Blog

News, stories, and updates from the Troops of Saint George.

Oct 30, 2018News

Nascent group looks to promote faith, ‘manly’ mentorship and fun

(OCTOBER 30, 2018) By Anthony D. Alonzo DYER, Indiana – “If any good thing shall go forward, something must be adventured.” – St. Thomas Moore. This fall, a small group of concerned dads is making preparations to locally charter a national group that pairs Catholic spirituality, male mentorship and outdoor adventure. A search to find an organization for boys that promotes faithfulness to Catholic teaching and other qualities like “learning manly skills,” led St. Joseph, Dyer, parishioner Nick Richards to the Troops of St. George. “My motivation is that I have sons,” Richards explained. “I sought to find something that is more in-line with Catholic doctrine and not so secular.” Read the full article here…

Brian Squibbs

Oct 29, 2018News

Local Catholic group offers encounters with faith in outdoor settings for fathers and sons

(OCTOBER 29, 2018) By Melinda Tichelaar This week’s featured community group is the Troops of St. George. Troop 520 Captain Dr. Ronald C. Freeze provided the answers. Q: What is the mission of your organization? A: The Troops of St. George aims to use the outdoors as our canvas and the sacraments as our path to light the way for the formation of holy Catholic men and boys. The unique mission of this group is that it focuses on fathers and sons growing together in virtue and in their holy Catholic faith as they journey toward heaven. Q: Who are the leaders of your organization? Read the full article here…

Brian Squibbs

Oct 26, 2018News

New video series shows how Catholic men’s apostolate is reclaiming authentic masculinity

(OCTOBER 26, 2018) By Lisa Bourne KELLER, Texas (LifeSiteNews) – The Troops of Saint George has released an engaging new series of videos highlighting how through its mission to form holy Catholic men and boys, the group is reclaiming authentic masculinity. Aimed at Catholic families, in particular fathers and sons desiring a closer bond with the Lord and each other, the videos use personal testimonies from those involved in the organization cast against captivating footage of the Troops in action and a dramatic soundtrack. Read the full article here…

Brian Squibbs

Oct 23, 2018Blogs

Quality time, quality play

(OCTOBER 23, 2018) — I don’t know about you, but sitting on the floor with my four-year-old playing with Legos for half an hour is painful. Not painful in the sense that it’s boring. Not painful in the sense that I want to be somewhere else. It’s painful when I try to stand up again. My body just doesn’t respond as it used to after sitting on the floor. Since I work at home, I try to take some time out of my workday to engage with my two youngest children who are six and four—either by reading a book with them, throwing a football around outside, or just asking them questions about their play. They are bright and imaginative in their play. They build with Legos, they create imaginary worlds with their stuffed toys, and they also play Mass—complete with vestments my wife designed for them. Study after study shows the importance of play for children—and the importance of playing with your children. Playing with kids builds a bond that will last forever. It lets the child know he or she is loved and appreciated. It opens the door for sharing problems and concerns when the need arises. It….

Patrick Novecosky

Oct 17, 2018Blogs

Troops confront the culture with authentic masculinity

(OCTOBER 17, 2018) — The new video series, released this week by the Troops of Saint George, confronts the culture with a fresh, joyful take on what it means to be a Catholic father with sons in the 21st century. The series, available here, shows the fruits of dads who engage with their sons in the outdoors coupled with sacraments and fellowship. Once a month, Troops of Saint George members trek to a campsite for a weekend of outdoor adventures—kayaking and canoeing, campfires and storytelling, knot-tying, hiking, fishing, and ax-throwing—together with Mass and Confession. And what are those fruits of the weekend: deep friendships among the boys, men who learn from their peers, a deeper appreciation and love for the sacraments, and quality one-on-one time for fathers and sons. And then there’s the joy! The videos—expertly shot and edited by Jordan Barry Media—capture the joy that the boys and their fathers experience every weekend. The camaraderie is instant and long-lasting. “The decision to join the Troops was actually pretty easy,” said Tony Stich, a member of the Milwaukee Troop. “I’m a former Eagle Scout, an avid outdoorsman, and we were lost. We were looking for an organization to join. With….

Patrick Novecosky

Oct 16, 2018News

THE TROOPS OF SAINT GEORGE

(OCTOBER 16, 2018) By Peter De Trolio III KELLER, Texas – Once upon a time, I was a very proud Eagle Scout. Today, I refuse to associate myself with the Boy Scouts of America. For a very short time, I felt like an orphan – but then I heard about the Troops of St. George. Now, don’t get the wrong idea. The Troops are not a Catholic Boy Scouts; they are a very different thing. In fact, they are much more. The Troops are an outdoor organization for boys where they learn about themselves and nature and they do it alongside their dad. And they learn accompanied by a priest who guides them spiritually while offering the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Alongside their camping knife, they have a rosary to pray, contemplating the mysteries of the rosary as they contemplate the mysteries of nature. Boys learn to be men alongside their natural and spiritual fathers, under the guidance of their mystical mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. (And by the way, She is the only woman invited to come along on Troop activities!) Here’s the story, from Brian Squibbs, their National Director for Communications and Recruitment. Read the full article here…

Brian Squibbs

Oct 15, 2018Blogs

Troops of St. George Release Compelling New Video Series

For Immediate Release October 15, 2018 MEDIA CONTACT Patrick Novecosky news@catholicpublicist.com (239) 682-7749 Troops of St. George Release Compelling New Video Series New apostolate for priests, men, and boys is making strides in reclaiming authentic masculinity KELLER, Texas — The Troops of Saint George (TSG) has launched a compelling new series of videos aimed at Catholic families—particularly fathers and sons—who want to develop a closer bond with each other and the Lord Jesus. Clergy, men, and boys are cultivating authentic masculinity together, using the outdoors as a canvas and the Sacraments as the path to light the way. National Executive Director Dr. Jeremy Lustig said the new series of three videos captures the essence of the Troops of Saint George’s mission—to form holy Catholic men and boys through a life of adventure coupled with virtue. “Sometimes the Troops of Saint George is compared to the Boys Scouts,” he said. “These videos show that we are something completely different. Our mission is about building saints for our day—forming young men and their fathers who will transform the culture for Christ.” Brian Squibbs, National Director of Communications and Recruitment, said the world is hungry for truth, and the Troops….

Patrick Novecosky

Oct 9, 2018Uncategorized

Is it time for a new patron saint of sports?

(OCTOBER 9, 2018) — With all due respect to St. Sebastian, I think it’s time for a new patron saint of sports. If you’re not familiar with this third-century martyr, he’s the one typically portrayed with dozens of arrows protruding from his body. Now, don’t get me wrong, Sebastian is not one to be trifled with. He was not martyred once—but twice! He joined the Roman army in 283 AD and distinguished himself as a remarkable soldier. He was promoted to serve in the Praetorian Guard to protect Emperor Diocletian. Already a Christian, Sebastian converted many to the faith while serving the emperor. When Diocletian discovered Sebastian was a Christian, he condemned him to death. His fate? The soldier was to be the object of sport. His fellow soldiers, skilled archers, used him as target practice. After Sebastian’s body was riddled with arrows, they left him, believing he was already dead. A Christian woman named Irene nursed him back to health. Months later, Sebastian sought out the emperor who was shocked that he had been “brought back to life.” This time he made no mistake and had Sebastian beaten and thrown into the sewers where he died. Sebastian has served….

Patrick Novecosky

Oct 2, 2018Blogs

Winning is everything—and here’s why

(OCTOBER 2, 2018) — You’ve heard the old adage, “Winning isn’t everything.” Our highly permissive culture fully embraces that idea. At school track meets, everyone gets a ribbon. Everyone’s a winner. No one is “the best” because that would be “unfair.” Last week, a teacher in Florida was fired for refusing to abide by the school district’s no-F policy. She dared to fail students who refused to turn in their papers. The policy provides that everybody passes no matter what! Similar, some Christians have dismissed the idea of hell because a “good God” would never permit such a thing (even though Jesus taught quite clearly about its reality). Every dog goes to heaven, as does every person. Baloney! Such notions are entirely false. The truth is that there really are winners and losers in life–and that winning really is everything when your definition of winning is the correct one. Winning, from a Christian perspective, is not having the most toys or wealth. It’s not having the best job or the most followers or likes on Twitter and Instagram. As a presidential candidate, Donald Trump ran on the promise to “Make America Great Again.” He said that Americans would be winning so much….

Patrick Novecosky

Sep 25, 2018Blogs

Heaven’s all-stars take the stage this week

(SEPTEMBER 25, 2018) — If ever there was a time to call on the greatest powers in heaven to come to the aid of Christ’s Church, it’s now. With scandal and controversy coming from virtually every diocese—including Rome—it’s time for the faithful to deepen their commitment to prayer and fasting. And who better to call upon during this time of crisis, but the Prince of the Heavenly Host and his compatriots—the archangels. The Church marks their feast on Saturday (Sept. 29). You’ve likely heard of the three most famous archangels—Michael, Raphael, and Gabriel—but did you know there are four more? In the Catholic Church, three archangels are mentioned by name in its canon of scripture: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. Raphael appears in the deuterocanonical Book of Tobit, where he is described as “one of the seven angels who stand ready and enter before the glory of the lord of spirits,” a phrase recalled in Rev. 8:2-6. In the Coptic Orthodox tradition, the seven archangels are named as Michael, Gabriel, Raphael, Suriel, Zadkiel, Sarathiel, and Aniel. (Source) In response to the Church’s abuse crisis, several bishops have required that their priests lead the faithful in the St. Michael Prayer after or….

Patrick Novecosky

Sep 18, 2018Blogs

St. Padre Pio and the art of fraternal correction

(SEPTEMBER 18, 2018) — Nice is not a virtue. It’s not a bad thing to be nice, but it’s not among the seven virtues. To be frank, Jesus wasn’t always nice. When he overturned the moneychangers’ tables, I’m sure none of those who witnessed the event would have said, “Oh, that was nice!” If you witness someone committing a grave sin and you sit back and do or say nothing, people might think you’re nice. If someone goes through life just minding their own business all the time, they may have someone deliver your eulogy extolling the person’s niceness. Trust me; you don’t want to go there. Rather, we’re called to embrace the four cardinal virtues—prudence, justice, temperance, and fortitude—and the three theological virtues of faith, hope, love/charity. The Catechism of the Catholic Church teaches us that a “virtue is a habitual and firm disposition to do the good. It allows the person not only to perform good acts but to give the best of himself. The virtuous person tends toward the good with all his sensory and spiritual powers; he pursues the good and chooses it in concrete actions” (#1803). That means we’re called to intervene when someone goes….

Patrick Novecosky

Sep 11, 2018Blogs

The power of George

(SEPTEMBER 11, 2018) — My father was born in 1937, six months after George VI was crowned King of England. His daughter, Queen Elizabeth II, still reigns as the British Monarch after 66 years on the throne. Since my dad was born in Canada, which is still part of the British Commonwealth, his parents named him George. I’ve always been partial to the name because I inherited George as my middle name. Even though St. George is the patron saint of England—and, of course, the Troops of Saint George—most people don’t know much about him. What we do know is this: George was a soldier in the Roman army before being martyred in the fourth century. Unfortunately, little else is known about his life with certainty. Throughout history, many songs, stories, poems, and hymns have been written about St. George, which has made it hard to separate fact from fiction. The Golden Legend The saint is most often portrayed in full armor, carrying a spear or sword and slaying a dragon. This image comes from the most famous of the St. George folklore called the Golden Legend, which is said to have taken place in Silene (modern-day Libya), where George….

Patrick Novecosky