By Marietha Góngora

Catholic men got together to ‘Put Out Into the Deep’ at the annual diocesan men’s conference Nov. 17.

Around 60 men from throughout Brooklyn and Queens attended the event at St. John’s University, Jamaica.

The event, which recently had its version for women, is an initiative of the Secretariat of Evangelization of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

It began with morning Mass celebrated by Auxiliary Bishop Witold Mroziewski.

The program continued with a welcome offered by Theodore Musco, the diocesan secretary for Evangelization and Catechesis. Two separate keynotes followed simultaneously.

Team Jesus

The English-language keynote was delivered by renowned basketball coach Bob Hurley, who used sport metaphors to explain the importance of working together for Team Jesus.

In his speech, Hurley related how the Catholic Church influenced him from his youth to his maturity. It was the values he learned from the church that kindled his desire to help others.

“Many of those who are more involved in the life of the church are older people and we need to reach millennials, young families,” he said.

Father Alejandro Lopez-Cardinale, who is recognized for his work in Hispanic ministry across the U.S., delivered the Spanish-language keynote.

The priest focused his lecture on the importance of knowing one’s capacities and limitations in the call to holiness. He invited his listeners to launch their nets out into the deep waters of the diocese to spread the effects of conference.

Tools and Resources

“This conference is important because we want to be able to show the men who have gathered today that they have a say in how they can promote the Church among people they work with, as well in their communities, among their friends and neighbors,” Musco said.

The purpose is “to give people the tools and resources they need to feel empowered and go out to evangelize and catechize because, since we were baptized, we are called to do so.”

After the keynotes talks concluded, attendees were given the opportunity to share their reflections and participate in the Sacrament of Reconciliation. The schedule finished with the men sharing lunch and fellowship, and visiting an array of vendor exhibits.