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Men, it is with a very heavy heart that I begin this newsletter with the news of the passing away of Men of Signum Crucis Planning Group member Mike Rackers. I am sure that many of you already are aware of this, but I wanted to mention this in case you are able to attend his visitation this evening (May 31) at Houser Millard Funeral Home (visitation from 4:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.), and/or the funeral Mass tomorrow at 10:00 a.m. at St. Stanislaus in Wardsville.
I have known MIke since his years in the high school seminary in Hannibal (St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary). I also was in the seminary while he was in Hannibal, though six years ahead of Mike. I filled in for one of our Diocesan priests at St. Thomas Seminary during my January term in 1982 and I “taught” his classes while he was away on a mission trip to Peru. Anyway, I had the great pleasure of meeting Mike at that time, and found him to be one of the nicest young men I have ever met. Mike was the epitome of the term “gentleman.” Mike was steady, faithful, kind, thoughtful, and joyful, and always wore his faith on his sleeve. We worked together for a short while after we both left the seminary, and I remember Mike helping a young acquaintance at work come into the Catholic Church–Mike was probably in his mid-20s at the time and guided her through the RCIA process. When I asked Mike to join the Men of Signum Crucis in 2022 and also to be a member of the Planning Group, there was no hesitation in his reply. On third Wednesdays of the month, Mike typically greeted men in the lobby, and was one of the last to leave after cleaning tables in the Commons after our gathering.
I will sorely miss Mike, not just because of all the effort he put into Wednesday evenings, but more importantly because we have lost a good Catholic man who was the embodiment of the Men of Signum Crucis. He sought Study and Devotion, and Service was his middle name.
What can we do now? First and foremost, pray for the repose of his soul. Go to the visitation this evening and tell Patty (his wife) and Ethan and Nolan (his sons) just how much we will miss him as a member of this fraternity. Attend his funeral tomorrow morning if you can, and help pray him into heaven.
What else can we do? In Mike’s honor, let us adopt one of the traits that exhibited the way he lived–steady, faithful, kind, thoughtful, and joyful. Finally, let us always be ready to meet Jesus whenever–we know not the time or the day when he calls us for our judgment…
Moving on….
Feast Day of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary…
Happy Feast Day of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary! This feast day, as you know, is the second Joyful Mystery of the Rosary. The fruit of this mystery is love of neighbor/charity. In honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary today (and this month), let us strive to exhibit love of neighbor in the form of charity as often as possible.
Marian Consecration Coming Soon…
Men, with appreciation to Dave Lankford (again), we will begin a 33-day Marian Consecration on July 20, which will end on August 22 (the Feast of the Queenship of Mary). The text we will be using is 33 Days to Morning Glory–a Do-It-Yourself Retreat in Preparation for Marian Consecration, written by Father Michael Gaitley. Dave will supply any Man of Signum Crucis with a book to use for these 33 days. I have used this book twice at Helias with my students as we participated in the Consecration preparation. It is very well written and offers the insights of St. Louis de Montfort, St. John Paul II, St. Maximilian Kolbe, and St. Teresa of Calcutta. It is an easy read and is not as lengthy as the Consecration of St. Joseph we made in February/March. I hope that you will discern that you can make time for this wonderful devotion. Dave will not only provide the books but also intermittent encouragement in the form of a text message. Thanks again, Dave, for helping us become more devoted to our faith while also learning about our faith.
A Eucharistic Procession is Coming to Town…
Men, we are so blessed to have the National Eucharistic Procession in Jefferson City on July 3, 4, and 5. This is the procession of the Blessed Sacrament that began in San Francisco on May 19, and is being observed in conjunction with the first Eucharistic Congress in America in 83 years!!! This is truly an historic event for our Diocese and I hope you will participate in this once in a lifetime event. The highlight for me will be Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament at the Proto-Cathedral of St. Peter across from the State Capitol on July 4. Other highlights will be the talks on the Eucharist on July 3 at the Cathedral, and the send off to Starkenburg on July 5. I hope that you are marking your calendars now to set aside some time for this amazing opportunity. Click here for more information from the Diocese on the Eucharistic Procession.
What is more important than the Eucharist????
Our Next Gathering–June 19 on the Eucharist
Just in time for the Eucharistic Procession in Jefferson City, we have the good fortune of hosting our Diocesan expert on the Eucharist, Father Dan Merz, to speak to us about the Holy Eucharist. Father Merz’s presentation will begin at 6:30 p.m. As always, if you are able to come early, the Rosary will begin at 6:00 p.m. in the Chapel.
Eucharistic Revival and Congress
I hope you are staying ever faithful to the Eucharist–we are nothing without it. I hope you will consider attending a daily Mass (or two) each week, and do your family a favor and invite them to attend also.
Don’t forget that the first Eucharistic Revival in the United States in 83 years takes place in Indianapolis this summer on July 17 through July 21. Our complete understanding and advocacy of the doctrine of the Real Presence is needed now more than ever in our country. I am wondering if we will ever see such a prestigious lineup of Catholic scholars in one place again in our lifetime–check out the website here for the complete list of activities and presenters.
Future Gatherings
Following our June gathering, our summer schedule is as follows:
● July 17, 2024–Coach Chris Hentges is back to provide a session even more focused on Apologetics. This will be a great opportunity to learn how to address those “tough questions” from some outside of the Catholic faith who seem to know so much about what Jesus taught.
● August 21, 2024–Catholicism vs. the Culture–Can We Co-exist? I will lead a discussion on the impact of culture on our faith, and more importantly the impact of our faith on the culture.
Thank You!
Thank you to Father Paul Clark; Father Mark Porterfield; Father James Finder; and Father Don Antweiler for celebrating the Sacrament of Confession during our May Gathering during Adoration. We appreciate these priests, and all our priests, who bring us the Sacraments, which are our gateway to heaven.
Also, we thank Deacon Jim Haaf for leading us in the Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction at our May gathering. Deacon Jim is a very committed member of the Men of Signum Crucis, and we thank him for his support.
In Conclusion…
I hope you are able to gather with your fraternity of the Men of Signum Crucis on June 19 at Helias Catholic High School. Ask (another) son, father, brother, uncle, or friend to come with you. Each man present is needed–someone is better because you are there. Afterwards, we will enjoy fraternity and refreshments in the Commons.
Thank you for your fidelity to the Men of Signum Crucis. Your dedication to this growing apostolate is inspiring. I pray that you are growing in your faith each month, and that you will always invite other men to join us.
And, let us never forget: St. Joseph “chose hard.” 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
P. S. In hoc signo, vinces: https://veterumsapientia.org/in-hoc-signo-vinces/
Future Gatherings:
● June 19, 2024 (Father Daniel Merz on the Holy Eucharist)
● July 17, 2024 (Coach Chris Hentges on Apologetics)
● August 21, 2024 (Mark Rehagen on Catholicism and the Culture)
● September 18, 2024 (The Holy Sacrifice of the Mass)
**Mark your Calendars now for the
2nd Annual Heart of a Hero Men’s Conference–April 25-26, 2025
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