The Into the Breach program is being introduced to Prince Edward Island this fall by the Our Lady of Fatima, Knights of Columbus Council #824 who had previously introduced the ‘That Man Is You‘ men’s breakfast program several years ago with good success!
The first of eight sessions will be held on Saturday, October 20, at 8:00 am in the lower level of St. Dunstan’s Basilica.
Bishop Richard Grecco will be present to help launch this important initiative and all men of the Diocese are invited.
For planning purposes, Council #824 asks that men register ahead of time by e-mailing intothebreach.pei@gmail.com or by calling (902)566-4337.
The cost for the initial breakfast is $10.00 and a donation of $5.00 for each of the other Saturday morning sessions.
A little background on Into the Breach follows.
“We live in a time of crisis for religious faith and family life that must be met by men with a heartfelt embrace of masculine virtue”. To outline the challenges we face and devise a plan of battle, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted from the Diocese of Phoenix, Arizona has written this ground breaking document, Into the Breach.
Bishop Olmsted begins his analysis with the shocking fact that 14 million Catholics nationwide (US) have left the Church in recent years, with a corresponding drop in baptisms, church weddings and other sacramental participation. There is an enormous breach in the battle line of faith that is causing disruptions in the Church and wider society. While this crisis concerns the whole Church, men in particular are missing from the battlefield of faith. Consider that men make up only about 40 percent of Mass attendees in the average parish — this is an enormous loss for the Church and for the men themselves, many of whom vainly seek fulfillment by conforming to the world’s false images of manhood.
“In this document, Bishop Olmsted calls men to something better, something great. He identifies the enemies of the faith — both spiritual and temporal — and draws up a battle plan for men to fight for their own souls and for the salvation of their families and loved ones. Here you will find a sure guide for stepping into the moral and cultural breach. Let us join our brother Catholics on the front lines and take up the battle anew, to spread the joy of the Gospel, heal the wounds within ourselves and others, and steadily transform the world”. (Exert from the Into the Breach Study Guide.)
Addressed originally to the men in his Diocese of Phoenix, it is now being made available to all Catholics by the Knights of Columbus. The Knights are pleased to partner with Bishop Olmsted in making this document more widely available and to provide an eight part reflection guide on the important issues he raises.
