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Men who have drifted away urged to attend
archived from: 2008-03-27
by: William Cone

Perhaps you know a Catholic man who has, for whatever reason, stopped practicing his faith. Maybe all he needs is an invitation. Do you think a personal invitation from Bishop David Zubik will get him to return to his spiritual home?

The bishop is seeking the names of men who have drifted away from the church so he can invite them to the 2008 Gathering of Catholic Men, set for Saturday, April 12, at the A.J. Palumbo Center at Duquesne University.

At an event Feb. 9 of the Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Pittsburgh, Bishop Zubik encouraged the nearly 400 men in attendance to submit names. Upon receiving the men’s names and addresses, the bishop will send a letter urging the recipient to attend the April 12 gathering free of charge.

“Since my appointment as the new bishop of Pittsburgh, I have asked all Catholics in our diocese to get excited about their faith and not be afraid in sharing that faith with others,” the bishop’s letter says. “Many times people can drift away from their faith and even away from the church because of the difficult circumstances of life. As the chief shepherd of Pittsburgh, it is my desire to invite as many people as possible back to the church.

“‘Be not afraid!’ These are the words Jesus spoke to his friends when they were invited to follow him. I extend to you this invitation hoping you and all the men in our church can step forward and be faith-filled leaders of our community. I really do hope to see you on April 12,” the letter says.

The third annual Gathering of Catholic Men, with the theme “Put Out Into the Deep,” will feature talks by prominent Catholic speakers, including: Bishop Zubik; Father Larry Richards of the Diocese of Erie; Deacon Alex Jones of Detroit, a former Protestant minister; musician-composer Robert Rogers; EWTN program host Peter Herbeck; Father James Wehner, director of evangelization for the Diocese of Pittsburgh; and WTAE-TV anchorman Mike Clark.

“The schedule for the Catholic gathering includes adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament, a team of priests who will be hearing confessions throughout the day, nationally renowned motivational speakers, and most importantly the celebration of Mass with Bishop Zubik as the principal celebrant and homilist,” Father Wehner said.

“The purpose of the gathering is to again confirm the important role that Catholic men have both in the church as well as in society,” he said. “Manifesting the kingdom of God and the call to holiness is a vocation for all in the church. Catholic men have their own unique contribution to make in the whole mission of evangelization.”

Jeff Ludwikowski, CMF’s co-executive director, said, “This year’s conference, even more than the past two, focuses on our mission of helping men into the ‘conversion of heart — formation of mind and spirit — mobilization into society’ cycle that we are all called to by the Gospel message and the Great Commission.”

The primary work of Catholic Men’s Fellowship is accomplished through parish groups that continue to form throughout the six-county Diocese of Pittsburgh.

“This lay apostolate is having significant impact at the parish level,” said Patrick Molyneaux, CMF’s other co-executive director. “These parish-based men’s faith fellowship groups are changing lives and act as leaven at the parish level.

“I am very encouraged by Bishop Zubik’s effort to use this gathering (in April) as an opportunity to help fallen-away Catholic men come home and truly engage their faith. With the formation and mobilization infrastructure CMF is developing, we now have the ability to engage these men when they return to the faith. We did not have that infrastructure two years ago,” Molyneaux said.

To submit names and addresses of men who will receive an invitation to the gathering from Bishop Zubik, contact Father Wehner at jwehner@diopitt.org, by phone at 412-456-3048 or fax 412-456-3187.

The Catholic Men’s Fellowship Web site (www.cmfpitt.org) has information about its programs and activities, including weekly podcasts and video clips of Bishop Zubik challenging men to invite 10 others to the April gathering.

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