April 2008 Breakfast Meeting - Saturday 04/12/08

Our April Catholic Men's Fellowship Breakfast on Saturday April 12 will mark the 2nd anniversary of CMF at Our Lady of Refuge Catholic Church in Long Beach California. In recognition of this milestone, the focus of the April breakfast will be an open forum on the "state of the fellowship." What does CMF mean to our parish community, to our families, and to our own personal journeys? This will be an opportunity for each of us to hear and to share how CMF has helped us over the past year, and to envision together the path that we should set for the coming year.

The speakers who have inspired and challenged us this last year include lay and religious scholars and theologians, fellow parishioners, San Pedro RegionAuxiliary Bishop Alex Salazar, former Angel pitcher Dave Frost, and of course our own Fr. Al Scott. These speakers have touched our lives in different ways. The April breakfast will provide an opportunity for us to consider together the impact that these men of Christ have had on our lives and on the life of our community. (Scroll down through this page, and checkout the archives for a full review of the past year's keynote speakers.)

It has been said that the "Open Forum Saturdays" have provided some of our best breakfast gatherings. April's breakfast should be no exception. Come prepared to be fed and to "feed" our community with your presence. Prepare yourself by meditating on the following question: How have you benefited from CMF and how can CMF benefit from your participation?

It is our belief that Catholic Men's Fellowship has been a gift and a work of the Holy Spirit here in our parish. God has blessed our parish with great pastoral leadership and a great community of men. As a member of our parish community, your input is a vital ingredient of this ministry. Answer the call, and join us as we venture forward, united with our parish family, seeking to become the people of God that our Heavenly Father has envisioned in us.

We'll see you all next Saturday! RSVP soon so that we know how much food to buy.

March 2008 Breakfast Meeting - Saturday 03/08/08

Please join us on Saturday, March 8th, for the 8:00 Mass, breakfast, fellowship, and Fr. Thomas Rausch, S.J. of Loyola Marymount University's Department of Theological Studies.

Rev. Thomas P. Rausch, S.J., Ph.D. in religion from Duke University (1976), is the T. Marie Chilton Professor of Catholic Theology at Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles. A specialist in the areas of ecclesiology, ecumenism, and the theology of the priesthood, he has published 13 books and over 100 articles. He is co-chair of the Theological Commission of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles; he is also a member of the Editorial Commission for The Tidings and serves as co-chair of the Los Angeles Catholic-Evangelical Committee.

Fr. Rausch will talk to us about understanding and living the Apostles Creed as a Catholic Man. All men are welcome, as this is sure to be a great Lenten experience. Please RSVP Steve Shanklin at 562-505-8238 or email at olrcmenf@ourladyofrefuge.org.

February 2008 Breakfast Meeting - Saturday 02/09/08

In honor of our spouses and with deep respect for the Sacrament of Matrimony, OLR Catholic Men's Fellowship is teaming up with World Wide Marriage Encounter to host an introduction to the Marriage Encounter Weekend. Ginny & Boon Hazboun will be our guest speakers, representing Marriage Encounter in the Los Angeles area. There are many couples in our parish who have benefited from this very powerful experience and many more who have not. All couples are invited to learn and to share how the Marriage Encounter movement is helping to turn good marriages into great marriages. Please join us on Saturday, February 9th, starting with the 8:00 am Mass, followed by breakfast and a presentation on the Marriage Encounter Experience. RSVP to Steve Shanklin at 562-505-8238 or email at:
sshanklin@verizon.net

January 2008 Breakfast Meeting - Saturday 01/12/08

For our January gathering, we will be hosting an open forum discussing a wide range of topics concerning our Catholic faith. The world we live in grows more complex each day. The fields of science, politics, economics, ethics and the environment present each of us with new and challenging decisions and choices which impact our lives and the lives of our families. What answers does our shared faith have for these questions? How should our Catholic faith inform our choices? Where is God in the mix? We have assembled a panel to respond to the questions you have submitted. The panel consists of Monsignor Bill, Dr. Nick De Los Reyes, and John McGlynn. This will be an open forum, which means that all of the gathered will have the opportunity to add their voices to the insights provided by our panelists. As always, we will start with Mass at 8 AM, and follow up with breakfast at 8:30 AM. Chef Lawrence will again be heading the Breakfast Crew. Come hungry, and bring some friends. Please RSVP to Steve at sshanklin@verizon.net including the number of guests you will be bringing, so that we can plan properly for food.

Christmas Greeting 2007

On behalf of our Catholic Men's Fellowship community, we would like to wish each of you a Christ-filled Christmas season. Monsignor Bill, Fr. Al, and Fr. Tom, have each reminded us that the holiday season presents an opportunity for either much anxiety or much peace. The world tells us that we need to make our Christmas gift list our central priority, which will usually create unneeded anxiety. We have been gifted with the Advent season as a means to prepare our hearts and minds for the coming of Jesus, a renewed appreciation of the "tidings of great joy," the Incarnation, which is Jesus’ saving love offered to all people and all nations. We pray that the spirit of Advent helped to distance you from the anxieties of the "holidays" and to promote the love of our God in your life through his son Jesus.

The Church calendar is masterful in knowing when we need help. Our local church community, our Scared Traditions, the Sacraments, and the Holy Scriptures offer much to help us grow closer to Christ. We hope that our group, Catholic Men’s Fellowship, has helped in your personal journey.

We gathered ten times for mass, breakfast and fellowship during 2007. Our attendance at the meetings ranged from the high 30s to the mid 50s. We had approximately 97 men from the parish that attended at least one of our gatherings and 16 men who were visiting from surrounding parishes. Our topics were designed to help us grow closer to Christ, framed within our seven core principals: be a man of Jesus, be a man for others, be a man of integrity, be a man of forgiveness and discipline, be a man of prayer and responsibility, be a man of humility and love, and be a man on a mission.

We have had some wonderful speakers, testimonies, and discussions this past year. It’s time to thank everyone involved, as this is a community effort. Also to everyone who has attended, you have been called to attend for a reason. Let us know your thoughts on where we’ve been together in 2007, and where you think we should head in 2008. Please take a moment and share how CMF has helped your spiritual life as well as ideas on how we can make 2008 even more enriching. You can do this now by clicking on the word “comments” below or you can email your comments to sshanklin@verizon.net.

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

CMF planning committee

December 2007 Breakfast Meeting - Saturday 12/8/07

This December, the whole family is invited to breakfast and to hear guest speaker, former MLB pitcher Dave Frost.

Dave pitched for the California Angels from 1978 to 1981. In 1979, his first full season with the club, he won sixteen games and helped lead the Angels to their first division championship. At the conclusion of the season he was chosen as the team’s most valuable pitcher by the Baseball Writer’s Association of America. Dave also pitched for the Chicago White Sox and the Kansas City Royals.

Upon retirement from baseball, he worked as a floor trader at the commodities exchange in Chicago. Dave has also presented seminars and training to businesses on a wide range of topics such as motivation, team building, attitude, and stress management. He has been a columnist for the Orange County Register in which he wrote a weekly feature on "sports and family issues." He has also been a frequent guest on radio talk shows discussing subjects such as life transitions, family sports issues, and athletes in crisis.

Dave received his Bachelors degree in Political Science from Stanford University. He also has a Master’s degree in Psychology from Azusa Pacific University. He and his wife, Alla, have one child and reside in Long Beach, Ca.

We will begin as usual with 8 AM Mass, followed by a fantastic family breakfast at 8:30 in the Cafeteria. Dave will speak immediately following breakfast. The event will conclude at 10:30 AM. Please RSVP to Steve at sshanklin@verizon.net including the number of guests you will be bringing, so that we can plan properly for food.

So take a break from stringing house lights, setting out the the snow domes and twinkling reindeer, and trying to find a parking spot at the mall. Faith, food & fellowship for the whole family! Bring a friend (and his family too.)

Catholic Men's Fellowship of California - Leadership Gathering

Bishop Alex Salazar, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles San Pedro Region will be the keynote speaker at the Catholic Men's Fellowship of California's Leadership Day "Walking the Walk as a Catholic Man: Taking the Next Step". The 1 day retreat will be held on Saturday November 3, 2007 at Our Lady of Refuge in Long Beach. The day will be divided into two sections: the General Session will begin with 8:00 am Mass and end at 11:20 am; the Leadership Session will start at 11:30 am and conclude at 2:00 pm. Great speakers, including Bishop Alex Salazar and Deacon Roger Faubert, live music by Pillar, small and large group discussions, and fellowship are some of the items on the agenda. Breakfast & lunch will be provided. All men are welcome. To register for the event online, CLICK HERE. For more information email OLR Catholic Men's Fellowship at olrcmenf@ourladyofrefuge.org .