Men's Conference moves to Rhodes Arena

"Answer the Call," the annual conference of the Catholic Men's Fellowship, is moving to Rhodes Arena on the University of Akron campus this year because the last one at Hoban High had the largest attendance in ten years of conferences. Around 1,000 men attended last year. The conference will be Saturday, April 2, 2011

Registration for the conference will begin in December. Although costs will be up, the registration fee will remain at $30. Parish groups will pay $20 each for ten or more. Student registration is $15 and there is no fee for religius.

Speakers this year will include Deacon Ralph Poyo and Doug Barry. The closing Mass will be celebrated by Bishop Roger W, Griess of the Cleveland Diocese or Bishop George Murry of the Youngstown Diocese.

Deacon Ralph Poyo was born to his Colombian mother, Connie, and his Cuban father, Jose, in Cali, Colombia. They came to the United States in 1965 and spent a few years in Atlanta, Georgia before settling in Miami, Florida. It was in high school in Miami that he met his future wife, Susan, and after five tears of dating, they married in 1984. They now have five beautiful daughters. After graduating from Taylor University with a B.A. in Scripture, Ralph first set out to work in the Lord’s vineyard by serving in Miami Youth for Christ as a trained evangelist. After serving the youth in Miami he spent eight years within the St. Louis community, he moved his young family to Raleigh, North Carolina where he took on the youth ministry position at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church. Seven years later, he became the Director of Faith Formation at St. Luke the Evangelist Parish in North Raleigh, the position he held until his recent move to Steubenville, Ohio. Also during this time, Ralph was ordained to the permanent deaconate for the Diocese of Raleigh in November of 2005.

Doug Barry is the founder and director of the Catholic apostolate RADIX, as well as a husband and father. Since 1992 he has traveled throughout the United States along with journeying to several other countries, spreading and defending the Catholic faith. With a dynamic and explosive style Doug has spoken to thousands, young, old alike, through television, radio, and live appearances. He is best known for his powerful one-man performance of the Passion of Christ, seen regularly on EWTN and other Christian channels throughout the world. Pulling no punches in his presentations, Doug goes after the issues that we are all confronted with. There is a fight for souls at hand. We must be Christian soldiers of prayer and of action. Raised as a Catholic from birth, like many, Doug never really embraced his faith in his youth. It wasn’t until a powerful experience involving the Blessed Mother and Doug was finally awakened to reality.