Nolacatholicmen

This will be the last update before we announce the winners at the Men's Conference this Saturday!
We will be accepting registrations at the door so bring your procrastinating friends with you!
Gates open at 7:00am with sign-in and breakfast and the Conference begins at 8:30am. See you there!

It's Men's Conference Week and the team is busy getting all of the details together to make it an awesome day!

The Mission of the Conference is to encourage and inspire the Men of the Archdiocese of New Orleans to engage in the adventure of personal and spiritual growth through involvement in the life of the Church, particularly through local, parish based men's ministries.

We wish to honor God with this work and have no interest in turning God's House into a market place. The Grace of God is fee and everyone has a part to play in the life of the Church. The Conference is not a money making venture. 100% of the registration fees collected go to pay the actual operating costs for the event and we have a no questions asked "Pay what you want" option for anyone who may not be in a position to pay to attend. We are just trying to gather our men for encouragement and prayer and want as many involved in what we are doing as we can.

Still, the Conference does cost more than we make in registrations, and we want to do more to reach and encourage our men. We simply can't continue this mission without the help of our sponsors. We are so grateful for the friends we have made who support the financial side of this mission. Those sponsors could use some help sharing the load, so if you or your business believe in what we are doing and are in a position to help us, we want to talk with you! Email us at [email protected] or click the "Support Us" link at NolaCatholicMen.com.

Let's take the next step together!

See you at the Conference!

We're getting so close! Men's Conference is next Saturday!!

These 10 parishes alone account for more than 40% of the guys who have singed up so far! We're so grateful to the parishes who put out the word to get their guys to the Conference and for all you guys who have singed up, wherever you are from. You all really are the leaders in our Archdiocese we will be looking to you to take things to the next level!

There is still room for more and it only takes a few guys to get your parish on the list!
Now's the time to sign up now and bring your friends! You won't regret it!

Our conversation with Dr. Tim Hogan will be posting soon so stay tuned. In the mean time, take a look at our conversations with our keynote speakers Mike Phelan and Jason Angellete over at https://www.youtube.com/, along with videos of our past Conference speakers! Follow us for more!

Happy Mardi Gras Ya'll! Were so close to Lent and the Men's Conference!

It really is a great privilege to be Catholic in New Orleans and the Carnival is one of our greatest contributions to the life of our place. We’re about to enter Lent, that time of fasting, abstinence, and discipline we take up every year. But we celebrate now as if to remind ourselves that our need for discipline is not really a denial of the good things of life, but part of our God given vocation bring integrity and order to those good things – making them better. God told Adam to “till and keep” the garden. Keeping the garden is hard work that aims at bringing order out of the chaos of living things - making the garden better and more fruitful, not killing it or getting rid of it. It is because the garden is really alive that it is chaotic, and with discipline can be made better.

Mardi Gras is a celebration of the chaotic dimension of life in this world – which is what makes it fun. We should be careful to not let things get out of hand, of course. It’s senseless (and no fun!) to bring harm to ourselves or to others during these days of celebrating the goodness of life. But the chaos and merrymaking of Mardi Gras, coupled with the discipline and rigors of Lent, reminds us that the life God has given us is good, even if there is a thread of chaos that runs through it. It is the privilege of our vocation to work with God to make life in our own hearts, and in the wider world, better.

Men’s Conference is in 2 weeks! Its about time to begin again. Now’s the time to sign up! Now is the time to reach out to your friends and invite them to come along. We all have important work to do. Let’s do it together!

Register at http://nolacatholicmen.com

Enjoy yourself this week and be safe! See you at the Conference!

Nola Catholic Men Dr. Tim Hogan is a psychologist, certified relationship therapist, and good-humored speaker who specializes in the impact of technology on spirituality and relationships. He recently published The Gift of Cultural Hurricanes: Tools to Rebuild Authentic Spirituality, and previously co-authored How to...

Wow! More than 60 guys registering for the Conference this week and it shows in the movement on this week's list. There's lost of movement further down as more parishes get started signing their guys up!

T-Shirts and Coffee Cups have arrived and are looking great! Every guys get to choose a t-shirt or steel coffee cup!

Stay tuned this week - we made podcasts with our speakers Jason Angelette and Dr. Tim Hogan which should post soon!

There are still lots of guys out there who need friends so don't stop reaching out and we'll see you all February 24th!

Not much movement in the rankings this week. But experience shows that this is the the calm before the storm! About half of the guys at the Conference register in the last 2 weeks. A huge thanks to the 250 or so enthusiastic "Early Adopters" who have already registered for the Conference. And now its time to reach the reluctant majority. We'll need your help to fill St. Catherine's!

There are loads of good men out there who would benefit tremendously from the conference who just need a little encouragement - or maybe just don't know about it. Do us all a favor this week and make it a point to tap your friends and invite them to come along. You and they won't regret it!

In other news, did you see the podcast with one of our Conference Speakers, Mike Phelan, Director of Evangelization Materials for the Knights of Columbus? Check it out on the Nolacatholicmen YouTube page.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1SZHpiR2i4&t=11s

More conversations with Jason Angelette with Willwoods and Catholic Psychologist Fr. Tim Hogan are coming soon so stay tuned for those, you won't want to miss it!

Five weeks until the Men's Conference and the rankings are starting to heat up! St. Margaret Mary, St. Matthew the Apostle, and St. Joseph/St. Antony have all made major moves this week as have some others who almost made the list this week!

There are about 110,000 registered families in the parishes of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, and the Conference sells out at about 1,100 men. It only takes representation from 1% of our families to completely fill the Men's Conference! That may not seem like a lot, but that 1% has an enormous impact on the life of our Church!

Not everyone can attend the Conference. Many guys have important work to do. For some the needs of their families and neighbors must take precedent that day. Many guys don’t have the opportunity to attend the Conference simply because they don’t know about it. And many more haven’t encountered the Lord Jesus and know how good life in Christ really is. It’s a big Archdiocese and it is not easy to reach everyone. We don't need to judge our brothers who for whatever reason don't attend the Men's Conference. But if you are reading this, you care about the life of the Church, and nothing is preventing you from attending, you’re likely one of the 1% we need there. Please consider coming along. If you are already registered, know that it only takes representation of about 1% of families for your parish to make the to 10 list. There are loads of guys out there in your parish that are just waiting for an opportunity and an invitation to join the 1%. Go find them and bring them along if they are able. Let’s help each other take the next step to go deeper in our faith together!

See you all next week!

Updated Rankings! Registrations for the 2024 Men's Conference are flying in and St. Ann's used their group discount code to make a huge gain in the charts! Way to go! New on our list, St. Louis Cathedral and Our Lady of the Angles, among our smallest parishes, made major gains with just a few registrations. Rankings are based on the proportion men registered to parish sized so you small parishes are in the game too!

In Conference News, Sponsorships are still available and we've reduced the price of our tiers! We're close to our sponsorship goal and thought it we would like to make it easier for more to get involved. If you or your company are interested in a sponsorship go to https://nolacatholicfla.regfox.com/2024-ano-mens-conference-sponsorships or go to nolacatholicmen.com and click "Support us" to learn more.

On that same note, a huge shout out to all of you guys making small donations when you register. You guys are literally keeping us in the black and we couldn't appreciate it more. At the same time, if you aren't or anyone you know isn't in a position to contribute financially, remember that there is a No-Questions-Asked "pay what you can" option for the conference! The theme is Friendship and we'd rather have you there and your friendship than have your money!

Keep an eye out for a new podcast with one of our amazing speaker's Mike Phelan. We'll let you know here when that drops.

See you on February 24th!

Nola Catholic Men Dr. Tim Hogan is a psychologist, certified relationship therapist, and author who specializes in the impact of technology on spirituality and relationships. He recently published The Gift of Cultural Hurricanes: Tools to Rebuild Authentic Spirituality, and previously co-authored How to Find the Help...

A New Year and a new set of Men's Conference Parish Rankings! Sts. Peter and Paul made a big move over the Christmas break and St. Benilde makes its first appearance on the list! Thanks to everyone for both signing up and getting the word out!

Its a New Year and time for New Year's Resolutions. Let's not become discouraged or jaded by past failures. Even the best of us don't always live up to our ideals. But the best stand back up and try again. Even if we don't entirely succeed, the sincere effort has its effect, and the Lord is not outdone in generosity. He is delighted by the desire to become better and will not withhold his help.

You know best what your next best step needs to be. Write it down, tell a friend, and let's begin again!

Please share.
Bring a Friend.
See you at the Conference!

Holy Family Catholic Church of Luling hangs on to the top spot this week while St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Parish, St. Maria Goretti Parish, and Saints Peter and Paul Church continue to advance. Great to see St. Matthew the Apostle Catholic Church join the list for the first time this week!

Santa always remembers to put a toothbrush in my stalking each year. Make sure the men in your life brush up their souls too! Men's Conference Registrations make a great last minute Christmas gift!

A special thanks to all of you guys making small donations to the Men's Conference when you register. For many families, money is tight, especially this time of year. You're helping us put on a great conference while making sure finances do not keep anyone who wants to attend away. Thank you!

We're also still looking for sponsors to help us keep the Men's Conference healthy. We've lowered the cost of our sponsorship tiers! Go to NolaCatholicMen.com and click "Support Us" to get your business or organization before the best guys in the Archdiocese!

We are all taking a break next week to spend time with family and friends. We'll update the Parish Rankings in the New Year! Until then, please have a blessed last few days of Advent and a Very Merry Christmas!!

New Parish Rankings! Lots of movement this week, and lots of new comers to the list! Holy Family is making good use of their group discount to add several more guys to their ranks and get to the top this week. Check out NolaCatholicMen.com to find out about how to sign up for a group discount for your parish or group!

St. Charles Borromeo, St. Margaret Mary, and Our Lady of Perpetual Help also all made big advances to get on the list this week! Nice to have you guys along!!

We're still early on and have a long way to go to fill St. Catherine's, but we are on the right track! We now have 3 times the number of men registered for the Conference as we did this time last year. Amazing! And that's the whole point really. We want you all there, wherever you are from, to pray with you and to be encouraged by you so that we can take the next steps together. The Conference really is an amazing event, but it won't be the same without you there! Thanks to everyone coming out and to those helping to spread the word and generating excitement. Keep it up!

And Ladies! Don't underestimate your role in all of this! You know, probably better than the men in your life do, how important it is for them to build a stronger friendship with Christ and other good men seeking to be better. They need your encouragement, maybe even your permission, to take a Saturday and focus on higher things. Let the guys know you'd support them - and maybe consider a Registration for Christmas Gift! It would make a big difference!

Holy Family Catholic Church of Luling, Saints Peter and Paul Church, St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church and Parish, St. Maria Goretti Parish, St Catherine of Siena, St Joseph Church and Shrine Gretna, Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, St Margaret Mary Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help, St John The Baptist Catholic Church

December 8 Parish Rankings! Sts. Peter and Paul and St. Maria Goretti Church are battling it out for the top spot!

New to the top 10 this week:
St. Joseph Church/St. Anthony Church, Gretna
St. Margaret Mary Church, Slidell
Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church, Kenner
St. Ann Church and Shrine, Metairie

Get on the list and rise to the top! If you need free posters or tap cards to help promote the Conference in your parish, email us at [email protected]. Digital Assets for promoting in your bulletin or on your parish socials can be found at:
https://www.neworleanscatholic.com/promote-2023-conference

Register, and find out about Group Discounts at nolacatholicmen.org
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Rankings are a ratio of registrations to parish size. Parishes with the greatest representation will be recognized at the Conference and the Top Parish will be offered a special award.

*With gratitude for St. Catherine of Sienna Parish for hosting the Conference, they are ineligible for the top prize.

St Joseph Church and Shrine Gretna, St. Maria Goretti Parish, St Catherine of Siena, Holy Family Catholic Church of Luling, St Margaret Mary Church, St John The Baptist Catholic Church, Our Lady of Perpetual Help Church Kenner Louisiana, St. Ann Church and National Shrine, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans

Nola Catholic Men Dr. Tim Hogan is a psychologist, certified relationship therapist, and author who specializes in the impact of technology on spirituality and relationships. He recently published The Gift of Cultural Hurricanes: Tools to Rebuild Authentic Spirituality, and previously co-authored How to Find the Help...

Whose guys are coming to the Conference? Check back each week for updated standings!

To make things fair, rankings are a ratio of registrations to parish size. Parishes with the greatest representation will be recognized at the Conference and the Top Parish will be offered a special award.

*With gratitude for St. Catherine of Sienna Parish for hosting the Conference, out of fairness, they are ineligible for the top prize.

Nola Catholic Men Dr. Tim Hogan is a psychologist, certified relationship therapist, and author who specializes in the impact of technology on spirituality and relationships. He recently published The Gift of Cultural Hurricanes: Tools to Rebuild Authentic Spirituality, and previously co-authored How to Find the Help...

Men's Conference 2024: I Have Called you Friends

Its time to get serious about our friendships. Let your friends know and be sure you are all there!

Learn more and Register at NolaCatholicMen.org.

We're gearing up for the 2024 ANO Men's Conference - I Have Called You Friends. We could use some help!

Striving to become a better, for yourself, for you family, for your community, is often lonely work. It means committing to do the right thing even when nobody is looking. Sponsorships not only help the work of the Conference, but perhaps more importantly send an encouraging word to the guys striving to be better, that others in the community care about what they are trying to do. It helps them feel less alone.

Its not about credit - its about community. If you or your business would like to show your support, consider becoming a sponsor. Go to NolaCatholicMen.com and click "Support Us" to learn more. Or message us here and we'll reach out.

Real personal growth does not come like magic from attending some one-day event. It comes from an every-day, day after day, commitment to follow Christ and become a better man. It takes real leadership to call and accompany men in the Christian way of life.

The Archdiocese of New Orleans Men's Conference is hosting its first annual Men's Leadership Retreat. The retreat is designed for those men playing any leadership role in their local Catholic men's ministry or men's group as well as those who may aspire to become a leader. The aim is to form a stronger community of leaders, to learn from one another's experience, and to better coordinate our efforts to form a culture in the Church that encourages men to excel.

Are you ready to stand up and share the load for the men in your parish and your Archdiocese? Learn more and Sing Up at NolaCatholicMen.org

On the Memorial of the First Holy Martyrs of the Holy Roman Church, let us pray for courage as we witness the faith, even when it costs us.

O God, who on the Solemnity
of the Apostles Peter and Paul,
give us the noble and holy joy of this day,
grant, we pray, that your Church
may in all things follow the teaching
of those through whom she received
the beginnings of right religion.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

He must increase; I must decrease.

St. John the Baptist, pray for us.

Mary set out
and traveled to the hill country in haste
to a town of Judah,
where she entered the house of Zechariah
and greeted Elizabeth.
When Elizabeth heard Mary's greeting,
the infant leaped in her womb,
and Elizabeth, filled with the Holy Spirit,
cried out in a loud voice and said,
"Most blessed are you among women,
and blessed is the fruit of your womb.
And how does this happen to me,
that the mother of my Lord should come to me?
For at the moment the sound of your greeting reached my ears,
the infant in my womb leaped for joy.
Blessed are you who believed
that what was spoken to you by the Lord
would be fulfilled."

And Mary said:

"My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord;
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior,
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant.
From this day all generations will call me blessed:
the Almighty has done great things for me,
and holy is his Name.

He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and the rich he has sent away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever."

Mary remained with her about three months
and then returned to her home.

When the time for Pentecost was fulfilled,
they were all in one place together.
And suddenly there came from the sky
a noise like a strong driving wind,
and it filled the entire house in which they were.
Then there appeared to them tongues as of fire,
which parted and came to rest on each one of them.
And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit
and began to speak in different tongues,
as the Spirit enabled them to proclaim.

Now there were devout Jews from every nation under heaven staying in Jerusalem.
At this sound, they gathered in a large crowd,
but they were confused
because each one heard them speaking in his own language.
They were astounded, and in amazement they asked,
“Are not all these people who are speaking Galileans?
Then how does each of us hear them in his native language?
We are Parthians, Medes, and Elamites,
inhabitants of Mesopotamia, Judea and Cappadocia,
Pontus and Asia, Phrygia and Pamphylia,
Egypt and the districts of Libya near Cyrene,
as well as travelers from Rome,
both Jews and converts to Judaism, Cretans and Arabs,
yet we hear them speaking in our own tongues
of the mighty acts of God.”

All you peoples, clap your hands,
shout to God with cries of gladness,
For the LORD, the Most High, the awesome,
is the great king over all the earth.

Our Lady of Fatima, pray for us!