Joe Kohn of The Michigan Catholic
Published March 30, 2007

Joe Kohn | The Michigan Catholic About 3,000 men gathered at University of Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall March 24 for the Archdiocese of Detroit's fifth annual Catholic Conference for Men.

Detroit – Looking out over a stadium of fellow Christian men, author and educator Ralph Martin wanted to make his point clear.

"Jesus has so many enemies, and so few friends," he said for a second time in a row, "that it's really important that those few friends be good friends."

Being good, courageous friends of Christ was the central theme of the fifth annual Put Out Into The Deep Catholic Conference for Men, which took place March 24 at University of Detroit Mercy's Calihan Hall. About 3,000 men from parishes across the Archdiocese of Detroit and beyond were on hand to hear speakers, share in song, attend Mass, go to confession, and bolster one another in their walks with Christ.

"We've got to buck the current. We've got to buck the tide," said Mike Plant, an attendee from Resurrection Parish in Canton. "The culture promotes a me-first way of life, and we need to move away from that and discern what God wants from us.

"You cannot do this solo."

'Homework' for men Attendees of the annual Catholic Conference for Men were challenged to • Commit themselves to prayer and the Gospel. • Be active in the community and liturgy at their parishes. • Be courageous enough to stray from their comfort zones to spread Christ's love to others. • Find one, concrete way to do more in their life for Christ. • Make God the top priority in their life; make family the second; and place their careers third. • Join a fellowship group for men.

Speakers at the conference hit home the same point, plus many others pertaining to a man's life as a Christian:

• Fr. John Riccardo, co-founder of the conference and pastor of St. Anastasia Parish in Troy, stood next to a candle in the darkened basketball stadium.
  
  "The world will only come to know Jesus if you and I have the courage to let the light of Christ shine on us," he said. "In other words, if we don't do this."
  
  He placed a basket over the candle — an act, he said emphatically, that "would be stupid."
  
  Faith, he added, is not something to hide, as some men say.
  
  "It is not private," Fr. Riccardo said. "God has lit us on fire."
  
  
• John J. Riccardo, Fr. Riccardo's father and a CEO of Chrysler Corp. in the 1970s, told the story of his career while emphasizing life's priorities: God first, family second, career third.
  
  Even while desperately trying to save hundreds of thousands of jobs at the struggling local automaker — which, now as part of DaimlerChrysler AG, is suffering today — he conversed with the Lord and received difficult lessons about letting God decide which doors of opportunity need be opened, and which need be shut.
  
  "When one is in the midst of a crisis, the priorities don't change," Riccardo said. "They must not change.
  
  "Our Heavenly Father really does speak to His children. And because He speaks to us, because He loves us, He must stay first always. No matter what."
  
  
• Bishop Robert Carlson, bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, had the mammoth congregation both chuckling at his personal stories and reflecting on whether God is receiving as much as He should be from each man — not just in tithe, but in personal behavior.
  
  "You are not only accountable for what you give away," Bishop Carlson said. "You are also accountable for everything you keep for yourself."
  
  He said, too, that God always stands at the door of the heart, knocking gently and waiting for a reply.
  
  "You said that you are men of courage," the bishop said. "Then I ask you to invite God deep within you and remove all that keeps you from Him."

Cardinal Adam Maida presides over the Liturgy of the Eucharist at Mass during the Catholic Conference for Men.

Throughout the day, men at the conference sang songs of worship, both from the popular Christian and the classic liturgical genres. Dozens of priests were on hand for confessions for most of the day. A smaller session also was conducted for some 300 high-school-aged and young adult men in attendance.

The day ended with the Saturday liturgy, celebrated by Cardinal Adam Maida and several archdiocesan priests.

Some men who were there said the experience would change their lives.

"I went to confession for only the second time in 20 years," said John Dettore from St. Mary Parish in Milford, who said a friend urged him to come. "This conference is going to strengthen my future. I've got to stay clear of certain temptations I'm prone to, and I think this conference will help me to do this better."

Online For information about the annual Catholic Conference for Men, Detroit-area men's fellowship groups and talks from previous years' conferences, visit www.mensfellowship.com.

In his homily, Cardinal Maida told the men that faith and courage can come from unlikely sources, and God is calling them to be those sources. They need only look to Jesus for an example, and the Holy Spirit for guidance.

"Jesus wasn't afraid to be different," Cardinal Maida said. "He was a man of courage and conviction to the very end.… We need not be afraid, for (the Holy Spirit) will give us the words. He will give us the wisdom when we need it."

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