Yesterday’s “Rekindle the Fire” conference for Catholic men, sponsored by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend, is going to stay in my mind and heart for a long time to come. The speakers offered energizing and informative insights about where the Church and society stand today—and what that implies for our involvement in the New Evangelization.

One of the speakers was Matthew Kelly, whose book Rediscovering Catholicism, is an international best-seller. His work on increasing engagement among today’s Catholics is worth getting to know. Two ways to start: Visit his website at dynamiccatholic.com, and watch his YouTube video.

Starting around the 7:00 minute mark, Kelly points out that Catholic schools save Americans about $18 billion a year—one of the many stories that the Church needs to communicate better. Meanwhile, he acknowledges that we also need to make a bolder mark on the world as people of prayer and spirituality, not just a big institution.

Another powerful speaker at the annual diocesan men’s conference on Feb. 9 was Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, who happens to be a Domer, class of 1988. He called upon the 1,100 attendees to build a closer relationship with God and with other people through a deeper engagement with Scripture, the Mass, and the fullness of the Catholic faith.

We were delighted to host Deacon Harold today at ACE’s home on campus, Carole Sandner Hall, so he could meet with old friends, including Fr. Joe Corpora, who leads our Catholic School Advantage campaign.  See the story of his vocation to the permanent deaconate.