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Men urged to ‘fight the good fight’
archived from: 2007-04-02
by: John Franko

In relating that men sometimes back down from defending their faith, Father James Wehner pointed to the two thieves who were crucified with Christ.

Both suffered, but the good thief embraced Christ, while the other rejected him.

“Which are we going to be — the coward or the Catholic?” he asked.

Almost 1,700 men of the diocese got a dose of what it means to be men of courage during A Gathering of Catholic Men, the 2007 men’s conference March 24 at Duquesne University’s A.J. Palumbo Center.

“Fight the Good Fight” was the theme of the conference presented by the Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Pittsburgh.

“Men of courage need to stand up for their faith, stand up for their God,” said James Walther of SS. Simon and Jude in Scott Township.

The gathering featured a host of inspirational speakers, music ministry and a liturgy celebrated by Bishop Paul Bradley, other priests and deacons of the diocese.

“A lot of men think faith is a weakness,” said Larry Fagan, a member of St. Thomas a Becket in Jefferson Hills and president of Catholic Men’s Fellowship. “But when you recognize it you are able to humble yourself before God and realize that we’re not in charge of everything. When you hit that level of your life when you become subservient to the Lord, then you’re empowered.”

Fagan said men are drawn to the light of Christ through the church, and the gathering provides a wonderful opportunity for that to take place.

The featured presenters included Peter Herbeck, international speaker and EWTN program host; speaker and author Matthew Kelly; Patrick Madrid, editor of Envoy Magazine and EWTN program host; and Jesse Romero, Catholic speaker and former U.S. kickboxing champion.

Herbeck noted that the fundamental thing that is killing society is sin. He said the only way we can let the devil into our lives is if we say “yes” to sin.

He said the battle is real, pointing to incidences of adultery and addiction to pornography.

“We cannot manage sin,” he said. “We rationalize sin all the time. We play with it because we’re crazy enough to believe that it won’t hurt us.”

Herbeck said men are afraid to admit their sins because of the shame that accompanies them. He noted, however, that while we’re all in a battle, we can win the war because of the power of Jesus Christ.

He told the gathering that Jesus loves them passionately and would want them to leave the conference knowing that they had a new freedom in their lives.

“Don’t hide it,” he said of their faith. “When we hide it we give the devil power over our lives.”

Several dozen priests were on hand for the sacrament of reconciliation, which was available throughout the day. At times, as many as 150 men waited in line.

Romero was a member of the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department for 17 years. At times, he drew the ire of his superiors through acts such as reciting Scripture over the PA system of his squad car and sharing the message of faith with gang members and prostitutes.

“Hey, whatever it takes,” he said. “All for Jesus.”

Romero said one of the glaring problems in the church today is moral relativism. People don’t know what truth is. He told the men that truth begins with Jesus, and how well they defend their families depends on how well they live their faith.

“No more excuses,” he said. “God wants to use you and is waiting for you to answer the call.”

Madrid also touched on the issue of moral relativism, in a society that says, “If it feels good, do it.”

“We’re not called to do what makes us feel good,” he said. “We’re called to do what is right.”

Madrid said the faithful don’t have to flee from prosperity, but they must realize it’s the treasures of heaven that make us truly happy.

He told the men that they must not be afraid to live the truth.

“If we aren’t willing to suffer for the truth, the battle is lost,” he said.

Madrid said many churches have become effemitized and some men shy away from the call to be leaders. He said the New Testament “screams testosterone,” citing 2 Timothy, which implores the faithful to take their share of good suffering as a soldier of Jesus.

The lives of the faithful must be rooted in prayer, Madrid said. He told the men that they should pray at least three times a day.

“We’re the true faith and we have no discipline,” he said.

Kelly said that unless society wants to awaken the sleeping giant that is the Catholic Church — 61 million members in the United States, 1.2 billion worldwide — it must start listening to the voice of God.

He said we must begin by educating our young people.

“We give them an education, but we don’t give them the voice of God,” he said. “It is the only thing that genuinely engages people.”

Kelly said we often live in a lost culture, and we must build our lives around legitimate needs, not material goods.

The gathering also included a brief presentation by Dave Wannstadt, head football coach at the University of Pittsburgh, who takes part in a Bible study group with Mike Clark, WTAE-TV anchor, who emceed the gathering.

“I sit in the chair that you guys do,” Wannstadt said. “The daily commitment to be better and try to do the right thing is a challenge for all of us.”

Wannstadt spoke of his team’s current spring practice. Just as football skills must be honed, so must our faith. He said the Bible is like a playbook and we must be precise in following it.

“There’s no compromise,” he said. “There’s a right way and a wrong way. The Bible shows us the way.”

Father Wehner said that while the attendance for the event was about 300 more than last year, the numbers weren’t the most important factor. It was about the quality and enthusiasm of Catholic men who want to know more about their Catholic faith, how to live that faith and how to spread it.

He said the faithful must recognize that it’s in the context of sin that the Gospel is preached. If one looks at Jesus’ life, the Good News always seems to be in response to something sinful, demonic or an illness.

“Anyone who steps up to the plate — and we can see this in the lives of the saints — one has to understand that the devil eviled everything possible to undermine the faith at all levels,” he said.

Father Wehner said men must bring leadership to their lives and the lives of those around them through their Catholic faith. He said the challenge for all Catholics is to find ways to take what they celebrate in the Mass back into the temporal, social and political order.

“If we don’t translate that faith from worship to evangelization, then it becomes compromised, and it becomes ineffective,” he said.

Ron Belski of St. Mary in Glenshaw considers himself to be an evangelist. He pointed out that as baptized Catholics we’re obliged to preach and live the word.

“That’s not an option, that’s our responsibility,” he said.

Norbert “Chip” Kelsch of Most Holy Name of Jesus in Pittsburgh’s Troy Hill neighborhood said his New Year’s resolution was to become more involved with the life of the church.

He said the theme of “Fight the Good Fight” was an appropriate message for the gathering.

“So much of the world is secular,” he said. “There’s a very anti-Catholic message in the media. I think this is a good place to start.”

Dave Green of St. Elizabeth of Hungary in Pleasant Hills described the gathering as both “heart-warming and humbling.”

“It demonstrated God’s continuous love for us in all areas of our lives,” he said. “And we are not alone in this. We are all striving for the same thing, which is heaven.”

The primary activities of the Catholic Men’s Fellowship are to organize the annual gathering and help establish CMF groups at the parish level.

Patrick Molyneaux of St. Thomas More in Bethel Park and Jeff Ludwikowski of St. Sebastian in Ross Township, co-executive directors of CMF, mobilize the team of volunteers that plan and organize the gathering, while Fagan helps develop the parish groups.

Some 130 parishes in the diocese have identified parish conference leaders, those who direct parish groups.

“We have touched so many lives already,” Fagan said. “These men are on fire — the men in parishes. It’s doing what God intended them to do.”

He noted that more men are showing courage and stepping up in their faith. They’re accepting leadership status. “The men who attend these (CMF) meetings encourage and help each other live out their Catholic faith,” he said. St. Anne in Castle Shannon brought more than 70 men to the gathering.

Mark Graham, facilitator for the St. Anne group, said it has benefited from the support of Father Robert Cedolia, pastor, and a vibrant group of men who want to learn about their faith.

“We discuss, we read the Scriptures, we learn from each other,” he said.

Graham said that to be men of courage, they must follow Pope John Paul II’s example and “Be not afraid.”

He noted, however, that being a Christian is never easy and often involves rejection.

“There’s great potential (for the CMF), but it’s going to require men to get off their duffs and start living their faith.”

Graham said men interested in joining a CMF group should pray about it. If there isn’t a group in their parish, they can look for one in a neighboring one, participate in it, and hopefully bring it back to their home parish so the movement can continue to grow.

“If men do not embrace their faith, then we don’t have a chance,” he said. “I believe that with all my heart.”

Bill Talerico, facilitator of the CMF group at St. Louise de Marillac, said the parish groups tackle the real issues that Catholic men are dealing with every day.

He said men who take part in them will see great changes in their lives.

“I’m a better husband, a better father and, most importantly, I’m a better slave for the Lord Jesus Christ,” he said. “Men, there’s a war being waged, and we are the soldiers.”

Bishop Bradley said it was an inspiration and joy for him to see so many men who were willing to fight the good fight. He told them there is nothing more important than their eternal salvation, and they should thank God every day for their faith.

“This gathering is a tremendous opportunity for God to accomplish great things in each and every one of you,” he said. “We must always keep up the good fight and see through God’s eyes what is good around us.

“This has been a grace-filled opportunity for all of us,” the bishop said. “God has indeed been at work among us.”

The loudest and most prolonged applause of the day was reserved for the diocesan seminarians, who were introduced by Father Wehner at the end of the liturgy.

“These are good men,” he said. “They want to fight the good fight.”

Fagan is currently in the process of organizing a team of men who lead CMF groups in their parishes. Beginning in April, the group will make itself available to pastors and lay leaders who are interested in forming a group.

More information on Catholic Men’s Fellowship is available by emailing Fagan at larry@fagansupply.com or through www.cmfpitt.org.

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