ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE REPORT:
Catholic Man Breakfast Series
Thursday 30 August 2012
MORE than 90 men got up early on Thursday 23 August to hear guest speaker Robert Falzon's presentation at the Catholic Man Breakfast hosted by Archbishop Denis Hart. The Catholic Man Breakfast series provides an opportunity to men to gather and be encouraged and inspired in their faith.
By Miles Blackford
"A celebration of manhood and a call to arms to the Catholic men of Melbourne" Leo de Bruyn, attendee
A Catholic Man Breakfast Series event involves a cooked breakfast, sharing with other men, and speakers backed by multimedia. It is organised by menALIVE, a national Catholic men’s ministry.
The breakfast at the CQ Function Centre on 23 August was a new experience for me, as it was for most of the 90 + men in attendance. This was the first menALIVE breakfast held in Melbourne and, for most of us, our first menALIVE event. An experience it was, with the theme of Fire in Your Life!
View gallery
Numbered among those present were leading Victorian Catholic politicians including the Education Minister, The Leader of the Opposition, Heads of Catholic Agencies from the Archdiocese, senior students and principals from three boys schools (Emmanuel College Altona, Mazenod College Mulgrave and Salesian College Chadsone) and many men from the business and Church community.
His Grace Archbishop Denis Hart, hosted the event, said grace and gave a blessing at the end and, in affirming the men present, also challenged them to find ways to “put on Christ” in their daily lives. This set a nice, prayerful tone to the morning.
Most men love a good action movie so it was appropriate that MC, Peter Gabauer played the Russell Crowe Robin Hood movie trailer. With its repeated references to Robin’s father, the trailer struck one of the major themes that affect men – a man’s relationship with his father.
We were asked to share three things about our fathers for which we are grateful. This was not difficult for myself, Peter, and Jack (two men I was sitting near). I mentioned that I was grateful to my father for teaching me hunting and fishing, for raising me as best he could and for encouraging me in my creative interests.
The keynote speaker was menALIVE co-founder, Robert Falzon. He told the story of his life, illustrated by family photos of his wife and four children on the multimedia screen. For most of his life, Robert ran his own manufacturing business, which was twice almost destroyed by fires. His business was ultimately very successful and he sold out to a large company to take on ministry to men in the Church because the question “where are all the men?” was gnawing at him. He is now a full-time volunteer with menALIVE.
During his speech, Robert asked us to think of something in our lives on which we needed to take a stand. This was our next topic for sharing. Peter, Jack and myself readily found things we felt we needed to take a stand on, but our sharing wandered into what we had found most meaningful in Robert’s speech. What had struck me was that in the most difficult moments of Robert’s life he had turned to God with prayer – as he said a few time “to get on your knees and fight like a man".
The event saw Melbourne Catholic men connect with each other, feel inspired, and be challenged. The next menALIVE Melbourne Catholic Man Breakfast Series event will be in March 2013. www.menalive.org.au
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Josh 24:15
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE
MORE than 90 men got up early on Thursday 23 August to hear guest speaker Robert Falzon's presentation at the Catholic Man Breakfast hosted by Archbishop Denis Hart. The Catholic Man Breakfast series provides an opportunity to men to gather and be encouraged and inspired in their faith.
By Miles Blackford
"A celebration of manhood and a call to arms to the Catholic men of Melbourne" Leo de Bruyn, attendee
A Catholic Man Breakfast Series event involves a cooked breakfast, sharing with other men, and speakers backed by multimedia. It is organised by menALIVE, a national Catholic men’s ministry.
The breakfast at the CQ Function Centre on 23 August was a new experience for me, as it was for most of the 90 + men in attendance. This was the first menALIVE breakfast held in Melbourne and, for most of us, our first menALIVE event. An experience it was, with the theme of Fire in Your Life!
View gallery
Numbered among those present were leading Victorian Catholic politicians including the Education Minister, The Leader of the Opposition, Heads of Catholic Agencies from the Archdiocese, senior students and principals from three boys schools (Emmanuel College Altona, Mazenod College Mulgrave and Salesian College Chadsone) and many men from the business and Church community.
His Grace Archbishop Denis Hart, hosted the event, said grace and gave a blessing at the end and, in affirming the men present, also challenged them to find ways to “put on Christ” in their daily lives. This set a nice, prayerful tone to the morning.
Most men love a good action movie so it was appropriate that MC, Peter Gabauer played the Russell Crowe Robin Hood movie trailer. With its repeated references to Robin’s father, the trailer struck one of the major themes that affect men – a man’s relationship with his father.
We were asked to share three things about our fathers for which we are grateful. This was not difficult for myself, Peter, and Jack (two men I was sitting near). I mentioned that I was grateful to my father for teaching me hunting and fishing, for raising me as best he could and for encouraging me in my creative interests.
The keynote speaker was menALIVE co-founder, Robert Falzon. He told the story of his life, illustrated by family photos of his wife and four children on the multimedia screen. For most of his life, Robert ran his own manufacturing business, which was twice almost destroyed by fires. His business was ultimately very successful and he sold out to a large company to take on ministry to men in the Church because the question “where are all the men?” was gnawing at him. He is now a full-time volunteer with menALIVE.
During his speech, Robert asked us to think of something in our lives on which we needed to take a stand. This was our next topic for sharing. Peter, Jack and myself readily found things we felt we needed to take a stand on, but our sharing wandered into what we had found most meaningful in Robert’s speech. What had struck me was that in the most difficult moments of Robert’s life he had turned to God with prayer – as he said a few time “to get on your knees and fight like a man".
The event saw Melbourne Catholic men connect with each other, feel inspired, and be challenged. The next menALIVE Melbourne Catholic Man Breakfast Series event will be in March 2013. www.menalive.org.au
“As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord” Josh 24:15
SHARED FROM ARCHDIOCESE OF MELBOURNE
Comments