AMDG
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Alumni
Corps Volunteers play with a group of children of the Stapleton family on the
St. Tarsicius Sports Field. Clockwise
from Eden (8) in red and back turned: Ezekiel (3), Josiah (6), a friend, Elyse
Murphy, Naomi Sebastian, Aubree (11), and Riley (9). Running is Rachel Henley.
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Dial
1-800-FOR-MARY and register for a six day family retreat/vacation full of fun and
spiritual growth for the whole family. That
phone number alone says a lot about Catholic Familyland on this the 100th
anniversary of the six appearances of Mary to the shepherd children in Fatima,
Portugal a century ago.
Jerry Coniker (born
1938), a very successful entrepreneur, founded Coniker Systems, which
manufactured communications, time management, and sales control systems for
Fortune 500 companies. At the peak of
his success he felt a call to something much bigger and more important. In 1971 he sold his business and moved his
family of eight children to Fatima, Portugal for a two year long retreat. There Mary prepared Jerry and his wife Gwen
for a special mission, the same as she and the Angel of Peace did with Lucy,
Francisco, and Jacinta.
Upon their return Coniker became the executive director of
the Militia Immaculata, which the Marian Franciscan saint, Maximilian Kolbe
founded in Poland in 1917. In 1975 Jerry
and Gwen Coniker founded the Apostolate for Family Consecration (AFC) in Kenosha, Wisconsin, receiving official Church approval.
The Apostolate’s spirituality includes St. Pope John Paul
II’s dual consecration: Totus Tuus………giving everything to
Jesus through Mary in union with St. Joseph and Consecrate them in truth (John
17:17). That is asking God to sanctify
its members in His word. Click on http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2012/10/memories-of-seeing-blesseed-pope-john.html.
Msgr. William R. Myers (pastor emeritus of our
family’s St. Louis Church Gallipolis), Fr. Walter E. Heinz (pastor emeritus of
Sacred Heart Church Pomeroy, Msgr. Robert J. Kawa (pastor of St. Bernard Church
Beverly studied there for 12 after the 8th Grade), Msgr. John Michael Campbell
(pastor of the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, another national treasure
(http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2014/02/the-facade-of-basilica-of-basilica-of-st.html & www.stmarysmarietta.org)), Msgr. Mark J. Froehlich,
and many other older priests active and retired of our diocese studied at the
former seminary. Little did Bishop John Mussio,
the founding bishop of the diocese, know how God would use the seminary complex
he built. Yes, “man proposes, but God
disposes”. Perhaps some day the Diocese
of Steubenville will again have a seminary of its own instead of depending upon
seminaries of other dioceses.
 |
| Gwen & Jerry Conniker, parents of 13 children the founders of the Apostolate of Family Consecration. That entrepreneurial spirit, hard work, ingenuity, faith, trust in God, and devotion to Mary made the Apostolate so fruitful and attracted many dedicated volunteers to work with him. |
The Apostolate restored the buildings with a group of dedicated
lay men and women, called the Catholic Corps influenced by the Militia
Immaculata under lifelong promises of poverty, chastity, and obedience. They brought in a variety of skills…….from
handymen and technicians to secretaries and accountants. What they didn’t know, they learned. Some of the original Catholic Corps men and
women have been with the Apostolate since its conception in 1975. Others volunteered for work fests and still do, became
affiliated with the Apostolate, or were hired as employees. The Lord brought the men and women the
Apostolate needed.
They
made the gymnasium, overgrown with plants and moss, into air conditioned St.
Joseph Auditorium with great acoustics and two giant TV screens, suitable for
high quality professional video taping and conferences. They converted one of the buildings of the
Sacred Heart Complex into a television studio for producing video tapes for Catholic
television, schools, families, and for individual use.
Totus Tuus Conferences.
The first experience our family had with AFC’s Familyland was in the summer of
1997. We responded to a flyer in the
back of our little St. Louis Church in Gallipolis-Ohio, which described their
weekend Totus Tuus Conference. It featured
nationally known speakers in St. Joseph Auditorium of the Queen of All Hearts
Conference Complex. Families had to stay
in tents or area motels as we did (Jaga was pregnant with Joseph). About a mile up
the road or through the woods by foot is Familyland’s Holy Family Park……about
eight cabins that the Knights of Columbus built for their youth camps, since
then abandoned. That same area had been adapted
for campers and recreational vehicles with water and electricity hookups.
The next year (1998) marked
the beginning of the annual week long “Holy Family Fests”…….Faith, Family,
and Fun. For a video overview, click on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nwm-SfLVgmc.
The Apostolate started out with three
sessions and most of the families stayed in tents or RVs. The August nights in a tent were so cold that
Jaga and I used our 11 month old son Joseph to sleep between us and keep us
warm like a hot water bag. The baby of
the family is now 20 years old, over six feet tall and 190 pounds.The Apostolate started out with
three sessions and most of the families stayed in tents or RVs. The August nights in a tent were so cold that
Jaga and I used our 11 month old son Joseph to sleep between us and keep us
warm like a hot water bag. The baby of
the family is now 20 years old, over six feet tall and 190 pounds.
We practically raised our children in
Familyland, going there year after year. In 2015 John-Paul (a math teacher) and Naomi (then
a nursing student) spent their summer as members of the Alumni Corps, which prepares
the facilities for each session and then work as counselors during each
fest. It was a great experience for
them, especially the spiritual formation they obtained by living the life of
the Catholic Corps. There’s also the Service
Corps which consists of high school students to help. The young volunteers know Familyland since
the times their parents brought them as little saints under construction……..and
still are as young men and women. In 2012 our entire family (less Stephanie)
helped out as members of the Jubilee Corps for a week doing an assortment of
odd jobs.
Cabins. By 1999 the
swimming pool in Holy Family Park was renovated and the Apostolate borrowed money
to construct 75 cabins, equipped with electrical outlets in St. James Field
above the Queen of All Hearts Conference Complex (including St. Joseph Auditorium). The members of the AFC had the faith that if
they build the cabins, families will come.
Every three or four cabins share a water spigot on the corner. A couple of large vans have toilets, sinks,
and showers. Some ten years later the
cabins were equipped with electrical heaters and air conditioning to “spoil”
the families.
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Two brothers exploring the loft of their home for a week
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Each
cabin has a dining table, small refrigerator, and a small storage/dressing
room. The parents sleep in a large bed
while four kids sleep on four bunk beds and up to five more can sleep in the
loft (pictured above). Some families include grandparents, a relative,
or a friend of one of the children as guests for the week. Most families
prepare their own breakfasts and lunches, but eat a catered dinner in community
in a picnic pavilion. The Apostolate
honored our family by putting a sign inside Cabin #31, asking the occupants to
pray for us. We thank them for their
prayers. To get acquainted with my family, go to our last
Family Newsletter at http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2015/01/150-our-2014-family-christmas.html.
 |
Registration
and community dinner on the first day of a Family Fest
|
Holy Family Fest Activities. The families in vans and cars arrive on typically a hot
Saturday afternoon in Holy Family Park to begin their six day family retreat with
registration, name tags, and settling in.
After a community dinner there’s Mass outside behind the rustic chapel
in Holy Family Park. That sets the tone
for the Apostolate’s mission: to strengthen
families and make them holy.
At every Family Fest, the daily homilies cover the
Four Points of St. John Paul II’s Marian Spirituality. The Apostolate summarizes it as follows:
1) Sin
the cause of all unhappiness. Sin
includes both evil committed and good omitted as for example, irresponsibility
in fulfilling our daily duties.
2) Grace
won by Jesus is more powerful than sin, the world, one’s own flesh, or the
devil.
3) Holiness
is essential for salvation, but our individual meager efforts and merits alone
are not enough to generate the reparation for sin needed to convert our
world.
4) Consecration
to Jesus through Mary, in union with St. Joseph, is the answer. “Our good works, passing through Mary’s
hands, are progressively purified.
Consequently, their merit and their satisfactory and prayer value are
also increased” (St. Louis de Montfort).
We refer to this as the “Marian Multiplier”. Mary is the key to God’s mercy for bringing
world peace as promised at Fatima. She
wants, in the words of St. Maximilian Kolbe, “souls who will consecrate
themselves entirely to her, who will become in her hands effective instruments
for the defeat of satan and the spreading of God’s Kingdom upon earth.”
At 9 am there’s Daily Mass in St. Joseph Auditorium at the Queen of All Hearts Family Fest & Conference Complex for every family in what quickly becomes a community for a week. The Catholic Corps provides a choir with music accompaniment to lead the congregation in song whose lyrics appear on the two giant screens. The hour and a half Mass is vibrant and solemn. The participation is enthusiastic as the singing reverberates in the auditorium. Sunday Mass begins with a procession that includes the Knights of Columbus in full regalia and every child who received his/her first communion that year in the same dress. After Mass the book store is open with a great variety of reading materials, videos, religious articles, and other resources (also by phone and on line at http://store.afc.org/). Outside there’s playground equipment.
A vibrant Divine Liturgy (Daily Mass) in St. Joseph Auditorium
After Mass in the morning the kids are divided into
groups. Toddlers stay in the nursery in
Redeemer Hall with their Moms who watch the Mass and talks afterwards on
TV. The “Saints Under Construction” are kindergarteners
and elementary school kids; middle schoolers belong to the “Totus Tuus” group;
and the high schoolers belong to the “Destiny Generation”. Each group has a Vacation Bible School of
sorts each morning.
 |
| Organizing the kids in front of St. Joseph Auditorium after Daily Mass in the morning. Redeemer Hall is on the Right. |
The
high schoolers and college students (young adults) get another more intense
session in the late evening in their clubhouse called “Maria, Al, and Dom’s
Inn” after three very young saints: St. Maria Goretti, St. Aloysius de Gonzaga,
& St. Dominic Savio. Those sessions
are intense, including confession and adoration by the end of the week. Each dad is asked to write a letter to his
teen. Some in the Destiny Generation even
find the sessions a turning point in their lives. The parents get a dose of Catholic adult
education since the average person in the pew does not know his or her faith.
 |
A
session of the Destiny Generation at Maria, Al, & Dom’s Inn, the youth clubhouse
|
The afternoons are
set aside for play and prayer too at Holy Family Park. There’s St. John Bosco Swimming Pool and the
300 foot water slide down a steep hill in the woods. Furthermore, there’s horse or pony riding,
volleyball, softball, basketball, tennis, hiking, etc. The older guys and gals have a lot of fun in
the basketball tournament. At 3 pm all
activity stops for a moment to recite the Chaplet of Divine Mercy. There’s Eucharistic Adoration at Queen of
Angels Chapel throughout the afternoon as well as a number of priests outside,
each sitting under a tree or umbrella to hear confessions.
 |
Ezekiel Stapleton three
years of age accompanied by a Service Corps Volunteer |
 |
Optional Adoration in
the afternoon at Queen of Angels Chapel in Holy Family Park
The
300 Foot Waterslide as a Service Corps Volunteer looks on to assure safety
|
Everyone is
encouraged to make their family retreat complete with sacramental confession. Priests may hear confessions for a few days,
rest, be reinvigorated, and have a wonderful experience to share with their
parishes. Call 1-800-FOR-MARY to be
connected to the Apostolate’s full time chaplain.
Swimming
in the hot sun of the afternoon. Modesty
is emphasized……only 2 piece bathing suits.
The evenings bring more fun. One evening the Catholic Corps and staff put on a skit; another evening has rosary and marshmallows with a bonfire. Other evenings have square dancing and other dances for the teens.
Every
family is encouraged to creatively make a family banner and then present it to
the Familyland community and explain its design. The Apostolate supplies the materials. Ours is hung up on a wall in the
basement. It features the Sacred Heart on
a cross, emitting red and bluish-white rays.
Since we are a Polish-American family, we have written on the right, “Jezu
ufam tobie” and its translation on the left, ”Jesus, I trust in you”. Stephanie drew an image of Christ on the upper
left and on the upper right St. Faustina, who at the time was recently
canonized. The Apostolate of Family
Consecration was one of the first to promote Divine Mercy.
 |
Fr. Kevin Barrett, Apostolate Chaplain dialogues with the children regarding a decade meditation at the Bonfire Rosary with marshmallows.
The Alumni Corps presents.
Banner
Night…….Families present banners that reflect their particular family.
Great Fellowship and Friendship. Family members would get to know each other
at dinner, in their groups, sports tournaments, get-togethers at a campfire
among neighboring tents and RVs after the kids are put to bed. I met a couple of guys in the bathroom while
washing up in the morning.
Some 15 years ago Capt. Guy Gruters came to
speak about how his faith got him through six years as a POW in North
Vietnam. I met him in the bathroom and
we became friends. Shortly after, I helped
to arrange for him to be invited to speak at the University of Rio Grande and
earlier this year as the main speaker for the Diocese of Steubenville Men’s Day
of Renewal. For one of his recent talks
at Fr. Larry Richards’ 22/32 Men’s Conference, go to https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mtY0LvNNB9I and an interview by Marcus Grodi of EWTN at https://youtu.be/5klKyNiEs-M.
Often
lifelong friendships are made among the parents as well as the kids who even go
on little vacations to each other’s homes.
About 15 years ago at Familyland I heard someone speaking Polish at the
Rosary Bonfire. I immediately brought my
wife, Jaga to meet them and we had an instant friendship that continues
today. Riczard and Cecylia Koczwara’s
family (six children) live in Meza, Arizona where they operate a small motel,
the Desert Rose.
One
of the first people we met at Familyland was the Belback family. Even though Regis is from my hometown
(Duquesne, PA) and parish (St. Joseph’s), I met him and his wife Mary Ann there
for the first time in 1997. However, we
did know his parents, Madeline and Stanley, who are of the Great Generation
that lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They invited us to their home one time and
Stanley showed us his war mementos. One was
a very special rosary. Stanley was part
of the third wave of the Normandy invasion on June 7, 1944…….the longest
day. Climbing the hills with the German
pillboxes on top, men were being mowed down all around him. Stanley was hit, but the bullet miraculously
glazed off a rosary bead and saved his life.
Madeline’s prayers were effective; prayer works.
We
met other great friends for the first time, Dorota & Marek Stanczak from
Detroit. Stephanie made a lasting
friendship into adulthood with Marie Nicole Nowak from Philadelphia and Naomi befriended
Chloee Jones from Virginia. There are so
many other wonderful families we befriended there, but did not have the time to
keep in touch until we would perhaps meet again the following year.
After
the smaller children are put to bed, the teens could still forge friendships in
their special evening program.
My Familiy’s Memories of Familyland. The family in the tent next door to us was
unique. The father took care of the six kids
because his wife, an obstetrician, could make more money than he. The doctor related that when a new patient
calls for an appointment, her receptionist states up front: “We do not
prescribe contraceptives”. The Catholic
obstetricians in her community gave her more flack on that than anyone
else. Lo and behold, she got more
patients than ever by being faithful to Church teaching.
One
day 10 year old John-Paul made a deal for credit at the concession stand,
assuring Greg Becker that his father would pay.
As a joke, Greg and I plotted to make John-Paul think that he would have
to wash dishes to pay for the food.
Stephanie
received her First Holy Communion in the year 2000, but for some reason refused
to wear her outfit in the opening procession at Sunday Mass. It took Mary Ellen Redington to convince
her. Today Stephanie is a teacher and a
daily communicant.
In
2005 Naomi, 11 years old, was afraid to go to confession because she forgot the
opening prayer. All are encouraged to
make reconciliation a part of the family retreat. Three of the girls she befriended encouraged
and coached her. “Naomi, it’s
easy………just say ‘Bless me father for I have sinned’”. It was so cute.
As
a teen, John-Paul loved the basketball tournament and Stephanie played too. Both were on their high school varsity teams.
We,
especially John-Paul, were thrilled to meet the great Irish singer, Dana, and
see her sing at one of the Family Fests.
She was the star performer at World Youth Day 1993 in Denver, singing the
theme song, “We Are One Body, the Body of Christ”.
Hear her sing it by clicking on https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rD4h8dkO2sk.
She also sings Totus Tuus (All Yours,
Mary which is on the coat of arms of St. John Paul II). Familyland takes both Mary and St. John Paul
II as its patrons. Click on https://video.search.yahoo.com/yhs/search?fr=yhs-mozilla-003&hsimp=yhs-003&hspart=mozilla&p=Dana+Rosemary+Scallon+-+This+is+My+Body#id=15&vid=7960e3fe7b150fc5301fe89e8783c45d&action=view.
In
the year 2000 my sister-in-law from Poland came to visit us and we took her
with us for a week at Familyland. She
knows practically no English, but enjoyed the Mass, time to reflect in the
chapels, the walks, swimming, and the atmosphere.
Then
there are the mundane memories……moving in and making the cabin livable,
choosing beds for the kids, keeping the cabin clean, washing dishes late at
night at the corner water facet, and cleaning up before leaving. We weren’t completely isolated from the
outside world. As Chair at the School of
Business of the University of Rio Grande, I had to check with my secretary on
how things were going every couple of days.
Our
most recent memory was Naomi’s graduation from Franciscan University of
Steubenville in Nursing. We stayed at
Familyland and commuted to the graduation festivities. Joseph, Jaga, and myself had a wonderful
time, taking a walk in the morning and spending time in the chapel of Redeemer
Hall to make it a mini retreat. When we
got locked out, Winnie and Catherine of the Catholic Corps came to our rescue and
inspired this article.
We invite readers of
this article to submit their own memories of Familyland and we will put them
together in the Appendix of this article. Write to me at paulrsebastian@yahoo.com.
Families inspire and strengthen each
other to have the courage to persevere in raising truly
Catholic families with truly Catholic values instead of simply conforming to
the prevalent culture and doing what everybody else does. We must be willing to be counter cultural. May Catholic Familyland be a force for the
restoration of the Catholic culture we once had instead of allowing ourselves
to be absorbed by the secular culture and its decadent values. We must do as Mary asked us to do at Fatima.
Large families don’t feel out of place in Familyland since they are common. The families are among like-minded friends and learn from each other especially in regard to homeschooling and raising kids. What is ridiculed and considered to be weird in our secular culture is normal at Familyland. Chrissy Stapleton of St. Louis Church Gallipolis, Ohio reflects the thinking of many toward the end of their first Family Fest in 2015: “We are thoroughly enjoying ourselves. We are already making plans for next year! The kids have made so many friends!” They come every year now.
Join in the fun and grow spiritually
too. For 2017 a family can choose among:
June
17-23 | July
1-7 | July
15-21 | July
29-Aug. 4 | Aug. 12-18. Register as soon or you may have to
wait until next year for a cabin unless you stay in a motel, tent, or camper. The first and last sessions sessions usually have
space. It’s rather expensive, but well
worth it. A vacation at Myrtle Beach or
Atlantic City would be very expensive and more so. To save money you can use a tent, camper, or RV
and prepare your own meals. There is some
provision for needy families. A lot more
information on other activities during the year can be found at www.afc.org and http://2catholicmen.blogspot.com/2015/07/what-is-catholic-familyland.html. For some great videos and photos go to www.youtube.com and type “Catholic
Familyland” in the Search Box.
A look at the license plates in the parking lot will show that many families travel from as far away as Florida, Missouri, Illinois, Massachusetts, and beyond. Indeed Catholic Familyland is a treasure of the American Church and most Catholics in our diocese aren’t even aware of it, which is right under our noses…….15 minutes northwest of Steubenville, Ohio near Bloomingdale on Route 22.
Appendix
Much
More Than Summer Family Retreats
There’s a lot more
to the Apostolate of Family Consecration than the five Family Fests at Familyland during the summer. During the off season the AFC has weekend Mini Family Fests around the country. There’s also the Duc in Altum Youth Retreat
(separate for guys and gals), Cana for married couples, and Alone
With God Retreats (one for men and another for women). Workfests are open to able bodied men and
women to maintain and improve Familyland as well as to prepare for the new
summer season. They combine prayer, fun,
fellowship, and hard work. For current
dates and details go to www.afc.org.
For the climax of the centenary celebration of the Our Lady
of Fatima apparitions on October 13, the Apostolate is sponsoring a pilgrimage
to Portugal. Go to the AFC website.
A
Catholic Corps member dialogues with the kids at the Bonfire Rosary.
Through
a dynamic prayer life that includes daily Mass, Rosary, meditative spiritual
reading, and Eucharistic devotion, the Catholic Corps is strengthened each day for the work of serving
families and drawing them to evangelize other families. In that way they aspire to ignite the laity
through the work and mission of the Family Apostolate.
Carolyn Stegmann reflects the thinking of all the members of the Catholic Corps: “I made a lifetime commitment to Christ as His bride, in the Catholic Corps. I believe that Our Lady, St. Joseph, and my love for my country have helped me and the other Catholic Corps members to lay down our lives for families, that they may know and achieve God’s plan for their lives.” 
Red shirted Catholic
Corps members at Rosary and Marshmallows at the bonfire. From left to right are Greg Becker, Rory Freiermuth,
Greg Caspers, Jack Heemskerk, and Zennel Sy.
Disciple Membership includes single or married Catholic faithful
who respond to God's universal call to holiness by living the spirituality of
the AFC and by helping to carry out its ministry as part of the AFC spiritual
family, while maintaining the commitments and duties of their state in life. Like the Catholic Corps they aspire to grow
in holiness and participate in works of evangelization. Disciple Members
balance their spiritual, family, apostolic, and career responsibilities while seriously
offering to God their time, talent, and treasure through the mission of the
AFC. Disciple Members live the AFC's
spirituality of consecration through a commitment to daily prayer, regular formation,
and apostolic service. Involved married
couples in the Apostolate are great witnesses.
Disciple Members –
Skip and Fanny Lefebre. Both work for
the Apostolate all year round.
Lay
Evangelization Teams (LET) are comprised of families, parents,
and singles who gather regularly for prayer, spiritual formation and
fellowship, works of service and evangelization, and mutual support. These
dynamic groups do not require any membership or formal commitment for people to
participate. LET prayer meetings/study
groups may prayerfully read and discuss the Bible, spiritual classics (great
books), etc. The Apostolate supplies
videos for additional insights.
The AFC, particularly LET, promotes the “Family
Hour” or “Be Not Afraid Family Hour”.
The large package of DVDs are designed for Catholic television,
families, groups of friends or members of the parish who get together in a home
for rosary, a homily, discussion, and fellowship. The mystery meditations are portions of
movies on the life of Christ and His mother.
The Apostolate adds a beautiful prayer at the end of each decade after the
Fatima prayer: “All for the sacred and
Eucharistic hear of Jesus; all through the sorrowful and immaculate heart of
Mary; all in union with St. Joseph.”
The AFC publishes pamphlets
and books such as a handbook of prayers and a two volume Family Catechism of
the Catholic Church with explanations and activities for families, since the
chief educators of the Faith are not PSR teachers or even priests, but parents. It has the approval of the American
bishops. In addition the Apostolate
produces videos and audios of speakers, catechetical resources, and other educational
materials for parishes, schools, families, Catholic radio and television. These can be obtained from the bookstore, by
mail, by calling 1-800-FOR-MARY, or by going to http://store.afc.org/.
 
One of the books and DVD that the Apostolate of Family Consecration has
published. You can see the available books
that can be purchased on line by going to http://store.afc.org.
Using the Internet. In addition to the main website at www.afc.org
and the store at http://store.afc.org, the Apostolate had
internet television with programs on demand at any time. The AFC had a special website for the complete
Family Catechism in English and Spanish with many links for greater depth. However, both were discontinued for now. These websites have tremendous potential and
hopefully will be revived when resources and market demand are sufficient to
justify such innovative projects. Their
website at www.FamilyHoliness.com
with its four step plan to family holiness still exists. FamilyCatechesis.com, a family guide with
video links to supplement parish CCD/PSR programs, is being revamped.
The Apostolate had several
international branches and even cable television. The St. Joseph Asian Center in the
Archdiocese of Manila (established 1994) in the Philippines did catechetical
work and operated a Catholic television channel for several years before losing
the satellite on which it had donated space.
A few Filipinos actually joined the Catholic Corps; they really impressed
me and especially my wife Jaga, who stayed with them for a week in early 2009 after
helping out as a nurse on a medical mission in Manila.
El
Apostolado para la Consagración de la Familia
en México (1999) did catechetical work for several years until native Mexicans
were able to take it over. The AFC also
did work in Belgium (2000); Myanmar; Russia; Nigeria (2004); and Portugal.
The
ideal is for missionaries to train dedicated leaders to take over the work and
the Apostolate did that to a large extent, especially in Mexico and the
Philippines. In that way the Apostolate’s international work was quite successful.
The Familyland Television Network
was perhaps the Apostolate’s most daring endeavor. Its studios and large dish were located at
Catholic Familyland in the Sacred Heart Complex. For several years at the turn of the 21st
Century it specialized in wholesome family programing and movies (some great
reruns) appropriate for kids of all ages as well as adult programming such as
the “Be Not Afraid Family Hour”, interviews, discussions, etc. along with children’s
programs. Jerry Coniker was the host for
some of them; he has a great radio and television voice.
The
Apostolate coexisted quite well with several Protestant groups in sharing the
Sky Angel Satellite although it had to be very careful in not offending anyone
in a delicate relationship. Being
conservative and traditional helped. Evangelical
families would watch their channels on Sky Angel, but some families would also
watch the Familyland Channel……reruns of old Lone Range TV programs, Lassie
movies, etc. When some people would
stumble upon Familyland religious programming while surfing, the Familyland
Network would be a great ecumenical outreach.
It
all ended when the Apostolate lost its free space on Sky Angel, which later came
down from the sky. Furthermore, both the
Sky Angel group and the Apostolate had financial difficulties. Sky Angel offered its subscribers a lifetime
subscription for $500. Our family
accepted the offer, but lost the money after two years or so. They would not even give us the Protestant
programming after the Familyland Network went off the air.
Retrenchment. Eventually the high cost of operations and debt was unsustainable and the Apostolate had to retrench and cut back, specializing in what it does best…….family retreats, publications, and videos. Such retrenchment is common among great entrepreneurs such as Jerry Coniker, who often overextend the enterprise and expand faster than resources allow. The Apostolate now has a very good Board of Directors (see www.afc.org) with professional managers. This is stabilizing the Apostolate financially and putting more caution in making strategic decisions on future expansion. Alan Zimmerer - Director, President, & CEO is accountable to the Board 
Jerry Coniker with his wife Gwen and son
converse with St. Pope John-Paul II in the 1990s.
The Founding Coniker Family. In 1999, the Conikers were named by Pope John Paul II as one
of twenty couples who advised the Pontifical Council for the Family. In 2004, the pope named Jerry Coniker a
consultor for the Council. In 2007, in a
"Decree of Recognition and Approval" issued by Pope
Benedict XVI through the Pontifical Council for the Laity, the Apostolate was
declared "a private international association of the faithful of
pontifical right, with a juridical personality, according to canons 298-311 and
321-329 of the Code of Canon Law." Referring to one of the Apostolate's
slogans in his statement at the occasion, Bishop Josef Clemens said: "‘Families
evangelizing families’ is not only a beautiful Christian ideal, it is an urgent
need in society today, so that the human and Christian values of the family
might be promoted in their fullness."
In recognition for his achievements
and initiatives, Jerrry Coniker was named a Knight of the Holy Sepulcher, a
very prestigious international group.
Gwen
Coniker died of cancer in 2002, a very holy death in the presence of her large
family. In June 2007 the Bishop of
Steubenville let the cause for her canonization proceed with detailed
investigation into her life. Gwen showed
heroic virtue by refusing to abort her eleventh child, Theresa, when her doctor
said the pregnancy would burst her uterus and kill her. The baby was delivered
safely, and she had two more children.
While our family was eating at one fest, Gwen came to our table and
warmly took an interest in our family.
When
Jerry Coniker was healthy, he was hands on at the Family Fest and very active. After each Mass he would make announcements
and then have a special program for parents while the kids were in their group
activities. At some activities he was
Master of Ceremonies. Mr. Coniker would
mix with the people and get to know them.
I remember one night in 2005 when he talked with people visiting with
each other in front of their tents and RVs after the children were in bed.
Jerry
Coniker, close to 79, is suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, the same as St.
Pope John Paul II did. As the newly
canonized St. Jacinta and St. Francisco did and Mary instructed at Fatima, Mr.
Coniker is offering his suffering for sinners.
At the same time he still has a significant influence upon the direction
of the Apostolate although unable to have a day to day role in operations.
Notable Collaborators. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta joined the Advisory Council in 1976 (see http://paulrsebastianphd.blogspot.com/2016/09/176-st-mother-teresa-new-saint-of-mercy.html). At her funeral the Conikers were invited by
Fox News to offer commentaries. Cardinal
Alfonso López Trujillo, president of the Pontifical Council for the
Family (1990–2008); and then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger endorsed the AFC. Cardinal Mario Luigi Ciappi, O.P.,
who had served as the papal theologian for five popes, including John Paul II,
became the Apostolate's theological director.
One
of the Apostolate's long time collaborators is the Nigerian Cardinal
Francis Arinze, former President of the Pontifical Council for
Interreligious Dialogue (1984–2002) and then the prefect of the Congregation of
Divine Worship (2002–2008) before retiring.
He came to Familyland every year to rest and make many videos for the
Apostolate with Jerry Coniker. When
there, he concelebrated Mass with the Apostolate’s priests and gave
homilies.
Francis Cardinal Arinze
Several
years ago I had the privilege of meeting him after his talk. Having much experience in trying to get along
with Islam in Nigeria, he would not publicly say that Islam was a religion of
violence, but privately affirmed the awful truth. His explanations of the Catechism of the
Catholic Church are both simple and insightful.
His videos are still available in the Familyland bookstore. The Cardinal also participated in
fundraisers. He’ll be 85 years old this
year on the Feast of All Saints.
The Apostolate For Family Consecration
has had its ups and downs, but Mary and her Son have always been there with
them in carrying the Apostolate through it and purifying its members in the
process. The AFC remains a national
treasure in the small Diocese of Steubenville, Ohio. Over the years, it has made a very
significant mark upon thousands of families and their children from all over
the country in their family retreat center,........over 1000 a year........and many more through its publications and videos. May it slowly restore the Catholic culture
that its participating families bring back from Familyland to their parish communities.
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