PROVIDENCE —The day after the feast of St. Joseph the Worker, nearly 200 laymen from across the diocese gathered at St. Augustine Church in Providence to reflect on how to become a better husband, father, son, and man of God, just like St. Joseph was. The opportunity was made possible through the 16th annual Men of St. Joseph International (MOSJI) men’s conference.
Attendees attended Mass, were treated to breakfast and lunch, and took part in small group discussions following three talks provided by St. Augustine’s pastor, Father Christopher Mahar; Dennis Sousa, director of the diocesan Office of Family, Youth, and Young Adult Evangelization for the Diocese of Providence; and Bishop Bruce A. Bishop Lewandowski, C.Ss.R.
Bishop Lewandowski started his talk by asking the audience who they were, where they’re from, and what they do. Most people answered with their name, the town they drove from, and their occupation. But the bishop said that those things are only the right answer in an earthly context. When it comes to their spiritual lives, he proposed that men need to start answering that they’re a child of God when it comes to who they are, that they’re actually from heaven, and that what they really do is lift up other people.
“There are some things that we should never forget,” Bishop Lewandowski said. “And how important it is that we remind each other that we’re God’s beloved sons, that we’re made for heaven, and the more that we focus on others and help lift them up, we find ourselves lifted high, sharing in the life of Christ.”
John Olobri is one of the main organizers for the Rhode Island chapter of MOSJI and has been affiliated with the organization for many years. He said he appreciated Bishop Lewandowski’s topic because, from his perspective, most men today are told that the greatest men are the ones who do it all themselves. That has caused a lot of men to be reluctant to share their faith in Jesus.
Olobri added that this problem is exactly what MOSJI aims to solve. There are small faith groups affiliated with them in many parishes across the diocese where men simply show up, read scripture, pray together, and share their faith. Just knowing that they’re not the only believer can be a great way for men to build their confidence and to reconnect their work on earth to that of God.
Olobri said that the theme for this year’s conference was based on John 14:12 where Jesus says, “Whoever believes in me will do the works that I do.”
“Much like the Bishop mentioned, we have a lot of power that
we’ve been given through God, and we need to use that to do his work, to expand the kingdom, to bring more people to the Lord,” Olobri said. “The Lord has done a lot of great things, but we have the capability to do it if we put our mind to it and our heart to it.”
The MOSJI is categorized as a Catholic laymen’s organization that grew out of the charismatic renewal movement. According to their constitution and bylaws, the organization was founded from a desire to share with Catholic men “the fruit experienced through the Roman Catholic Church and charismatic renewal.”
St. Augustine’s website explains that MOSJI is especially active in the Diocese of Providence. In 2012, then-Bishop Thomas Tobin formally approved the organization as an “association of the lay faithful” under Canon Law. That diocesan recognition was a major milestone because it officially established the group within the structure of the Catholic Church.
MOSJI’s website says that their spirituality is heavily centered on St. Joseph as a model for men, brotherhood and accountability among men, personal conversion, scripture reflection, openness to the Holy Spirit, and strengthening family and parish life. Their bylaws repeatedly emphasize “vital relationships,” meaning relationships with Christ, with other men, and with family members. The group says its purpose is to help transform men “as individuals, brothers, fathers, and parishioners by living according to God’s Word.”
Along with parish small groups and the annual conference, MOSJI also hosts retreats, days of reflection, healing and evangelization events, and eucharistic-centered gatherings.
If you’re interested in learning more or becoming a MOSJI member, visit mosji.org. You can email a membership form via donturbitt@gmail.com or mosji72@gmail.com, or you can mail it to Men of St. Joseph International, 218 Paris Irons Road, Glocester, RI, 02814.
