SPIRITUS Takes Part in Men's Conference at St. Pius X Catholic Church

On Saturday March 2, the men on the SPIRITUS team led high school students in a day of formation at the Men's Conference held at St. Pius X Catholic Church in Appleton, WI. The formation drew upon the theme of what it means to truly be a man of the faith.

I very much enjoyed listening to my brothers discuss three people that emulate being a man of the Catholic faith: St. Maximilian Kolbe, St. Ignatius Loyola, and Blessed Pier Giorgio. My brothers discussed some important characteristics that define what it means to be a man of faith. These included sacrifice, courage, and mission.

The students were intrigued by the witness of these holy men. They learned about how St. Kolbe sacrificed himself by death through starvation at a Nazi concentration camp so that a father wouldn't have to. They learned about the life of St. Ignatius, his courage and willingness to endure great pain without complaint and his drive to become saintly. And they learned about Blessed Pier Giorgio's mission to attend to the sick and to live modestly even though he came from a wealthy family.

Furthermore, students learned about brotherhood and the importance of helping each other overcome the temptations and challenges in life, to follow God's path, and to be active in the faith. We all listened to Brother Mark's witness to the faith and how his strong faith today is rooted in the assistance of a friend from the past who really brought him into playing an active role in the Catholic Church.

For my part, I greatly enjoyed teaching students about the deadly sins and the virtues to help overcome them. With the help of my brothers, we made learning these virtues through special interactive activities really fun. And I can say first hand, the students thoroughly enjoyed it!

After a wonderful day connecting with students at the conference, I attended Mass with Brother Aaron, which was special in that the Mass was led by our very own Bishop David Ricken.

It is days like these that I give great thanks to God for the great blessings He has given me. It is truly a blessing to take part in such a wonderful ministry, and it is truly a blessing to be Catholic and to fully take part in the Christian faith, beginning with full participation in the celebration of the Mass.