By John Rohlf
The Message assistant editor
St. John the Baptist Parish in Newburgh welcomed Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers at their 2024 Men’s Conference.
A powerful and passionate evangelist and speaker, Deacon Burke-Sivers delivered two talks to those in attendance at the Men’s Conference. During his first talk, Deacon Burke-Sivers focused on many topics, including why young people are leaving the church. He said the path to taking back the culture is strong men for strong families and strong families for a strong church.
“It has to start with us,” Deacon Burke-Sivers said. “Every man in this room committed to being the man who God created and calls you to be. To be sitting at the foot of Jesus in your right mind. That means you have to think with the heart and mind of the church. Not with the heart and mind of moral relativism.”
Deacon Burke-Sivers said men get their spiritual mandate on page two of the Bible in the Book of Genesis to serve, protect and defend. This is the mission, vocation, calling and purpose for existing given to Adam in the Book of Genesis.
Deacon Burke-Sivers stressed men must see themselves on the cross, in just the way Jesus broke himself open and poured himself out in love for us.
“We are called to break ourselves open and pour ourselves out for our wives and children, for the church, your priests and for this culture,” Deacon Burke-Sivers said. ”We are the ones that set the tone. We are the ones who set the example. But what’s happened? We’ve become Adam. We sit there with the dumb remote control in our hands and we flip through the channels.”
Deacon Burke-Sivers charged the men in attendance to ask themselves what God sees when he looks at their hearts and whether he can see himself. He said while everyone is a sinner in need of God’s mercy, if someone has a heart for God, then God will do amazing things with their life.
Deacon Burke-Sivers challenged those in attendance what in their life is their “Goliath,” what in their life has them scared so much they are stuck. He asked what is the “Goliath” they need to defeat in their lives as men.
“You’re stuck exactly where you are right now in your walk with God,” Deacon Burke-Sivers said. “You’re not growing in your marriage. You’re not growing in your relationship with your kids. You’re not coming any closer to God. You’re stuck in your job and you can’t take it to the next level. And when we get stuck, we get comfortable. And we’re a little bit too comfortable right now as men.”
In addition to a pair of presentations from Deacon Burke-Sivers, participants were also given the opportunity to attend Mass. The Sacrament of Reconciliation was also offered to the attendees.