(244) Scott Hahn to Speak on How You Can Participate in the New Evangelization and How You Can Make Your Home a Domestic Church at the 2020 Steubenville Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal

AMDG

Dr. Scott Hahn

Editor's Post Conference Note:  For a summary and audio of Dr. Hahn' talk and the 2020 Day of Renewal, go to 

(204) Scott Hahn: Highlights of the 2020 Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal

http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com/2020/12/204-scott-hahn-highlights-of-2020.html

       For the eleventh consecutive year, the Diocese of Steubenville is sponsoring a Men's Day of Renewal on Saturday, March 7 from 9 am to 4 pm at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Assumption, 506 Fourth St. in Marietta off of Route 7 or Exit 1 on I-77.  The patron of the Conference is St. Joseph, a model of a true man of God, whose intercession we count upon for its success.

The goal of the Men's Day of Renewal is the spiritual development of the men of our diocese. That includes helping the men to take the right path before having to face the four last things.......Death, Judgment, Heaven or Hell.  Having spiritually strong men of faith and character translates into more solid families, more dynamic parishes, and better communities. This is crucial to the Church and particularly our diocese, now and in the future. It is also critical for nurturing vocations.   The theme of the Conference is “The Challenge of Being Catholic”

       To complement the Holy Hour, the Penance Service, and Mass presided by Bishop Monforton, the featured speaker is Scott Hahn, Professor of Biblical Theology and the New Evangelization at the Franciscan University of Steubenville, where he has taught since 1990.  He is the Founder and President of the St. Paul Center, an apostolate dedicated to teaching Catholics how to read Scripture from the heart of the Church.  Scott has been married to Kimberly for forty years, and together they have six children and eighteen grandchildren. Two of their sons are seminarians studying for the Steubenville Diocese.  

       A former Presbyterian pastor, Scott entered the Catholic Church in 1986. The author or editor of over forty popular and academic books, including “Rome Sweet Home” and “The Lamb’s Supper”.  Dr. Hahn has delivered thousands of talks, nationally and internationally, on a variety of topics related to Scripture and the Catholic faith.

The Conference will open with both talks of our main speaker, Dr. Scott Hahn since he will be on his way to Rome for a lecture series at the Angelicum Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas.   In his first talk, Scott will draw on Church's teaching and his own experience to show how ordinary Catholics can effectively share their faith, and so fulfill the New Evangelization.  

Every one of us, as Catholics, is called not only to keep the faith, but also to share it with others. This talk will help Catholic laymen to reach friends, co-workers, and family members, especially those who are non-practicing or have drifted away from the Church. He will also address the question, why and how can we remain faithful Catholics -- in the face of clerical corruption and the scandals we have witnessed?

 

In his second talk, Dr. Hahn will speak on how to strengthen our marriages and our family life, both of which are in crisis.  Drawing from Scripture, and forty years of experience as a husband and a father.  Scott will offer some practical tips on how to make your home a domestic church --which St. Pope John Paul II advocated-- particularly with the help of the Holy Family.  He will also share some valuable lessons learned from his own struggles, drawing from his most recent book, The First Society: The Sacrament of Matrimony and the Restoration of the Social Order.  

Sacrifice. The fact, that travel time may be long and distance may be far for many, gives the conference a pilgrimage flavor.  Lent, of course, is all about sacrifice and spiritual growth.  Since the Basilica of St. Mary  in Marietta is in the geographic center of our far flung diocese, the Steering Committee is hopeful that the men of Steubenville in the north and the men of Ironton and Chesapeake in the south will be able to participate.   Regardless of distance, this mini-pilgrimage is a Lenten sacrifice of early rising and a long trip with great fellowship in a van or bus as the men pray together, discuss the talks and other events of the Conference, and deepen friendships.  A bag lunch is provided.

Another option is to stay at a motel in Marietta and make a retreat out of it.  The Basilica is one of the most beautiful churches in the world and is ideal for prayer and reflection.   There will be Eucharistic Adoration all day Friday until 7 pm in the Chapel of the English Martyrs to the right of the main altar.  Stations of the Cross will follow.  The men may bring their families to stay overnight at a motel and explore Marietta during the Conference.  Go to https://mariettaohio.org/

It should be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration. In each of the last ten years men returned reinvigorated, enthusiastic, and spiritually refreshed.  Expect the same this year.  It is awesome to hear the men lift up their voices in song and be moved by the beauty and power of the faith.  But mostly, through God’s grace, we will have more good spiritually strong men for the kingdom of God as well as for the battle against secularism and other evils that plague our society. We will have more men who put Christ into their professions. We will have men who will become more knowledgeable in their faith and better prepared for a joyful Easter and an eternal closeness to God.  The Men's Day of Renewal has grown into an annual event in our diocese, thus fulfilling a great need.

Promotional Help Needed.  Many if not most men will hardly notice the bulletin announcements, posters, and brochures, although they are indeed important and helpful.  What they can’t miss is the one-on-one personal selling by their peers, i.e., talking it up.  The most effective form of advertising or promotion is word of mouth.  Most effective is the witness of men who have gone to a previous Conference, especially the parish representative that we are asking the pastor to appoint or accept as a volunteer.  Thus one or two men are urgently needed in each parish to assure the success of this event. 

To ease the burden on our pastors, we are depending upon our men to offer their assistance as parish representatives to mobilize the men with good one on one personal selling, register them, and organize van pools.  Word-of-mouth advertising is essential to maximize the promotion of the Men’s Day of Renewal throughout each parish. We ask participants of past years to tell their friends about this awesome opportunity for spiritual renewal.  If there is no parish representative in your parish, please consider volunteering by informing your pastor and by e-mail “Don Coen - Chair Diocesan Men's Day of Renewal” <donandmargcoen@yahoo.com>. 

 

Equally important, women can be most valuable in encouraging their husbands, sons (including teens), fathers, brothers, boyfriends, etc., to attend. This is a very important part of the New Evangelization.” 

Father and son can make this day an unforgettable shared experience in which they become closer to each other.  For the first time, boys 18 and under will be admitted free of charge.  If the pastor accompanies the men, he would have an opportunity to know the men better and thus solidify the parish.  The Men’s Day of Renewal needs confessors.

 The local Knights of Columbus council can be most valuable since the spiritual formation of their men is part of their mission.  They are asked to mobilize their men to attend and organize a van pool.  Traveling together can build friendships, solidify the Council, and provide opportunities to tell about the Knights, thus making the Conference a recruiting tool.       

The men may register individually or the parish representative may collect the registration forms with payment and send them as a package to Roger Huck; %Men’s Day of Renewal, P.O. Box 54; Beverly, OH 45715.  This would save considerable time waiting at the door.  Checks for the Registration cost of $25.00 per person are to be made payable to the Diocese of Steubenville with “Men's Day of Renewal” written on the memo line of the check.   

Transportation Needs. A car pool, van pool, or bus saves on fuel costs and gives an opportunity for fellowship while traveling to and from the event—especially for those traveling greater distances. Please invite other men and assist with the organization of transportation for those attending in your parish.

Donations Needed. It is very expensive to put on a conference of this magnitude and feature nationally known  top speakers. While the Steering Committee does its best to minimize the cost for each participant, we are seeking donations from businesses, parish organizations, the Knights of Columbus, and individuals. Please send donations to Roger Huck as shown above.  Furthermore, we do not charge men who are unable to pay so that no man is excluded.  Boys 18 and under are admitted free of charge.

Ads in the Program Booklet.  Details on placing the ad for a business or community organization, or Knights of Columbus Council are in the Conference Blog or call Roger Huck at 740-984-2234 or 740-336-9128 (e-mail: huck4816@roadrunner.com).

  

More information is available from your pastor, from Don Coen above, or Paul Sebastian at (740) 245-9404 or paulrsebastian@yahoo.com. The Men's Conference Blog at diosteubmen.blogspot.com has a wealth of promotional materials for use at the parish level…….1) Overview & Poster, 2) Ad Form, 3) Press Releases, 4) Possible Bulletin Blurbs, 5) Pulpit Announcements, 6) Promotional Ideas, 7) Functions of the Parish Rep, 8) Sign-Up Sheet, 9) Sample Bulletin Insert, and 10) a Possible Talk By One of the Men after Mass.  There are also interesting articles on men’s spirituality, past conference highlights, etc.  After the Conference and throughout the year, articles will be added to help the men keep in good spiritual shape.  Clergy, Religious, and knowledgeable layman are invited to submit articles.

Please submit your registration as soon as possible. Registration will be accepted at the door; however, doing so in advance makes our planning more efficient and also helps to minimize waiting at the conference entrance.

BENEFIT SUMMARY OF WHAT THE MEN'S CONFERENCE CAN DO FOR YOU:

 Get you into good spiritual shape.

 Have a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration with fellow parishioners and participants at the conference, resulting in deeper friendships and parish cohesion.

 Develop ourselves as men of character and spiritual strength as we obtain the graces to cope with problems and conquer problematic issues that trouble our society.

 Be an effective spiritual leader to your family as a better husband and father.

 Prepare our hearts for the great feast of Easter as we become closer to God.

 Become more knowledgeable about our Catholic faith and grow in Christian maturity.

 Become a more effective soldier of Christ, and help strengthen His kingdom on earth.

Visit http://diosteubmen.blogspot.com for additional resources to help promote the Men's Day of   Renewal.