Veteran's Day Invocation Prayer

A Real Men's Retreat

Our Next Men's "In-Motion" Retreat

How Does an "In-Motion" Men's Spiritual Retreat Affect the Man who Participates?

Our Next "Men's Retreat"

For More Information: Click Here

Our New Logo "Catholic Men of The Cross" Men's Group

Our Toughest Retreat Yet!

A few days ago we completed our toughest "In-Motion" Retreat Yet. 

We hiked 36 miles in 3 days wearing 40-48 lb backpacks.

As I mentioned, It was tough, brutal, but soooo spiritually rewarding and nourishing.

Part 1
Of the Adventure... Check it Out!

Part 2
Of the Adventure

We are already planning our next adventure, however we will step if down a notch or two. 

I don't want to kill anyone. I will give you a little hint:

 January, 

3 day Holiday weekend (MLK Jr), 

Mountain Cabin, 

Snow Shoes, 

Mass, 

Building  Snow Caves,

 etc....

For Men Only !

The Famous PCT (Pacific Crest Trail)

Are You Man Enough?

The real question is: Are you man enough for a spiritual adventure that just might change you life?

Along with the “Men of Faith” Catholic Men’s Group, Deacon Pat Kearns from "Our Lady of Mercy Parish"  in Redding CA. from the Sacramento Diocese will lead another Spiritual “In-Motion” Retreat  while backpacking on the famous and beautiful Pacific Crest Trail (PCT).

A group of Men (16 years old and above) will journey along the trail while incorporating spiritual exercises and manly adventures.


Each Day will consist of:

Morning and Evening Prayer

A teaching by Deacon Pat or another clergy on aspects of “Manly Character”

“An Hour of Silence” meditating on the lesson of the day while hiking

Evening Group Reflection and Sharing

As well as fellowship, laughing, joking, fishing, eating, campfires, and nourishment that feeds the soul.


When: Labor Day Weekend. The group will meet at Our Lady Of Mercy Parish in Redding CA on Friday, September 3rd, 2010 in the afternoon and caravan to the drop off point. The Spiritual Adventure will end on Monday, September 6th 2010 (Labor Day) midday.


Where: The Pacific Crest Trail Near Castle Crags State Park.

Cost: There is no cost. You are only required to supply your own food and supplies.

Information: For more information you can log onto www.catholic-men.blogspot.com or feel free to contact Deacon Pat Kearns at:   e-mail:    patkearns@sbcglobal.net.

Now more than even, Catholic Men need to unite, create friendships, support each other, and obtain spiritual nourishment in a method conducive to authentic manhood, as Godly Men!

We Made It - 150 miles of Kayaking (A Men's Spiritual Retreat)

Here is the group of men who had enough guts to set out on a 150 mile "Men's Spiritual Kayaking Retreat."

We packed our kayaks with gear and off we went. Here is my son Sean.

Here is my rig, a double kayak packed with everything you could think of......

Here we are leaving on the adventure.

We had some great camp spots.
Sometimes in campgrounds, and sometimes like here on a sand (or boulder) bar.

We fished

We ate

We laughed

But we also experienced many moments of pure holiness and were engulfed in His Grace.

Here we are 150 miles later..... 

Tired Yes, But A group of men changed in many ways.

Check out the videos below and see why.

Part I of the Adventure

Part II of the Adventure

Part III of the Adventure

5 day countdown!

Hey Guys... can you believe it, we are only 5 days away from our Big River Spiritual Adventure.

I can't wait.... spending 6 days on the river with just men, Catholic Men!

We will have plenty of time to think about life. See our faults and ask for forgiveness.....

Rejoice in all that has been given and entrusted to us.....

Sharing our faith and Manhood.... Fishing, laughing, sharing our lives.....

It will be here before we know it.... 5, 4, 3, 2, 1.

Check out the adventure, Click here!

We Made The Spiritual Ascent - Climbing God's Mountain.

My brothers, along with our sons made the spiritual journey up 

Half Dome in Yosemite National Park on Saturday.

This was a "Guys Only" trip - reserved for Men's spirituality.

Here is my son Sean taking in the force and beauty of God's creation.

The views were spectacular.

Although the weather report threatened bad weather, 

God gave us a perfect day.

We climbed to 9000 feet.

There was something so special about making a spiritual climb.

Father and Son experiencing life together.

We were a group of 8 men making this journey of over 15 miles, 11 hours of hiking, and a climb of over 4500 feet. Here is my brother Kevin, the eldest brother who just 7 months ago was battling Cancer with Chemo and Radiation therapy treatments. He is amazing!

My brother Dan, my training partner, we hiked for 3 months together preparing for this climb. 

We prepared well Dan, thanks for you support, your kindness, and for your joy!

The waterfalls were indescribable.

This is the mountain that we climbed. (With God's help)

The Adventure Begins

We reached the top!

Off To Climb The Mountain

We are off to climb the huge mountain tomorrow. 4 of my brothers and our sons will climb half dome early Saturday morning (12 hours of hiking, 17 miles, 5000 foot ascension) while the girls of the clan play in Yosemite village.
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We will ascend as close to heaven as possible, pushing our bodies, and uniting our physical struggle with spiritual struggles. We have trained well and are ready, I am excited and look forward to sharing the adventure with you in a few days. Look forward to a great video and pictures.....

New Blog For MEN!

Click Here to check out this site.

How Many Men Have Lost Fingers In Table Saws, Check This Out!

True and Holy Friendship

It had been sometime since I had visited the Monastery at Vina, and who do I see working in the vineyards? Brother Raphael.

When he caught a glimpse of me, he dropped everything and ran toward me a gave me the biggest heart warming smile and hug.

While I was still in formation, for a few years I attended a Men's Spirituality group at the monastery under the direction of my Spiritual Director. Along with a few men from surrounding communities, two young Trappist Brothers also attended, Brother's Raphael and Placid. Although we didn't often have extended conversations outside of the group, nor see each other often, there was a deep bond established between Brother Raphael and myself.

I am not sure what he sees in me, but what I see in him is a man more joyful than I have ever seen. He works, talks, and lives in such a peaceful state of being it is as if the Holy Spirit has consumed his existence and radiates through him. With just a brief encounter, his love overtakes you and leaves you with such a tranquil feeling it is indescribable.

He is a holy man living a simple life of work and prayer. He lives in a community separate from the world, but constantly praying for the world.

I don't exactly know why God allowed me to meet such a man, and why he established this blessed friendship, but just knowing that this Holy Monk loves us, prays for us, and is always excited to see us, can only be explained as a special gift from God, and a small example of God's love for each of us.

The Fulfillment of All Desires

Click here to go to the Powerpoint Presentation

I have received so many e-mails from across the country and world from Men who would love to be a part of our Men's group, but live too far away. So many of you men have asked if I could share our journey with you. We are currently venturing down the path as explained from the lives and words of our Early Church Fathers and Saints.

"Hard Work" and forming your Son to become a "MAN"

What dad doesn't want his Son to grow up with a strong work ethic, the ability to take on huge tasks and accomplish them, and understand the dignity of work.

The problem that many fathers have today, and their sons have, is the fact that many people do not know what hard work is any more. Technology has made everything easy, quick, and available with little effort. We have created a society and generation of children, who many have now become adults, that have never experienced hard work and the benefits of such. Many children when asked to do simple chores, will not only need repeated reminders, but will only due the minimum so they can get back to their X-Boxes, Computers, and Texting.

So just how does a father instill those values, character traits, and behaviors that come along with hard work?

I believe that it is the obligation to begin early and model for your son what a man can accomplish. He should plan and accomplish projects, incorporating the help of the child, and most importantly, work hard himself, teaching in actions more than words, what hard work is and what it provides.

I can remember taking Sean to Guatemala a few years ago to work hard with the local people. They understand what hard work is, they do it everyday and are grateful for the work. They understand that work means food for their family. That work brings dignity to a man, and work done well provides a purpose in life and brings honor.

On this particular day in Guatemala, it was our chore to spend the day, the whole day, breaking rocks into smaller rocks to be used in cement. Yes, we hammered rocks all day, from large boulders, into small pebbles, that could be used for building. 

Yes - by the end of the day we were exhausted, but we felt good. And Sean experienced a day working hard along side his father and 2 uncles doing the same thing without a complaint. There was honor and dignity in accepting a Job and striving to do our very best to complete it, no matter how large it appeared.

What really makes a "Man" isn't necessarily what he looks like on the outside, but rather who he is on the inside.

I have always admired ranchers and farmers. They know how to work, their lives demand that they work hard, take care of their land and animals, especially since it is their lively-hood. But it is much more than that. 

I have never met a man who is also a rancher or farmer, that isn't humble, a hard worker, honest, and straightforward. I believe it has a lot to do with their lives and Hard Work. They are often presented with problems that seem beyond them, but they persevere. Their hard work provides for their families.  Life for them is usually at a pace that allows for quiet time, inner reflection, and allows God's voice to be heard.

We are blessed to have friends, Lori and Marc Duivenvoorden, who own a small dairy farm. They have allowed Sean to begin working with them on the farm.

As you can imagine, there is a lot of work to be done of a Family Farm. Work that most of the youth of today have never and will never see. They have been robbed of the opportunity and appreciation of Hard Work.

Sean is experiencing first hand what virtues "Hard Work" develops and instills into the depths of a man. Yes he is learning new skills, skills beyond what I know, but more importantly, he is developing his character.

Yes we can pray for our children, but as fathers, we must do more than pray, we have an obligation to raise our Son's with an understanding of the dignity of work. With the understanding that we are not entitled to be taken care of, but rather we are to work hard with the opportunities given to us from God, and to be thankful for what God will allow us to accomplish.

We are to model what it is to be a man for our sons, showing them through our actions the value and dignity of work. We are to show them how to work, how to work hard, how to enjoy work, and how to appreciate the fruits of our efforts. It isn't always what is accomplished, but how it is accomplished that often defines a true man. As I have said before, we are living in a society where most men have either never been taught, or have forgot the true character of manhood.

Before we know it, they (our sons) will be grown and already beyond those teachable moments. 

It will be then that we will have to ask ourselves,  "Did I fulfill my obligation, my obligation from God, to teach and prepare my Son to be a Godly Man, a Man who truly appreciates having the ability to work, a Man who uses his abilities and strength to his fullest, thankful for his accomplishments, humbled by his failures, but perseveres and gets the job done, and all because he was show the way by the actions of his father during his formative years.

The most important task we have in life (Fathers), is to teach and raise our children to be strong and faithful Christians with irreproachable character and virtue, instilling in them the knowledge, tools, and skills, to fulfill their ultimate calling in life: To Know Him, Love Him, and Serve Him, so that they can be with Him in this world, and with Him for all eternity in the next.
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