Deacon Rick Lawlor 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.
One of the organizers of the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference, Deacon Lawlor sees the signs in his parish of St. Mary in Ridgefield and says, “We’re doing record numbers of baptisms, confirmations and First Holy Communions. It’s a vibrant parish and young families are a big part of it.”
This growing thirst for God is especially evident at the annual men’s conference, which attracts teenagers to men in their 80s and 90s, he says.
“This year’s theme is ‘Rebuild my Church,’ which was Christ’s charge to St. Francis from the cross,” Deacon Lawlor says. “And that’s what we’re doing. We’re rebuilding the Church, which has gone through some dark days in the past.”
The 19th annual men’s conference will be held Saturday, October 10 at Holy Cross Catholic High School in Waterbury and feature four nationally known Catholic speakers, a Eucharistic procession, confession, Eucharistic adoration, exhibitors and a Vigil Mass celebrated by Archbishop Christopher Coyne of Hartford, according to Ken Santopietro, conference director.
The doors will open at 7:30 am, and the event starts at 8:30. To register, visit www.CTCatholicmen.org.
“The Church has always been renewed one faithful person at a time,” Santopietro says. “That’s why this conference is so important. We can’t solve every challenge facing the Church in a single day, but we can give hundreds of Catholic men the opportunity to hear exceptional speakers, receive the sacraments, pray together, and take the next step in their faith. Every man who leaves spiritually stronger has the potential to strengthen his family, his parish, and his community.”
Santopietro said the Connecticut Catholic Men’s Conference, which is sponsored by the Archdiocese of Hartford, the Diocese of Bridgeport and the Diocese of Norwich, is “the premier annual gathering of Catholic men from across the state—a bold, faith-filled event that ignites hearts and transforms lives and offers dynamic preaching, brotherhood and profound spiritual renewal.”
“I think world events and this economy have led people to realize there is more to this journey than the rat race, which we’re all a part of,” Deacon Lawlor says. “People are saying, ‘I have to develop a relationship with our Lord because there has to be more than the grind that I am working.’ And the conference is an answer to that desire.”
This year’s conference speakers include:
Father Declan Gibson, director of the Most Holy Eucharist Foundation, dedicated to renewing the Church through deeper devotion to Jesus Christ truly present in the Holy Eucharist. Ordained to the priesthood in 2016, Father Gibson has devoted his ministry to Eucharistic renewal, traveling extensively to lead parish missions, retreats and days of reflection throughout the United States.
Through the Most Holy Eucharist Foundation, he assists parishes in establishing and strengthening Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration, fostering spiritual renewal, priestly vocations, and a renewed reverence for the Real Presence of Christ in the Eucharist. He also leads Ignatian and Divine Mercy retreats for both religious and lay faithful.
Jeanne Mancini is a national Catholic leader with decades of experience guiding mission-driven organizations, advising public leaders, and forming men and women for leadership in the public square.
For 12 years, she served as president of the March for Life, one of the most influential pro-life organizations in the world. She was responsible for strategic leadership, organizational growth, public witness, and representing the movement before legislators, government leaders, churches, and international audiences.
Before leading the March for Life, she served at the Family Research Council and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, focusing on human dignity, health policy, and public service.She has received numerous Catholic honors, including the Cardinal O’Connor Award, the St. John Paul II New Evangelization Award, and an honorary doctorate from The Catholic University of America.
Father Dan Reehil is a priest whose journey from the high-pressure world of global finance to the front lines of spiritual warfare has made him an influential Catholic voice. He drifted from the Church for many years before a conversion experience transformed his life.
After building a successful career in global trade and finance, he sensed a hunger for meaning. A pilgrimage to Medjugorje in 1998 became the pivotal moment that planted the seeds of his vocation to the priesthood. Ordained in 2014, Father Reehil was appointed Vicar Forane (Dean) of the Southern Deanery. He also serves as the Exorcist of the Diocese of Nashville.
Since 2020, he has served as national director of Radio Maria USA, where he hosts Battle Ready with Fr. Dan Reehil—a broadcast and podcast equipping Catholics to understand Scripture, spiritual warfare, prayer, and Catholic teaching.
Karlo Broussard, DPhil., left a music career to devote himself full-time to the work of Catholic apologetics. As a staff apologist and speaker for Catholic Answers, and a member of the chancery evangelization team at the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma, he travels the country and the diocese giving talks on apologetics, biblical studies, theology and philosophy.
He is a regular guest on Catholic Answers Live and frequent contributor to Catholic Answers Magazine Online. He is an adjunct professor of philosophy at Franciscan University of Steubenville as well as an adjunct professor of apologetics at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Conn.
