Virtual conference to revitalise men’s role in the Church
Ask any church statistician and they’ll tell you that the most rapidly diminishing demographic in the Church is young men. Males between 25-45 make up the smallest percentage of churchgoers, which shouldn’t come as a surprise to most people who regularly attend Mass.
The Australian Catholic Bishops Conference has responded to this crisis by throwing their support behind a national men’s conference next month, organised by MenALIVE.
Originally intended to be a single-day event held in Sydney, the Covid-19 travel restrictions have moved the free series of seminars online.
Founder of men ALIVE, Robert Falzon
Organiser Robert Falzon said he felt compelled to do something to address the demographic crisis in churches.
“If you go to church on Sunday and you look around, the average parishioner is probably 60. So I went to the bishops and said ‘this is a problem and I can’t stand the idea that we’re not doing anything about it’,” he said.
Divided into four sessions comprising talks, prayers and discussions, the ACBC National Catholic Men’s Gathering will address the demographic crisis, men’s unique role in the life and mission of the Church as well as the role men have played since its inception.
The conference will also touch on the crisis of masculinity in the wider culture, reflected in the life of the Church. Mr Falzon points out that men are disproportionately more likely to experience homelessness, drug and alcohol abuse and suffer from stress-related illnesses like heart disease and cancer.
“The most important and urgent response we need from the Church in Australia today is to find imaginative and prophetic ways to reach men,” he said.
Mr Falzon believes that men are less inclined to take their faith seriously because they often feel out of place at church.
“Men walk in and think ‘there’s no place for me here’,” he said. “There’s nothing for them to give their lives for. Men think, ‘if it’s not a big enough cause to give my life to I’m not going to do it’.”
Numerous men’s groups have registered for the conference, including several in the ACT. Frank Stanford, who runs a parish-based men’s group in Queanbeyan, is enthusiastically looking forward to the online event.
“We’re hoping that this conference is going to reignite men to come back and just be reinvigorated by the Holy Spirit,” Mr Stanford said. “Jesus didn’t sit in his stable and let people come to Him. He went out to meet them.”
Mr Stanford, whose men’s group focuses on personal spiritual growth and evangelisation, said he hopes the event will encourage more men to return to church.
“I think it’s important to get the groundswell of men’s movement going again. Covid has slowed everything down and churches are struggling to get anyone back; we just need to stand up as men and show we can be counted on,” he said.
The pre-recorded sessions for the ACBC National Catholic Men’s Gathering will be accessible from Saturday 15 August.
Register for free at www.catholicmensgathering.com.au.
Anna Hitchings is a writer and media professional. Anna has worked in current affairs as a journalist and media advisor for the past seven years. She is currently working for Campion College as their Media and Communications Officer.
We need all groups back at Mass, great to see the men are starting it. We need great homilies relaypting to Jesus’s message. Community belonging to our Churches encouraging a great community spirit.
As a completely and utterly objective non-gender remark, men should keep in mind that God chose his human form to be a man, which should be more than a starting point back to the faith, and an ever deepening love for what He did whilst here, courtesy of his mother’s virgin birth.
Go for it and may the Spirit be with you and before you and around you and bursting from within you…and sparking fire in the hearts of all who log in! Thanks for God’s vision in you!
Ann C
The world, with its’ over emphasis on women’s liberation, through sport and the media, may have made men feel left out, unimportant and useless in the scheme of things. I have watched the media over the years chip away at the self-worth of men by putting women on a pedestal and even saying that women are better, smarter etc etc. What would women do without men? What would the Church do without men? It was only men whom Jesus chose for His 12 apostles. These are the only gender who can inherit the apostolic succession, which is what priests inherit when they are ordained. In Christ’s plan of the Church, men are a huge part of it. If there is an under balance of these men in the Church, then I think we need to pray about this. Also, Saint Paul made it clear of the role of men and of women. It is not what we as humans invent, it was how we were created. How encouraging it is to see lay men in the Church who are spiritually minded, caring and humble. They are faithful husbands and single men who can be relied on as good examples to others, which can have a flow on effect to others, both male and female. I think this is a brilliant idea.