2025 Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference will help men recognize, pursue their mission
Just a moment.
Sometimes, that’s all it takes.
“One powerful moment to save a life and a soul,” said Patrick Castle Ph.D., one of the keynote presenters for the 2025 Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference in Jefferson City.
“We know there are going to be many powerful moments, because when two or more are gathered in God’s name, he’ll be there,” said Dr. Castle, founder of the LIFE Runners team (liferunners.org), the largest pro-life team in the world.
The Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference will be held the evening of Friday, April 25, 2025, and on Saturday, April 26, in Cana Hall of the Cathedral of St. Joseph, 2305 W. Main St. in Jefferson City.
More than 200 men are expected to attend the conference, which will include presentations from Joe Heschmeyer, Catholic speaker, blogger and apologist for Catholic Answers (catholic.com); Father Paul Clark, diocesan director of vocations and seminarians and chaplain at Helias Catholic High School in Jefferson City; Father Anthony Viviano, pastor of St. Andrew Parish in Tipton and Annunciation Parish in California and diocesan moderator for Pro-Life Ministry; and Dr. Castle.
The Friday evening session will be from 5:30 to 8:30 p.m. It will include dinner, a presentation by Mr. Heschmeyer, and a cigar and bourbon reception.
The Saturday portion of the conference will be from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. Midday Mass will be offered. Lunch will be served, with Adoration and Confession being available during lunch.
The conference is organized by the Men of Signum Crucis, a local Catholic men’s organization focused on growth in the areas of study, devotion and service.
The April 25-26 conference is for any man who is hungering for a deeper relationship with God and the company of likeminded men of all ages.
“It will be a unique opportunity to spend time in the brotherhood of other Catholic men who bring all their different experiences to be enriched and grow in their knowledge of the faith and hopefully get inspired to go out and be the Catholic men that we’re all called to be,” said Fr. Viviano.
“Sometimes, dialogue helps us digest things in a very important way,” said Fr. Clark. “People are able to hear things that we wouldn’t hear otherwise, or a brother can give you a perspective you didn’t have before.
“To create a space where those conversations can happen — that alone is a very important aspect of this conference,” he said.
Fr. Clark is confident that the men who attend the conference will be built up and encouraged by spending time with others who are striving to be good, holy men for Christ.
“There will be encouragement to lean into our identity as men within the Church, within our culture,” Fr. Clark stated. “Christ doesn’t desire toxic masculinity. He desires a full masculinity for the men of our Church.”
In good company
Dr. Castle’s presentation will be titled, “I Met St. Padre Pio: What Is Your Sixth Wound?”
It is well known that St. Pio carried the stigmata — the wounds of Christ’s crucifixion.
Among the least-known albeit bloodiest and most painful of these was the wound on his shoulders, matching Jesus’s agony from carrying his cross.
Dr. Castle will help his audience focus on their own “sixth wound,” recognize how God has helped them carry their cross, and learn how to cooperate with God in bringing healing to that aspect of their lives.
Fr. Clark believes this conference could be especially helpful to young men who are searching for their place in the Church.
“It’s going to be this big gathering of Catholic brotherhood, and there will be people you can look up to,” he said.
“So if you’re a young man asking those questions of the Lord, as to ‘What is my path to holiness? Where are you calling me?’ — seeing husbands and fathers and grandfathers and priests and all those who are saying yes to the man that God is asking them to be — we all need that kind of inspiration,” said Fr. Clark.
“Because one day, every man is going to be required to give an accountability for himself and those who were entrusted to him,” he stated. “If we had to do that alone, yikes! But we don’t have to. We’re part of a Church, a body, and I think this event is going to make that abundantly clear.”
“Clarity and strength”
Fr. Viviano will address what many recognize as a crisis of masculinity in the Church and in society.
“To me, a big part of that (crisis) is the abdication of one’s role as leader and protector,” said Fr. Viviano. “As a husband and father, you’re supposed to be protector, guardian and leader of the spiritual life in your home.
“You’ve got to have that protector spirit, that guardian spirit, and that’s where the masculinity comes in,” he said.
To get the most out of the conference, Dr. Castle recommended cultivating an attitude of openness and acceptance.
“Surrender everything,” he said. “Just bring you. Show up vulnerable. Show up ready to receive something meaningful from God.”
He also suggested going to Confession and receiving Holy Communion ahead of time.
“Get sacramented up in advance!” he said.
Finally, he advised arriving with a mission mindset.
“Expect that you are being sent on mission and that you are going to receive your mission or reinforce the mission you already have,” said Dr. Castle.
“And, of course, pray unceasingly,” he added.
Fr. Clark noted that many men in this society don’t want to acknowledge the strong feelings God puts in their hearts at important moments.
“The Lord had feelings in this life,” the priest pointed out. “And at times like these, he stirs our hearts and prompts us to practice being a little more docile to that spirit.
“Because at a conference like this, he’s gonna’ be speaking, and he’s gonna’ be speaking with clarity and strength. So, we need to prepare to have our hearts receive that in docility.”
Sign up early
The cost per person for those who register for the conference by Wednesday, April 23, is $30 for either day, $40 for both days.
The cost is $20 for students, and free of charge for priests and seminarians.
The cost for registration after April 23 and for walk-ins is $40 per day, $50 for both days.
Visit menofsignumcrucis.com/mens-conference for more information or to register.
