By Patrick Dolan | Correspondent

When it comes to their faith, Catholic men have to “man up.”

That was the resounding message that some 900 men and teenage boys heard during the 18th annual Catholic Men for Jesus Christ Conference Feb. 28 in St. Gregory the Great Parish, Hamilton Square. 

Click here to see photo gallery on this story.
Click here to view video coverage of the conference.
Click here to view Bishop O'Connell's videotaped message.

Conference participants, who gathered from the four counties of the Diocese of Trenton, as well as neighboring dioceses, were exhorted to be men and act accordingly in the way they viewed their family life, interacted within their communities and lived out their Catholic faith.

“No matter what age we are, where our station in life is, what our vocation is, we are all called to man up,” said Msgr. Leonard F. Troiano, in his homily during the Mass he celebrated for the more than 800 men who crammed into the pews of St. Gregory the Great Church.

Msgr. Troiano, episcopal vicar of Ocean County and pastor of St. Pio of Pietrelcina Parish, Lavallette, focused his address on the cultural shifts affecting modern men, like the redefinition of masculinity and the breakdown of the family.  In fighting against the current culture, he suggested that Catholic men look to model St. Joseph as a protector, provider and teacher. 

The idea of “manning up” was echoed throughout a videotaped message from Bishop David M. O’Connell, C.M., in which he challenged all men to enter into true discipleship with Christ.

Dared by the Bishop

In the video message, Bishop O’Connell reflected on personal life experiences that occurred during his priesthood, namely being present with other family members at the foot of his father’s death bed; offering comfort and consolation to the hospitalized and homebound and his own near death experience resulting from complications from diabetes and subsequent surgery, followed by his current recovery process.

“My brothers, I am a shepherd, your shepherd in the Diocese of Trenton. But if I am any kind of shepherd, I must first be a disciple,” said Bishop O’Connell.

“Like you, I am a Catholic man for Jesus Christ…and that must mean something, first to me; then, to everyone who sees or hears me, looks to me for leadership, guidance, advice, comfort, and ultimately to the Lord Jesus himself who will, one day, ask me what my being a disciple meant.”

Bishop O’Connell shared some insights on what discipleship meant to him: A disciple must be willing to listen to and learn from the Master; walk with the Master wherever he leads; give witness to the master in thought, word and action, and be a man of love after the heart of the Master.

The Bishop challenged the men, asking, “Do you dare?”

A Home Run for Faith

Described as a gathering that “strives to bring men together to build each other up, support one another and challenge one another on our spiritual journeys,” many who had attended the conference in past years were once again looking to enliven their spirituality and bring new members into the fold.

Conference organizer George Rose noted that the conference has been a “mainstay of diocesan celebrations” since 1997. He observed, “CMJC recognizes that true happiness can only be found in Jesus.

“CMJC strives to bring men together to build each other up, support one another and challenge one another on our spiritual journeys to become the men that we are created and called to be,” said Rose.

The day kicked off with a vibrant presentation by Jesse Romero, a Catholic lay evangelist from the Los Angeles area. A former deputy sheriff, boxer and martial artist, Romero’s preached with vigor and conviction, using the story of King David to present a virtuous, deeply devoted, yet vastly imperfect man who found grace and forgiveness with God.

“At Mass, every day we hear the words of a man who is deeply in love with God, but deeply integrated and understands that as a man he is called to defend his people and his religion,” Romero said of King David as an example of Christian manhood.

Baseball legend Mike Piazza discussed the importance of his Catholic upbringing and how he nearly abandoned his faith-life when he began his Major League Baseball career. 

“When I made it to the big leagues and started making big league money, I wanted to be that rock star.  I wanted to be the guy who was up all night at the clubs, that had the supermodel on my arm, who was the cool guy on TV with the Ferrari and the nice suits and the jewelry.  I kind of fell into that persona.  It was what I thought I had to be.”

It would take a deeply-rooted desire to rekindle his relationship with God that would lead him to actively reject the self-serving lifestyle that so many of his peers had pressured him into.

“It was empty.  It was nothing.  It didn’t make any sense to me.  Around 2000, I said, ‘You know what? I want to reconnect with my faith.  I want to get to know Jesus a little better. Get reacquainted,’” said Piazza about his transformation.

Piazza further talked about how he began praying regularly and going to Confession in order to become closer to Christ.  Through this rediscovery of faith, Piazza found the true freedom he had yearned for.  Now married and a father, he spoke of the importance of self-sacrifice in everyday situations and the constant need to be present in the moment for others-- especially family.

Men Wanted

Ending the day was a special talk by Eternal Word Television Network news director and host of The World Over, Raymond Arroyo, who spoke on some of the key issues facing the contemporary Church and how they relate to the apparent lack of male participation in the faith.

“We face a monumental problem in our age and one that I believe has weakened the faith: men have become an endangered species in the Church,” said Arroyo. “For all the beauty and truth that is in the Church, we have to objectively say that there is a sterility around the edges, an impotence that you feel in so many Church efforts today. And I believe it’s because of that lack of male spirituality at the heart of the Church.  We need a robust, aggressive spirituality to cast out this rampant evil that we face.”

But for Arroyo, the lack of men in the Church wasn’t just a problem facing Catholics, but rather an indication of the declining male participation in all aspects of traditional society.

“Too often I think we’ve been absentee fathers ourselves.  We checked out of the Church, we checked out of the culture.  We checked out of the family.  And then we wonder where all the guys went.”

Addressing the current crises in the Middle East and the resurgence of Islamic extremism and the persecution of Christians, Arroyo spoke about ISIS and similar groups as filling a spiritual vacuum left by the West’s increasing secularization and rejection of Christianity.

“The West – us -- we’ve abandoned our faith.  If we don’t begin to embrace and take seriously the things we believe, there will be no space in which to believe it,” said Arroyo, his remarks drawing a round of applause.

“This is the time to mount a holy revolution of example, one rooted in prayer and holy stubbornness and self-mastery and restraint,” Arroyo continued. “We have to play our part.  We have to get in the game.”

Spiritual Shot in the Arm

The success of the Catholic Men for Jesus Christ conference is a testament to the diligence and hard work of its board members and staff as well as the hundreds of devoted men who seek to better themselves as Catholics year after year. 

“We hope that the men can take what they hear today from our speakers and really apply a discipline in their lives for prayer, for fasting, almsgiving; everything that Lent is calling us for,” expressed Father  Jeffrey Kegley, pastor of St. Mary Parish, New Monmouth. 

“We want the men to go home and witness to their families, workplaces and neighborhoods.”

“I’ve been to three of these rallies and every time I come here, they invigorate me,” said Deacon David Colter of St. Raphael-Holy Angels Parish, Hamilton.

“I leave here better.  I get in touch with all of my brothers in Christ.  It makes me come home and be better for my family,” said Rick Gonzalez of St. Catherine Parish, Middletown.

With engaging celebrity speakers, celebration of the Sacrament of Reconciliation and Mass, small group discussions and Catholic exhibitors featured throughout the day, there was something for Catholic men of all ages.

“It’s a spiritual shot in the arm when you get guys together in numbers.  Something amazing happens,” said Bill Maher, president of Catholic Men for Jesus Christ and parishioner of St. Gregory the Great.  “It helps them grow in faith, which leads them to become better Catholic husbands, men and parishioners.”

“I think that the greatest part of it is seeing so many men here and many of them brought their sons,” said Msgr. Joseph Roldan, rector of St. Mary of the Assumption Cathedral, Trenton, “and to see just how readied up they are to hear about God and receive the Sacraments.”

Father Joseph Jakub, pastor of Corpus Christi Parish, Willingboro, and member of the CMJC board, remarked on the large number of men in attendance the how their feedback “makes me aware of the real impact of our conference.

“No man is an island…when that many men come together in faith, good things happen. They leave spiritually recharged to be a better man of faith in the world,” said Father Jakub.