Spaghetti Dinner to Benefit Fire Victim

Our next meeting is this Friday at St. Mary in Pinckney. 

We encourage any hungry and charitable families to come early to the church for a benefit dinner to support a parishioner whose home recently burned down. Please see the image at the right for further details.

Another Virtuous Meeting!

We had a lot of fun at Saint Mary in Pinckney on the evening of November 20th. The gym was abuzz with activities such as multi-ball crab soccer and accordion relays. 

The boys wrapped up the evening with marvelous skits to demonstrate their understanding of the virtue of KINDNESS. 

Tomorrow we meet again!

Two weeks have sped by and so tomorrow we have our next meeting. We return to the gym at Saint Mary in Pinckney, probably for the last time this calendar year.


If you can bring snack or drink, or if you have a great idea for an activity for the boys, please click on the button below to volunteer.

Next Meeting...Tomorrow at St. Mary's

Tomorrow night we return to St. Mary in Pinckney for the next meeting. We will begin in the gym from 7:00-8:00 PM for activity (hint: the volleyball nets should be up) and then move over to the activity center for formation from 8:00-9:00 PM.

It would be very much appreciated if somebody can sign up for snack and/or drink duty at this meeting. Please respond to this email or sign up at the link below.

Next Meeting...THIS FRIDAY!

Our next meeting will take place this Friday, October 23rd, from 7:00 until 9:00 PM in the gym at Saint Mary Parish of Pinckney.

First Meeting was Glorious!

We had a high turnout, a tasty snack, and a challenging and fun soccer match at the first official meeting of the season. God blessed us with fantastic weather!

First Meeting: Day & Time Change!

What a way to start! Unfortunately, we need to move the first meeting on account of space availability and some important paperwork that needs to be filed before we venture outside of our home parish, Holy Spirit.

Therefore, the first meeting will be from 1:00-3:00 PM on SATURDAY October 10 in Holy Spirit's Activity Center. Please consider volunteering for one of our sign-up spots by clicking on the button below:

  

Conquest 2015/2016 is Here!

This is the first update to the blog in a loooong time! Well, we promise to keep the updates coming on a more regular basis from here on. Come back often because you will find up-to-date information about our schedule, activities, contacts, and more. You can subscribe simply by entering your email (see the box to the right). This is the easiest way to guarantee that you will never miss out on future updates because they will go straight to your inbox.

Many of the dads and boys met recently to set the schedule for this year and to gather ideas about goals and activities for the club. We reviewed the survey results, which showed a preference to maintain the every-other-Friday rhythm. We also welcomed some new families and we are very excited to encounter these fresh faces and ideas!

The dates for the first Campaign will be (Fridays at 7:00PM):

10/9

10/23

11/6

11/20

12/4

12/18

We are still finalizing locations for these, depending on availability and the activities that will be planned for each meeting.

CONQUEST 2014-2015 IS HERE!

It brings us so much joy to announce the official start of the 2014-2015 Conquest season! Conquest begins this year in early Fall and runs through late Spring. The season is broken up into what we call "Campaigns", with each campaign emphasizing a specific VIRTUE that forms the basis for everything we do. 

The Conquest program has undergone an overhaul in the last year or so and this means all new things to learn and fresh new ways for us to grow in Virtue. We can share more about this at the first meeting this Friday. It is anticipated that the cost for the program will run about $50 per boy this year. This includes a shirt and other goodies along with covering the Catholic learning materials and other tools for our education in Virtue.

Our meetings are scheduled for every other Friday from 7:00-9:00 PM in the Barn. You can check out the Calendar tab for all the dates in this Fall-Winter campaign stretch and add them to your own calendars. For your convenience, the dates are also listed here:

9/26

10/10

10/24

11/7

11/21

12/5

12/19

Check it out! Come this Friday (or whenever you can) to see what Conquest is all about. Feel free to search through the old blog posts. Learn what wholesome activities and excellent catechesis are available through this program. Decide for yourselves if it is the right thing for you to do.  

We are in need of families to share in some of the regular duties such as snack and activities throughout the season. Please visit the Volunteer tab to learn more and sign up. 

2014-2015 Planning Meeting

At 6:30PM this Saturday, September 6th, we have organized a planning meeting for the 2014-2015 Conquest season. The men will gather in the Barn to look ahead at the calendar and set a schedule for our meetings while the boys can have a little fun in or out of the Barn (weather permitting). 

This planning phase is so important because it is becoming ever more difficult to find days and times that permit the maximum participation from our families without overburdening them. Please plan to come and provide your valuable input.

Email us if you cannot attend or if you need directions to the Barn. 

...Like Tongues of Fire

We had another amazing meeting on November 22nd. It began as any other, but then...

The boys and dads received a "no-knock" surprise visit from General Michael Archangel, who promptly brought the boys to attention. He reminded them that they are part of God's Army, and the battles against the Enemy are fierce and widespread. Hard Work and Faith are necessary for them to succeed on the field of battle. The Rosary and Scripture are the most powerful weapons they have at their disposal. 



The boys also were taught about fire safety by one of our expert dads, Mr. Frederick. This comprehensive lesson included everything from how to start a fire to how to prevent it from getting out of control. Boys and fire. Enough said.

During snack, Deacon Jerry shared with the boys his recent experience in Rome. He was there at the same time that the first-class relics of the first Pope, Saint Peter, were on display for the faithful to venerate. These were some of his bones that are normally kept in a crypt below the main altar in St. Peter's Basilica. Now they know how that Basilica got its name!

Dodgeball has become synonymous with Conquest

Finally, the boys were able to take what they learned about fire safety to the outdoors for some hands-on training. This was done in a very controlled way with plenty of dad supervision, of course! With all these Catholic boys and men gathered together around these fires, it was hard not to envision the Apostles at Pentecost:

Our First Meeting was "Hard Work"!

For this first campaign of the 2013-2014 Conquest season, we chose to study and live out the Virtue of "Hard Work". The boys were definitely excited to be back together as a group in the Barn. 

An impromptu football game before the meeting

Squad up!

For their squads, or teams, the boys chose some good names: FRIENDSHIP, PERSEVERANCE, COURAGE, RESPECT, and CHARITY 

These boys are intense in prayer!

Lined up in prayer before dodgeball round #1

40 Days for Life!

We are changing things up a bit for our next meeting on All Saint's Day. As part of 40 Days for Life, we will meet up at Holy Spirit at 7:00 PM then drive down as a group to the Planned Parenthood abortion mill in Ann Arbor. Our scheduled time to peacefully pray for an end to abortion is between 8:00 and 9:00. Please join us, and bring your whole family! 

Conquest Brighton-Pinckney is Back!

After a long Summer and a brief delay this Fall, Conquest Brighton-Pinckney is back in action! 

Unless otherwise noted, all of this year's meetings will be held on Friday evenings starting at 6:45 PM and ending at around 9:00 PM. Here are the dates:

10/18/13

11/1/13 

11/8/13

11/22/13

12/6/13

12/20/13

1/10/14

1/24/14

2/7/14

2/1/14

3/7/14

3/21/14

3/28/14

4/11/14

4/25/14

5/9/14

5/23/14

6/6/14

This is going to be an amazing, Grace-filled year for the boys! Please make every effort to be there.

Father/Son Pancake Breakfast & Talk by Fr. Mark Rutherford

The club boys (ages 12-16) have organized an event that will be held THIS Saturday March 23. It is a pancake breakfast for fathers and sons in our area. It will be preceded by Holy Mass and include a special Lenten Spiritual talk by our dear friend, Fr. Mark Rutherford. His theme will be "staying close to Jesus in these times".

The boys want to offer something to our community and at the same time, spread the word about Conquest to their peers. So please, help them get the message out!

Our awards ceremony for the Winter 2013 Campaign will take place immediately afterward. Families are welcome to join us as we recognize the boys for their achievements during the "Obedience" Campaign. 

Stations of the Cross

This Friday, we will meet as a group at St. Mary parish in Pinckney to pray the Stations of the Cross. Afterward, we will regroup back at the barn for the remainder of the meeting.

The object of the Stations is to help the faithful to make in spirit, as it were, a pilgrimage to the chief scenes of Christ's sufferings and death, and this has become one of the most popular of Catholic devotions. It is carried out by passing from Station to Station, with certain prayers at each and devout meditation on the various incidents in turn. It is very usual, when the devotion is performed publicly, to sing a stanza of the "Stabat Mater" while passing from one Station to the next. (source)

Habemus Papam! ConQuest Conclave 2013

At our most recent meeting, we held our own "mock" Conclave to elect the next Pope! The boys (and some of the dads) donned red mitres and learned about the history of Papal Conclaves and the process by which the Pope is chosen. They each assumed the identity of actual Cardinals of the Church, some of whom are considered among the papabile, literally "pope-able", candidates. 

Unlike a real Conclave, cell phones with cameras were obviously permitted!

One-by-one the Cardinals cast their secret ballots. There was a run-off between the top two vote-getters: Peter Cardinal Turkson of Ghana and Angelo Cardinal Bagnasco of Italy. When the final votes were verified, these words were announced to all present:

"Annuntio vobis gaudium magnum: Habemus Papam! Eminentissimum ac Reverendissimum Dominum, Dominum Angelo, Sanctae Romanae Ecclesiae Cardinalem Bagnasco, qui sibi nomen imposuit Connor I."

("I announce to you a great joy: We have a Pope! The Most Eminent and Most Reverend Lord, Lord Angelo, Cardinal of the Holy Roman Church Bagnasco, who takes to himself the name Connor I.")

We had a lot of fun with this. But the boys were reminded that we cannot predict the outcome of the actual Papal Conclave. Only God knows who the Cardinals will choose under the guidance of the Holy Spirit.

May God grant His Holiness Benedict XVI many years of prayer and rest! May He bless us with a Holy Father who will continue the work of his esteemed predecessor for the good of the Church!

Rome Pics

In our first meeting back after the Christmas holiday, Mr. Borek shared photos from his recent journey to Rome with Mr. Burke and the boys in the Catholic Central marching band. Here are just a few of them for your enjoyment.

His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI
Ad multos annos!

Mr. Borek in front of St. Peter's Basilica

Go, Joe!

I miss him already!

Mr. Burke and Mr. Borek at the tomb of Servant of God Luisa Piccarreta,
"Little Daughter of the Divine Will", whose cause for anonization is under review





Mass near the tomb of a former Pope



Another Tiring Night at Conquest!

On November 17th, we had one of our most heavily-attended meetings in a long while! It was great to see 20 boys and 10 dads present for a fun, educational, evening. We welcomed Joshua and Jonathan to Conquest for the first time. After a brutal series of tug-o-war contests among the boys, Mr. Borek and Mr. Frederick taught them how to change a car tire.

Later, the Junior and Father-and-Son groups prepared posters that demonstrated what they have learned about SELF-DISCIPLINE over the last few meetings. The young guys presented their ideas with courage and enthusiasm to a panel of "celebrity" peer judges, who were selected from among the older Club group. The judges (who themselves were once in the youngsters' shoes) scored the contest with fairness and flair! The creativity of these guys really shined through that night!