Men's conference inspires thousands
to walk in Christ's path
Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published March 31, 2006
Detroit Last Saturday, there were sports to watch, chores to do, and places to go. But for 3,000-plus men in southeast Michigan, there were questions that merited a full day's worth of consideration:
Am I a good man?
What values do I pass on to my family?
When I die, will Christ tell me "well done?" or will Satan?
These were a few of the things that men considered deep within themselves at Put Out into the Deep IV, the annual men's conference of the Archdiocese of Detroit, which took place at University of Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall.
The conference featured inspirational speakers, music, exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Mass. Its theme "What Legacy Will I Leave?" encouraged men to think about who or what is truly God in their lives.
"Life is short. Death is certain. And eternity is very long," said Fr. John Riccardo, pastor of St. Anastasia Parish in Troy, who founded the conference four years ago. "So we have to choose today who am I going to serve?"
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Many parishes across the Archdiocese of Detroit have or are forming men's fellowship groups to support and encourage men to live truly for Christ. For information about fellowship groups, call (313) 237-4689. | Moderator Paco Gavrilides, director of the archdiocesan Office of Evangelization, began the day by introducing the theme. The men were then given many ways to be inspired.
Deacon Alex Jones, who entered the Catholic Church after 25 years as a Pentecostal minister, had the stadium yelling "Amen!" and laughing quite a bit as he told of his conversion, tribulations and trust in God.
"I don't care about how bad times are. I don't care about how sinful times are," Deacon Jones preached, his voice raised and hands raised. "As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord! Amen?"
Sen. Rick Santorum, R.-Penn., brought tears to the eyes of many including his own as he interwove the stories of leading an effort to outlaw partial-birth abortion on the Senate floor and helping his wife deliver a child that would live only precious minutes because of a fatal disease.
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A group of men on the ground floor of Calihan Hall listenintently to speaker Deacon Alex Jones at the men's conference. | "The senator's speech was the most tear-jerking thing I've ever heard," said Raymond Reichenbach who drove from Fraser to attend the conference. "My wife and I had two miscarriages last year, and our sixth child will be born 10 days from now
it really touched home."
The men also heard some down-to-earth ways to be Christ-bearers in their families and immediate environments by Peter Herbeck, vice president and director of missions for Renewal Ministries in Ann Arbor. Speakers from the archdiocese and from the Knights of Columbus spoke about how Christ can touch the lives of men when men come together.
"If the event today only remains an event today, then it's not meeting its full purpose," said David Farmer, who coordinates men's fellowship groups throughout the archdiocese. "We're men. We operate best in teams."
Men at the conference, who came from several dioceses within Michigan, Ohio and Canada, spoke highly of the testimonies and encouragement they heard.
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Christ's Eucharistic presence passed by as thousands of men knelt during a procession of the Blessed Sacrament, a first this year at the annual men's conference at Calihan Hall in Detroit. The conference encouraged 3,000 men to commit their lives to Christ. | "Every speaker was on fire," said David Burke, who drove from Adrian with a group of young men from his parish. "There's going to be many men from this time today something's going to change in their lives. They're going to be better husbands. They might be better employees. They might be better bosses. Hopefully, some will be joining the ranks of priests."
Many men at the conference went to confession, sitting side-by-side with priests in the stadium seating behind the stage.
This year's conference also marked the first time the Blessed Sacrament was exposed and processed throughout the stadium for adoration.
Detroit Auxiliary Bishop John Quinn celebrated the Mass with several other priests. He thanked the men for committing their hearts to "swim against the current" of secularism, reminding them that they can find the strength of Christ in one another and in prayer.
"Jesus Christ is there for us," he said. "He will take us from death to life. He hears every prayer. He will strengthen us."
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