Wider net cast for 2023 NOLA Men's Conference

By Peter Finney Jr.
Clarion Herald

The 2023 Archdiocese of New Orleans Men’s Conference, “As Christ Loved the Church,” is intentionally casting a wider net to attract even more men to its March 4 program at St. Catherine of Siena Church in Metairie.

Christopher O’Neill, director of the Office of Marriage and Family Life, said the conference is preparing for hundreds of men to attend and making it even easier for them to register and participate through group discounts and even a “pay what you can” option.”

Regular registration is $45, but O’Neill said the conference’s planning committee did not want cost to be an obstacle for any man wishing to attend. Several generous sponsorships have made that possible.

“We really felt strongly that it is more important for people to come than to have their money,” O’Neill said. “If there’s any reason why you can’t afford it, it’s ‘no questions asked,’ because it’s more important to come. The speakers are good, the food is good, the music is good. But the best reason to come is that you will have hundreds of men in the same room, praying together, which is an encouragement.”

In addition to breakfast and lunch, the conference, which runs from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m., features three keynote speakers, eucharistic adoration, recitation of the rosary, confession and Mass celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond. Father Andrew Gutierrez, parochial vicar at St. Catherine of Siena, will be the emcee.

Three keynoters featured

The main speakers are Michael Gormley, a lay evangelist from Houston who launched the “Catching Foxes” and “Every Knee Shall Bow” podcasts; Sam Blair, a former Navy SEAL officer, leadership expert and co-founder of The Frassati Company; and Dr. F. DeKarlos Blackmon, the former chief executive officer and chairman of the board of the Knights of Peter Claver and current director of the Secretariat of Life, Charity and Justice with the Diocese of Austin.

Michael Gormley

“Michael (Gormley) appeals to a younger Catholic crowd, and his podcast is very popular,” O’Neill said. “He also remains committed to being engaged in the boots-on-the-ground work in parishes. His main job is working in a parish, even though he continues to become more popular as a national speaker. He feels staying connected to the real work in the parish is important, so he’s very practical.”

Sam Blair

O’Neill said Blair, who lives on the northshore, does executive coaching for businesses in order to help them create a vibrant culture.

“It’s about both being profitable, but also having a just and strong culture,” O’Neill said. “He talks about the way companies can be both faithful to their business and faithful to moral teachings – how it’s actually beneficial to the companies who do that.”

F. DeKarlos Blackmon

Blackmon is the former supreme knight of the Knights of Peter Claver as well as president of the International Alliance of Catholic Knights, which represents Catholic knights across the globe.

“He’s also taught at Xavier University (at the Institute for Black Catholic Studies),” O’Neill said. “He really does a great job of combining social justice and the life issues.”

Confession will be available throughout the day.

Men gathering in large numbers is an important encouragement, O’Neill said.

“Most of our spiritual life is unseen,” he said. “People don’t see the efforts we’re making, they don’t see our struggles in remaining faithful and in making progress. It can feel very alone. When you’re in a room with hundreds of men and you hear the sound of all those voices praying together and see all the different people, you remember that what you’re a part of is bigger than you.”

O’Neill said the ultimate goal of the conference is to have men get together in their own parishes to build up their faith life. He said several parishes have started “This Man Is You” groups, ACTS retreats and Bible studies in the past year.

“The best thing about those is that they are real grassroots efforts,” O’Neill said. “It’s a group of men who say they want to see this in their parish, and they take ownership of it.”

Registration information is available at www.nolacatholicmen.com. Group discounts – for groups such as the men’s club or Knights of Columbus or St. Peter Claver – are available to take $10 off the regular individual registration.

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