“We weren’t built to go it alone,” says Matt, who won football’s ultimate prize as center for the Baltimore Ravens in 2012. 

“I think it’s accurate to say that we live in a culture that’s anti-Christian, certainly anti-Catholic in many areas, but it is in that darkness that the light burns even brighter and a lot of guys are drawn to that light, they want to go deeper. But we weren’t built to do it on our own, we were built for communion.” 

This urgent call to comradeship promises to feature prominently in Matt’s keynote address to the IGNITE Men’s Conference at the Gervin GameAbove Center in Ypsilanti on Saturday, March 22nd. The event is a co-production by the Diocese of Lansing, the Archdiocese of Detroit, and the Knights of Columbus. 

“For many years now, our annual Men’s Conference has repeatedly inspired and equipped legions of men to become the person, the husband, the father, the brother, the friend, that Jesus Christ is calling them to be – it’s changed lives and always for the better,” says the conference co-coordinator, Craig Pohl, director of the Office of New Evangelization for the Diocese of Lansing. 

“That’s why Matt Birk is spot on when he says to pursue Christ alone,” adds Craig. “That’s also why men across Michigan should consider attending this month’s conference in Ypsilanti in order to surround themselves with the support and the prayer of hundreds of fellow Catholic men who are serious-minded about the pursuit of personal holiness and authentic masculinity.” 

Included among the other speakers at this month’s conference are Dr. Jonathan Reyes, a native of the Diocese of Lansing who is now vice president of evangelization and faith formation for the Knights of Columbus; Peter Herbeck, executive vice president and director of missions for the Ann Arbor-based Renewal Ministries; and Father Joe Krupp, the popular Catholic podcaster who is pastor of Holy Family in Grand Blanc and St. Mark’s in Goodrich. There will also be priests on hand throughout the day to hear confessions while Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing will be the principal celebrant and homilist at the Mass. If you happen to view such gatherings as a one-day training camp in Catholicism, then you’ll most likely find Matt Birk nodding in agreement. 

“I’m a football player, right? So, I ‘footballize’ everything. That’s kind of how I look at life,” says Matt, “but there are a lot of parallels between playing football and being a Catholic who is trying to live a great life.” 

“For example, football isn’t a complicated game. You just got to show up and do the same things every day to develop as a player. And as Catholics, it’s the same. We have all these great things at our disposal, all these great tools we can use to develop as disciples, and we just require the commitment and determination to show up and use them every single day, even when it’s not easy – in fact, that daily commitment is what separates the great players from the rest in football and it’s the same when it comes to pursuing holiness through the ordinary things of life.” 

Most important among the daily tools provided by Catholicism, suggests Matt, is “making time for God each day in prayer,” even amid the hurly-burly of everyday existence. For 48-year-old Matt, that busy business of daily life includes being a husband and a father of eight. 

“Yes, life is busy! I know, I’ve got kids, and you can sometimes feel like you’re distracted from the things of the faith or that you’re doing all these daily chores that can seem mundane,” suggests Matt, whose children range from age 22 to 8. 

“But when you look at them through the lens of the faith you realize that everything – going to work, taking kids to practice, whatever – is all part of your calling as a man, part of your vocation to marriage. That realization brings a whole new meaning to your daily life.” 

A native of Minnesota, Matt played for a decade with the local NFL team, the Minnesota Vikings, before joining the Baltimore Ravens in 2009. Following his retirement from the game in 2012, he has generously given of his time, talent, and treasure to promoting Catholicism in the public square. That includes being in demand as a speaker at Catholic men’s conferences. 

“I’ve been fortunate to probably attend maybe 40 men’s conferences all throughout the country and, I’ll tell you, I’ve never left one disappointed,” says Matt. 

“There’s just something that happens when a bunch of men who are serious about their faith gather, partake in the sacraments, and are just wanting to be there, wanting to grow in their faith, wanting to be better husbands, wanting to be better fathers. Fruit always comes from that.”

Your generous donations to the Diocesan Services Appeal help to make the annual Diocese of Lansing Men’s Conference possible. Thank you. God bless you.