Annual Men of the Immaculata Conference

As a child growing up in his native Ann Arbor, Michigan, visions of one day donning the maze and blue pinstripes of the University of Michigan baseball team joyously occupied Peter Borak’s impressionable mind.

A shoulder injury shattered that dream at the tender age of eight but while continuing a longstanding tradition and attending Michigan, he shockingly landed a spot on the Wolverines’ basketball team, although initially he did not even have a uniform.

“I loved being on the  team, I loved practice, I loved watching film, I loved the training table,” he said.

Injuries to other players allowed him to eventually land a uniform. Though woefully too big, he was nonetheless thrilled to take a seat alongside his teammates during a game.

Happenstance allowed that during a blowout victory it appeared the coach made the move to insert Borak in the game. He immediately froze, not wanting to get into the game, freezing at the one moment he had always dreamed of.

“When it came to do what the team exists to do, I did not want to do it,” he said.

Several years later, the incident was recalled to Borak through the Lord in the silence of Eucharistic adoration.

“Jesus came to me and said, ‘Pete why did you not want to get in,’” Borak said. “What the Lord said is ‘Pete, that is exactly how you are approaching your faith.’ ”

“I was mostly in for Jesus, would come to the edge (of public witness) but pull back. I loved being on Jesus’ team, loved to pray, the majesty of the Mass but what was missing was the willingness to take my faith to a higher level.”

Borak delivered his powerful message of inspiration of being “all in” for Jesus to more than 700 people during the annual Men of the Immaculata Conference  on Feb. 25 at St. George Church in Baton Rouge.

“The fact of the matter is that one of the reasons the church is where she is today is that we have a lot of people who are on the team but who are sitting on the bench,” he said. “We are wearing the uniform; we cheer for those who go out and evangelize but we sit on the bench.”

Borak said each Catholic is called to grow and called to go.

“You have to be transformed, we got to share this mission with others,” he said. “What is the mission of the church? To seek and save souls, bring people from death to life, from destruction to salvation.

“Jesus came so that our identity will be forever changed and our destiny will be forever changed.”
 

Borak was the anchor of the daylong conference, which also featured talks by former Navy SEAL Sam Blair, St. John the Baptist Church in Zachary pastor Father Jeff Bayhi and popular chef John Folse, who as is his tradition prepared one of his specialty lunches.

Bishop Duca celebrated Mass and led an outdoor Eucharastic procession around the church.

Blair opened the seventh annual conference and spoke on the spiritual rewards of suffering. He said how recalibrating one’s life can make a significant difference.

He explained that during times of difficulty people will often raise their eyes and ask, “Why God?”

“That is very difficult if you don’t understand suffering,” he said.

Blair, who is using his leadership skills learned in the Navy to help companies foster healthy team cultures, effective communication and authenticity, warned isolating Christians is the goal of the devil.

“You are the point men for our families,” he said, encouraging the men to be protectors, to be spiritual leaders for their families.

“God is unconditional love,” added Blair, whose Catholic faith helped form the foundation of his efforts at the Frassati Company, named after Blessed Pier Georgio Frassati. “He wants to fight for us.”
 

He said Lent is the time to lock in to Jesus, a time to reinvigorate one’s faith through prayer. He said if one is not praying then that person is not staying close to the Lord.

He said being called to the desert as Jesus did early in his ministry is a way to reconnect with Jesus, through sacrifice and suffering. And he said the rewards will be great.

“Your treasure is in heaven; it is not here,” he said. “He is asking you to enter into a relationship with him.

“Your souls and your loved ones are eternal.”

“I assure you the Lord is moving in your life,“ he said. “Please draw closer to Jesus. You are the son of a king. Re-energize; do your part.”

Father Bayhi said he considered his talk one of the most important he will deliver this year. He quoted Bishop Fulton Sheen who once said, “If we do not behave as we believe we will start to believe in the way we behave.”

Focusing his talk on the Eucharist, Father Bayhi cited a Catholic Index survey indicating that 74% of Catholics believe the body of Jesus is symbolic and the Eucharist is not real. According to the survey, they do not believe Communion to be the real presence of God.

“What are we teaching our children? When did the presence of the body and blood of our Lod become symbolic?” he said.

Father Bayhi said the transubstantiation changes the essence of the bread and wine as they become the body and blood of Christ.
 

He said the Eucharist is an opportunity to encounter Christ, who came to save all souls.

As he prepared for the Eucharistic procession, Bishop Duca said a procession is also held at the end of every Mass.

“That is why we always end Mass with ‘Go and process the word of the Lord,’ ” he said. “Together we are the body of Christ, his hands and feet.

“Feed the poor, speak up for the unborn, for the dignity of every single person and to do so not with anger but joy. We are called to process out what we receive here to spread to the world. Make things different.”

During his homily, Bishop Duca encouraged the men to open their hearts, adding that God calls everyone to a deep  conversion. He said all Catholics are called to give up something for Lent.

“It is the same every year,” he said. “Like a project to test our strength, our ability. We should (sacrifice) in the name of the Lord Jesus.”

He said whatever is given up for Lent creates space in one’s life. Bishop Duca strongly encouraged the men to fill that space by going to confession and prayer .

“Sin pulls us into ourselves, we are trapped,” he said .”In confession we awaken to hear God’s voice again.”