Southern Nebraska Register
A “Men’s Day of Rest” is planned for Saturday, Aug. 15 at St. Wenceslaus Church in Wahoo.
The day will begin with Mass at 8 a.m. Breakfast will follow, and Deacon Pat Burke will speak after breakfast. Attendees will then participate in a Eucharistic procession, followed by small group discussions.
The men will remain for lunch at noon, and a talk by Father Dale Allder. This will be followed by another small group discussion and a period of Eucharistic adoration. The event will conclude by 3:30 p.m. Time for confession will be available during adoration.
The event was created by Bob Sullivan of Wahoo. He wanted to encourage men to rekindle their practice of the faith – and to extend it beyond Sunday Mass. The first Men’s Day of Rest was held at St. Wenceslaus in Wahoo. Sullivan hoped for 10 men to attend, and 30 did. He repeated the event the next year at St. John Parish in Colon, then St. John the Baptist in Prague. This year, it returns to St. Wenceslaus.
In addition to talks, small group discussion and adoration, Sullivan said, the men who attend are fed very well.
“We start by attending the parishes’ Saturday morning Mass,” he said. “Then we have a full hot breakfast with coffee and juice. After that we have the first talk, followed by small group discussion, followed by adoration, during which men can go to confession. At about noon we have a hearty lunch. This has included smoked brisket, prime rib, and pork and dumplings in past years.”
He said he calls the event a day of “rest” because men are sometimes hesitant to attend events which sound too spiritual or “holy.” At the same time, however, he said, some men are only asked to participate in events when things need to be carried, moved or cooked.
“We decided to call this a Day of Rest because it avoided these two extremes,” he said. “The men are not expected to do much of anything other than to rest with the Lord in adoration, the sacraments, and a little discussion with their brothers.
“In reality, there is a lot of heavy lifting done during the day, but it is the lifting of heavy burdens of being a man in today’s world,” he said. “The men lift those burdens with the help of the Holy Spirit and they are able to place them aside and learn how to turn to the Holy Spirit again and again as each day brings new burdens to bear.”
Courtesy photos
This year’s theme revolves around a man’s obligation to hand down the faith to his children and to others in his life, and for the next generation to take on the faith as their own, and to learn how to practice their faith out of love and gratitude for all Jesus has done.
Men are also encouraged to bring their sons and grandsons to the morning session for breakfast and Deacon Burke’s talk, as well as the procession. All the men and their guests will form into small groups for discussion of the morning’s experience before the younger guests go home or are taken home.
The cost is $75 per person, age 20 and older. Each registrant can bring one or more of his sons or grandsons with him, at no extra charge. Guests 20 and older need to register or be registered for attendance.
To register, visit: https://mensministry.regfox.com/4th-annual-day-of-rest.
