By Joe Pisani
WEST HARTFORD — Nearly 600 men, who came together for the 16th annual Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference, were told to support priests at a time when the Church faces one of the greatest challenges in its history with diminishing vocations.
The theme of Saturday’s conference was “The Priesthood: God’s Gift and Our Responsibility.” Speakers urged the men to support their priests by offering up suffering, attending Eucharistic adoration, fasting, praying the Divine Office, the rosary, the Chaplet of Divine Mercy and “doing anything you can for our priests.”
The daylong event was held at Northwest Catholic High School in West Hartford and concluded with a Vigil Mass for Priesthood Sunday, celebrated by Archbishop Leonard P. Blair with a homily by Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt.
The conference included nationally known speakers, confession, Eucharistic Adoration and a procession of 30 first-class relics, including St. John Vianney, patron saint of the priesthood.
In his homily, Bishop Betancourt said secular society pushes us away from God through distractions like the media, social networks, technology, and even our friends “who are eager to tell us what to think and what to do.” As a result, “We seek guidance from anyone and anything but God,” he said. “That way of life cannot last long before isolation, depression and despair settle in the soul because it lacks God’s presence.”
He said, “The priest, like Christ, is mediator between God and his people and has been entrusted with the duty to remind us of the relationship between us and God our Father, and to proclaim that the Lord is near to all who call upon him.”
He urged the men to support their priests through daily prayer and to give them encouragement and gratitude, and volunteer their time and talents for their parishes.
Fr. Anthony Federico, director of vocations for the archdiocese, speaking on behalf of his colleagues in the other dioceses, said: “I am here today because I am not satisfied with empty churches, and I am not satisfied when Holy Mother Church is degraded because I do not believe the Son of God died on the cross for what we see today.”
Every night he goes before the Lord in the Blessed Sacrament and “begs him for total renewal in our Church.”
“I ask you to beg with me and beg the Lord for new priests in our Church,” he said.
In recent months, he has visited dioceses that have been attracting men to the priesthood, which he said share common characteristics:
- A widespread culture of Eucharistic adoration.
- Parish vocation committees to encourage men to discern for the priesthood.
- They teach young people how to pray and have a personal encounter with Jesus.
- They have priests and nuns teaching in their high schools.
Since the archdiocese began praying for priestly vocations at every Mass, 31 men have expressed interest in the priesthood.
Deacon Rick Lawlor of St. Mary Parish in Ridgefield, a member of the leadership committee, said it was important to have the conference dedicated to the priesthood during this year of Eucharistic Revival.
“Our priests are God’s gifts,” he said. “Without our priests, we wouldn’t have the Eucharist. That’s why we want to promote vocations to the priesthood. God has helped us for two millennia, and we have to take responsibility as well and promote the priesthood to our sons and neighbors.”
Conference speakers included Father Larry Richards, author, radio show host and founder of The Reason for Our Hope Foundation; and Father Glenn Sudano, CFR, one of the founding members of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, who is priest-in-residence at Holy Family Farm, which offers formation for men between 18 and 30.
Also, Kevin Wells, speaker and author of “The Priests We Need to Save the Church,” along with Matthew Leonard, author and founder of the Science of Sainthood, an online platform for spirituality.
Ken Santopietro, director of the conference, said he was pleased with the turnout and that Fr. Richards was speaking at his third Connecticut conference.
“He is the crux of the men’s conference movement in America and having him here tells the guys we’re doing it right,” Santopietro said. “This is orthodox Catholicism, and we’re happy to have the support of the Connecticut dioceses and hundreds of men who came to get a spiritual booster shot.”
In his talk, Fr. Richards urged the men to spend time with “the Word of God every day” so they can listen to Jesus rather than “the echo chamber of people we agree with” in our highly politicized society. During his 34 years as a priest, he has never before seen such division in the Church; however, he told the men the Church needs unity and that we’re called to love even the people with whom we disagree and never to judge them.
He said he knows 29 priests who left because they were lonely and not supported in their ministries — and not because of scandal. He said priests need encouragement and prayer and to know they are “loved by you and not judged by you.”
Kevin Wells, author of the bestselling “The Priests We Need to Save the Church,” described eight characteristics of a good priest, based on the lives of saintly priests throughout history: “He adores the Eucharistic Jesus; he is devoted to Mary; he prays devoutly; he assumes a victimhood; he is a father; he is persistently available; he preaches divine truth; and he dives into souls at a moment’s notice.”
Matthew Leonard urged the men to greater sanctity, assuring them sainthood is attainable and that some of the greatest saints like Augustine were “notoriously sinful.” However, with God’s grace they can “have their face on a holy card” because with God, all things are possible.
The son of a pastor and a convert to Catholicism, Leonard said sainthood begins by getting to know Jesus Christ personally. He recommended three steps: “You have to learn how to love…True love demands we give of ourselves to other people and true love is sacrificial.” Receive the sacraments often, especially the Eucharist, which is “the medicine of immortality.” And commit to developing a relationship with God through frequent prayer.
Fr. Glenn Sudano, CFR, said we are living in difficult days that are “going to get more difficult” and that “persecution will come in quiet, sinister ways.” He encouraged the men to gather together in faithful groups that pray together because they “cannot stand alone in these dark times.”
However, he cautioned them against complaining and casting blame about the Church and urged them to pray to the Holy Spirit for guidance and then take action.
Using the traditional metaphor of the Church as a boat, he said, “I’d rather be seasick than overboard. I’m not going anywhere because I want to be where Christ is.” He urged them to avoid the extreme right and the extreme left — and even the middle — but instead go below deck to “the center, the heart, where Christ is.”
Fr. James Sullivan, chaplain of the conference and rector of the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, brought 30 relics from the basilica’s collection.
“Having the relics here is a very special way to inspire the men to go beyond themselves,” he said.
The selection included saints who were priests, such as Blessed Michael McGivney of Waterbury, St. John Bosco, Pope Saint John Paul II, Saint Pio of Pietrelcina, whose feast day it was, St. Augustine and St. Benedict, along with women saints — St. Monica, St. Catherine of Siena, St. Therese of Lisieux and St. Teresa of Avila — who played important roles in supporting the priesthood. Men venerated the relics and touched their rosaries and medals to them.
Father Sullivan also said that throughout the day, some 17 priests heard the confessions of an estimated 300 men.
Deacon Brad Smythe of St. Joseph Church in Shelton was joined by his grandson Michael Kupson, who manned a table for Notre Dame High School in West Haven.
“As Catholic men, we need to be taken by the shirt and shaken and asked, ‘Are you willing to live the way the faith calls you to live?’” he said. “What we’ve heard today is very inspiring, and these are messages we need to hear from the pulpit more often.”
Deacon Rick Scinto brought 30 men from St. Rose of Lima in Newtown to the conference. “It’s a great fraternal gathering,” he said, “We have a tight-knit group of men at St. Rose, who are here to show their devotion to the Church and to Christ in the Blessed Sacrament … and be with their brothers.”
Photos by Joe Pisani
Greg Pin of St. Edward the Confessor in New Fairfield, said: “The priests are so few and have such a demand on their time. I often want to invite a priest friend to a fire pit or dinner, but I don’t want to burden them by making them feel like someone else is asking for their free time.
However, I think I’ll write them, let them know how much they mean to me and my family, give my cell phone number, and let them know they are welcome in our house and family.”
Chris Pasquale of Watertown was accompanied by his son Luke, a high school sophomore, who stood up when the audience was asked whether any men were thinking about the priesthood.
Pasquale was clearly proud of his son’s witness and said, “It’s a great thing when fathers bring their sons here. It’s well worth the sacrifice to come for the day.”
Gerald Brown Jr. of St. Joseph in Shelton, said, “The conference was a rally call to Catholic Men. We need to support our parish priests, not just financially but emotionally, physically and spiritually.”
Catholic blogger Bill Dunn of (merrycatholic.com) said, “In our secular world, as a Catholic man, you often feel you’re on an island. We have to come together and remind ourselves we’re all together in this.”
