By Mark Reidy
Thirty men gathered at St Joseph’s parish in Subiaco on 7 and 8 August in an attempt to arrest the alarming decline of males active within the Catholic Church.
Presented by “menAlive”, a ministry of laymen founded in Brisbane, the non-residential weekend sought “to bring men together, to renew their faith in God and to encourage them to become an active force of renewal in the Church.”
The Subiaco Retreat, which was the fourth to be held in WA, was made up mainly of parishioners from St Joseph’s but also included those from Whitfords, Rockingham and even Mullewa in the Diocese of Geraldton. The weekend has already been delivered to over 2,500 men since its inception in 2003 and has successfully sparked revival in parishes across Australia and New Zealand.
“God is glorified when men are fully alive”, is the motto that the ministry have borrowed from St Ireneaus and the weekend of talks, testimonies, sharing, reflection, prayer and fellowship is designed to guide and challenge men both as individuals and as members of the Church to seek this fullness of life.
The menAlive presenters deliver their message with passion and humour, but they are serious about their message that men within the Church have lost their sense of purpose and they are determined to “awaken the sleeping giant” so that men can once more have an impact on their families, parishes and even the wider Church.
Robert Lock of Claremont said his life has been transformed by the weekend and he now prays and reads the Bible daily.
“The presentations are delivered by real men of faith grounded in a real world, with real issues and challenges”, he shared.
“What struck me about the whole experience was the genuine authenticity of the participants and the presenters”.
Organiser of the weekend, Kim Metcalf, is excited at the response that has been ignited within St Joseph’s. He said that as a result of the retreat there are now four small groups who meet weekly for prayer and fellowship.
“These groups help build the discipline of prayer and forge strong relationships with like-minded men committed to growing in faith and action”, he said.
Kim is also establishing a local team to promote and encourage similar weekends in other Perth parishes.
The next menAlive retreats scheduled in Perth will be held at Sts John & Paul Parish in Willetton on 20 and 21 November and at Infant Jesus Parish in Morley on 27 and 28 November.
For further information on these events ring Kim Metcalfe on 0414 537 023 or go to
www.menalive.org.au.