Learning what it means to find true joy as Catholic men was the main focus for some 500 men of the Diocese of Trenton who attended the 26th Annual Catholic Men for Jesus Christ Conference Feb. 25.
Held in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, the day-long conference included Mass celebrated by Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., and presentations by Chris Stefanick, internationally acclaimed Catholic media host, author and evangelist; Gerry Cooney, retired world-class heavyweight boxer, and Mark Houck, founder and president of The King’s Men, Inc., a Catholic men’s ministry.
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A separate young men’s program track was designed for students from eighth grade to college age in partnership with Catholic Athletes for Christ.
In his homily, Bishop O’Connell reminded participants, “Joy is an interior contentment and a peace that comes from being close to God and in right relationship with others. Joy then comes with speaking, upholding and living the truth of God’s love with honesty and with integrity even when enduring hardships. … Joy is being ‘caught up’ in the love of God.”
Bishop O’Connell shared six recommendations for finding joy written by St. John Bosco, an Italian priest who spent his ministry leading young men to God: “Live for God alone,” “Be a servant,” “Be careful in your associations,” “Spend carefully,” “Be humble,” and “Carry your cross.”
Speaking the Truth
In his morning presentation on “Living Joy,” Stefanick stressed, “God made you for joy,” offering several practices to assist men in overcoming obstacles to lasting joy: give thanks, love yourself, live a friendship-rich life and frame your mind with faith.
“Christian joy is not about burying your head in the sand or to be in denial of reality. What I am asking you to do is to be aware of the bigger reality that’s always present before us: the love of the Father and of the Son, and that the joy of the Lord must be your strength,” Stefanick said.
Cooney, a vocal advocate who speaks out against drug and alcohol abuse and domestic violence, shared a compelling witness about the joys, challenges and heartaches he’s endured both inside and outside the boxing ring.
“I did some dumb things,” Cooney admitted. He made the commitment to turn his life around when “God came to me and kept telling me that I was a great gift,” said Cooney.
“To think of where I came from to where I am at now is unbelievable,” Cooney said, noting that he’s been sober for almost 35 years. “I love my life.”
Addressing youth during the teen track, Cooney explained, “Boxing was a way I was able to let go of anger and frustration in my life, it helped me stay away from a lot. I was told as a kid, ‘you’re not good enough’ and that’s what motivated me. … I decided to just focus on my dream of fighting.”
Cooney encouraged the young men, saying, “With much going on in your lives, try to focus on God first. That’s one thing I wish I did. I have a beautiful family now. I go to Mass three to four times a week. This wasn’t always like this though, but God is good. It’s a great life.”
An Authentic Vision
In his “Wearing the Armor of God,” presentation, Houck, who is a pro-life activist, recounted the role of faith upon his arrest, and subsequent trial, after an altercation outside a Planned Parenthood in 2021.
“I felt I was at the foot of Calvary. I read about every saint that was ever incarcerated, I prayed the Rosary [and] the Magnificat. I could feel [God’s] presence during it all.” said Houck, who was ultimately exonerated.
“The armor of God is like when athletes put on a football helmet, the spiritual armor you wear is your identity. Our armor is the power of God and the Rosary,” Houck said.
In the closing presentation of the conference, “Sharing Your Faith with Courage,” Stefanick pointed out, “Today the greatest challenge is hostility towards religion and the family. …The apostolic vision for our Church today needs to be bold, joyful and authentic; Jesus and his love for us need to come first before we do anything else,” he said.
Stefanick also stressed the importance of fellowship and its role in evangelization, the need to “not let fear get in the way,” and to pray. “We need to engage our world and be bold, in the context of the love of God,” he said.
Among conference attendees was Jim King, executive director, New Jersey Catholic Conference, and his 13-year-old son, Brendan, who shared that, while the two do a lot together, attending the conference “is helping us deepen our faith in God and each other.”
John Paul Hogan of St. Catharine-St. Margaret Parish, Spring Lake, experienced a day of spiritual renewal and reflection, noting that as a recovering alcoholic, he related to Gerry Cooney’s inspiring story.
Alec Thie of St. Dominic Parish, Brick, who was accompanied by his six-month-old son, Aloysius, pointed out, “He’s the youngest one here.” Thie enjoyed the chance to join with other men of faith and was reminded of the “mantle of responsibilities” that men have in their role as leaders in their families and their communities.
“Leading by example, that’s what it’s all about,” he said.