Men’s conference features speakers with distinct conversion stories

By Sean Gallagher

The 2019 Indiana Catholic Men’s Conference on Oct. 5 will feature speakers who took three different journeys to the Church or a vocation in it.

Marians of the Immaculate Father Donald Calloway lived a wild life as a teenager and young adult before experiencing a profound conversion. He is an internationally-known speaker and author of several books on Marian spirituality, including Champions of the Rosary: The History and Heroes of a Spiritual Weapon.

Father Michael Lightner, a priest of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Wis., was an NFL prospect in college before a Marian pilgrimage set him on the path to the priesthood.

Roy Schoeman was raised as a Jew and was well‑educated in his faith. The son of Jews who fled to the U.S. from Nazi Germany, Schoeman was a member of the faculty of the Harvard Business School before experiencing what he describes as an “unexpected and instantaneous” conversion to Christianity. He has authored books on the Catholic faith, including Salvation is from the Jews: The Role of Judaism in Salvation History, and hosts a weekly Catholic radio show.

The conference will begin at 8 a.m. on Oct. 5 at the Indiana Convention Center, 100 S. Capitol Ave., in Indianapolis, and will conclude by 4:30 p.m.

Conference organizer Mike Fox, a member of St. Pius X Parish in Indianapolis, has been involved with the annual event since it began in 2006. He is excited about the speakers for this year’s gathering.

“Whoever attends our men’s conference this year will not be disappointed,” Fox said. “They will be engaged through every minute of the day. This could be one of the most, if not the most, entertaining and inspirational conferences that we will have had over the last 13 years. All three of the speakers would be considered keynote speakers at many conferences.”

There are discounted registration fees to the conference for those who purchase tickets before Sept. 24. Before that date, individual tickets are $50, $45 per person for groups of 10 people or more. After Sept. 24, tickets will be $55 for individual tickets, and $50 per person for groups of 10 or more. Tickets for students or deacons are $25 per person. Seminarians and priests may attend free of charge.

Also included in the conference will be a midday Mass at nearby St. John the Evangelist Church in Indianapolis, and lunch. Opportunities for eucharistic adoration and the sacrament of penance will also be available throughout the conference.

Father Rick Nagel, pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Indianapolis, will be the principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass. Father Michael Keucher, pastor of St. Joseph Parish in Shelbyville, will be the master of ceremonies for the conference.
 

(To learn more about the 2019 Indiana Catholic Men’s Conference or to purchase tickets, visit www.indianacatholicmen.com or call 317-888-0873.) †