Immaculata Conference to be seen in Labadieville

“How good and pleasant it is, when brothers dwell together as one!”

As David proclaims in Psalm 133, Christ tells the faithful they are made for relationship and stresses the importance of having a community to live one’s faith for one’s journey to eternity.

Church parishes along the Mississippi River seek this type of community and plan to host its second satellite conference of the Men of the Immaculata Conference at St. Philomena Community Center in Labadieville.

Charlie Bailey, the coordinator of the satellite conference, said having a smaller event proved to be fruitful a year ago, when there was no choice but to have a satellite conference since the main event at St. George was capped because of COVID-19 restrictions.

“Feedback from the satellite was great,” Bailey said. “The drive to Baton Rouge deterred men, and some guys just like a smaller-scale event.”

Bailey said the satellite conference aims to build a strong community of Catholic men along the river parishes. The conference gives men an opportunity to grow in their faith with other men that they might not necessarily spend time with in community.

“This conference is something in our diocese to bring men together, provide fellowship opportunities, a way to grow spiritually and give them an avenue to be more involved within their church parishes,” Bailey said.

Last year’s conference became a “sparking point” for the men of the parishes along the river to become leaders for their families and parish communities, Bailey said. He said he saw the fruits of the conference as men started Bible studies, men’s communities and other fellowship opportunities across every parish throughout the area after the conference.

Before COVID, Bailey said 30 to 40 men would commute to Baton Rouge for the conference; now with the satellite conference, the event is much more accessible and personal.

“Being in a rural area, we don’t get a lot of opportunities to interface with bigger name Catholic theologians and speakers on a personal level,” Bailey said. 

Unlike bigger cities such as Baton Rouge and New Orleans, Catholic communities in rural areas do not have the necessary resources and outreach to attract renowned speakers, he said. Bailey noted the presence of the satellite conference is crucial to the vibrancy of the faith along the river parishes.

“Our culture is so separated from God; God is almost missing from our culture and society,” Bailey said. “Faith of a strong Catholic man leading a strong Catholic family is the answer to so many problems we’re facing, like hopelessness and brokenness.”

The Men of Immaculata gave away the “Consecration to St. Joseph” book by Father Donald Calloway MIC at the 2021 conference. The intercession of St. Joseph is more important now than ever with the attack on the family unit and faithful fathers, Bailey said.

“As Catholic men we have a responsibility to raise strong Catholic families,” Bailey said.

The opportunity for connection and interaction with other faithful men is following Christ’s call to community and the Men of the Immaculata conference bears this fruit for the Catholics of the river parishes, he said.

“We all need inspiration,” Bailey said. “We can only get that through fellowship.”

The Men of the Immaculata conference is scheduled March 5 with speakers Brant Pitre, Kansas City Chiefs kicker Harrison Butker, Chef John Folse and Father Todd Lloyd.