Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers will return to Columbus on Saturday, Feb. 22 for another powerful presentation as part of the 28th annual diocesan Catholic Men’s Conference in Kasich Hall at the state fairgrounds in Columbus.
Other featured speakers will be Dr. Ray Guarendi, host of the daily radio show “The Doctor Is In” on St. Gabriel Catholic Radio in the Diocese of Columbus and the EWTN network, and Mark Hartfel, vice president and national program director of the That Man Is You! program.
Deacon Burke-Sivers, of Portland, Oregon, spoke at the 2017 men’s conference. Known as “The Dynamic Deacon,” he lived up to his reputation with an enthusiastic exhortation on what a Catholic man’s identity should be.
“Stop making excuses,” he said at the conclusion of his talk. “Let the One, Holy, Catholic and Apostolic faith take you to the next level. Let it be the sword of the Spirit you use to cut Goliath’s head off. Let us clean out the caverns of our lives and get rid of our preoccupation with the world so God can take its place and let nothing stand between us and Him.”
Deacon Burke-Sivers is one of the most sought-after speakers in the Church today. He travels across the United States and around the world speaking at conferences, workshops, retreats, parish missions, high schools and young adult events to everyone who desires to know Jesus intimately and enjoy a deeper personal relationship with Him.
His areas of expertise include marriage and family life, discerning God’s will, the sacraments, male spirituality, evangelization, prayer and many others. He can be heard weekdays on St. Gabriel Radio on his new EWTN program, “Beacon of Truth,” as well as on various podcasts and videos.
Dr. Guarendi, from North Canton, is a Catholic father of 10 children, clinical psychologist, author and professional speaker. He has given more than 3,000 talks on topics including parenting, marriage, family and the Catholic faith. He captivates audiences with his compelling humor-laced presentations providing practical advice and proven techniques.
His radio show can be heard weekdays on 600 stations and Sirius XM satellite radio. In addition, his EWTN television series, “Living Right With Dr. Ray,” can be seen in 140 nations. The world is in great need of the truth and of authentic guidance in finding the answers to life’s daily family issues. His television program combines the wit, humor and experience of its host with the timeless wisdom of the Catholic Church to provide these answers.
Guarendi also is an accomplished, best-selling author and international speaker, particularly covering topics related to parenting and families.
Hartfiel graduated in 2004 from Franciscan University of Steubenville and became the first employee of the That Man is You! men’s program. He witnessed it from its infancy with one parish in Houston and has helped facilitate its growth throughout the country to 950 parishes across 46 states, with more than 35,000 participants.
He is often seen as a presenter of various That Man Is You! programs, with his most recent being a four-part series titled “The Mysteries of The Rosary.” It began out of his desire to deepen his spiritual life as a father and husband, which included taking steps to protect his family from evil.
St. Padre Pio said, “The Rosary is the weapon for these times,” and Hartfiel took that to heart. It was through his daily Rosary that the idea came to him to create and film a series that takes viewers right to the Holy Land, where the Mysteries of the Rosary actually happened.
The program for the day also will include Eucharistic Adoration, Mass, the Sacrament of Reconciliation, breakfast and lunch. There also will be displays representing many Catholic organizations.
Adoration begins at 6 a.m., with the conference lasting from 8 a.m. to 3 p.m. The cost for the day is $45 for adults and $30 for anyone 23 and younger. There is no charge for priests and religious.
For more information, go to www.catholicmensministry.com/2025conference.