News

Men challenged to live faith

By Jeff Kurowski
Compass Assistant Editor

HOWARD -- While a near capacity crowd filled St. John the Baptist Church March 15 for the third annual Midwest Esto Vir Men's Conference, the goal of the event is not to attract numbers, said Don Warden, a member of the conference core team.

"We obviously want as many men as possible to attend and financially we want to break even, but the individual stories from the conference are more important," he said. "I heard a story about a dad who brought his son with him. The son is trying to decide what he wants to do in the future. Fr. Rick's (Wendell) talk really hit home with him. He is now considering a vocation. He saw him (Fr. Rick) as a neat example. We could worry about numbers, but if only two people attended and somebody's life was touched that way, the conference has been a success."

Fr. Wendell, associate pastor at Holy Angels Parish in West Bend in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, was one of three featured speakers at the conference. He shared his personal faith journey as a carpenter who was engaged to be married, only to later become a priest. Fr. Wendell was involved in a construction accident at age 30 that left him clinically dead for nearly three hours. He described an out of body experience he had at the time, and on a trip to Medjugorje with his mother, the Lord asked him to become a priest, he said.

Fr. Wendell, a self-proclaimed sinner prior to his accident, said, "God uses drama to get his point across," so he hopes that his story resonates with the men.

"I just knew that I was somehow in the presence of God during these moments in my life," he said. "Experiences with God happen. We all need to respond to that call.

"I challenge all the men here to be better husbands and fathers," he added. "They need to love their sons and daughters. God acts through them to change the world. They also need to stand up and be part of the plan. Faith is not a moment. Pick up your cross daily."

"He (Fr. Wendell) did a good job of weaving things together," said Fr. John Bergstadt, pastor at St. John the Baptist. "He made a connection to the rituals we have. If they are detached, rituals are just rituals. He made that connection to his life."

Fr. Bergstadt added that he was impressed with the broad focus of the conference, co-sponsored by Relevant Radio.

"The men here are involved in many aspects of social justice," he said. "It's encouraging to see them living their faith as men. We are going to need good leadership in the future as we've had in the past. I see this conference validating, challenging and strengthening men on their journey."

"Battling the Culture War" served as the theme for this year's conference. Featured speaker Peter Kreeft, Ph.D., a professor of philosophy at Boston College, said the current time has been called a culture of death, but "it is actually a culture of murder."

"We have bypassed a censor called reason which sits at the base of our souls," said Kreeft. "We live in a time where pornography grosses more money than all industries except gambling. Our world is in crisis."

Kreeft said his talks were not designed to paint a dim picture, but to prompt action.

"The men here can make a difference," he said. "Making a difference in your family and your community helps make a difference in our world. We can win the culture war, but to do so, we need to engage the culture."

Fr. Tad Pacholczyk, the third featured speaker, presented "Understanding the Science and Ethics Behind the Stem Cell Wars."

"The challenge is finding a variety of content that's going to appeal to different people," said Warden, a member of St. Benedict Parish in Suamico. "We also look for a variety of energy. We hope to reawaken the guys in the Catholic faith.

"There is a social and political element to our theme," he added. "We are in an election year and there is so much apathy in our country. Many people feel there are no good choices for politicians. We have a responsibility. Our faith calls us to be involved, to step forward, to participate in the process."

Bishop Robert Morneau presided at Mass at the conference, which also included the Sacrament of Reconciliation throughout the day and an exhibit area. Relevant Radio host Drew Mariani served as the conference emcee.