Put out into the deep and become a fisher of men

Have you ever heard a woman say, “I sure like the man my husband has become, since he joined that fantasy football league”? Or maybe since he started playing Call of Duty: Black Ops 6? Or a new men’s dart team at the local tap house? Probably not… 

What I do hear repeatedly in our parish is women who say, “I sure like the man my husband has become since he joined the Fishermen!” 

The Fishermen is a men’s apostolate that was formed at Sts. Anne and Joachim parish in Fargo six years ago. The purpose of the Fishermen is to help men grow in faith, virtue, and become the servant leaders within their families, churches, and communities that God created them to be. We spend time examining the multiple roles a father has within his family including provider, protector, and spiritual leader. 

Every year in September, new Fishermen candidates enter an eight-month core formation program that includes five separate areas of study including: Catholic masculinity, Marian Consecration, learning to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, Lectio Divina (listening to God speak through Sacred Scripture), and the sacraments through the Catechism of the Catholic Church. 

Finally, on the first Saturday in May, the candidates gather for the Into the Deep Workshop which focuses on how to live life as a Fishermen. During this all-day seminar, candidates are given the opportunity to develop a 45-second elevator talk to answer the question, “Why are you Catholic?” They also learn about the importance of sharing their conversion stories with others and the impact that can have in evangelization. 

At the end of the workshop, Fishermen are licensed through the apostolate to share what they have learned with others. Licensed Fishermen join small groups for “Weekly Weigh-Ins” to catchup with friends and share weekly challenges, victories, and the upcoming Sunday Gospel with each other. 

The Fishermen have a special devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. They fast on First Fridays and then in the evening meet for a Holy Hour of prayers of reparation to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is followed by a soup, bread, and fellowship potluck. 

So how does being part of the Fishermen change a man?  

First, through the core formation, a man learns to pray, and prayer opens the door for an encounter with Jesus Christ. When a man encounters Jesus, he is confronted with a choice. Should I follow the Way, the Truth and the Life and embrace the changes that I know deep down I am called to? Or should I just slide back to where I was before? 

This is where the power of being part of a group of good men who care about and watch out for each other becomes a catalyst for repentance and perseverance. Just like iron sharpens iron, Fishermen develop a sense of accountability to each other and to hold one another accountable. 

The Fishermen apostolate develops at the parish level; all it takes is five or six men to establish the apostolate at a parish with the support and blessing of their pastor. Together the men will journey through the core formation and together witness God’s graces working in their lives and in the lives of their families. 

The Fishermen apostolate has had a very positive impact in many men’s lives over the past six years and recently expanded and now has chapters at St. Anthony’s and Nativity parishes in Fargo and St. Benedict’s parish in Horace. 

You can learn more about the Fishermen at www.catholicfishermen.org. So, what are you waiting for? Put out into the deep and become a fisher of men!