St. Francis of Assisi Inferno Men Ministry: A Gathering of Fellowship that Ignites a Culture of Evangelization

When Curren Vite attended his first Inferno Men's Retreat in April 2021, he found something he didn’t know he was looking for. The day encompassed a gathering with about 200 other men, listening to talks and attending Mass with Bishop Sheridan, as well as the opportunity for the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

“I hadn’t realized that I was looking for something else to support my faith and how to live it out in today’s society, but I found a group that had a mission that I could stand behind,” Curren says. “I left that retreat wanting more. I wanted the brotherhood to journey with, I wanted to be a better husband and father, and I wanted to share it with anyone who would listen to me.”

From there, Curren attended several forum events and the subsequent retreat. A year later, several men at our parish started their own regular meetings — David Sprague, Tim Smith, and Ron Polomsky organized the first meeting in May 2022. The group has grown to about 30 men from our parish who now meet twice per month. Curren attends and helps lead these meetings. He and David also serve on a diocesan level.

We are also very fortunate to have Fr. Chance as the chaplain for the diocesan Inferno Ministry hosted here at our parish. He is an amazing man and is able to join us for our COR groups, holding us accountable and making us stronger men.

Since 2017, the Inferno Men ministry has strived to bring men together with the mission of “igniting a culture of evangelization that empowers men to lead in the battle to sainthood.”

“We believe if we can strengthen the man, the man can reclaim and strengthen his family,” Curren says. “As families are reclaimed, then we will begin to renew the church as a body. And as the church gains strength, we can begin to revise the culture of our community. We rely on prayer, friendship, evangelization, and the discipline of our men to be successful.”

Here at St. Francis of Assisi, this entails small-group meetings on the first and third Tuesdays of each month. The components to each meeting are “COR” — Christcentered and Confidential, Ornate (prayerful), and Relational.

“These meetings are typically at rotating households of our members who volunteer to host,” Curren says. “The best part is, we don’t have a set curriculum for our meetings, so if you miss a meeting, it’s okay and a man won’t fall behind. They are there for us to support each other when we need it.”

Additionally, within the diocese, there are monthly Forum Events that are hosted at different parishes throughout the diocese. These events typically involve social time, two testimonial talks, and a motivational Catholic speaker. There are also multiple other events and opportunities hosted around the diocese, from father-daughter dances, adventure excursions for fathers and sons, family get-together events, and social events for the men to attend together.

Lastly, there is also a yearly conference in Colorado Springs, typically on the first weekend in November. The most recent of which had 600 men in attendance.

“We bring in some large talent and provide a day-long retreat experience to ignite a change in the men’s hearts and give them an opportunity to meet and join with fellow men that want to make a change in their lives,” Curren says.

For Curren, the ministry has made a positive impact on his life. He feels he has become a more attentive husband and father, and the ministry has helped him to evaluate how he is doing, in order to share that with the other men.

“Oftentimes, it is in articulating a problem that I am able to fully realize what that problem is,” he says. “In sharing these highs and lows of life, I am able to better understand where I am in my relationship with God and where I can improve my other relationships, whether it is in my marriage, at home, with other family, friends, or even at work.”

The group doesn’t provide specific practical answers in the COR meetings, but Curren says he receives the group’s prayers which help him in his journey. The ministry also provides fellowship and accountability for him when he needs it.

“The fellowship growth I have gained from this ministry lies with getting to know other men that have struggles of their own and are also looking towards Christ for help,” Curren says.

“Men don’t naturally tend to share their struggles,” he adds. “We offer an opportunity to do this and battle through life together. Iron sharpens iron, just as men can sharpen other men.”

The next COR meetings starting this month will be on Tuesdays, March 7 and 14, at 7 p.m. Other upcoming events include the March Men’s Forum at Holy Apostles and Stations of the Cross Incline on Good Friday. We encourage you to give it a try!

For more information about Inferno Men, contact Curren Vite at 605-484-9033, David Sprague at 303-886-4085, or visit www.infernomen.com.

Curren Vite says being part of Inferno Men helps him in his role as a husband to his wife, Kaitlyn, and father to his children, Susanna (7), Helaina (4) and Joseph (2).