ERIC MAHL
The amazing faith journey of a former NFL player and a closing Mass with Bishop Robert P. Deeley are among the events planned for the 2017 Catholic Men’s Conference at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on 307 Congress St. in Portland on Oct. 28. All Catholic men ages 16 and older are welcome to attend.
“We come together, in this conference, to celebrate our faith and our fraternity, our strength that we give to each other,” said Bishop Deeley. “Jesus, remember, sent out his disciples two by two. He didn’t send them out one by one. We come to know Jesus through one another. We come to meet Jesus in the help that we give to one another. We come to meet Jesus in the help we receive.”
The conference will begin at 8:30 a.m., with same day registration starting at 7:30 a.m., and the event will conclude with a 4p.m. Mass celebrated by Bishop Deeley. Presenters will include Fr. Steven Cartwright of Prince of Peace Parish in Lewiston, who will speak about eucharistic adoration and his vocation story, and William Martel of Good Shepherd Parish in Saco, who will discuss evangelization in the workplace.
The keynote address will be given by Eric Mahl, who played professional football for the Cleveland Browns and the New York Jets but longed to live a life centered on his faith. He says he didn’t have the courage to step away from the sport, so he prayed that he would be cut. In 2005, only ten minutes after praying before the Blessed Sacrament, he got his wish. He says, even though it was what he wanted, the news still brought him to tears. Soon, however, he says he felt a tremendous sense of freedom. He got a job that required less of his time so that he can devote more of it to the Lord and spreading the message of Christ’s divine mercy.
“I was so thankful for God giving me so much: a great family, a great job, the ability to embrace my faith more completely. At one point, I prayed, ‘Lord, what can I give you in return?’ I felt him respond, ‘Give me everything,’” said Mahl.
The cost to attend the conference is $50 in advance and $60 at the door. There is a special price of $30 for teens and young adults ages 16-22.
For more information about the conference, to register, or to view a video welcome from Eric Mahl, visit portlanddiocese.org/mens-conference-2017.
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