Welcome Home, Brother
In a world that increasingly isolates men from one another and from their faith, the Catholic Men's Fellowship of the Diocese of Youngstown stands as a beacon of brotherhood, purpose, and spiritual transformation.
We believe that strong parish-level communities of men, connected to a diocese-wide organization, create stronger, more involved, and more faith-driven men in their families, parishes, and lives.
Our Story
Founded in 2010, the Catholic Men's Fellowship has grown from a small group of men seeking deeper faith into a growing movement across the Diocese of Youngstown's six counties: Mahoning, Trumbull, Columbiana, Stark, Portage, and Ashtabula.
We've witnessed countless transformations: fathers becoming spiritual leaders in their homes, young men discovering their vocations, struggling men finding healing and hope, and parishes revitalized by engaged, active Catholic men.
Our annual conference has become a cornerstone event, drawing over a hundred men together each year for a day focused entirely on growing closer to Christ and becoming better husbands, fathers, and disciples.
Our Mission
The Catholic Men's Fellowship is a private association of the laity operating in accordance with the Code of Canon Law and the blessings of the Diocese of Youngstown. Our mission responds to Pope John Paul II's call for the new evangelization—particularly the reinvigoration of faith among Catholic men.
We exist to help men encounter Christ more deeply, support one another authentically, and become the spiritual leaders their families and parishes desperately need.
Why Men Need This Fellowship
The Isolation Crisis
For decades, the spaces where men naturally gathered to support and nurture each other have been systematically dismantled. Fraternal organizations, men's clubs, and faith-based men's groups have declined dramatically. The result? An epidemic of male isolation, with research showing that 15% of men report having no close friends, a number that has more than doubled in just one generation.
This isolation has devastating consequences: men under 45 face suicide as the second leading cause of death, and countless Catholic men drift away from active faith participation, leaving their families without spiritual leadership.
The Wisdom Gap
Older men possess something irreplaceable: decades of lived wisdom, spiritual maturity, and hard-won lessons about faith, family, and fidelity. Yet too often, this wisdom remains locked away, never passed to the next generation of men who desperately need guidance.
The Biblical model is clear: older men are called to mentor younger men in temperance, dignity, self-control, and soundness in faith, love, and endurance (Titus 2:2, 6-7). This intergenerational discipleship isn't optional; it's essential for the vitality of the Church.
A Generation Rising
Yet something remarkable is happening. Young men—particularly from Generation Z and the Millennial generation are driving a quiet revival of Christian faith across America. Since 2019, the proportion of young men who have made a personal commitment to follow Jesus has surged. For the first time in 25 years, men now attend church at higher rates than women.
These young men are hungry for authenticity, mentorship, and a faith that challenges them to be more than the culture expects. They're searching for something the modern world cannot provide: a brotherhood anchored in truth, formed in virtue, and alive with purpose.
In the Spirit of St. Pope John Paul II
"The future of humanity passes by way of the family... The man is called upon to ensure the harmonious and united development of all the members of the family. He will perform this task through generous responsibility for the life conceived under the heart of the mother, by a more solicitous commitment to education, a task he shares with his wife, by work which is never a cause of division in the family but promotes its unity and stability, and by means of the witness he gives of an adult Christian life which effectively introduces the children into the living experience of Christ and the Church." — Pope John Paul II, Familiaris Consortio
This is our call. This is our mission. This is why the Catholic Men's Fellowship exists.
Join us, brother. Your parish needs you. Your family needs you. The Church needs you.
Together, we become the men God created us to be.