Greetings parishioners! God has granted me so many blessings to share with you. Born and raised in Long Island, the ninth of eleven children, my parents were saintly but human! We belonged to the beautiful St. Agnes Cathedral Parish where I attended school, administered by the Dominican Sisters of Amityville. I played the tuba in the marching band, sang in the Men and Boys choir, and loved every minute!
In summer, I was fortunate enough to go to Camp St. Joseph’s, operated by the same joyful Dominican nuns. While there, I served as an altar boy, and this is where my conversations with God truly began. Like many aspects of my life – I learn as I go. As my relationship with God has evolved, I have learned that God loves me and you and that we are created to love Him and each other in community with our Church.
I also realized that with my loving wife and family, God gave me my very own small church; a community needing and deserving a man fully alive – someone who is in communion with God and in relationship with my neighbor.
“That Man is You” is a men’s ministry that addresses the pressures and temptations men face in our modern culture, especially those relating to their roles as husbands and fathers. The program harmonizes current social and medical science with the teachings of the Catholic Church and the wisdom of the saints to develop the vision of man fully alive!
In our Wednesday morning meetings, the Catechism is laid out so that we better understand the guardrails of our faith. With this clarity comes a challenge to acknowledge our responsibility as men of faith. To act and transform ourselves into the person God made us to be. Metanoia means to change your heart, from knowing your faith to doing your faith. Being a part of TMIY allows me to continually evolve as a Christian man, and to reflect God’s love in all that I do with my family, church, and community. Are you ready to be transformed?
Joe McElroy