Each Wednesday, 50-60 men gather in the parish hall of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish, Ventura. A team of men prepares breakfast in the kitchen and a core team meets first to go over material for the morning's That Man Is You meeting - all before 5:30 a.m.
As the rest of the Men's Ministry group arrives, breakfast is eaten, an opening prayer is said, announcements made, the topic of the day is introduced and a video is watched. The men discuss the central topic of their meeting and share their personal reactions in small groups.
Under the direction of Aaron Barta, "TMIY" --- part of Men's Ministry at Assumption Parish --- is vital to a large number of these men as they share what is happening in their lives, marriage, work and other important issues.
"A lot of these men say they were cafeteria Catholics when they first came to this group," says Barta. "Now they say that they understand what the Church means and they've been transformed to love the Church.
"For most of the men they've understood the whats, but not the whys. Without the Church guiding us it is easy to fall in with the culture and what it is saying to us. The hard part is what makes it so good. When we sacrifice together, we bond."
Dan Boroquez, who works for the U.S. Navy in Port Hueneme, finds tremendous value in TMIY. "In church we just see each other in the pews," says Dan. "This way we get to meet, talk and share. It has brought a sense of camaraderie. We have guys dealing with family, work issues - just life. TMIY has been a benefit for all of us."
Adds Jose Gutierrez, as he dries pans in the kitchen: "I wish more parishes had TMIY for men because it's needed. Families and fatherhood are in crisis. Just look at the newspapers."
That concern for families and community is a special mission of Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. Father Steve Davoren, pastor, says his parish has placed a priority on serving the family and in turn the community. "Anyone arriving at the parish is embraced and loved, experiencing the living Christ," says Father Steve.
The priority was determined after a parish retreat led to a conscious decision to use "stewardship" as a way of life in parish actions and decision making, rooted in five focal points --- hospitality, community of prayer, service, evangelization and education --- against which every parish ministry is asked to measure itself.
The names of the ministries offer a clue: Youth and Family Ministry, Women's Ministry, Men's Ministry, Adult Spiritual Life. "I just love it here," says Father Steve. "The people inspire me. It's family and it's a joy to work with these families."
At Assumption every family is partnered with another to foster faith in the home --- no small feat, with more than 3,000 families. A result of such partnering within the parish is families reaching out to each other and those outside the parish. Last summer, parishioners built homes in Tijuana, while 16 inner-city young people were flown to Assumption from Steubenville, Ohio, to live with families for a week. Visiting youth learned how to surf, hiked in Sycamore Canyon, and traveled to San Diego with LifeTeen. Another group of 16 parish young people went to Nicaragua to help families.
These efforts are overseen by director of stewardship Veronica Marchese, who also oversees Women's Ministry --- retreats for women, Bible study, speaker nights and social activities, with evangelization a by-product. Women also meet for yoga and guided prayer meditations; some pray the rosary during yoga. Prayer Shawl Ministry is the service component of Women's Ministry.
Living Matrimony, a ministry meeting four or five times a year, is likened to "a wedding reception without dancing" for engaged and married couples, with dinner, speaker and babysitting. This allows small faith communities to empower couples to bring the faith into their home life, to empower them to use their spiritual authority to bring the family closer to Jesus. Each gathering of Living Matrimony averages 175-200 people of all ages, predominantly the 30- to 45-year-old couples.
"You have to have a variety of things for people and allow the Holy Spirit to be expressed in as many ways as possible," says Marchese. "Assumption is a place where people can come and find hope and connection. I think people feel supported and empowered here. People are listened to and heard. The hospitality is great, and people know they are going to be welcomed and fed spiritually, too." |