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Annual gathering inspires men to draw closer to God
archived from: 2009-04-27
by: John Franko

When almost 2,000 men join to sing “Holy God We Praise Thy Name” you take note. It’s a beautiful sound. It’s what a fellowship of faith is all about.

“You can feel the power in this arena,” said Jim Luteran of St. Paul in Butler. “It’s awe-inspiring and helps me to know that I am going on the right path.”

Luteran was one of more than 1,900 from across the diocese who came together for A Gathering of Catholic Men, the fourth annual men’s conference April 18 at Duquesne University’s A.J. Palumbo Center.

They gathered around the theme of “Be Transformed.”

“It’s important for guys to come together like this,” said Ron DePascale of St. John of God in McKees Rocks. “We don’t have an opportunity to do this very often. To see fellowship and hear each other, and exchange ideas is wonderful. Hopefully we can bring it back to our parishes and spread the word there.”

The conference included inspirational speakers and music ministry led by singer-musician Tom Franzak, youth minister at St. Catherine of Sweden in Hampton Township/Wildwood.

The sacrament of penance was offered throughout the day and several hundred men took the opportunity to take part in it. More than 50 priests, including Bishop David Zubik, were on hand to hear confessions.

The gathering closed with a liturgy celebrated by the bishop.

Father James Wehner, pastor of St. Thomas More in Bethel Park, told the men that they must know who Christ is if they are to be transformed.

“How much are we in love with Jesus Christ?” he asked.

He pointed out that discipleship is more than just conformity to a belief, it is fostering a genuine love for God.

If God’s love is burning within us, he said, it will burn away the walls of darkness within us and allow us to evangelize to others.

“As men of faith we can’t be afraid to bring the love of God to people who are seeking to be loved,” he said.

“Brothers, we walk in God’s light this morning.”

Seminarian Ken Marlovits related how his involvement with the men’s fellowship group at St. Rose of Lima in Darlington helped him to witness his faith and become a witness to others.

The large gathering of men was yet another example that the church is alive, he said. “We need support,” he added. “We need community. We need the church and we need one another.”

Marlovits spoke of how the fellowship taught him to be a true man, not in terms of what Hollywood or culture says a man should be, but in terms of what Christ calls them to be.

The first step, he noted, is for men to understand God’s call in their life.

“Today, if you hear God calling you to take the next step, do not be afraid,” he said. “Look around you and see that you have brothers to support you.”

Father Phillip Chavez, a nationally known speaker on masculine spirituality, described how men are called to be leaders, protectors and providers.

They must know their strengths, he said. They must overcome their fears and be ready to use their gifts to lay down their lives for others.

“It’s all in you, gentlemen,” he said. “You’re called by nature to do something good, to give something back.”

Father Chavez urged the men to use their gifts in building up their sons and daughters. It is never too late, he noted, to give them love and affirm them.

They must never be afraid to spread the message, “You are my beloved. In you I am well pleased.”

For Frank Balestrieri of Incarnation on Pittsburgh’s North Side, it was a call for men to “walk the walk.”

“We have to show our young kids that it’s cool to be a Catholic, to go to church,” he said.

The men heard Chuck Neff, a former television anchorman who now hosts three programs on the Relevant Radio Network, describe how he realized God was calling him to use his gifts and talents for the church.

He asked the men if they had the courage to trust in the Lord, adding, “Make the time for a relationship with Jesus Christ. It will change your life.”

WTAE-TV anchorman Mike Clark spoke of how they are called to be holy men of God. He related how his late father, Tom, showed him the way to God through his deep love of Jesus.

“I guess it’s the way Jesus wants me to be,” he said of his example.

Clark led the gathering in singing, “Holy God We Praise Thy Name,” his father’s favorite song.

Capuchin Father Scott Seethaler urged the men to embrace masculine virtues such as courage, self-sacrifice and heroism.

He reminded them to take time to talk to God, noting that to those who pray Jesus is a person, but for those who do not he is just a name.

“Going to church on Sunday doesn’t make you any more Catholic than going to McDonald’s makes you a hamburger,” he said.

Father Scott said they may be the only way people meet Jesus this year, and it is up to them to be a witness to the faith.

In noting that some 10 million children born in the United States in the past 10 years do not know their fathers, he spoke of the importance of having them rise to the occasion and mentor their children.

“The mother is the heart of the family, but the dad is the glue of the family,” he said.

A woman’s perspective of the Catholic Men’s Fellowship was offered by Suzee Talerico, a member of St. Louise de Marillac in Upper St. Clair.

She spoke of how the fellowship transforms good men into great men.

She described how her husband, Bill, was slowly “killing” himself as he searched for validation in his life. But she noted how he has become a calmer person who gives more time to his family and faith since he became part of the fellowship.

She sees the effects each time he attends a meeting. “With each passing Saturday I saw my husband’s new self emerging, and I found myself scooting him out the door,” Talerico said.

She related how other women have found their husbands to be more reflective, nurturing and more willing to take on their children’s religious education and formation.

The transformation of the men, she said, has inspired them to seek their own activities.

In pointing out that the gathering included many non-practicing men who had been invited back through the help of Bishop Zubik’s outreach, Pat Molyneaux, co-executive director of Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Pittsburgh, said it has become an opportunity for conversion and reconversion.

Through activities such as an upcoming May 29-30 leadership retreat, the CD of the Month Club and podcasts, Molyneaux said the gathering has become much more of an ongoing ministry.

He noted that fellowship organizers are excited about the new vicariate structure in the diocese, who see the fellowship as “leaven” to the new model because it will be more conducive to basic activities that will mobilize the men’s fellowship beyond the pew and into the family and culture.

The fellowship expects to work closely with the regional vicars to spread the fire of the fellowship to the parishes.

“The more localized, parish-based we can make this apostolate the better,” he said.

The temptation, Molyneaux added, is to look at the growth of the fellowship in terms of numbers, but the real focus is on the quality of conversion, formation and mobilization that takes place in the parishes.

“The ultimate goal is that you don’t need the conference, but you have the fire at the parish,” he said.

Catholic men, he said, should do their part in helping to create a culture of vocations as well as a culture of evangelization in the diocese.

Dick McLafferty, a member of St. Paul in Butler, noted that there were a lot of men in his situation who attended the gathering. They are not perfect, but there is hope for them as long as they believe in Christ and keep trying to better themselves.

He described the day as being very spiritual, moving and uplifting for him.

“I was here last year and I went home a better father, a better husband, a better neighbor, a better Christian than when I came in the morning,” he said. “I feel the same way today.”

In his homily during the Mass, Bishop Zubik said he was inspired by the large number of men who took part in the sacrament of reconciliation.

He pointed to the recent Service of Apology at St. Paul Cathedral and spoke of how he was told that he was taking a risk in holding such a gathering.

“Well, my brothers,” he said. “Isn’t this what it means to be followers of Jesus — to take a risk?”

The bishop told the men that if they are going to be serious about God they must take risks. They must go out and invite others to see the Lord.

“It’s what Jesus wants us to do,” he said. “It’s what Jesus expects us to do.”

Some 58 parishes in the diocese have established men’s fellowship groups. A group of regional coordinators contact parishes to show the benefits and get new groups to form.

More information on Catholic Men’s Fellowship of Pittsburgh is available at: www.cmfpitt.org.

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