Image of God the Father

Image of God the Father

Image of God the Father

My daughter Aileen was invited to return to Ireland as a missionary with NET Ministries for a second year. The only problem was how to do this with little time and no money.

 

Aileen decided to pray at the church and ask God if he wanted her to go, and if He did she needed $1000 within 24 hours.

 

Needless to say she ended up returning to Ireland with the understanding that God had provided the signs and means to confirm that she should return.

 

After she had left and I was settling up her cell phone service and making sure there were no outstanding debts left behind, I began to reflect on what had transpired in a few short weeks.

My wife offered her the 300 Euro that we bought from her when she had returned in June.

I called a cousin who offered a standby flight to London.

I paid for her flight to Ireland, and so on. 

 

I couldn’t help thinking that this was a personal cost to me.  Then my thoughts turned to my daughter’s trust in God and reflected upon my actions and sacrifice.

 

Did it help with building that trust? 

As fathers we are called to be that reflection of God The Father for our children. Our children don’t always see what goes on behind the scenes in making things happen for them.

The problem is that we do not see clearly what God does for us all the time.  Do we have that trust in God when we are asking for His help in our daily lives?

 

We have less than a month left in this Year of St. Joseph, a man who was the reflection of God The Father for the young Jesus.

 

Let us turn to Him as a powerful intercessor as we fulfill our roles as men, husbands and fathers in the world. 

 

Let us be witnesses of this kind of loving father so that the world trusts that God is present in their lives and cares deeply for them.

Sean Lynn

Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder

Rolling Thunder

I was praying that God would use this opportunity to bring our group leaders together with a renewed direction.


Direction he gave!

Kevin Philip, Regina

“You gotta meet Sean Lynn and the God Squad.” 5 years ago, a good friend of mine encouraged me to reach out to Sean. His name was Gerald Montpetit and he was about to lead worship at our first annual men’s retreat in Regina. Our keynote speaker was the indomitable Jim “Butch” Murphy from Michigan (another excellent friend and mentor of mine–and a fantastic public speaker, FYI). I told Gerald that I wanted to host a men’s retreat and that I just had to serve a BBQ’d Pig on a Spit. Gerald said that Sean was the guy I needed to talk to.

 

Who would’ve known that 5 years later (in 2021) our small men’s ministry, Made for Greatness, would still be kickin’ around and that Sean would be rolling thunder through Regina with 5 other exceptional men to meet us–right when I needed it the most. I knew that God was calling our wee ministry to go deeper, I just didn’t know exactly how. While Sean was graciously coordinating when they were going to arrive, I was praying that God would use this opportunity to bring our group leaders together with a renewed direction.

 

Direction he gave!

 

The men from God Squad were such good men, and we had a great time together. The best, though, was their exhortation to Preach the Gospel–it was like they heard my cry to God for a clear path! They even used the same words I used in my prayer: Kerygma, Rekindle the Flame, Go Deeper with God. On a personal level, it was so cool for me to meet these exceptional men and hear God’s voice through their sharing. The Regina men who came to meet them were so impressed to hear from their God Squad brothers … as their Brothers with a shared goal: forming men into Disciples of Jesus.

 

Sean wanted me to be brief, so I’ll wrap it up with this: myself and our Regina Brothers are so grateful to have met Sean and the other men who came to Regina. We are so grateful that they rolled the Thunder of God into our hearts and into our city.

Go to Joseph!

Go to Joseph!

Go to Joseph!

What is my duty as a Catholic Christian man? That question has been on my mind for several months as we navigate this pandemic. I want to do God’s will in this situation and lead my family to Heaven, which is the end goal. If you read posts online, there is so much division about the Government’s approach to deal with rising Covid numbers. There is also division within our Church community on the approaches taken by our Bishops and priests to try and keep our churches open. I know that I have struggled with many of the decisions made by the above mentioned; the hardest one was not
being able to host my daughter and grandchildren for Christmas. Even harder is not being able to visit our newest Grandson born early December in Idaho Falls, due to the border closure!

One of the bright spots has been The Bible in A Year with Fr. Mike Schmitz, which has helped us realize that God works within the mess of life. When I contemplate the question what is my duty, Fr. Mike reads to us from Genesis 41:55 ‘When all the land of Egypt was famished, the people cried to Pharaoh for bread; and Pharaoh said to all the Egyptians, “Go to Joseph; what he says to you, do.”’ I choose to go to Joseph.

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God Squad has made the decision to make our 24th annual conference a virtual one due to the trends at this time. The theme for this year’s conference is St. Joseph: Sanctifier of the hidden life! St. Joseph can help us understand that it is not our accomplishments in the world that define who we are but like Day 2 of the novena that we do every year says: O God, you love your people and bless the ordinary lives we quietly live. As you blessed St. Joseph, bless what I do, however hidden and simple it may be, and let all I do be done with love. Leading up to the conference, we would like to encourage Consecration to St. Joseph starting on February 15th and finish on March 19th . This will aid our journey to discover God’s will in these difficult times.

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We are looking to spread across Canada by making a truly Canadian conference with speakers from across the country: Bishop Scott McCaig, Andre Regnier, Jake Khym, and our own MC Fr. Cristino! Please look for information and registration on: https://godsquad.ca/ and please invite friends and family from across our nation as we attempt to honour the patron saint of Canada, St. Joseph!

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~Sean Lynn

2020 Christmas Message

2020 Christmas Message

2020 has been quite the year!

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One of my earliest memories of the year was when I realized how blessed I am to have a group of men to turn to for prayer and support. I lost two young men that I had worked with for years; one to a drug overdose on Christmas Eve whom I visited in the hospital before he passed. The other had been shot and I was planning on visiting him in the hospital only to hear on the news as I drove into work that he had passed, and it was too late. We were busy planning our 23rd Annual Conference and within seven days we went from planning a physical conference to creating a virtual conference; thanks to the intercession of St Joseph and the great team of guys that are part of God Squad. I’m sure, like many of you, it was very difficult not being able to go to Mass and being able to visit with fellow parishioners. It was hard to park the barbecue trailer and figure out what God wanted us to do. It was during this time as I was working from home and had to make it a more comfortable setting and our daughter was turning 18-years-old so we decided to finish our basement in a Pub theme that we had envisioned years earlier. Now our daughter was able to go to a pub for her 18th birthday in our basement.

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My son, who lives in Idaho, had suggested that I do a podcast which surprised me because it wasn’t something I had considered before. Since I had a new pub, I came up with the concept of, “A Dram With Friends, where we talk about faith, family, food, and fun”. To date, I have interviewed and shared a dram with 20 different guests, including two bishops, one priest, one deacon, one seminarian, and many other outstanding people of God. Around this time, I was also asked to be a Regional Director for the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance (CMLA) with the small task of finding Catholic leaders in every diocese in Canada. It was a short time later that I was invited to be on the Board of Directors with the CMLA. So much for a quiet summer of not doing any barbecues. Things didn’t stop there. Inspired by doing the Consecration to St. Joseph earlier in the year, I was visiting the new shrine in Canmore on the way out to BC, I had the inspiration to put the Litany of St. Joseph into song for the ages. After talking to the team and Carlos Foggin (2020 Lieutenant Governor of Alberta Emerging Artist Award), the team felt this was a worthy cause to pursue. We are trusting through the intercession of St. Brother Andre that this will come to fruition as a gift to the whole church.

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We had to cancel our annual motorcycle evangelization road trip 2020, but that did not stop me from riding several thousand kilometers, including some with our good friend Father Mariusz. Richard Beaulieu, a God Squad team member, bought a motorcycle and was given a God Squad patch to ride with us. The mission of evangelization has continued through the pandemic as we facilitated two group studies called,”Activated Disciple,” and, “The Search,” which were very well received in our zoom meetings. CMLA also launched Heroicmen.com as a great resource for men seeking a closer walk with God which offers inspiration to grow in faith and integrity.

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We are planning a major fundraiser for January 16th entitled, A Dram for St Joseph in hopes to raise the necessary funds to complete the project we have envisioned. We did not expect that Pope Francis would assist by declaring “A year of St. Joseph!” I know 2020 has been an extremely difficult year and some are struggling in many ways including financially, spiritually and mentally. With the government of Alberta announcing the new restrictions at the beginning of December caused me no little amount of frustration and sadness because we had plans to have our daughter and grandkids come and visit for Christmas. Being a Police Officer, I was trying to figure out a way around it. I was praying before Mass on the third Sunday of Advent and was given the thought that Jesus Mary and Joseph spent many Christmases in isolation during their time in Egypt, away from all that was familiar to them, including their family. I understood that I should use this opportunity to offer it up for the conversion of Souls and embrace what we have been given and blessed with. Please know that we are praying for you and your families as we walk together through these difficult times.

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I have to thank many of you who have been generous donors this year to keep God Squad going. Normally we do BBQ Outreach which is able to help us pay for many of the costs associated with running the charity. I also have to thank our dedicated God Squad team, Jonathan Gibson, Deacon Stephen Robinson, Richard Beaulieu, Lorand Szoka, Stephen Cross, Joey Paul, John Paul, and Stephen Kiap, for all they do to support the mission. I would like to especially thank Tim O’Connor for his countless years of service as a director!

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I do not know what 2021 will look like but I am excited given that it is a year of Saint Joseph, who has always been part of the God Squad team. He has looked after us and provided for us and I am so excited to partake in a year in honouring him. Our 24th Annual Conference is looking like it might be a virtual one, but it may be an opportunity for us to extend across Canada due to our new partnership with the CMLA (we will figure out a way to get you your Spolumbos). We will continue to do what is needed to continue our mission to men; encouraging them, praying for them, and reaching them wherever they are.

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“Finally be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might put on the whole armour of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the devil …… therefore take the armour of God that you may be able to withstand the evil day.” (Ephesians 6:10-13)

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“For this reason I bow my knees before the Father, from whom every family in heaven on Earth is named, that according to the riches of his glory he may grant you to be strengthened with the might through his Spirit in the Inner man, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith; that you being rooted and grounded in love, may have the power to comprehend with all the saints what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ which surpasses knowledge, that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.  Now to him who by the power at work within us is able to do far more abundantly than all we ask or think, to him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen” (Ephesians 3:14-21)

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May you and your family have a blessed and Merry Christmas!

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~Sean Lynn

We are still on a Mission!

We are still on a Mission!

For it is the God who said, “Let light shine out of darkness,” who has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Christ.

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But we have this treasure in earthen vessels, to show that the transcendent power belongs to God and not to us. We are afflicted in every way, but not crushed; perplexed, but not driven to despair; persecuted, but not forsaken; struck down, but not destroyed;  always carrying in the body the death of Jesus, so that the life of Jesus may also be manifested in our bodies. For while we live we are always being given up to death for Jesus’ sake, so that the life of Jesus may be manifested in our mortal flesh. So death is at work in us, but life in you. 2 Corinthians 4:6-12


It seems dark out there as we continue to deal with COVID-19 and what it is doing to our churches. Politicians at every level in our world spread fear of the opposition’s point of view. Many of you know that I am a Caucasian, Christian, Catholic, and a Cop — which, if you listen to the world, I am the evil one incarnate. This is the world view, and if we continue to listen to the secular and social media, we would spiral down into despair, wondering if anything we’re doing is making any difference.

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We still have the mission as men of God to be a light in the darkness of this world. When you call the Police needing help, you don’t care what stands in their way to get to you. We have a mission to complete, and need to adjust our tactics to complete it. A good example of this is my local Knights of Columbus Don Bosco Council #8146 where they had to cancel the Men’s Night Out (their major fundraiser), but knew the charities they support were still in need of funding support, now, more than ever. The KofC Council shifted its focus and created a Men’s Night In Virtual Event which included a whisky tasting; the tasting was very well received and as a result, the Knights were able to raise the much needed funds to support the charities in need. This is just an example of how resiliency in faith can and does make a difference to the lives of those we reach out to. We can all do even little things in our everyday lives to evangelize those around us. A kind gesture, an encouraging word, or just a smile can make a difference for a person who may be floundering.

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Evangelization is alive and well.  Here are just some of the tools that we can employ to reach out to people who may feel isolated from their community: 

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  • Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance has launched heroicmen.com as well as the app which has great studies that are all virtual and is free to use. It is a tool that you can use to encourage yourself and other men. I know we can’t meet in the churches but we can still share our faith with others and we must!
  • I am starting the Consecration to St Joseph again, as it is a great tool. I have been reading scripture every morning after being challenged by The Activated Disciple study (Jeff Cavins).
  • I am using my whisky collection to try to reach out and encourage men with A Dram With Friends on heroicmen.com and YouTube
  • There is a summit coming up on November 21, 2020 at 10 am MST called the Catholic Fatherhood Summit that I would encourage you to invite a friend or two to join you. 

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God Squad has a couple of dates coming up that we would like you to save. First is January 16th, 2021, we are hoping to host a virtual whisky tasting fundraiser to raise funds and awareness for our St Joseph Litany project. If you have items to donate for our virtual silent auction please contact us at adram@godsquad.ca.

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Secondly, please save March 19th & 20th, 2021 for our 24th annual men’s conference which we are not sure how it will look at this time but will proceed to bring it to you!

~Sean Lynn


Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that in the Lord your labour is not in vain . 1 Corinthians 15:58

Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance – 3rd Annual Summit

Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance – 3rd Annual Summit

2020 CMLA Virtual Summit


You are invited to participate in the 2020 Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance Virtual Summit featuring Dr. Tim Gray, Fr. Larry Richards, Matthew Kelly, Fr. Rick Heilman and Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers.  The Virtual Summit will be streamed for free on June 27th from 8:00am-3:00pm (CST).  This year’s theme is Knowing and Living the Post Covid-19 New Normal.  CMLA’s Virtual Summit will be a powerful day for reflection and action.

The format for the CMLA Virtual Summit is ideal for group and individual participation.  We will begin with Mass, celebrated by Archbishop Gregory Aymond of New Orleans, and then dive deeply into relevant, thought-provoking conversations such as Being the Church of the Future Today, and The Stakes are Higher and Opportunities Greater.  The CMLA Virtual Summit will feature engaging presentations from leaders across the US, round table discussions between clergy and lay leaders, small group discussion, and session summaries.  Afternoon sessions include Building and Nurturing the New Catholic Family, and Together in Battle: Spiritual Battle Workshop.  We will close out the summit by sharing relevant resources, followed by a call to action from Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers.

We anticipate many individuals and communities of men will participate in the 2020 CMLA Virtual Summit.  We hope that we can count you among them. Click here to register.

 

Celebrating the New Year

Celebrating the New Year

“It was revealed to them that they were serving not themselves but you, in the things which have now been announced to you by those who preached the good news to you through the Holy Spirit sent from heaven, things into which angels long to look.” 1 Peter 1:12


I am late with my Christmas message so I will focus on celebrating the new year. 2019 was a very busy year for God Squad. We had an awesome conference and made a new friend, Bishop Scott McCaig, the Canadian Military Ordinariate. The barbecue season was extremely busy, going almost every weekend in May and June, and then again in September and October.  We were able to support several Stampede breakfasts and Fr Troy’s first Mass BBQ. We undertook a new challenge by organizing and painting St. Henry’s church in Southern Alberta. This was very much appreciated by the community and Bishop McGrattan. Our evangelization motorcycle tour took us all the way to Montreal and Ottawa and back. We were able to visit St Joseph’s oratory (our patron saint) then visited the Canadian Martyrs shrine (Jeff thinks they are the North American Martyrs), which was extremely moving for all. it was great to be there as Jeff Cavins experienced it for the first time and appeared to be very moved and to hear Bishop Scott preach the martyrdom of St John De Brebeuf.

 

A rest was needed which led to the reason why a Christmas newsletter wasn’t sent out.  A brand new year brings new hope and optimism. We are excited to host our 23rd annual conference coming up March 20th & 21st. For the Saskatchewan fans out there we have keynote speaker, John Chick, CFL defensive superstar. We are also blessed to have Jane Adolphe, law professor from Ave Maria University and international law expert for the Vatican where she has worked for the last 8 years. I would imagine the barbecue season will be busy once again as the requests are already starting to come in. This past weekend we did a charity gala, roasting a whole pig in -27 degree weather. We are excited to promote a new book by Fr Donald Calloway called Consecration to St Joseph. Our host parish, St. Peters, will be running the 33-day consecration prayers culminating on March 19th.  These books will be available on our website leading up to the conference if you would like to obtain a copy for yourself.

 

The God Squad would like to wish you and your family all the blessings in the new year and that you follow God’s will as you tackle everyday living, Faithfully, fruitfully and loving your family and your community.

Sean Lynn

 

Feed My Sheep

Feed My Sheep

“Simon, son of John, do you love me?” Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, “Do you love me?” And he said to him, “Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you.” Jesus said to him, “Feed my sheep.” John 21:17

 

God Squad may have taken this call literally as we have been very busy lately with BBQ Outreach. We just finished cooking and serving four Stampede breakfasts! We also did the BBQ for Fr. Troy Nguyen’s first Sunday Mass. We were able to feed 400+ after the mass as we celebrated with this dynamic young priest who will touch 1000’s of lives during his ministry. Fr. Troy shares it was the 2014 God squad conference that called him back to the seminary. Some of these are sponsored by God Squad, such as the Stampede Breakfast at the Youth Jail (last 7 years) to let them know that they are still part of the community.  Deacon Stephen Robinson was given the opportunity to say a blessing at this event, which he used to let them know that they are loved by God the Father no matter how far away they feel they are from him.  

 

We are three weeks away from our 4th annual Evangelization motorcycle ride with Jeff Cavins.  We have been able to bring a high caliber speaker like Jeff to small centers to share and encourage them. This year we will be joined by Bishop Scott McCaig as well for a portion of the ride. We will be speaking in Iowa, Southbend, Mississauga, attending Knights on Bikes world wide rally, and will be doing a pilgrimage to St Joseph’s Oratory & St Kateri and Canadian Martyrs Shrine. We will be stopping to visit Fr. Raymond Desouza and will also visit the leadership of CCO. We will be making an appearance on Bear Wozniak’s show the “Long Ride Home” during the trip as well.

 

I was remembering past speaker, Dave Durand, who used the analogy of spinning plates at the same time. Sooo . . . I would like to turn this years trip into a fundraiser to help God Squad support more initiatives and future projects. This year alone God Squad sponsored CCO Rise Up conference in Calgary, CWL National Convention, $500 Seminarian support, offering silent auction prizes, Fr. Troy’s First Mass, supplying food for Elizabeth House to have a BBQ for past and present clients, and several Stampede breakfasts including the youth jail. We will be feeding the volunteers painting St Henry’s near Twin Butte. We are looking at creating more video content and building capacity for BBQ outreach. Our equipment is 8 years old and holding up well but we have had 3 events where we are feeding over 800 people and may need to obtain a larger smoker. I am planning on getting a couple of Iron Butt designations at the start of this year’s ride (to outdo Jeff who got one last year on the way home). I will be riding from Calgary to Des Moines IA in 36 hrs, which is just over 1500 miles.

 

This years trip will be over 8368kms, or 5200 miles. We are hoping to take prayer requests along the way and set up a map to track our progress on our website, and hopefully post prayer requests.  I always ask St Joseph to provide and protect everything God Squad does, and as such we will be starting a novena for the trip on Aug 4th. I would like to encourage you to join us in praying the novena and if you can pledge an amount to help us raise funds. $.01/ per km or mile for the Iron butt challenge, or the entire trip, or a flat amount. There may be some of you that can do $1 per/km which would get us a lot closer to upgrading some of our equipment. I have always trusted Jesus with the intercession of St. Joseph to provide what we need to complete our mission.

 

Have a Blessed and Happy Summer!

Sean Lynn

We’re on a Mission for God!

We’re on a Mission for God!

We’re on a Mission for God!

 

As a very young man, one my favorite movies was “The Blues Brothers” in which they had the famous line “We’re on a mission for God’. There was nothing that was going to stop them from completing their mission. I am getting excited about leaving in a few days to go on our 3rd annual ride with our good friend Jeff Cavins. As I begin to pack, one the items that I wear when i ride is my God Squad vest. As of January this year the vest became a 3rd class relic when it touched the hand of St Francis Xavier. My hope is that some of the zeal that St Francis X had for sharing his faith will be instilled in myself and the group as we travel to our stops this year. We pray that Jeff will be inspired to share a message of encouragement to those who attend the talks along the way.

 

With recent allegations against high ranking church officials we need to work harder to be the reflection of Christ within the world. I was a young police officer and I remember all too well trying to arrest a black youth who had assaulted a police officer. We were on the ground fighting with 70 other young people encircling us yelling, “This isn’t LA!”. They were referring to the recent headlines about Rodney King being beaten by a few officers. I was a young police officer in Calgary and had nothing to do what had happened in LA, yet many were trying to suggest that I was because I wore a uniform. In the same way, as Catholics, many will label the Church with the sins of a very few; all the more reason we need to be on fire for our Church and show the love of Christ to all who we meet. (1 Peter 14-16) But even if you do suffer for doing what is right, you are blessed. Do not fear what they fear,[a] and do not be intimidated, 15 but in your hearts sanctify Christ as Lord. Always be ready to make your defense to anyone who demands from you an accounting for the hope that is in you; 16 yet do it with gentleness and reverence.[b] Keep your conscience clear, so that, when you are maligned, those who abuse you for your good conduct in Christ may be put to shame. An example of this is when I saw one of the young men I had worked with walking on the street and I offered him a ride, which he gladly accepted. In the past we had had many discussions on the Black Lives Matter movement and police relations. He very much enjoyed these conversions. On this day he jumped in the back and with a laugh and said, “Ain’t karma a bitch”. He was referring to the very recent killing of 5 Dallas police officers, indicating that they got what they deserved. A normal reaction would be to get upset and kick him out of the car and write him off. I was given the graces to stay cool and the wisdom to put it into perspective for him. I simply asked him “What if one of those 5 was me?”, to which he went silent for a moment and replied “I would have to take that bastard out”. We had built a relationship that had transgressed the problems that the world says a white police officer and a young black man should have.

 

We are all called to be on a mission for God and we need to recognize the things in our life that impede us from completing ours. Our missions can be very small, such as washing the dishes for our family. My mission for the 10 days is to fly the God Squad colors over 6100+ kms and be the best disciple of Christ I can.
 
Sean Lynn
 
P.S please join us as we pray the Novena to St. Joseph starting on Aug 6th . I am also looking for some young men to interview for an upcoming project that I believe the God Squad has been called to take on. Email info@eyf.hjy.mybluehost.me for more information or to volunteer to participate in this project.

2019 Annual Men’s Conference

2019 Annual Men’s Conference

Be not Afraid; To be a Saint

This Year’s Conference is March 15-16th.

Conference Schedule

 

 

Bishop Scott McCaig CC
 
Bishop Scott McCaig CC, is from Kamloops, British Columbia, Canada. He entered into full communion with the Catholic Church in 1987, and after serving with NET Catholic Youth Ministries USA joined the Companions of the Cross in 1989 in Ottawa. He obtained an undergraduate degree in History from Carleton University, a Bachelor’s degree in Sacred Theology from the University of St. Paul, and a Masters of Divinity degree from the University of Toronto (Toronto School of Theology). He was ordained to the priesthood in 1995 by Archbishop Marcel Gervais. He has served as an Associate Pastor, Parish Administrator, Hospital Chaplain, and Director of Formation for the Companions of the Cross from 200 to 2006. He served two terms as General Superior of the Society from 2006 to 2016.
 
Bishop Scott serves on the Board of Renewal Ministries Canada and has participated in missionary outreach to over 15 countries in Africa, Eastern Europe, and Southeast Asia. He also serves on the Board of Catholic Christian Outreach and is involved in the spiritual formation of the members of the movement. He regularly assists with training of missionaries with NET Ministries of Canada and is a co-Chaplain to the Spiritual Motherhood of Priests Apostolate in Ottawa.
 
Jeff Cavins
 
Jeff Cavins is recognized nationally and internationally as a dynamic Bible teacher who can take complex theological concepts and make them practical for everyone.
 
After twelve years as a Protestant pastor, Jeff returned to the Catholic Church under the guidance of Bishop Paul Dudley.
 
Over the past several years, Jeff has dedicated his life to developing The Great Adventure Bible Studies, an extremely useful, practical and color coded interactive Bible study system.  This system enables students to understand the chronological flow of Scripture, following salvation history. To date, more than 2,200 Great Adventure studies have been conducted helping hundreds of thousands of Catholics and other Christians learn Sacred Scripture in a practical way.
 
Jeff is founding host of EWTN’s Life on the Rock and his conversion story is found in the best-selling book, My Life on the Rock: A Rebel Returns to the Catholic Faith. He is also the author of I’m Not Being Fed! Discovering the Food the Satisfies the Soul and he is co-editor of the Amazing Grace series of books, which feature stories concerning faith, hope, healing, inspiration and humor that strengthen the spirit and nourish the soul.
 
Jeff received an MA in Theology from Franciscan University of Steubenville. He is currently the Director of the Archbishop Harry J. Flynn Catechetical Institute based
in St. Paul, Minnesota.  Jeff resides with his wife, Emily, and their three daughters in Minnesota
 
 

March 15th and 16th, 2019 at St. Peter’s Parish, Calgary, AB.

Doors open at 6pm on Friday, 7:30am on Saturday.

Special Student rates. Priests and Deacon’s may attend at no cost!

Financial assistance is available – please contact us

 

2017 Annual Men’s Conference

2017 Annual Men’s Conference

 

Our annual Men’s Conference this year is March 17-18th

Conference Schedule

 

An invite from God Squad's Chaplain, Fr. Jonathan Gibson

 

 

Featured Speakers at this year’s conference:

Steve Wood

Steve Wood has led youth, campus, and pro-life ministries. A graduate of Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, he served as an Evangelical pastor for a decade before his entire family converted to Catholicism in 1990. Responding to a challenge from Pope John Paul II to strengthen families, he started the Family Life Center International in 1992. Over the past fifteen years, the Family Life Center has networked with thousands of families in over 68 countries.Steve is also the founder of St. Joseph’s Covenant Keepers, a movement that seeks to transform society through the transformation of fathers and families. Utilizing his books Christian Fatherhood & Legacy, CDs, television, radio, and conferences, Steve has reached tens of thousands of men in the USA, Canada and overseas with a message of Christian faith and responsibility. He is the host of the live Faith and Family broadcasts on EWTN worldwide radio, as well as the host of The Carpenter Shop, a show for men on EWTN television.Steve has also written two books: The ABCs of Choosing a Good Husband and The ABCs of Choosing a Good Wife to assist young adults in choosing a lifetime partner and preparing for marriage.Steve and Karen Wood have been married twenty-nine years and are the parents of eight children.

Damon Owens, international speaker and evangelist, is the founder and executive director of Joy To Be (joyTOB.org) a new 501(c)(3) non-profit ministry of Stewardship: A Mission of Faith centered on St. John Paul II’s Theology of the Body. Following four-years as the first executive director of the Theology of the Body Institute, he served as Chairman of the 2016 International Theology of the Body Congress. He previously founded Joy-Filled Marriage New Jersey, and New Jersey Natural Family Planning Association, non-profit organizations dedicated to building a marriage culture through training, seminars, and conferences. Damon and his wife Melanie taught Natural Family Planning (NFP) for 14 years, and served as NFP Coordinators for the Archdiocese of Newark (NJ).
A Certified Speaker for the Theology of the Body Institute, National Trainer for Ascension Press, and presenter at the 2015 World Meeting of Families, Damon keeps a full international speaking schedule at conferences, marriage seminars, universities, high schools, seminaries, and parishes on the good news of marriage, sexuality, Theology of the Body, Theology of the Family, adoption, and NFP. Damon currently lives outside Philadelphia with his wife Melanie and their eight children.

 

Jon Courchene

Jon Courchene is originally from Lanigan, Saskatchewan. After graduation Jon spent four years doing various types of youth ministry, including two years as a Deanery Youth Ministries Coordinator in the Diocese of Prince Albert. With a renewed desire for retreat ministry, Jon joined FacetoFace Ministries in 2007. After completing a Bachelors degree in Social Work, Jon began working full time with FacetoFace. He is now the Executive Director and co-leads the FacetoFace School Retreats.

 

March 17th and 18th, 2017 at St. Mary's Cathedral, Calgary, AB.

Doors open at 6pm on Friday, 7:30am on Saturday.

Special Student rates. Priests and Deacon’s may attend at no cost!

Financial assistance is available – please contact us

 

Divine Mercy Novena

dmj
dmj
Please join the God Squad in praying this Novena that begins on Good Friday and ends on the Sunday immediately following Easter.
 
Jesus asked that the Feast of the Divine Mercy be preceded by a Novena to the Divine Mercy which would begin on Good Friday. He gave St. Faustina an intention to pray for on each day of the Novena, saving for the last day the most difficult intention of all, the lukewarm and indifferent of whom He said:
 

“These souls cause Me more suffering than any others; it was from such souls that My soul felt the most revulsion in the Garden of Olives. It was on their account that I said: ‘My Father, if it is possible, let this cup pass Me by.’ The last hope of salvation for them is to flee to My Mercy.”

 

In her diary, St. Faustina wrote that Jesus told her:

 

“On each day of the novena you will bring to My heart a different group of souls and you will immerse them in this ocean of My mercy … On each day you will beg My Father, on the strength of My passion, for the graces for these souls.”

 
 

Day 1  | Day 2  |  Day 3  |  Day 4  |  Day 5  |  Day 6  |  Day 7  |  Day 8  |  Day 9

 

Feast of Divine Mercy