The 2009 Catholic Men's Conferencewill be held on Saturday, April 4, 2009. Details can be obtained by clicking on the Annual Men's Conference link

2008 Catholic Men's Conference

By Dan Rouse

The theater at Xavier High School was transformed into the “Lord’s Gym” when keynote speaker Jesse Romero took the stage at the Catholic Men’s Conference in Cedar Rapids on March 15, 2008.


“This morning is going to be a Holy Hour of Power.” he said, as he greeted the men. “I’m going to be your Spiritual Fitness Trainer today. You have entered the Lord’s Gym. For the rest of the day, this is the “no sin zone”.


Romero is the former U.S. Kickboxing Champion and a retired Los Angeles Sheriff Deputy, who now travels the country as a Catholic Lay Evangelist. While retired from the sport, he still tries to stay in shape. Romero said he began working out at the age of 12 with martial arts expert and actor Chuck Norris as his trainer. He said Norris told him to learn the basics well; advice that has come in handy as an athlete and his work as a lay evangelist.


“We suffer from spiritual amnesia. We have forgotten the basics of our faith.” he said.
According to Romero, those basics of faith include reading scripture, prayer, Sacred Tradition and the Sacraments. While it is important to be educated about our Catholic faith, he said it’s not enough to know what to do, but to know why as well.


Quoting Pope Pius IX he said, “Christianity is a religion of the head and the heart. We need both, to fully live out our Catholic faith.”


Romero said this takes place only through a conversion of the heart and surrender to the Lord. He challenged the men to examine their lives and put things in perspective.
“Men were made to be part of something bigger than themselves. Most men in this country (if they) don’t find Christ; sports will become the center of their life. If you don’t find Christ, your career, money, power, Harley Davidson or golf will become the center of your life. You’re going to worship something, trust me, and if you don’t find Christ, you’re going to find a pseudo-alternative religion that is hopeless and does not provide the joy of the Lord which is our strength and does not provide for us what were created for.”


He concluded by saying that the essence of the Catholic faith only makes sense when we surrender totally to the Lord.


“Nothing makes sense to us…Sacraments, the Rosary, devotions, Lent…nothing, nothing, nothing…if Christ is not burning in our hearts.”


The conference took place on the first annual National Catholic Men’s Day and included Eucharistic adoration all day in the chapel. The conference concluded with a Palm Sunday liturgy celebrated by Archbishop Jerome Hanus.


The Catholic Men’s Conference was sponsored by Catholic Men’s Fellowship of the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

DVD’s of both Jesse Romero’s keynote talks can be ordered online by clicking on our Multimedia page.

Next year’s conference is scheduled for Saturday, April 4, 2009 in Cedar Rapids.