A seed of inspiration planted at a men’s sharing group in suburban Perth will be come to fruition when one of the world’s leading Catholic evangelists arrives in Western Australia in October.
US Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, who has inspired thousands across the globe through his television show on US Catholic network EWTN, will begin his nation-wide tour at venues in Doubleview and Tuart Hill from October 11-13.
Renato Bonasera, who initiated the Australian visit and is one of the organisers of the Perth leg, told The Record that he was first exposed to the the powerful message of Deacon Harold during a monthly gathering of his Catholic Men’s Fellowship home group.
“During one session I showed one of Deacon Harold’s EWTN shows in which he elaborated on a spirituality toolkit for males and we found it inspiring”, he says.
This encounter led Mr Bonasera to befriending Deacon Harold on Facebook before building the courage to invite him to Australia on behalf of the Society of Catholic Teachers Australia.
“I was very pleased when he said he would”, Mr Bonasera shared.
“His love and enthusiasm for the Catholic faith is fresh and it is not often that Perth is able to host a Catholic evangelist and television host who is a Deacon and of international significance”.
Deacon Harold, who seeks to bring people to a deeper love of Christ and the Gospel within the Catholic faith, will deliver a Conference entitled, “Catholicism at a Crossroads: Rekindling the Flame of Faith”, on October 11-12 and will follow this with a “Courageous Faith” Men’s Retreat on October 13.
Mr Bonasera believes that the timing of Deacon Harold’s visit is perfect as it occurs, not only in the Australian Year of Grace, but also at the very beginning of the worldwide Year of Faith, called by Pope Benedict XVI – which commences on October 11 – the 50th anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican Council.
He believes that Deacon Harold’s passion for the Church, combined with his hands-on approach, will equip participants in responding to Pope Benedict’s plea to “recall the precious gift of faith”.
Mr Bonasera believes that today’s Church is no different from any other age when she has faced struggles, both externally and internally, but believes that we must respond to them with a renewed zeal of faith, hope and love.
“Deacon Harold will seek to deliver this message by exploring the many challenges that are both a threat and an opportunity for the Church of Christ”, he said.
Deacon Harold, who is considered to be one of the Church’s leading speakers on male spirituality said in a 2006 interview that he realised that secularisation, radical individualism and moral relativism were eroding the hearts and souls of spiritual men and his passion for reviving the roles of men in the Church was ignited.
“I began to explore how living an authentic male spirituality – rooted in the Cross of Christ, the sacramental life of the Church (most especially in the Eucharist and Reconciliation), and the teachings of the late Pope John Paul II – allows men to open their hearts to love Christ more deeply and to follow him more closely as faith-filled servants of truth, goodness, and beauty”, he said.
“By doing so, we will become freer to love and more open to receive the gift of grace in response to the Lord’s call to ‘be perfect as the heavenly Father is perfect’”.
It is a message that resonates in the heart of Renato Bonasera and helped fuel his desire to bring Deacon Harold to Australia.
“He shares my passion for the revitalisation of Catholic manhood that is not anchored in political correctness, but in the original vision of man which Blessed Pope John Paul II taught and which Christian men from diverse denominations today are becoming more sensitive towards”, he shared.
“Deacon Harold will explore key models of authentic manhood from both the Old and New Testaments and relate them to unique ways in which men are made to reflect God’s image and likeness.”
Deacon Harold will deliver a two day Conference at the Newman Siena Centre, 33 Williamstown Rd in Doubleview on October 11 and 12 and a Men’s Retreat on October 13 at St Kieran’s Parish Hall, 120 Waterloo St in Tuart Hill.
For further information on both these events contact Renato Bonasera on 0428 106 481 or visit www.scta.org.au and follow the links. For further information on Deacon Harold please visit his website at www.dynamicdeacon.com.