Men’s conference on Nov. 10 to feature three popular speakers

By Sean Gallagher

The 2018 Indiana Catholic Men’s Conference will feature three speakers known for promoting the Catholic faith online, in writing, on television and in retreat ministry.

The speakers are Father Dwight Longenecker, a priest of the Diocese of Charleston, S.C.; Father Ben Luedke, who is a sought-after retreat master, speaker and spiritual director; and Tom Peterson, founder of VirtueMedia and Catholics Come Home.

The conference will begin at 8 a.m. on Nov. 10 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.

“We are fortunate to have such a great lineup of speakers this year that will touch on a variety of topics that will relate well with our theme, ‘Walking with Christ and the Cross,’ ” Fox said. “These three internationally known speakers will enlighten those men who attend, and I know the men will walk away excited about their faith, but also grow in their understanding of the blessing of their Catholic faith and Church.”

Registration for the conference, which is sponsored by the Marian Center of Indianapolis, is $50 per person, $45 per person in groups of 10 or more and $30 per person for deacons and students. Priests and seminarians may attend free of charge. Registration fees will increase after Oct. 29.

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

Father Todd Riebe, pastor of Christ the King Parish in Indianapolis, will be the principal celebrant and homilist for the Mass. Father Douglas Hunter, administrator of St. Roch Parish in Indianapolis, will be the master of ceremonies for the conference.

Father Longenecker was raised as an evangelical Christian before settling in Great Britain and becoming a member and later priest of the Church of England. In 1995, he and his family were received into the full communion of the Church. He was ordained a priest of the Charleston Diocese in 2006. An author of several books with an active online presence in blogging and social media, Father Longenecker is pastor of Our Lady of the Rosary Parish in Greenville, S.C.

Father Ben Luedke was ordained a priest in 1982 by St. John Paul II and has ministered in Brazil, Canada, Italy and the U.S. He is known for retreat ministry, parish missions and spiritual direction. He previously worked in the theater and credits the Blessed Virgin Mary for his conversion and his call to the priesthood.

Tom Peterson worked for 25 years as an award-winning corporate advertising executive before experiencing a profound conversion while on retreat. In response, he founded two media apostolates: the pro-life VirtueMedia and Catholics Come Home, which has reached more than 250 million viewers in the past 20 years through commercials inviting inactive Catholics and others to take a closer look at the Church today and to learn more about it. He also hosts the “Catholics Come Home” series on the Eternal Word Television Network.
 

(To learn more about the 2018 Indiana Catholic Men’s Conference or to register for it, log on to www.indianacatholicmen.com or call 317-888-0873.) †