BY PABLO BOTEYO
Staff Writer
Casting off the works of darkness and putting on the armor of light is one of the core pillars that the Men’s Ministry is trying to teach the men of Franciscan University this semester.
This past Wednesday, they held their first meeting for the semester in the Gentile Gallery. There were many men present. Some households even used the night as a household commitment.
The night started out with learning how to tie knots, which symbolized the bond that brothers have. This then transitioned into a talk given by Bob Siemens about brotherhood and what it means to be “unsheathed.”
“We often find ourselves searching for that person we would die for,” Siemens said. “But, how often do we look for that person that we would die with?”
He then spoke of things he was proud to see men of Franciscan doing, such as the Red Light Ministry, which goes to a strip club in Weirton to “save the dignity of those women, but also the hearts of those men.”
“When I got the message from Fr. Gregory with the image of all the guys from AMDG, The Return of the Prodigal Sons, and then some – I just sat there, moved,” Siemens said. “I was just so moved I wept.”
As the night came to a close, and the alcohol never showed up, men were able to discuss amongst themselves what it meant to be unsheathed.
“Sometimes it’s just hard to take off that mask in front of others,” first year student Kevin Lohrmann said. “But tonight showed me that if we don’t, then how are we going to grow in brotherhood? I’m glad I came, hopefully I’ll be able to make it next month.”