AUGUSTA---Catholic men from across Maine came together at the Augusta Civic Center on Saturday, November 5, for the Maine Catholic Men’s Conference, an opportunity to grow in community and faith (13 pictures below). The conference began with a morning Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert P. Deeley.
The bishop told the men that a relationship with Jesus is something that needs to develop over time. He pointed out that even St. Paul didn't set out on his evangelizing mission immediately after his conversion experience.
"He had all kinds of time to deepen within himself the experience that he had had of meeting Jesus on the road," said Bishop Deeley. "That is the only way that you can have a relationship. It has to be something that you build over time. And, certainly, Paul had plenty of time to reflect on that, reflect on what had happened and what it is that he was called to do, and to ask for God’s strength.”
Joining together at events like the men’s conference is important because Christians are not called to live their faith alone, the bishop told the gathering.
"We come together, in this conference, to celebrate our faith and our fraternity, our strength that we give to each other. Jesus, remember, sent out his disciples two by two. He didn’t send them out one by one. We come to know Jesus through one another. We come to meet Jesus in the help that we give to one another. We come to meet Jesus in the help we receive."
The theme of this year's conference was "Real Men for the Real World," focusing on what it means to be a real man in the face of real world challenges. Two witness talks focused on family and the importance of men being positive, supportive role models for their children. A keynote address by Patrick Coffin also reflected on the conference’s theme. Coffin, an author and speaker, was also the host of the popular radio show Catholic Answers Live and the podcast Catholic Answers Focus. He spoke about what he called "divine affiliation," what it means to be a son of God.
"Leadership in the family, in the parish, and in the community depends upon not just being a husband, not just being a father, but being a son," he said. "With the crisis in masculinity and fatherhood, and with so many absentee fathers, it becomes more difficult as the years go by for men in our culture to identify as sons."
Coffin said that men must give up false masks such as superhero, savior, or sports fanatic, and instead, concentrate on their relationship with Christ.
"Give up all of that and stop running. Slow down and listen. Men find it very hard to listen. We say women don't listen. Actually, we're worse. We become human doings instead of human beings," he said. "So, just the necessity of daily prayer, whether or not you feel like it, whether you're in the mood.  A lot of men are into this workout revolution. They have gym memberships, and they pay dues, and they work out whether or not they feel like it. Why? To exercise their bodies. How much more important is it to exercise your soul? And you do that primarily through the discipline of slowing down. As a wise priest once told me, 'God has two speeds: slow and stop.' That’s the key. Give up all the false identities and let God himself show you who you are, which is his little boy."
Over 120 men participated in the conference, representing parishes from around the state.
"Unity and renewal and friendship -- those three things," said Jim Finn from All Saints Parish in Brunswick. "It’s the only activity other than the Knights of Columbus that brings men together from all over the place."
"The whole purpose is to develop a deeper relationship with Christ," said Mark Labonte, one of the organizers. "It is kind of a reunion for the men’s groups, and for the ACTS retreats, and for the prayer groups from around the state to come together and realize, 'Hey, we’re not alone.'"