Program looks to duplicate success of women's spirituality offering
DE PERE — Following the success of its annual women's spirituality mornings, the Norbertine Center for Spirituality is offering a similar program for men. The first ever "Morning of Spiritual Renewal for Men" will be held Saturday, Oct. 30, and will feature three sessions of workshops designed to help men get in touch with their faith and what God asks of them.
"The lineup (of presenters) is amazing," said Norbertine Fr. Conrad Kratz, director of the Spirituality Center. "These are all men who have a deep devotion to the Lord; faith-filled men who are respected leaders in the community and in the faith community. They have a profound insight into the conditions that we find ourselves in as men in this society."
The workshops and presenters are:
An aerial view of St. Norbert Abbey in De Pere, the site of an upcoming spirituality series, “Morning of Spiritual Renewal for Men.” (Courtesy of St. Norbert Abbey | For The Compass)
Session A
• "Healthy Male Role Models In Scripture" by Norbertine Fr. Tim Shillcox
• "Henri Nouwen: Spiritual Guide for Men" by Norbertine Fr. David McElroy
• "Discover Your Role as a Modern Man" by Eric Peters
Session B
• "Lead Us Not Into Temptation" by Fr. Dan Felton
• "Sports Heroes Behaving Badly: A Call to Brotherhood!" by Norbertine Fr. Jim Baraniak
• "Your Story, Your Life, Your Choice" by Jim Smits
Session C
• "Surrender? Me? Surrender to God; He Will Do Everything for You" by Msgr. James Feely
• "Staying Faithful ... To God, Family, Community" by Norbertine Fr. Al McBride
• "Thomas Merton and the 'True Self'" by Norbertine Fr. John Bostwick
Fr. Kratz said that he gave the presenters freedom in choosing topics.
"I asked each one of these guys, 'What do you think from your own ministry, your own passions, are areas that men are really struggling with today? Would you be willing to address that in a faith-based presentation?' We have an array of offerings," he said. "That's truly proof of the Holy Spirit at work. When you let go and you surrender, then God is free to act in our lives. If we would have sat down and said, 'We have to do this and this,' we would have been holding on to the control."
Fr. Shillcox, pastor at Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, De Pere, said that he sees a growing interest in programs for men.
"It's been evolving over the last 20 years, a hunger for men's spirituality," he said. "You look at the presence of Esto Vir and a growing number of men's prayer groups. There is an increased desire to engage more men in spirituality that is church-based."
His workshop will focus on strong men in Scripture who were willing to take risks. Fr. Shillcox said he had plenty of choices.
"You could go on forever," he said. "There is interesting writings on so many. I hope they (men at the workshop) see the similarity between scriptural men and themselves. Some of the biggest sinners in Scripture became some of the greatest heroes."
Jim Smits, a volunteer at the Spirituality Center and a licensed clinical social worker, said he will draw on his experience at the Human Performance Institute in Florida for his workshop presentation. Smits, now retired, was asked to do health and performance workshops for Kimberly Clark, his former employer, so he took part in a program led by Dr. Jim Loehr, founder of the institute and author of 15 books including "The Power of Story," a New York Times bestseller. The program addressed energy management and included body analysis and self-assessment.
"It provides a snapshot of what your life looks like right now and if that does or doesn't jibe with where you want to be," said Smits. "If you are connected to your faith, how do you use your gifts to give glory and praise to God? Where are the gaps in your life? You develop an action plan. It was very, very positive. What it really got down to for many of the men is (that) they wanted enough time for their family, enough time for themselves and their faith, and enough time for work. They haven't been able to balance that."
The morning is for all ages, said Judy Turba, programming director and public relations coordinator for the Spirituality Center. She noted that a father recently registered with his two teenage sons. The speakers range in age from 20s, Eric Peters, a Tai Chi instructor and Asian Bodywork therapist, to 70s. The format follows that of the women's mornings, she added.
"We made a conscious effort not to make it too long," said Turba. "We tried to keep the sessions short, so you still have your Saturday."
The day begins with coffee and rolls from 8 to 8:35 a.m. and closes with lunch at noon. Workshops are 50 minutes each.
Fr. Dan Felton, pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish, Manitowoc, will be tackling the most often confessed temptations of men in his presentation. These struggles include lust, pornography, profane language, anger and impatience.
"We need to look at habits and reformation of our habits," said Fr. Felton. "There is common support we have to give to one another. Look at the results or consequences of these sins. It's not just a matter of saying, 'Don't do this.' It's a matter of refocusing those energies to do something positive."
The bad behavior of sports figures will be addressed in a presentation by Fr. Jim Baraniak, pastor of St. Norbert College Parish, De Pere, Catholic chaplain for the Green Bay Packers and a board member for Catholic Athletes for Christ. Fr. Baraniak said that his work in prison ministry and 12 years as a vocations director also contribute to his perspective on male spirituality. The indiscretions of Tiger Woods and Ben Roethlisberger were in the news at the time he agreed to speak at the men's morning.
"I just love the sacrament of reconciliation so much," he said. "One of the issues we deal with in Catholic Athletes for Christ is reaching out to athletes who make mistakes. How do we support and build each other up after such big falls. Archbishop (Timothy) Dolan (of New York) said, 'Reconciliation isn't dead, it is still alive in the world today, but in unhealthy ways.' The church can be there to help."
Even though most men do not live their lives in the public spotlight like professional athletes, there are parallels, he added.
"How do we deal with these situations in our own private lives? When we fall, where do we go? How do we help each other? These are all questions we need to ask ourselves," said Fr. Baraniak.
"I know that there are enough men that are in need," said Fr. Kratz. "I'm just hoping that we can get the word out that there are resources available for men who want a closer relationship with the Lord and to learn how to be a better man in all that it means."
The cost for the Morning of Spiritual Renewal for Men is $30 Registrations are due by Oct. 22. To register or for more information, visit www.norbertines.org.
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