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2021 Australian National Catholic Men’s Gathering Kickstart

Start Date: Monday 13 September, 2021
End Date: Monday 4 October, 2021
Time: 7:30PM-8:30PM
Venue: Online via Zoom
Enquiries: Helen Bennett
Phone: (02) 4222 2403

Kickstart will run on Monday evenings 13, 20, 27 Sept and 4 Oct from 7.30-8.30pm. Sessions are short and sharp and a great way for men in lockdown to come together to engage with the theme ‘Brothers, what must we do?’ developed by the ACBC, and hosted by Robert Falzon and Jude Hennessy with some excellent keynotes including;

  • Man of God: Tomasz Juszczak
  • Man of Service: Tim Davis
  • Man of Character: Shayne Bennett
  • Missioning and Sending: Archbishop Julian Porteous

These sessions will give men access to these great talks, with opportunities for prayer and reflection, with a core focus on the elements of Catholic manhood to renew and inspire men in the Year of St Joseph. Book now to receive the Zoom link:


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Special Guests

Tomasz Juszczak is husband to Sarah and father of three young children. Originally from Poland, he has spent most of his life in Sydney where he currently works as the Director of Evangelisation Broken Bay. Tomasz has a background in youth ministry and a passion for spreading the Gospel message of love and life to others. He is a lay member of the Immaculata Community and holds a Masters in Theology from the University of Notre Dame, Sydney.

Shayne Bennett is married to Shanelle and they have three married children and eleven grandchildren. Shayne has worked full time in the Church for more than 40 years devoting his life to the Church’s mission with a special focus on initiatives in youth evangelisation, pastoral formation and the development of lay communities.

Shayne currently shares his time between NET Ministries, where he has the role of Mission Director, and the Holy Spirit Seminary where he is Director of Mission and Faith Formation.

The call to “go and make disciples of all nations” (Matthew 28:19) has been an inspiration to Shayne’s life and a motivation to continue seeking new ways of proclaiming the gospel from one generation to the next.

Tim Davis grew up in regional South Australia and after finishing an Education degree in Adelaide he moved to Melbourne to teach and study theology. He studied at Corpus Christi College and continued to discern God’s call before assisting with the Melbourne Archdiocese’s ‘Days in the Diocese’ initiative that led into WYD 2008 celebrations in Sydney.

During this time Tim met his wife Fran and they currently reside at Coffs Harbour on the beautiful North Coast of NSW with their four children.

Currently Tim is doing his best to serve God and His Church, love his wife and children while teaching Catholic studies at St John Paul College. When time permits he can also be found surfing some of his local breaks.

Robert Falzon is a husband, father, businessman, co-founder of menALIVE and published author. He is married to Alicia for 37 years and has four children; Isaac (33), Matthias (28), Chiara (23) and Shem (22). Robert is a Catholic lay man with a passion for finding effective and powerful ways to bring the message of the Good News to the good people in the parish pews and the street.

Since the founding of menALIVE in 2003, this ministry has delivered 450 events in 26 dioceses in Australia and New Zealand for more than 30,000 men. The purpose of menALIVE is to bring men together, to renew their faith on God and to encourage them to become an active force for renewal in the Church.

Robert published his first book in 2011, “How to Grow a Men’s Ministry”. It has become a very useful resource for men with over 4000 copies distributed. His second book co-authored with Dr Peter O’Shea, “The Father Factor”, was published in 2014. His most recent publication is “Raising Fathers”. He is also a presenter on Shalom Media, presenting a 12-part program “The Gospel of Life” and “Real Men” series released in 2018. His recent program is “Unburden”.

Jude Hennessy is married to Kerrie and they have two daughters. As the Director of the Office of Renewal and Evangelisation in the Diocese of Wollongong, he oversees support of parishes forming missionary disciples who embrace the mission of the Church to make Jesus known and loved. As part of this, Jude has a love of working with men and enlivening them to embrace their vocation, especially as husbands, fathers and vibrant Catholics. Jude is the producer and host of the weekly Catholic podcast ‘The Journey’ now in 20 Christian radio stations across Australia.

Archbishop Julian Porteous (Archdiocese of Hobart) was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Sydney in 1974, before he was named Auxiliary Bishop of Sydney by Pope St John Paul II in 2003. He was responsible for evangelisation and renewal in the Archdiocese of Sydney until his appointment as Archbishop of Hobart in 2013. Archbishop Porteous is a member of the Bishops Commission for Evangelisation, Laity and Ministry, and is responsible for the Ecclesial Movements. He is a regular speaker at conferences and events, both in Tasmania and on mainland Australia, as well as overseas, and is Patron for Shalom Media Australia.