By Mary Stadnyk|Associate Editor

A new program that aims to help Catholic men of all ages deepen their faith and develop as leaders, husbands and fathers will be introduced in two parishes in the Diocese of Trenton this fall.

Starting Sept. 7 in Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and two weeks later on Sept. 21 in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square, “That Man Is You!” will bring participants together weekly for fellowship and a short audio-visual presentation followed by discussion on how the topic relates to their lives.

According to the official program website: www.thatmanisyou.org, “That Man Is You!” began in Houston in the summer of 2004 and is a 26-week interactive program from Paradisus Dei focused on the development of men in the modern world. The program is divided into two, 13-week “semesters” with the fall semester dedicated to developing a vision of man fully alive while the spring semester is dedicated to becoming “that man.”

Both Corpus Christi and St. Gregory the Great Parishes will hold their TMIY sessions on Saturday mornings. In Corpus Christi, the time will run from 6 to 7:45 a.m., while in St. Gregory the Great, the time frame is from 6:45 to 8:25 a.m. Men from surrounding parishes are invited to attend. The early hours are structured to accommodate the men’s busy schedules and not to interfere with family time or other weekend commitments.

“I believe strongly that in our Church today we really need to help raise up men as spiritual leaders,” said Father Joseph Jakub, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, speaking in support of TMIY. “I think it’s hard in our culture for men to connect with their faith; a lot of times it’s the mothers who bring their children to Mass and provide for the spiritual enrichment of their children, and fathers may not realize how much spiritual authority has been given to them as leaders of the households.

“It’s important for men to come together with one another, to support and encourage one another, and to motivate one another in living out their faith and ‘That Man Is You!’ can help them to do that,” said Father Jakub

Father Ian Trammell, pastor of St. Gregory the Great Parish, said he hopes TMIY will help men to become “better engaged in the life of the parish,” while parochial vicar, Father Kevin Kimtis, added he encourages TMIY because of how it focuses on building the spiritual lives of the men and strives to create disciples.

For more information about “That Man Is You!” in Corpus Christi Parish, contact Earl Hughes at 609-351-2780 (cell); 609-871-4112 (home) or David Moitozo at 856-912-3830.

In St. Gregory the Great Parish, visit the parish website at www.stgregorythegreat.org or contact Bill Sheehan at [email protected]