Story by Joe Pisani

Photos by Aaron Joseph

WATERBURY — How do 600 Catholic men respond to an 800-year-old request of Jesus to a young man named Francesco di Assisi?

In this Jubilee Year of St. Francis, which marks the eight centuries since his passing, Jesus’s words, “Francis, go repair my house, which as you can see is falling completely to ruin” have particular relevance during a time of renewal in the Church.

And so, speakers at the 19th annual Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference focused on the theme “Rebuild My Church” and what it means for the modern Catholic. For the high school students to the seniors in the audience, the mandate was clear: Start by renewing yourself first and set out on the path to deeper personal holiness.

Father Declan Gibson, director of the Most Holy Eucharist Foundation, said the first step in accepting Christ’s invitation to rebuild the Church is “to allow Christ to rebuild us” and then to bring that renewed faith into the home and make Jesus visibly present in family life because the domestic church will strengthen the Church.

This transformation, Father Gibson said, does not come from personal strength but rather through surrendering to Jesus by putting aside the distractions of the world and developing “a deep personal relationship with him in the Holy Eucharist” through weekly attendance at Adoration. 

“Have an appointment with Jesus Christ, a private audience,” Father Gibson said. “Go to Adoration. Sit before your Lord. There is no greater choice. Do not worry about doing everything perfectly or having the right words. Just go, and if you don’t know what to say, don’t speak. Just be with the Lord. Look at him as he looks at you. Let him capture your heart.” 

Jeanne Mancini, former president of the March for Life, whose talk was titled “Rebuilding a Culture of Life and Love,” stressed the importance of “good, holy, masculine men” in shaping a culture that respects human dignity.

She outlined several practices to live as “a man of God,” including the daily practice of meditating for at least 15 minutes in order to hear the voice of God and where he is directing us. 

In addition, she recommended regular fasting, not only from food but also technology and entertainment because it is “a powerful tool to change hearts and help us become a better instrument of the Holy Spirit.” 

If we adopt a willingness to say yes to God’s will, we become receptive to divine promptings from the Holy Spirit, which is immeasurably more productive than simply “coming up with good ideas,”she said.

The men were urged to prioritize their marriages and families because the primary path to holiness can be found in the domestic church, which is the home. Regular sacramental confession and fraternity with other men are necessities on the spiritual journey, Mancini said. 

  Father Glenn Sudano CFR, a founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, called the men to a deeper holiness sustained by God’s grace and said that like the saints, they should strive for “greatness” in their faith, rather than settling on merely being “good.” He said we are part of “the most wonderful religion in the world,” and while it is not perfect, it is the Mystical Body of Christ.

Father Sudano encouraged them to strive for self-knowledge and practice daily prayer, regular confession and frequent attendance at Mass. They should also avoid distractions such as politics and instead focus on the Gospel.

Other speakers included Dr. Karlo Broussard of Catholic Answers, who spoke on “Forming Men as Guardians of the Faith.”

In his homily at the Vigil Mass, Bishop Juan Miguel Betancourt of the Archdiocese of Hartford, told the men to respond to God’s invitation with charitable acts in family and parish life and not to procrastinate in responding, until “life settles down.”

“In this Franciscan year, these words ‘Rebuild my Church’ should stir something seriously generous within us, so we respond,” Bishop Betancourt said. “We want our families to flourish, our parishes to be alive, and our communities to know the goodness of God. And today, we place that renewed desire before Jesus and ask him to give us direction: ‘Show me where you are calling me to love more faithfully. Once more, Lord, show me the good I can begin to do when I leave this place.’”

The conference, which was held at Holy Cross High School, offered opportunities for confession, veneration of 30 first-class relics and a Eucharistic procession with Bishop Richard Reidy of the Diocese of Norwich.

Conference director Ken Santopietro said, “Our goal is to help men increase their faith and to build themselves up from the inside … and sometimes that happens through a speaker, a priest or fraternity with other men.”

Santopietro expressed his gratitude to all the speakers, particularly Mancini.

“Having Jeanne Mancini speak at this year’s Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference marked an important milestone for us,” he said. “We had the privilege of welcoming one of the most influential leaders of the pro-life movement of the past two decades, a woman whose leadership of the March for Life came during one of the most consequential periods in its history.”

Chaplain, Father James Sullivan, said that in recent years, he has seen signs of renewal in the Church, with more young people searching for answers and finding them in Catholicism. Last year alone, in the Basilica of the Immaculate Conception in Waterbury, where he is rector, there were 192 new registrations of families and individuals.

Deacon Rick Lawlor, a member of the conference committee, says he used to worry about the future of the Church when he saw only old people in the pews, but then something happened. He calls it a revitalization and says that just as Jesus told St. Francis 800 years ago, “Rebuild my Church,” the Church is being rebuilt now.

He sees the signs in the Diocese of Bridgeport and in his parish of St. Mary in Ridgefield. “We’re doing record numbers of baptisms, confirmations and First Holy Communions,” he said. “It’s a vibrant parish and young families are a big part of it. The Church is being rebuilt.”

Peter Galasso of St. Rose of Lima Parish in Newtown said that he and his wife Christian have committed to attending daily Mass as a step toward holiness and that as you deepen your faith, the desire to go further increases.

James Driggs of St. Anthony of Padua Parish in Fairfield said, “It was a great day to reflect on our faith with other men and have a sense of personal renewal. It makes you feel a lot closer to the Lord.”