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<p>WILKES-BARRE &#8212; There wasn&#8217;t a basketball in sight, yet nearly 1,000 men spent a big chunk of Saturday in the gym at King&#8217;s College, often rising from their seats and raising their voices in unison.</p><p>King&#8217;s hosted the &#8220;Be a Man Catholic Men&#8217;s Conference,&#8221; arranged through the Diocese of Scranton, giving all participants a range of opportunities for prayer, musical presentations, singing and some inspirational words from guest speakers, all culminating in a Mass celebrated by Bishop Joseph Bambera.</p><p>Don&#8217;t think such a religion-imbued event would play well in what seems like an increasingly contentious and secular world? This was the second such conference, and the attendance growth would be the envy of many pro sports teams.</p><p>&#8220;It increased by about 25 percent,&#8221; conference co-chairman Michael Kilmer said. The increased attendance, with a $35 registration fee ($15 for students), also meant a healthy increase in money to pay fore the whole thing. Sponsors also offset the costs, providing about $20,000 both years, Kilmer said.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;re not in the business of making money,&#8221; Kilmer said, &#8220;but it helps take the pressure off organizing next year&#8217;s conference.&#8221; A date has already been &#8212; April 22, 2017.</p><p>&#8220;We&#8217;ll start working on it in a few weeks,&#8221; Kilmer said.</p><p>Along with breakfast, lunch and a Mass with the bishop, admission included presentations from Scott Hahn, Msgr. Charles Pope and Michael McGlinn, a former Notre Dame offensive lineman under Coach Lou Holtz.</p><p>Kilmer said he felt the need to help launch a conference here after attending a similar event in Columbus, Ohio, that drew more than 2,000 people. &#8220;When you see 2,500 Catholic men stand up and sing a hymn, it&#8217;s awesome,&#8221; Kilmer said. &#8220;I was blown away.&#8221;</p><p>The local conference drew men from throughout the 11-county diocese.</p><p>&#8220;I think when this many men show up, it says that it&#8217;s OK to be a strong Catholic Christian man,&#8221; Kilmer said.</p><p>Kilmer said he intends to keep offering to help arrange the events, and noted &#8220;the fellow in Ohio has been doing it for 17 years.&#8221; He paused briefly. &#8220;I don&#8217;t think I&#8217;ll be doing it that long.&#8221;</p><p>But he does feel a divine force is helping, and that there is a clear hunger for the conference here. Why else would there be such a big increase in attendance in one year?</p><p>&#8220;We are not organizing geniuses,&#8221; he said. &#8220;Clearly the Holy Spirit is here, working.&#8221;</p><style>
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<div class="neCaption">Former Notre Dame offensive lineman and multi-instrumentalist composer Michael McGlinn promotes the message of Jesus during the second annual &#8220;Be A Man&#8221; Catholic Men&#8217;s Conference at King&#8217;s College in Wilkes-Barre Saturday afternoon. </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo0>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042416beaman_mg_1.jpg</photo0><caption0>Former Notre Dame offensive lineman and multi-instrumentalist composer Michael McGlinn promotes the message of Jesus during the second annual &#8220;Be A Man&#8221; Catholic Men&#8217;s Conference at King&#8217;s College in Wilkes-Barre Saturday afternoon. </caption0><photoCredit0>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit0></div><div class="neFile"><img class="neImage" src="https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042416beaman_mg_2.jpg">
<div class="neCaption">Speaker on Scripture and the Catholic faith Dr. Scott Hahn, left, responds to questions as fellow speaker Msgr. Charles Pope of Washington, D.C., listens during the second annual &#8220;Be A Man&#8221; Catholic Men&#8217;s Conference at King&#8217;s College in Wilkes-Barre Saturday </div></div><div class="metaInfo"><photo1>https://www.timesleader.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/web1_TTL042416beaman_mg_2.jpg</photo1><caption1>Speaker on Scripture and the Catholic faith Dr. Scott Hahn, left, responds to questions as fellow speaker Msgr. Charles Pope of Washington, D.C., listens during the second annual &#8220;Be A Man&#8221; Catholic Men&#8217;s Conference at King&#8217;s College in Wilkes-Barre Saturday </caption1><photoCredit1>Bill Tarutis | For Times Leader </photoCredit1></div></div>
<div class="metaInfo"><bylineMeta><p>By Mark Guydish</p><p>mguydish@www.timesleader.com</p></bylineMeta></div><div class="metaInfo"><shirttailMeta><p>Reach Mark Guydish at 570-991-6112 or on Twitter @TLMarkGuydish</p></shirttailMeta></div>

What brings nearly 1,000 men to their feet in a college gym? Not a basketball game