"CAC's Bishop Paprocki and Saints' Joe Lombardi Inspire Knights of Columbus and Catholic Athletes in Highland, Illinois"

Over 450 men attended the Alton, Illinois Deanery's Men's Breakfast on Saturday, March 19. Bishop Thomas Paprocki ("The Holy Goalie") of Springfield, Illinois, who chairs CAC's Episcopal Advisory Board, opened the conference with morning Mass. Keynote speaker New Orleans Saints' Coach Joe Lombardi spoke on the "Virtues of a Champion," discussing the virtues that allow us to excel in both the athletic and the spiritual realm. Conference organizer Tony Hemann noted "Joe delivered a solid faith-filled message, easily understood by all Catholic men which inspired us to reflect on our daily lives and strive to live a better Catholic life." Deacons John Beckman and Jim Russell spoke on the nobility of being a man.

The Knights of Columbus and CAC have also successfully partnered together on other ministry events to enrich the spiritual lives of major league baseball players, NFL coaches, and to produce quality productions featuring athletes sharing their Catholic testimony on ETWN, Catholic TV and numerous other media outlets. CAC Founder and President Ray McKenna explained "CAC and the Knights are also discussing other exciting opportunities to partner in ways to share the "Gospel" in sports throughout the Church community." He further noted that "CAC is excited to work together with the Knights who have a long and storied history with Catholic athletes such as Babe Ruth, Ron Guidry, Floyd Patterson and countless other star athletes." CAC's Speakers Bureau chair Paul Augustine was "thrilled by the partnership with the Men's Breakfast, CAC and the Knights and the success of the event" and is working to assist groups across the country bring high-level CAC speakers to their events. If you desire to bring a CAC athlete to your event, please contact Paul at 630 406 9144.