WISCONSIN DELLS — The first Men of Christ Conference-Diocese of Madison will be held on Saturday, Oct. 24, at St. Cecilia Church in Wisconsin Dells, 603 Oak St.
Its theme is “Live Truth, Defend Truth.”
The vision of the Men of Christ conferences is to create an environment that will evangelize, catechize, and unify Catholic men.
The mission is to honor our Lord Jesus Christ by bringing Catholic men together, thereby forming a brotherhood that will empower each man to boldly live his Catholic faith.The organizers are inviting men of all ages to reconnect with God. According to the materials, “This day will change your life.”
Following the lead of organizers in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, the design of the day will support men in living their faith.
“We will start with Christ and end with Christ as everything we do is for His glory. We will work hard to create bonds between men that will allow them to grow in their Catholic faith and stand together during times of adversity. We will not compromise on the true message of Jesus and His Church. We understand there is a spiritual battle taking place, and are willing to engage in this battle for our families, our faith, and our country. Finally, we are proud to be Catholic, and we feel it is our duty to share this wonderful gift with other men.”
Bishop Donald J. Hying of Madison has been involved in starting and supporting the Men of Christ Conferences in each diocese he has been part of — Milwaukee, Gary, and now Madison.
“It’s following the model of St. John the Baptist and preparing the way for Christ. It’s a great model for men so that they can lead others to Christ,” he said. “We are equipping Catholics so they can share with competence and confidence around matters of faith. With formation and courage, they can articulate the faith to others.”
“As with anything, it doesn’t start full blown overnight. In the beginning, it just needs to grow . . . coupled with our anniversary coming up, coupled with really looking at how we evangelize, this is custom made.”
Event highlights
Some of the highlights of the event include:
• Fr. Richard Heilman, pastor of St. Mary Parish in Pine Bluff will start the day with the opening prayer.
• Fathers and sons are invited to attend together and receive a special father/son blessing from Fr. Eric Nielsen.
• A Patriotic Rosary will be prayed throughout the day.
• Fr. Greg Ihm, diocesan vocations director, will lead an “seminarians altar call.” Typically, that means that at designated time during Catholic events, all the young men who might be considering a vocation to the priesthood or Religious Life are invited to come forward for a blessing.
The scheduled guest speakers are: Bishop Hying, Jason Simon from Evangelical Catholic; Dane County Sheriff Dave Mahoney, and Doug Barry from RADIX – BATTLE READY.
The schedule includes:
• Confessions: 7 a.m. to 3:30 p.m.
• Opening (optional) Mass at 8 a.m.
• Official start at 9 a.m.
• Stations of the Cross at 3:45 p.m.
• Closing Mass at 5 p.m.
To register
Registration fees are set at $40 for individuals, $20 for students, and free admission for Religious and priests.
A box lunch will be included, with a sandwich, chips, fruit, and bottled water.
Parking information will be provided to those registered.
Valet parking will be provided for Religious and priests.
For more information and registration, go to https://menofchrist.net/conferences/2020-mens-conference-madison/