Angrisano to keynote annual Men's Conference

By DAWN PROSSER
Director of Communications
 
Catholic composer, singer and national speaker Steve Angrisano will serve as keynote speaker for the April 5 Annual Men’s Conference held in Le Mars at St. Joseph Church, All Saints Parish. The conference is co-sponsored by the All Saints Men’s Ministry as well as the Diocese of Sioux City.
 
The conference will include two presentations from Angrisano and two breakout sessions with guest speakers including Father Travis Crotty, diocesan director of vocations; Father Brian Feller, pastor of Our Lady of the Plains Parish based in Lake City; Deacon Dave Penton, coordinator of formation for the Office of the Permanent Diaconate serving Divine Mercy Parish based in Algona; and Deacon Rick Roder, faith formation coordinator for Sioux City Mater Dei Parish, serving All Saints Parish in Le Mars.
 
Bishop Walker Nickless will celebrate Mass for the attendees. Lunch and snacks will be provided with the $30 registration. Participants can register online at scdiocese.org/mensconference.
 
Popular and well-run
Faith Formation Coordinator Delores Huemiller, who is assisting with the event for the first time, said she is impressed with the long-standing committee that organizes the annual conference.
 
“They have things well-established,” she said. “They have a very good set program that I’m stepping into and helping with. They’ve got it down and know what they like.”
 
Deacon Penton pointed out that he first attended the conference while in formation for the permanent diaconate in conjunction with their spring training day. He enjoyed meeting Catholic men from around the diocese.
 
“I like to find a table where I don’t know (anyone) to sit down and chat,” he said. “It blows my mind the different backgrounds people come from.”
 
He noted that men who attend work in fields including teaching, law, medicine and many more. The deacon enjoyed talking to fellow attendees and learning how “they implement their faith on a daily basis.”
 Father Feller, also a first-time presenter for the event, explained he is appreciative that the Men’s Conference offers a faith-based event for the men of the diocese.
 
“It is great that men have a long-standing opportunity to be strengthened as Catholic men through this annual conference,” the priest said. “I am grateful to the organizers for providing this service to the men of our diocese.”
 
Highlights
New to the conference this year is wrapping up the event with the sung Chaplet of Divine Mercy led by the keynote speaker.
 
“Steve Angrisano will lead the Divine Mercy Chaplet in song to end the day,” Huemiller said. “I had a priest once describe it to me as the Cadillac of novenas … I’m excited because a lot of people know it and we sing it. It just gives new expression to it and a lot of people are very moved by praying it in song.”
 
As fellowship is a big draw for the conference, organizers hope to offer a casual evening social event in Le Mars April 4 for those who drive to Le Mars the night before.
 
“We’re hoping to encourage a Friday night get-together. It will be in Lent so we’re not sure what that’s going to look like,” Huemiller shared.
 
Participants will also be able to enjoy additional vendors participating at this year’s conference as well as some merchandise for sale, the faith formation coordinator added.
 
Reengaging men in the faith
For his first year as a Men’s Conference presenter, Deacon Penton said in his breakout sessions he hopes to re-engage men in the life of the church.
 
“I look at my own family, my own life and my own parish. I look at who is leading this army of the church. Who is leading the army of the faithful and it’s the women,” the deacon pointed out. “So, I want to challenge men to get back in that leadership role again, serving and leading with wives and daughters coming alongside, let’s do this together.”
 
He noted that if the faithful live out their baptismal promises of priest, prophet and king, then how can men live out those roles in their families.
 “Even after ordination, I found it difficult coming into the house as the role of priest of my house. I need to set the example and pray with and for my kids and my wife,” Deacon Penton reflected.
 
He pondered his role in encouraging his wife and children in prayer that is spontaneous versus scripted. The deacon said he and his wife often discuss spontaneous prayer, especially in light of his work preparing couples for marriage in their parish.
 
“How do we get in the spontaneous prayer, praying with our spouse or our intended-to-be spouse and children?” Deacon Penton asked. “It is so important to pray for each other.”
 

Deacon David Penton baptizes an infant in this file photo.

Upon awaking in the morning, a spouse could pray for their spouse, that God protect him or her and be with them. The deacon said when he walks by his children’s bedrooms while they are sleeping, he will pray for them and ask for God’s grace. 
The conference will offer men the opportunity to gather “and pray together as men,” the deacon explained. He said he challenges those planning to attend to invite a friend or family member to join them. Deacon Penton extended his own invitation to men considering participating in the conference.
 
“I personally invite you. It’s an incredible conference,” he said. “If someone needs a ride, I’m coming from almost as far away as you can get and I’ll pick you up on the way.”