Men's Club

Report from Men's Club Retreat on Aug 12th
Don't Let Go of the Rope!

YouTube Video of Retreat Pictures (~4 minutes)

This has become the mantra resulting from a two and half day Men’s Retreat of St. Mary Parish in West Haven, UT, Aug 11-13, 2011. The retreat, led by St. Mary’s Pastor, Fr. Gustavo Vidal, was hosted at a secluded location of undeveloped land, near Bloomington, ID, owned by one of the parish men’s family. This ideal, serene venue, away from “civilization”, lack of cell phone service, and other worldly distractions, became the perfect setting for 24 men to come face to face with themselves.

The “rope” mantra emanated from one of the ten block building chapters of “Be A Man”, by Fr. Larry Richards. His no nonsense, straight to the “gut” delivery pulls no spiritual punches. He recounts his own struggles to learn true manhood, not the way the world unwisely advocates, but to become the man God created men to be. He draws from his many years of ministry and his own experience as a man to inspire other men as men they can become. He exhorts through his non-preachy, very direct style of writing that today the world needs real men! Men’s families, friends and the world are counting on you and so is God. Fr. Larry encourages the reader to take a step of courage and be a man!

For a majority of these men, this became the first retreat they had ever experienced. Armed with uncertainty, trepidation, and anxiety, the men began as a group of individuals each focused on himself, and full of the world. By the end of the retreat, each had grown into a union of brothers having discovered their “demons” were not unique to themselves but are a common plague for all men. The power of the Holy Spirit chipped away at the self-protecting armor built up by years of living in a fallen, broken world. God reshaped these men’s understanding of true love and wisdom. As Fr. Richards stresses, “a relationship with Christ reveals the meaning of a man’s life and his identity as a man” not the counterfeit, deviant, and superficial model the world demands of men.

This life changing retreat, with its many teaching moments led by pre-assigned teams of participants to present each respective chapter, provided a unique opportunity to actively involve the men during the teachings and not to be just listeners. The group was challenged to create an activity designed to enhance the understanding of the chapter they presented. In this technique, God took ordinary men and instilled in them extraordinary activities, the chapter related subjects of which became mind-etched moments of learning. Thus, the “Rope” mantra became one of the most inspiring activities of the retreat.

Was it all just study, study, study? Not at all! There was time to be just “boys” again, having fun participating in a variety of fun-filled games. Watch out for Fr. Vidal; he can be a “wild-man” in a non-scoring game of volleyball. Horseshoes was challenged by the camouflage of tall weeds, and Frisbee-golf (what?) all became a time to release the stored-up stress of the world and intense learning opportunities.

The men ate, and then ate, oh, and did we mention there was lots of food to eat? Besides the pre-planned menus, one of the parish’s special “grandmas” sent homemade German potato salads, brats, tons of snacks and her blessings. Needless to say, there was a bountiful harvest to consume.

One of the early inspirational moments during the retreat was the 7:30am Mass celebrated high up a hill at the family built Grotto containing the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Fatima. Clearly, the early sunrise, 360 degree viewing of the beauty of God’s creation from this Holy ground, allowed the Mass to be a powerful celebration.

Probably the most significant life-altering moment for every man was having been freed from his personal core sin. The realization this core sin was preventing each man from being the man God truly designed him to be now and to ultimately become in his total life.

But don’t ask the men to reveal the details of this profound retreat, for they took a vow of confidentiality – a necessary ingredient of an intentional retreat of this type. Only under such a trust can men speak the truth of themselves knowing they will not be judged by their brother, and it won’t be used against them by the debilitating damage of the sin of gossip outside the confines of the retreat ground rules.

The retreat reached its climax with the draping of a blessed St. Benedict Crucifix around the neck of each man.

Plans for a second annual retreat from the St. Mary Parish have already begun. Men who were not able to attend this year’s retreat are encouraged to begin praying now for God to free them to attend. Although they will pursue a different study, the goals and framework of the retreat will remain the same.