Breakfast aimed to engage men in their communities

Change one man, and you’ll change his family. Change a family, and you’ll change the town. Change the town, and you’ll change the world. It just starts with one man.

This is the philosophy of local Catholic Man Breakfast Series event organiser, Frank Stanford.

A collaboration between the national Catholic ministry menALIVE and the Archdiocese of Canberra and Goulburn, the breakfast aims to encourage men’s engagement in their community.

“We want to start this on a regular basis in the Archdiocese,” Frank said.

“We just need to get one man engaged and he will engage other men just by doing what he is doing. We want to get men engaged with not only their faith but with their families – with their kids, their wives, their church, their parish, their Archdiocese.”

New York-based Catholic author and entertainer Christopher Padgett will speak at the event.

As a theologian, Christopher will share his own faith journey as a young man, then husband and now a father.

“He has written some awesome books, and he will be an incredible guest speaker who really has something to say,” Frank said.

“You can just come and have some breakfast, enjoy the speaker, and enjoy the company of men of faith.”

Frank has been glad to see several schools book tables for the breakfast.

“It is important for them to see men being strong in their faith – seeing that it’s not a sissy thing,” he explained.

“Jesus came for all of us, but young men don’t see that on their social media feeds. They might not see it at home. They don’t see it if they don’t go to church. 

“They can grow up knowing that faith is okay. It’s okay to be a man of God. It’s okay to live life morally and not go with the crowd.” 

Frank said it could sometimes be difficult for men to reach out and find deep connections with other men.

“We sometimes have more shallow conversation than women have with their friends unless we are intentional about it,” he explained.

“We don’t know where to look or where to go. I was blessed enough to find this group and have my life completely changed by it. I want that for other men – because it is good.”

Frank said he hoped men would come to the breakfast, feel welcome and supported, and engage in more offerings.

“We’ve got a lot to offer – a parish men’s weekend, Growing Good Men, Raising Fathers and more,” he said.

“We are hoping this is an easy step in.

“Imagine if we all stood up and said I’m a Catholic. I’m a man of God. How much different would the world be?”

• The Catholic Men’s Breakfast will be held on Tuesday, 23 May, from 7am to 8.45am, at St Christopher’s Pastoral Centre.
• Christopher Padgett will also speak at a Cocktail Dinner to be held at 6.45pm the same evening at the Australian Catholic University, Canberra Campus.

Tickets are available HERE