CHARLOTTE — Men of the Diocese of Charlotte gathered March 20 to pray, learn and deepen their faith during the 11th annual Catholic Men’s Conference.
The one-day conference, held in person at St. Thomas Aquinas Church in Charlotte and virtually, featured Mass with Bishop Peter Jugis, Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction, confessions and prayer time, as well as talks by Bear Woznick, surf champion and author; Dr. William Thierfelder, Olympic athlete and president of Belmont Abbey College; and John Eades, author and motivational speaker.
The speakers encouraged the men to deepen their personal relationship with God and live up to their callings as Catholic men, husbands and fathers, focusing on the conference theme “As iron sharpens iron,” taken from Proverbs 27: “Iron is sharpened by iron; one person sharpens another.”
During his talk, Woznick described how he drifted away from his faith in adulthood, focusing on his work as a world champion surfer, stuntman and adventurer. But the more he achieved success, he said, the more he began to question his life, asking “Is that all there is? I want more.” His father gave him a copy of Stephen K. Ray’s book “Crossing the Tiber: Evangelical Protestants Discover the Historical Church.” Through prayer, study and self-examination, Woznick rediscovered his faith, and now he strives to help other men find that same connection to their faith and to the Church through his “Deep Adventure Ministries” podcast, books and motivational talks.
“The Church isn’t a club. It isn’t an organization. It’s an organism – it’s the living Body of Jesus Christ,” he said, challenging the men to explore their relationship with God and embrace His will for them.
Thierfelder echoed the same message, noting that money, power and fame are not the keys to true happiness – a relationship with God is.
“You will never have enough money, you will never have enough fame, or pleasure or power – you will never have enough,” he said.
It is in relationship with God and one another that we find love, he said, and while love requires sacrifice, it is the path to true happiness. He urged the attendees to go deeper with their relationship with God in order to fulfill their calling as Catholic men.
While the conference was also made available online, it was important to put on an in-person event within what public health protocols would allow, said Jason Murphy, one of the organizers.
“You just cannot replicate an event like this online,” Murphy said. “Guys need to be around other guys – see each other’s faces, hear each other’s voices, be a part of something greater than ourselves. There is nothing like the sound of 200 men praying and singing together. It is powerful, encouraging and uplifting as we storm heaven as a united battalion of Christian soldiers fighting the battle of our lives to be the men, fathers and husbands God has called us to be in the face of a world that does its best to stand in our way.”
— Catholic News Herald. Photo provided by James J. Sarkis