In the Prado Museum in Madrid hangs a depiction of the day of Pentecost, one of the religious masterworks by the artist El Greco.In this magnificent painting, the Holy Spirit’s presence is portrayed in a number of ways.Joe Witulski wants his Roman Catholic brethren to man up.
That’s why the Fort Wayne resident is helping organize this year’s Rekindle the Fire religious conference for men, an event expected to draw more than 1,200 from around the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend to Memorial Coliseum.
The Feb. 25 conference, “A Call to Lead,” will focus on spiritually empowering men to become better leaders in their families, churches and communities, says Witulski, a software engineer at ITT Exelis in Fort Wayne and active in the Catholic men’s movement.
Too often in matters of faith, he says, men neglect their spiritual development or stay in the background.
He says he realized his own failings in that regard after his wife, Sharon, leaned on him to attend a parish renewal retreat with her about five years ago.
“My wife is the person who has been the spiritual head of the family. She was the one who was doing it all,” the 44-year-old father of three daughters and a son says.
“If it wasn’t for her, we wouldn’t have been going to Mass. Our kids wouldn’t have gotten into religious education. … I realized how wrong I was not helping her and not being a part of that. It’s my job also.”
Wanting to put his revelation into practice, Witulski started attending meetings of a men’s group at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Fort Wayne where he is a member. Four years ago, he helped organized an event that brought noted Catholic apologist Scott Hahn to speak to both men and women at St. Vincent, and three years ago, the group decided to do a men-only conference.
This is the second year the conference has been diocese-wide and held at the Coliseum, a development that has the blessing of the Rev. Kevin C. Rhoades, diocesan bishop, who will offer the closing Mass at 4 p.m.
Witulski says men often have to face down stereotypes, stigma and their own fears when it comes to talking about their spiritual needs or growth. He says men-only settings and male role models are necessary for men to feel more comfortable with the challenge.
“Our main model is Jesus,” Witulski says, adding Jesus chose male apostles as leaders of the early church and men today should want to follow in their footsteps.
“We have to overcome being who we are to be who God wants us to be,” he says.
Three “men’s men” will speak at the conference, Witulski says.
Tim Staples, a former Marine who converted to Catholicism and now hosts the “Catholic Answers” call-in radio show heard on WLYV Redeemer Radio 1450 AM and other Catholic stations, will speak at 10 a.m. and 2:30 p.m. The Rev. David Mary Engo of Fort Wayne, a New York City native who belongs to the Franciscan Friars Minor and was a volunteer chaplain at the World Trade Center morgue after Sept. 11, 2001at 1:15 p.m.
Robert Rogers, who survived a flash flood in Kansas that claimed his wife and two children, will speak on “Living a Life of No Regrets.”
Rekindle the Fire groups have now been established in 11 large parishes within the diocese, and groups known as SPARC are present in several smaller churches, Witulski says.
The groups concentrate on scriptural study and the teachings of the faith, prayer and faith-sharing and issue challenges, such as taking time to pray with your wife at home.
“There aren’t that many (Catholic) groups (for men) that are strictly spiritual in nature Most groups, like the Knights of Columbus, are more service oriented,” Witulski says.
“We as men have issues we need to deal with and have to overcome, whether it’s dealing with pornography or being uncomfortable with our feelings. Men should want to be leaders in the church, and if we don’t get together and talk about it, we’re never going to get there.”
