(275) John Bergsma to Help Men to Confront the Challenge and Grow in Manly Virtue at the 2023 Steubenville Men's Day of Renewal

 AMDG

Dr. John Bergsma

      After a two year hiatus due to the Covid-19 Pandemic, the Diocese of Steubenville is resuming its annual Men's Day of Renewal on Saturday, March 11 at St. Stephen’s Church; 1036 Belford St.; Caldwell, OH off of Exit 25 on I-77, a half hour north of Marietta or a half hour south of I-70..  This Conference will be the twelfth Men’s Day since 2010.  Doors open for Registration, coffee, and optional prayer at 8 am.  The main program will begin at 9 am, continuing until 3:30 pm.  The patron of the Conference is St. Joseph, a model of virtue and 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 “Living a Virtuous Life”.

      To complement the Holy Hour, the Penance Service, and Mass presided by Bishop Monforton, the featured speaker is Dr. John Bergsma, a professor of Theology at the Franciscan University of Steubenville.  Dr. Bergsma received his doctorate from the University of Notre Dame where he also taught and did research.  After serving as an Evangelical pastor and growing in knowledge as a Biblical scholar, he discovered the truth of the Catholic Church.   Dr. Bergsma has given very well received talks at conferences throughout the country and has many publications including books.  Married with eight children, he can identify with the problems and daily struggles facing the men who will be participating in the Diocesan Men’s Day of Renewal. 

In his morning and afternoon talks Dr. Bergsma will show that Catholic men are called with urgency to develop manly virtue and live a truly virtuous life.  This he will do by giving tips on how to develop and grow in manly virtue.  He will explain the Four Cardinal virtues, the pivot and foundation from which the other virtues flow.……namely prudence (wisdom), justice, fortitude (courage), and temperance (moderation and self-control).  Equipped with manly virtue, the witness of Catholic God fearing men and leaders can be pivotal in changing the culture, putting Christ into the market place, renewing the parish, and building the domestic church at home with an exemplary Christian marriage as its foundation.. As a father of eight children, John Bergsma can give valuable pointers on making the home a school of virtue.

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 St. Stephen’s Church in Caldwell is near the approximate 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. 

    It should be a great day of enjoyable fellowship and spiritual invigoration. In each of annual Men’s Conferences since 2010 our 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 today. 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.  Young men 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.   For greater convenience, the men may also register on-line at https://stpaulcenter.com/diosteubmdr23 with an additional $3.00 surcharge.      

        Transportation Needs. A carpool, vanpool, 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@gmail.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, 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.