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The Crux of the Matter - April 2025
- Mark Rehagen
- Apr 2
- 8 min read
Men of Signum Crucis, now that Laetare Sunday and the priests wearing rose-colored vestments have come and gone, we are able to say we’re on the home stretch in Lent during this Year of Hope (especially for those of us in Exodus 90).
Instead of being tempted to coast, I would like to encourage you to step up your Lenten disciplines a notch or two.
We see men in our culture coast across the goal line, taunting their opponents, and men hitting a homerun that barely clears the fence, tossing the bat and glaring at the pitcher, but we Men of Signum Crucis remain humble and focused.
Because, we know that we didn’t gain the victory. Jesus did. Jesus died. Then he rose from the dead.
We just try to the best of our ability to become more like him. That’s what true disciples do. That’s what true men do. That’s what Men of Signum Crucis do.
In doing so, we become the fathers, sons, nephews, uncles, grandfathers, friends that we are called to be.
Don’t coast now. Run with your head down through the finish line.
Just like Jesus did
Pope Francis (and Vocations)…
…as you know, continues to need our prayers.
Pope Francis has rebounded from dire medical issues, though his health still remains guarded.
We Men of Signum Crucis support, defend, and advocate for all men who wear the cloth, and men who are preparing to be men of the cloth. Let us pray for our seminarians, deacons, priests, bishops, and the Pope. May God bless and protect them.
Click on this link to access the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB’s) prayer for Pope Francis.
Remember that without priests and deacons there are no Sacraments. The Sacraments are our gateway to heaven. I hope you will let Father Clark know if it is your time to discern a calling to the priesthood, or if you know of a man who you think might be called to the priesthood. It is the Church’s duty to call men to consider the priesthood, and those men then discern that call, so let’s get busy mentoring and encouraging vocations in our Diocese. It would not be right for us to leave behind a Church that is not properly served by an abundance of priests in our Diocese. I am convinced that men are waiting to be called.
Registration for Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference, April 25-26, 2025
Men, the 2025 “Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference” is right around the corner, scheduled for April 25 (evening) and April 26 (day).
Click here to register yourself (and others) for the 2nd Annual Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference at Cana Hall at the Cathedral of St. Joseph here in Jefferson City.
Father Anthony Viviano, Pastor of St. Andrew Church in Tipton and Annunciation Church in California, will offer Mass for us on April 26 and will be our keynote speaker earlier that morning. Joe Heschmeyer from Catholic Answers will present twice to us–once Friday evening and once on Saturday morning. Father Paul Clark, Diocesan Vocations Director and Chaplain of Helias Catholic High School and the Men of Signum Crucis, will present on Saturday afternoon, and Pat Castle, Founder of LIFE Runners, will wrap up our Conference on Saturday afternoon.
On Saturday, we will have Adoration and Confessions as we did last year. We are working to arrange to have priests available both during the one-hour midday Adoration period, as well as before Mass.
And, once again, we will have a “Cigar and Bourbon” reception after the Friday meal–it was a big hit last year and a great way to meet many like minded great men in a casual (outdoor, weather permitting) setting.
I hope you are marking your calendar now. Make plans to come, and bring a son or a dad, or an uncle or a nephew, or a neighbor or a friend. This is an easy way to invite other men to follow you into a deeper relationship with Jesus Christ.
Let me or any member of the Planning Group know if you have any questions about the 2025 Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference.
Opportunities to Sponsor the 2025 Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference
Before you buy your ticket for the Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference, if you or someone you know is in a position to help sponsor the Conference, we have a sponsorship level just your size. Our sponsorships are packaged with tickets for the Conference. Click here for a copy of the Sponsorship Form, or see or call Donnell Rehagen, Larry Jansen, or Philip Schulte for more information.
Consecration Devotions in 2025
Man of Signum Crucis Dave Lankford is once again offering to facilitate three separate and distinct Consecrations during 2025. These are
● Consecration to St. Joseph, which started on March 31 and continues through May 1, the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker;
● Consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary, starting on July 21 and concluding on August 22, the Feast of the Queenship of Mary; and
● Consecration to Jesus in the Most Blessed Sacrament, starting on November 22 and concluding on December 25.
Thanks to each of you who has registered for one or more of these devotions. Your prayers for the Men of Signum Crucis and the spiritual depth you bring to our fraternity are greatly appreciated.
Real Men’s Websites and Resources…
Men, it’s totally amazing the number of great resources that are available to us on the web. Here are just a few for you to consider:
● The Catholic Gentleman: https://catholicgentleman.com
● The Fathers of St. Joseph: https://fathersofstjoseph.org/
● The Catholic Man Show: https://thecatholicmanshow.com/
I hope you’ll subscribe to one of these quality websites.
Also, what’s easier than turning on the radio to 88.1FM KHJR (Heart of Jesus Radio) while you have some idle time and absorbing some good Catholic teachings? Maybe it doesn’t all sink in the first time while you encounter distractions, but over time your knowledge and understanding of, and your devotion to, the faith will grow exponentially. I find that listening to the radio programs of the culture only causes us to grow in anxiety rather than solitude.
Try Catholic Radio and relax for a change–you’ll be glad you did.
40 Days for Life Prayer at Planned Parenthood in Columbia
Men, due to the decision by Planned Parenthood to once again perform abortions in Columbia, and because of a great need to fill hours of prayer on Saturday mornings, I have personally signed up to pray in front of the clinic on Saturdays from 8:00 a.m. to 9:00 a.m. between March 8 and April 13.
I have done this several times before, but never while abortions are being performed at the Columbia location.
Though I don’t know if Planned Parenthood are performing abortions at that time of the morning on a Saturday, they announced they have resumed performing abortions at that location. I can tell you that there has been traffic in and out of the parking lot by staff and clients.
Men, this is too close to home (but, then again, anywhere in America is too close to home for these activities). Now is our time to be seen and heard.
The procedure is simple: we go to the sidewalk in front of the clinic and quietly pray. My usual routine is multiple Rosaries prayed during the hour. I don’t anticipate our role will change–we don’t counsel or confront–we just pray.
If anyone would like to join me, feel free to contact me for carpooling arrangements, or just show up at 8:00 a.m. at 711 N. Providence Rd. in Columbia. If you can’t make it or just don’t feel called to that activity, please pray for an end to abortion, particularly at that hour of the week.
May God bless America.
Joseph Challenge Annual Pilgrimage in St. Louis
Men, are you looking for a challenge to honor the Patron Saint of the Men of Signum Crucis?
Look no further than the Joseph Challenge Annual Pilgrimage in St. Louis.
Plans have changed from the information that I provided in the last newsletter and at the February gathering
This year’s Annual Pilgrimage is a one-day 9.5 mile walk that will take in the Oratory of Ss. Gregory and Augustine in Richmond Heights at 8:15 a.m. for Mass (starting point), the Carmel of St. Joseph (Ladue), St. Joseph Church (Clayton,) and then return to the Oratory at approximately 2:30 p.m. The date is Saturday, May 3.
Click here to learn more about the history of this challenging event.
Prayers Requested…
Man of Signum Crucis Alan Mudd, a member of the Board of the local Salvation Army, has requested our prayers as the Board struggles to meet financial obligations to maintain aging buildings and their programs. We will hear more about this briefly at our April gathering.
The Catholic Men’s Conference of SW Missouri…
…is hosting the Southwest Missouri Leadership Summit on April 12, 2025 at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Church in Springfield. This summit is highly endorsed by Man of Signum Crucis Warren Hollrah.
The summit is being facilitated by John Edwards, the host of the Just a Guy in the Pew podcast.
Click here for more information.
Thank You, Larry Jansen!
Thank you to Larry Jansen for his thought provoking “Spirituality of Hope” message he delivered at our March gathering. I heard so many of you talk about his message afterwards.
I hope all you Men of Signum Crucis now understand even better the reason that we don’t rely on watching videos at our gatherings from a nationally, well known speaker on the Catholic faith.
Why do that when we have that expertise locally? And, wouldn’t you rather hear a live presentation from someone you know? Doesn’t this cause us to think that if he can do it, why can’t I?? Or better yet, why don’t I?
Thank you to all the laymen and priests who have inspired us at our gatherings since our inception in September 2022.
Our Next Gathering–April 16
Our presenter at our April gathering is a young man who is set to graduate from college in May, Justin Francka. Justin has been accepted to study as a seminarian for the Diocese of Jefferson City this fall. Justin will speak about “The Gift of Mission,” reflecting back on his work in the missions in India this past summer with the Missionaries of Charity. I hope you can attend.
Rosary begins at 6:00 p.m. for anyone who can arrive a bit early.
I hope to see you on April 16.
In Conclusion…
I hope each of you will bring another new man or two with you to our April 16 gathering–young or old, old or new. They’ll be glad you asked them.
We are called to be disciples, and as disciples we have a calling to spread the Gospel in whatever way we can. Bringing someone new to our monthly Gatherings is a great way to fulfill our missionary calling.
Thank you for your loyalty to the Men of Signum Crucis. Your dedication to this growing apostolate is inspiring. I pray that our gatherings help you grow in your faith each month.
Men, don’t forget to express your gratitude to your priests as often as possible. Thank them after each Mass you attend for giving you the opportunity to receive the Real Presence of Jesus himself.
And, let us never forget: St. Joseph “chose hard.” When given the choice, let’s choose to do the same.
St. Joseph, Foster Father of the Son of God, and patron saint of the Men of Signum Crucis, pray for us.
In hoc signo, vinces,
Mark Rehagen
573-680-2520
Future Events:
● April 16, 2025 (Justin Francka on “The Gift of Mission”)
● May 21, 2025 (Adoration, Confession, and Benediction)
● June 18, 2025 (David Herman, presenter)
● July 16, 2025
Mark your Calendars now
You won’t want to miss this one!