The voice of St. Joseph heard at men’s conference

St. Joseph’s voice was silent in the Bible but his actions spoke with clarity and obedience to God.

He was a father, a husband, a provider and a loving servant of his Lord, setting an example for all men to emulate. Living the life of St. Joseph was a message resonating throughout the Men of the Immaculata Conference on Feb. 20.

More than 300 men gathered at St. George Church in Baton Rouge and hundreds more virtually for the annual conference, which for 2021 featured the theme “St. Joseph: Pillar of Families, Protector of the Church and Terror of Demons.”

Three speakers delivered inspirational addresses during the daylong conference. Bishop Michael G. Duca was insightful in his homily during Mass and Chef John Folse, as is his custom, delivered an entertaining talk. 

Todd Peltier, attending his fourth conference, was accompanied by his 6-year-old son.

“I want him as a teenager, as a young adult, I wanted to teach him so that is part of his normal way of life,” Peltier said.  “Following St. Joseph in his silence, particularly (with his son) is more important than what I say.”

Best-selling author Dr. Allen Hunt, an Atlanta resident and a former Methodist pastor who is a convert to Catholicism, led off the conference by discussing St. Joseph being Protector of the
Church. He captivated the audience with his entertaining delivery, blending in own personal experiences with his dry wit and sense of humor. 

He used the analogy that Catholics have forgotten how to fish, explaining that for the better part of two centuries Catholics were accustomed to having people come to the faith through immigration, the expansion of families and marriage.

But today “none of those are streams are filled with fish.”

He said that during the coronavirus pandemic people have been scared about going out in public or attending Mass, and churches have had to adapt. He said churches  are also concerned what will happen when society reopens on a grand scale.

“People will start asking, ‘Are we ready when they come back?’ That’s the wrong question,” Hunt said. “The question is ‘How are we going to get them back?’ We are not going to magically reopen society and all of sudden people are going to fill the pews. 

“There are lot of people whose habits have been broken. You and I have the opportunity through the intercession and help of St. Joseph to learn how to fish.”

He admonished the crowd to quit playing defense, saying “we got used to playing defense, got used to being timid, got used to anti-Catholicism, gotten used to people questioning our faith, gotten used to people wondering why we do what we do as Catholics.

“Now is the time for offense. Now is the time to go into society and share the good news because the beautiful thing about the faith is the faith is meant to be shared.”

He said that can only happen through evangelization, which he defined as “one beggar telling another beggar where to find bread.”

Father Reuben, pastor at Mater Dolorosa Church in Independence, said that when discussing spiritual warfare, the focus should always be on the Lord, adding there should always be a sober awareness of the kingdom of darkness but not to be fascinated with it.

 “The Lord is the one I want to be seeking,” he said. “But I need to not have my head buried in the sand.  I must know his tactics so that I can counter so I don’t trip up as I continue to follow Christ.

“If I am not in a state of grace, walking in union with the Lord, then I become a sitting duck, vulnerable to further attacks of the enemy.”

He said St. Joseph was a just man, and he lived in accordance with the word of God. He said St. Joseph was also faithful in his vocation, which the terror he installed in the demonic world primarily came from obedience to the Lord.

“That is something we want to look at and remember as well,” Father Dykes said. “Each and every one of us is meant to be a terror to demons. Nobody is excluded from that who is part of the body of Christ. 

“As soon as I am baptized in Christ I am enlisted into his army. Whether I like it or not, I am armed and equipped to fight.”
 

He emphasized that one comes an effective solider of Christ through prayer and reception of the sacraments. 

“Sacraments are the powers that flow from the body of Jesus Christ,” Father Dykes said. “The more I am faithful with the Lord and keep with the sacraments the more I am building up the presence of this power within me.”

In a powerful talk, noted television host and author Deacon Harold Burke-Silvers, who showed why he is affectionally known as the “Dynamic Deacon,” said St. Joseph is who all men need to get themselves back to thinking deeply and intimately about what it means to be father in a family. He said there are too many men doing nothing while Satan takes families.

“Strong men, strong families; strong families strong church,” he said. “That is why St. Joseph is so important during the pandemic.”

He said men must insure stability and harmony in the family, be men of prayer and working at a job that will not cause a division in the family.

“Do you think your job is so important,” he said. “Try this: die. (Employers) will mourn you for three days and then hire somebody to take (your) place.

“Where somebody can’t take your place is in the house with that time with your wife and kids, time you never get back.”

In his homily Bishop Duca explained St. Joseph “is our guide.”

“Share you faith, get up and do it,” the bishop said. “Be a man who lives the Gospel, a just man. Avoid sin.

“Trust in the Lord, hope in the Lord  and follow the examples of St. Joseph.”

University High School student Chris Sherman, who was attending his fifth Immaculata conference, said he returns not only for the speakers but for the sense of community that all of the men of the group share.

“I look to the future, maybe a relationship with my future spouse,” he said. “I’m learning how to better now so I have those skills now and to be a better person in the future.”