how it can make you a saint, and tips on how to cope when it’s your turn to suffer.  Sooner or later every one of us must suffer. Talk up the Conference among your friends.  Use the sign-up sheet in the back of the church and see our parish representative (e.g., John Doe) to register.  Please pray for a fruitful and well attended Conference.

Final Announcement the Sunday Before the Conference

          The Men's Conference is this coming Saturday March 23 at St. Stephen’s  Church in Caldwell.  The men will meet at the Parish Hall at 6:30 am and travel together like a pilgrimage in the parish van for some great fellowship and spiritual reinvigoration, a great sacrifice for Lent.

          The crux of Mark Nehrbas’ talk is redemptive suffering, a concept which Protestants and most Catholics do not understand.  Doctors recognize that patients who spiritualize their suffering do better.  Uniting our cross with the Lord’s cross and offering it up as a dynamic prayer for our country, our Church, and our loved ones makes suffering productive and gives it purpose. You will return spiritually refreshed and reinvigorated after a day of enjoyable fellowship, traveling together in the parish van.  Talk up the Conference among your friends.  Sign up in the back of the church.  You may register at the door, but call your parish representative (e.g., John Doe) to register as soon as you can. That would make planning so much easier. Please pray for a fruitful and well attended Conference.  

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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.

(171) An Example of a Promotional Talk By a Layman After Mass on the 2019 Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal

AMDG

            The following talk to the congregation after Sunday Mass may serve as a starting point, guide, or example that the parish representative could use in his parish, assuming that the pastor allows it.  With the permission of the pastor, the parish rep or other leader may use it as he sees fit according to his own personal style, adapting it to the parish culture, situation, and time available.  The personal testimony of a leader, who has attended a Men’s Conference, can be most effective.

Mark Nehrbas

POSSIBLE PROMOTIONAL TALK ON THE 2018 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 strengthen our faith and trust in God.  We must learn how to be a witness……the theme of this year's Conference.

·       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 your help.

 

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

·  Don’t forget the Four Last Things…….Death, Judgment, Heaven, Hell.  Let the men’s Conference steer you in the right direction.

·      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 reinvigorated, 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.  Mark Nehrbas in his morning talk will give his testimony: the “Victory of the Cross in My Battle With Cancer”.  He will describe his six year battle with an aggressive form of stomach cancer and his healing at Lourdes, France. 

·   His afternoon talk is: “Victory Over Suffering: Lessons Learned From the Cross”.  Mark Nehrbas will explore the mystery of suffering, why God permits it, how he confronted it, how he grew from it, the lessons he learned, how it can be very productive, how it can make you a saint, and tips on how to cope when it’s your turn to suffer.  Sooner or later every one of us must suffer.  Drawing from his diverse experience as a father of a family of nine children, Mr. Nehrbas can speak to the needs of the men.

·  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 23.  We'll meet in the parish 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.

(170) The Role of the Deacon in Promoting the 2019 Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal

AMDG

Dear faithful Deacon:

            First of all, thank you so much for giving the rest of your life to God, His Church, and to us.  Your work is so important in assisting the pastor with administering the sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony, serving at Mass and thus making it special, giving homilies, ministering to the sick, counseling, teaching, parish administration, overseeing parish groups, etc., while keeping up with  the indispensable Liturgy of the Hours.   No longer does the American Church have the luxury of having two or more priests in almost every parish.  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.

            May I ask your help in promoting it along with the parish representative and other laymen.  Or you can be the parish representative yourself as at St. Paul’s and Christ the King in Athens.  Please permit me to impose upon your time with the following write-up of mine on the importance of the Conference and resources for promoting it.  By now your parish should have received at least one poster and a packet of brochures for each one of your parishes.  If not please contact Roger Huck by e-mail at huck4816@roadrunner.com or call him at home 740- 984-2234 or his cell at 740-336-9128.

Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday, March 23 from 9 am – 4 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell (off of Exit 28 on I-77 a half hour north of Marietta).  The theme is “The Cross as a Source of Strength and Path to Ultimate Victory Over All Adversity”.  The main speaker is Mark Nehrbas, former director of Franciscan University conferences and noted speaker himself, will give a testimony regarding his victorious six year battle with stomach cancer and miraculous healing at Lourdes.  More important, he will teach us the lessons he learned from his suffering, how to confront it, and how it can you a saint when it’s your turn to suffer as part of the human condition.  The $25 Registration could be a belated Christmas gift for the men in your extended family.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no. & e-mail) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404 or jdoe@gmail.com) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Hall.

ROLE OF THE DEACON IN PROMOTING THE 2019 DIOCESAN MEN’S CONFERENCE

            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 American 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 Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal plays an important part because the enthusiasm generated is contagious.  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 23 from 9 am to 4 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  The theme is “The Cross as a Source of Strength and Path to Ultimate Victory Over All Adversity” with St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, as the Conference’s patron.

 

The Conference will open with a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament.  The featured speaker is Mark Nehrbas, a speaker at many conferences.  The morning talk, “Victory of the Cross in My Battle With Cancer”, will include his testimony of his six year battle with an aggressive form of stomach cancer and his healing at Lourdes, France.  In the afternoon talk, “Victory Over Suffering: Lessons Learned From the Cross”.  Mark Nehrbas will explore the mystery of suffering, why God permits it, how he confronted it, how he grew from it, the lessons he learned, how it can be very productive, how it can make you a saint, and tips on how to cope when it’s your turn to suffer.  Sooner or later every one of us must suffer.

The crux of his talk is redemptive suffering, a concept which Protestants and most Catholics do not understand.  Doctors recognize that patients who spiritualize their suffering do better.  Uniting our cross with the Lord’s cross and offering it up as a dynamic prayer for our country, our Church, and our loved ones makes suffering productive and gives it purpose.

Mark Nehrbas

Bishop Monforton will preside at the Mass and give the homily.  Confession with a Penance Service is also offered and you are asked to be one of the confessors.  A bag lunch will be served.  This is a hard sell for many men, but the Lord will help us.  If we can mobilize an average of 10 men from every parish in the diocese, this event would be a smashing success!

 

          The Ideal. We have found that when the pastor enthusiastically backs the Men’s Conference, participation of the men significantly increases.  The ideal is for the pastor to accompany his men.  This is a great opportunity to become closer to the men and know them better.  This helps parish solidarity as the men also get to know each other better.  For those in the southern end of the diocese, the distance might be great, but that makes the Conference a Lenten sacrifice and gives it a pilgrimage flavor with enjoyable fellowship, discussion about points brought out, and prayer such as the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

          For example, Fr. Walter Heinz, pastor emeritus of Sacred Heart Pomeroy was an imposing figure.  According to one of the men of the parish, he simply told the guys: “It’s all paid for and we’re going”.  They did.  It was hard to tell him, no.  He heard confessions while there and returned in time for his Saturday evening Mass. 

We cannot expect the already busy and overworked pastor to constantly promote the Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal.  We are grateful that many promote the Conference as bulletin blurbs, the brochure as a bulletin insert, including a prayer for its success in the Offertory Petitions at daily and Sunday Mass, give plugs from the pulpit after Sunday Mass, etc.  The pastor cannot do it alone; he needs the help of the laity.  However there is much the pastor can do with little effort on his part.

Useful Resources. You and the parish representatives you appoint can utilize our Conference Blog at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com.  The 2019 series of resources begins with Blog #160 – Overview; and continued with 161) Ad Form; 162) Diocesan Press Release #1; 163) Possible Short Bulletin Announcements; 164 Promotion Ideas; 165) Functions & Crucial Importance of the Parish Rep; 166) Sign Up Sheet; 167) Sample Bulletin Insert; 168) Diocesan Press Release #2; 169) Backing of the Pastor; 170) Role of the Deacon; 171) Example of an After Mass Talk By a Layman; 172) Possible Pastor Announcements; 173) Diocesan Press Release #3; 174) Catholic Newspaper Press Release; 175) Secular Newspaper Press Release; 176) Appeal to the Diocesan Councils of the Knights of Columbus; 177) Invitation to Parishes in West Virginia; 178) Invitation to College Students; and 179) My Ad in the 2019 Program Booklet.  Numbers 165 – 179 will be added in the next few days.  They correspond to numbers 141- 155 of 2018 which are similar in principle to the current year. 

  

The diocesan website at www.diosteub.org has a link to the brochure and Additional Information.  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.  You should have received in January a poster and a packet of brochures for each of your parishes.  If not, please inform me.  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; 8) Sample Sign Up Sheet to put in back of the church.

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.

Many if not most men will hardly notice the brochure as a bulletin insert, poster, bulletin blurbs, etc. although they are indeed important and helpful.  What they can’t miss is the one-on-one personal selling by their peers, i.e., talking it up.  The most effective form of advertising or promotion is word of mouth.  Most effective is the witness of men who have gone to a previous Conference.  What is needed is a little “arm twisting” figuratively.  And of course there’s Facebook, Twitter, texting, and the old fashioned phone calling.

The Parish Representative is crucial.  As in any organization, the executive must delegate as much as possible.  The key is to ask one or two good men to be parish representatives.  If one of them is a knight, he could have access to the local council of the Knights of Columbus.  The main job of the parish rep is to promote the Conference, mainly by one-on-one personal selling, register the men, and organize them to go together in the parish van, car pool or bus.  He also helps the pastor to utilize the resources mentioned in the previous paragraph as submitting blurbs and an insert for the Sunday bulletin.  The parish rep can try to talk to each man in the parish before and after Mass or Stations of the Cross or other devotions, during fish fries, at parish or Knights of Columbus meetings, and other activities.  Please send the names, e-mail address, and phone number of the chosen parish representative(s) to both “Don Coen - Chair Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal” donandmargcoen@yahoo.com and to me at paulrsebastian@yahoo.com.

The deacon may be the parish representative as in the case of St. Paul’s and Christ the King in Athens.  Or the deacon may supervise the promotional efforts of two or three laymen.

     Men may register individually or the parish representative may collect the registration forms with payment and send them to Roger Huck; %Men’s Day of Renewal, P.O. Box 54; Beverly, OH 45715.  This would save considerable time waiting at the door on the morning of the Conference.  Checks for the Registration cost of $25.00 per person are to be made 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 go, but can’t afford it, we’ll find a way.

(169) Backing of the Pastor Crucial to the 2019 Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal

Dear faithful Pastor:

            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.

            May I ask your help in promoting it through a parish representative and other laymen.  A deacon or associate pastor can also help.  We realize that you cannot do it alone with all of your many responsibilities.  Please permit me to impose upon your time with the following write-up of mine on the importance of the Steubenville Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal and resources for promoting it.  By now you should have received at least one poster and packet of brochures for each one of your parishes.  If not please contact Roger Huck by e-mail at huck4816@roadrunner.com or call him at home 740- 984-2234 or his cell at 740-336-9128.  The following bulletin blurb may be helpful as a starting point according to your space limitations:

Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal Saturday, March 23 from 9 am – 4 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell (off of Exit 28 on I-77 a half hour north of Marietta).  The theme is “The Cross as a Source of Strength and Path to Ultimate Victory Over All Adversity”.  The main speaker is Mark Nehrbas, former director of Franciscan University conferences and noted speaker himself, will give a testimony regarding his victorious six year battle with stomach cancer and miraculous healing at Lourdes.  More important, he will teach us the lessons he learned from his suffering, how to confront it, and how it can you a saint when it’s your turn to suffer as part of the human condition.  The $25 Registration could be a belated Christmas gift for the men in your extended family.  Contact Name of Parish Representative (phone no. & e-mail) (e.g., John Doe (245-9404 or jdoe@gmail.com) to register.  Enjoy the fellowship by going in the parish van, which leaves at 6:30 am from the Parish Hall.

BACKING OF THE PASTOR CRUCIAL FOR THE DIOCESAN MEN’S CONFERENCE

          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 instead of the mother, the probability that the children will remain faithful to the Church in later life doubles or triples.   The Church in American 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 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.  Taking a day off for the Men’s Conference would be a great Lenten sacrifice. 

  

 The Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal will be held on Saturday March 23 from 9 am to 4 pm at St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell.  The theme is “The Cross as a Source of Strength and Path to Ultimate Victory Over All Adversity” with St. Joseph, model of a true man of God, as the Conference’s patron. 

The Conference will open with a Holy Hour before the Blessed Sacrament.  The featured speaker is Mark Nehrbas, a speaker at many conferences.  The morning talk, “Victory of the Cross in My Battle With Cancer”, will include his testimony of his six year battle with an aggressive form of stomach cancer and his healing at Lourdes, France.  In the afternoon talk, “Victory Over Suffering: Lessons Learned From the Cross”.  Mark Nehrbas will explore the mystery of suffering, why God permits it, how he confronted it, how he grew from it, the lessons he learned, how it can be very productive, how it can make you a saint, and tips on how to cope when it’s your turn to suffer.  Sooner or later every one of us must suffer.

The crux of his talk is redemptive suffering, a concept which Protestants and most Catholics do not understand.  Doctors recognize that patients who spiritualize their suffering do better.  Uniting our cross with the Lord’s cross and offering it up as a dynamic prayer for our country, our Church, and our loved ones makes suffering productive and gives it purpose.

Mark Nehrbas

Mark Nehrbas has served the Lord by working on the campus of Franciscan University of Steubenville for 32 years until his retirement in August of 2017.  He was administrator for FIRE, a Catholic ministry that provided evangelistic rallies in cities across the United States, Canada, the Philippines, England and Ireland.  Nehrbas served as Director of Development raising over ten million dollars for student financial aid, buildings, and special projects.  As Director of Christian Outreach for 13 years, Mark led the summer conference operation at the University, overseeing the growth of conference participants from under 25,000 to over 41,000 per year.  Mark is a dynamic speaker and given talks at local, regional, and national conferences as well as in Jamaica.

Bishop Monforton will preside at the Mass and give the homily.  Confession with a Penance Service is also offered and you are asked to be one of the confessors.  A bag lunch will be served.  This is a hard sell for many men, but the Lord will help us.  If we can mobilize an average of 10 men from every parish in the diocese, this event would be a smashing success! 

          The Ideal. We have found that when the pastor enthusiastically backs the Men’s Conference, participation of the men significantly increases.  The ideal is for the pastor to accompany his men.  This is a great opportunity to become closer to the men and know them better.  This helps parish solidarity as the men also get to know each other better.  For those in the southern end of the diocese, the distance might be great, but that makes the Conference a Lenten sacrifice and gives it a pilgrimage flavor with enjoyable fellowship, discussion about points brought out, and prayer such as the rosary and the Divine Mercy Chaplet.

          For example, Fr. Walter Heinz, pastor emeritus of Sacred Heart Pomeroy was an imposing figure.  According to one of the men of the parish, he simply told the guys: “It’s all paid for and we’re going”.  They did.  It was hard to tell him, no.  He heard confessions while there and returned in time for his Saturday evening Mass.

 

We cannot expect the already busy and overworked pastor to constantly promote the Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal.  We are grateful that many promote the Conference as bulletin blurbs, the brochure as a bulletin insert, including a prayer for its success in the Offertory Petitions at daily and Sunday Mass, give plugs from the pulpit after Sunday Mass, etc.  The pastor cannot do it alone; he needs the help of the laity.  However there is much the pastor can do with little effort on his part.

Useful Resources. You and the parish representatives you appoint can utilize our Conference Blog at http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com.  The 2019 series of resources begins with Blog 160) A General Overview of the 2019 Steubenville Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal; 161) Form to Place an Ad in the Program Booklet; 162) Diocesan Press Release #1: Cancer Survivor to Show How Suffering Can Make You a Saint; 163) Possible Short Announcements For the Church Bulletin; 164) Promotion Ideas; 165) Functions & Crucial Importance of the Parish Rep; 166) Sample Sign Up Sheet; 167) Sample Bulletin Insert & Facebook Entry; 168) Diocesan Press Release #2: Urgently Needed: A Few Good Men to Promote the Men's Conference; 169) Backing of the Pastor Crucial to the Men's Conference; 170) Role of the Deacon in Promoting the Men's Conference; 171) Example of an After Mass Promotional Talk By a Layman; 172) Examples of Possible Pastor Announcements Supporting the Men's Conference; 173) Diocesan Press Release #3: Men Asked to Make a Lenten Sacrifice to Attend the Men's Conference; 174) Mobilization of the Knights of Columbus Councils to Attend & Help Promote the Men’s Conference; 175) Invitation to Parishes in West Virginia to Attend the Men's Conference; 176) Invitation to College Students to Attend the Men's Conference; 177) Press Release to Catholic Newspapers; 178) Press Release to Secular Newspapers; and 179) My Ad in the 2019 Program Booklet;  Numbers 165 – 179 will be added in the next few days.  They correspond to numbers 141- 155 of  2018 which are similar in principle to the current year.

    

The diocesan website at www.diosteub.org has a link to the brochure and Additional Information.  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.  You should have received in January a poster and a packet of brochures for each of your parishes.  If not, please inform me.  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; 8) Sample Sign Up Sheet to put in back of the church.

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.

    

Many if not most men will hardly notice the brochure in the back of the church, poster, bulletin blurbs, etc. although they are indeed important and helpful.  What they can’t miss is the one-on-one personal selling by their peers, i.e., talking it up.  The most effective form of advertising or promotion is word of mouth.  Most important is the witness of men who have gone to a previous Conference.  What is needed is a little “arm twisting” figuratively.  And of course there’s Facebook, Twitter, texting, and the old fashioned phone calling.

The Parish Representative is crucial.  As in any organization, the executive must delegate as much as possible.  The key is to ask one or two good men to be parish representatives.  If one of them is a member of the Knights of Columbus, he would have access to the local council.  The main job of the parish rep is to promote the Conference, mainly by one-on-one personal selling, register the men, and organize them to go together in the parish van, car pool, or bus.  He also helps the pastor to utilize the resources mentioned in the previous paragraph as submitting blurbs and an insert for the Sunday bulletin.  The parish rep can try to talk to each man in the parish before and after Mass or Stations of the Cross or other devotions, during fish fries, at parish or Knights of Columbus meetings, and other activities.  Please send the names, e-mail address, and phone number of the chosen parish representative(s) to both “Don Coen - Chair Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal” donandmargcoen@yahoo.com and to me at paulrsebastian@yahoo.com.

The deacon may be the parish representative as in the case of St. Paul’s and Christ the King in Athens.  Or the deacon may supervise the promotional efforts of two or three laymen.

Men may register individually or the parish representative may collect the registration forms with payment and send them to Roger Huck; %Men’s Day of Renewal, P.O. Box 54; Beverly, OH 45715.  This would save considerable time waiting at the door on the morning of the Conference.  Checks for the Registration cost of $25.00 per person are to be made 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, we’ll find a way.