On the surface, it might sometimes seem that women have a number of opportunities to gather in fellowship, while men may not always have those same opportunities. But here at the Cathedral of Christ the King, we have a group of men meeting regularly to share friendship and the Good News. The King’s Men group has been revamped in the last year and is led by Tony Morris.
Previously, the group met to focus on a topic or book. Now, this group is a bit less structured. It’s a chance for men to spend time with other men of faith.
“The attraction is that it’s men that enjoy hanging out with each other at church,” Tony says.
For three or four years, Tony has been getting together with the same group and has recently shifted this under the umbrella of the King’s Men. Once per quarter, the men meet for dinner and to spend time together. Then, the next quarter’s meeting is meant to be more open for men to bring a friend or family member. In the summer, the meeting rotates between members’ homes.
Micah Johnson also helps Tony with coordinating this group. There is also a small group that meets each Tuesday. The idea for these types of gatherings came from Tony — he was raised Catholic but spent about eight years as a non-denominational Christian.
“One of the ways they grow their churches is with small groups,” Tony says. “They invite men to come, then form new small groups. I got the idea there, and I wanted to bring that to Christ the King — we have a great core group of men, and we are lucky we have that.”
Members are asked to invite a friend who is not practicing their faith. All faith traditions are welcome.
“We want them to see men having a relationship and supporting each other,” he says. “It’s just taking the time to share and offer support for other men.”
The King’s Men are also available to help those in need with basic work and projects.
“We want to start adding more service as time goes on,” Tony says. “I love this group, and I’m just really passionate about it and hope to see it grow.”
Tony hopes to one day have a women’s group similar to the King’s Men.
Another hope of Tony’s is that this group would create major positive “ripples” throughout the parish and broader community.
“We have so many members of our church, but not all come to Mass,” Tony says. “I think the King’s Men can have an impact in many ways. I hope it has ripples throughout our parish and different faiths and denominations.”
The next group meeting is Sept. 15. For more information, contact Tony Morris at 859-420-2663 or tony_morris79@hotmail.com.