In a world of increasing decay where many men are trapped by a fear of failure, the Chicago Catholic Men’s Conference challenged men to take courageous action to bring faith, obedience and trust forward. “This is a day of renewal, a day of survival, and a reminder to us all that we are called to be men of virtue,” conference emcee Hector Molina told the crowd of over 400 Chicago-area men young and old on March 20 at Rosemont’s Donald E. Stephens Convention Center on Saturday, March 20. “We are called to participate in a revolution of the church toward renewal and virtue.” While men are often eager participants in discussions about movies and sports, faith too often falls into the background. The conference, sponsored by the archdiocese’s Office for Evangelization, elevated faith and duty to the top of the agenda with an accomplished list of presenters speaking on a theme from 1 Corinthians: “Be men of courage; be strong” (16:13). In a telling sign of the conference’s character, a dozen priests heard confessions. A line extended down the hallway with some men waiting nearly 90 minutes to see a priest. “There was certainly a tone of reconciling with God and moving forward in a state of grace,” said Doug Stearns, the archdiocesan coordinator of parish evangelization. Common message Highlighted speakers included Curtis Martin, the founder of FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students), veteran priest and noted speaker Father William Casey, Black Catholic Apostolate for Life founder Franciscan Father Jim Goode, Envoy Magazine publisher Patrick Madrid and Cardinal George, who presided over the event’s closing Mass. While each speaker possessed his own delivery style, his own distinct talking points, all shared a common message about virtue, faith and the need for men to be leaders. “God does not call us to mediocrity; there is no patron saint of mediocrity. Men are supposed to lead and build and aspire to be great,” Martin said in his eventopening presentation that characterized the day’s tone. Larry Gorski of St. Nick’s Ukrainian Catholic Cathedral attended the conference with his son, David, a parishioner at Our Lady of Lourdes, 4640 N. Ashland Ave. Both believed a discussion of faith’s role in men’s lives was long overdue. “It’s about time,” Larry Gorski confirmed. Another event attendee, Deacon John Rangel of St. Lawrence O’Toole Parish in Matteson, said gathering men together in a likeminded environment rooted in faith creates an opportunity for sharing and vulnerability. “So often, men only speak to one another about the ‘man’ topics, but today was important because it brought issues to the forefront [abuse, pornography and vice, for instance] that men are afraid to bring out, and did so with a list of presenters who know how to connect with the soul,” Rangel said. Powerful decisions Rich Wenzl of St. Ferdinand Parish, 5900 W. Barry Ave., praised the event’s “inspiring mix of laity and clergy,” all of whom reminded him of the power of individual decisions to spur collective change. “If the world’s going to change, it’s going to be a lot of those individual decisions and a lot of individuals taking responsibility for the crumbling of today’s world,” Wenzl said. The event brought encouragement and affirmation to Rangel, who admittedly has struggled to connect with men throughout the Catholic faith as well as those within his south suburban parish. “There’s been a disconnect in trying to motivate men, but an event like this reminds me that we have to keep after it with prayer and optimism,” Rangel said. At the event’s conclusion, Wenzl, active in a number of faithbased programs, similarly spoke of the world’s “disconnect” and the need to join with others in doing not one’s own will but God’s will. “In my world, I need to stand up and make personal contacts to develop the relationships so that we can collectively work together to bring new and to bring good forward,” Wenzl said. Stearns, one of the event’s principal organizers, defined the day as a remarkable success. “Overall, it was an absolutely phenomenal day,” he said. “The message was heard and the spirit was heard.”