“There is a hunger for God … the Holy Spirit is at work out there,” Bishop Edward Malesic told the nearly 500 men who attended “Answer the Call,” the 25th annual Catholic Men’s Conference. The event was March 7 at the Holiday Inn Rockside in Independence.
Attendees ranged in age from high schoolers to senior citizens. The daylong conference included speakers, personal witness, reconciliation, adoration, the rosary, the bishop’s address, fellowship and Mass. In addition to Bishop Malesic, Father Damian Ference, diocesan vicar for evangelization, Pete Burak, vice president of Renewal Ministries, and Deacon Scott Cerrito addressed the group.
(See photo gallery above.)
Bishop Malesic said more than 1,000 people who desire baptism or full communion with the Church were at the recent diocesan Rite of Election. “Many of them were young … I get letters from these young people. They are very prayerful. I wish I had what they have at that age,” he said, reflecting on his own conversion story. “I was a slow learner. It took me until I was in my 20s,” he quipped. The bishop questioned why there is such a renewed interest in the Church, noting it had been pushed aside for many years.
“Life without God may promise freedom, but there is no clarity or hope,” he said. “The Church doesn’t shift with trends … there is only one truth.”
The Eucharist is not just a symbol, but the true presence of the body and blood of Jesus. “He tells us so.”
He told the group this year – a jubilee year declared by Pope Leo XIV – is the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. The bishop designated nine jubilee sites in the diocese that are connected to the Franciscan charism and he encouraged the men to visit them. He also suggested they use St. Francis to inspire them to be models of Christian holiness.
He cited five examples of sharing the call to holiness:
- You are sinners and you need help.
- Seek a deeper encounter with Jesus.
- Rebuild the Church (through prayer).
- Be an instrument of peace.
- Embrace the cross that leads to victory.
After his presentation, the bishop celebrated Mass with five deacons from the diocese.
In his homily, he said like the Israelites who wandered in the desert we may wonder if God sees us, hears us and knows what we need. “We all have doubts. Doubt is a part of life, but it can be a springboard to deepen our faith. Because I had doubts, I looked and found that my parents were right … They led me to the right Church, the one, true Church,” he said.
Using the Gospel example of the Samaritan woman, the bishop said God is closer than we think. His encounter with the woman led her to discover more and she became an evangelist.
“Move forward … Go, tell others about the one who has seen us and who loves us.”