Rochester — When Danny Abramowicz speaks, men listen.
After all, as a former NFL assistant coach and player, Abramowicz knows how to command an audience. These days, however, the former New Orleans Saint has been coaching Catholics more than football players.
Abramowicz, part of the EWTN show “Crossing the Goal” — along with Peter Herbeck, Curtis Martin and Brian Patrick — brought his boisterous, in-your-face coaching style to Oakland University’s O’rena on April 21 for the annual archdiocesan Catholic Men’s Conference.
And as is his penchant, Abramowicz didn’t let his men off easy. The former coach spoke passionately to the nearly 750 in attendance about the temptations men face and the need to rise above them.
Abramowicz compared the situation of today to Jesus’ temptation by the devil in the wilderness.
Abramowicz said Jesus stayed firm in following the Father’s will, but that didn’t discourage the devil.
“But you know what the devil said then?” Abramowicz asked. “He said ‘I’ll be back at a more opportune time.’
“Guess who he’s talking about?” the former coach said, loud enough to short the microphone. “Us!”
“Guys, who the (heck) do we think we are? What do you think we’re dealing with here?”
Abramowicz said confession — which was available throughout the conference with priests off to the side of the arena — is the key to beating temptation, especially of the sexual variety.
“You go to a shrink, you gotta pay them money. You go to confession, you can dump it all on these guys (the priests) and you don’t gotta pay them anything,” Abramowicz said to a laugh.
“Go to confession, today,” he said.
The conference also featured talks by Herbeck and Martin, who emphasized the need for men to evangelize other men.
Martin said friendship is the first step to evangelizing, and compared being a faithful Catholic with marriage.
“If you’ve been friends with someone for five years, and your friend doesn’t know you’re married, then you either don’t have a very good friendship or you don’t have a very good marriage,” he said.
He said men can share their faith just by talking about their lives, not necessarily by proselytizing. If your faith life is active, it will show, Martin said.
“Without this last piece (evangelization), we really aren’t living the faith Jesus intended for you and for me,” he said.
Frequently addressed by the speakers was the current HHS mandate controversy. Al Kresta, president of Ave Maria Radio (990-AM) and host of “Kresta in the Afternoon,” urged men to stand up and fight against it.
“Imagine as a father someone coming into your house and commanding you to do something you have taught your children ought never to be done,” Kresta said. “For the first time in the history of our Church in this country, we are being commanded to do something in direct contradiction with what we have taught.”
It was a sentiment echoed by Martin and apparently shared by many in the audience.
“I don’t care who you voted for last time, but you’ve gotta vote for the Catholic Church this time,” Martin said to loud cheers and a standing ovation.
The conference also featured a live band and a question-and-answer session with the panel. Auxiliary Bishop Michael Byrnes also celebrated Mass before the conference, and co-founder Paco Gavrilides urged men to find men’s Catholic fellowship groups to join.
Many in the audience expressed their appreciation for the speakers’ honesty.
“All of the speakers believed what they were talking about,” said Andrew Nalepa, a parishioner at St. Daniel Parish, Clarkston. “They weren’t trying to get you to buy into something they themselves weren’t following.”
Gordon Stack of St. Raphael Parish, Garden City, agreed. “Everything really hit home,” he said. “That’s what you’ve got to hear once in a while to reaffirm your Catholicism.”
Deacon Ken Nowicki of Immaculate Conception, Ira Township, had a list of adjectives to describe the speakers’ enthusiasm.
“Motivational, challenging, upsetting, stimulating,” the deacon said, adding that more men should become involved in their faith. “It was inspiring to see the message encouraging men to be faithful Catholic men, men who experience life and talk about their own life experiences and conversions through the transforming power of the Holy Spirit to continue the mission of Jesus.”
Mike Stechschulte, managing editor of The Michigan Catholic, attended the men’s conference with his father and a friend. To read Mike’s personal take on the experience, in addition to his notes here, visit www.themichigancatholic.com.
