‘Into the Breach’

LONG VALLEY  A small group of Catholic men have been taking time out of their busy lives to learn how to “suit up” as warriors for Christ, as part of “Into the Breach,” a weekly virtual video-and-discussion series, produced by the Knights of Columbus and the Diocese of Phoenix, Ariz.

About 15 men of faith have been gathering on a weekly videoconference to discover the spiritual weapons that they need — including Jesus’ love, the Gospel, and an “authentic masculinity” — to defend the Church against the secular elements in society that have gained in attacking religion and eroding traditional beliefs about family, gender, and sexuality. They are also learning how to conduct a rescue mission for those missing in action: many of the 14 million baptized Catholics who have left the Church in the past decade and are no longer practicing the faith.

Men from Long Valley, the Diocese, and beyond are invited to join the 60- to 90-minute sessions, which start at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesdays and will run until June 15.

Moderating the series is John Creamer, faith-formation director and head of seminarian support for the Long Valley Knights of Columbus, which has been sponsoring the men’s participation in “Into the Breach.” Before each meeting, the men watch a 12-minute video about that night’s topic on the program’s website, https://www.kofc.org/en/campaigns/into-the-breach.html, so they can engage in a deep discussion during the session. So far, they have explored the topics of authentic masculinity, brotherhood, and leadership. The Knights council serves the three parishes of the township: Our Lady of the Mountain (OLM), St. Luke, and St. Mark.

“We face many challenges in this increasingly secular world,” said Creamer, an OLM parishioner and married father of one adult child. He said that society has moved away from the “fundamentals of our culture,” including the belief that God made humans exclusively male or female in his image and that he had designated marriage as a union only between a man and a woman. “Today, there are attacks on masculinity. There is less participation in our parishes, especially among men, caused in part by the pandemic. Through this series, I want to learn how to engage people on issues of Church and society that are important,” he said.

The “Into the Breach” series comes to the rescue for these participants, who started the program on April 27. It has been helping them — and men across the United States — become aware of their role and responsibilities for their families and our faith communities. The series covers topics that also include fatherhood and family, prayer, suffering and life, sacramental life and spiritual warfare, and the “ultimate goal” — leading people to Christ and, by extension, to heaven, according to the program materials.

During the first session on April 27, many participants expressed concern over the decline in participation in the Church, especially among men. Some men described their own religious backgrounds, their families and their children, who run the spectrum — from faithful, practicing Catholics to atheists. They agreed that “getting them back to the faith” would require open and respectful dialogue without “pushing them too hard” and prayers to the Holy Spirit.

In the first session, Deacon Jim Jones, who is married and serves OLM and St. Mark’s, said in the first session, “while realizing how important livestreaming was, the Mass has lost something over TV, during the pandemic.

“I’ve heard from people who say they have gotten comfortable watching Mass at home, perhaps they have the Mass on while having a meal or doing something else and it’s convenient for them. Some of them have forgotten the importance of actually attending Mass,” said Deacon Jones. Later, he told The Beacon, “People had been falling away from the Church even before COVID-19. We are fighting to get them back. By not coming to Mass, they are missing the Sacraments, praying with others as a faith community, and fellowship,” he said.

Before the sessions, the men watch a professionally produced video that features arresting visuals and dramatic music and contains commentary and observations from many prominent Catholic thought leaders, including Dr. Scott Hahn and Father Mike Schmidz. Some of the material draws inspiration from the faithful example of St. Joseph, Jesus’ foster father and head of the Holy Family — perfect for the Year of St. Joseph. The sessions in Long Valley are not cumulative; the men can jump in and out of the series at any time, Creamer said.

In the video for the first session, the men learned from presenters, such as Father Burke Masters, director of adult formation for the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., about authentic masculinity, which he described as “the call to lay down our life for our bride.

“For married men, that’s for your wife and children. For priests, I lay down my life for my bride, the Church, and for all my spiritual children,” Father Masters said.

The series is inspired by Ezekiel 22:30 — “And I sought for a man among them who should build up the wall and stand in the breach before me for the land” — and “Into the Breach: An Apostolic Exhortation to Catholic Men,” by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted of Phoenix in 2015.

“The discussions have been lively and honest. The men have concerns about what we are all facing: the decline of faith and the rise of secularism, and how they impact our parishes and families,” Creamer said afterwards.

Impressed with the diversity of the group of men, Deacon Jones said, “I appreciate that they are sharing their experiences. It’s sometimes hard for men to share. I identify with some of their kids, because I fell away from the Church, before I realized that I need that connection to my faith and came back.”

Another participant, Michael Leyden, a member of the Long Valley Knights and a District Deputy for the N.J. Feder­ation of the Knights, said he has been thinking about the quiet example of his father, Frank, who died of COVID-19 last year.

“My father was a man of few words. I learned from him that it is not what you say, but it is your actions. I miss his few words now,” said Leyden, a married father of three grown children, who “did well in all things, including personally and professionally,” and grandfather of one. “Through this series, I want to be re-educated about what I already know about my Catholic faith, so I can be more comfortable about who I am as it relates to the Church, when questions are asked,” he said.