Over the past several years, Catholic men’s conferences have popped up across the country. There are podcasts, online organizations, and many other cool things. If you’ve attended a men’s conference, you’ve likely heard one of the authors/speakers listed below. Here is a list of books that are a good read for the Catholic man. 

One of the common threads throughout all of these books are that they’re written by real men—or in the case of the one book written by a woman, it’s addressed to real men, living everyday lives. Both the authors and the audience know struggle, brokenness, who try and fail (like all of us) to live a solid Catholic life. At the same time, these men know the Lord, they read the Scriptures, they are engaged in their vocations, and they want to shed light for others on the path of Jesus Christ.  

Be A Man!  Becoming the Man God Created You to Be by Fr. Larry Richards

Fr. Larry has been on the speaker circuit for many years; this book hails from 2009. Its lessons are timeless. This Pittsburgh son of two cops has a no-nonsense approach that speaks well to men of all ages.  He writes as he speaks—deep, familiar, and with plenty of stories. For the full effect, I recommend listening to the audio book on the Formed app; Fr. Larry reads it himself in his indomitable style. Or, create a free OurHope.TV account on his website and watch all ten talks in the Be A Man! series.  

This book covers a lot of ground, but at the end, it doesn’t feel like it. The book feels more like a long conversation with an old football coach. Fr. Larry grounds all his material in practical examples, stories, and goal setting. He also provides discussion questions at the end of every chapter. 

Behold the Man: A Catholic Vision of Male Spirituality by Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers

Deacon Harold takes up the project of defining male spirituality. He examines the covenant relationship, sin, forgiveness, truth, theology of the body, fatherhood, work, and the famous armor of God passage from Ephesians 6. He jumps headfirst into the theological background of his topic, touching on a lot of Scripture, papal documents, and the richness of Church tradition. Interspersed throughout the book are stories from both Deacon Harold’s ministry and his own life.  

This book leans more on the theological side, but do not let that be a deterrent. While Deacon Harold explains things in a very thorough manner, he never loses the relatable tone that makes his talks famous. 

Hero: Being the Strong Father Your Children Need by Dr. Meg Meeker

Meg Meeker is a pediatrician and counselor that has a particular focus on fathers. She has multiple books to help fathers; Hero urges all dads to become heroes in their family. What does that look like? Not by flying, defeating supervillains, or saving the world. Her starting point for every man: “every father… had all the hardwiring necessary to be a great dad; it’s innate; it’s part of your DNA; you just have to use it” (pg. 3). Her emphasis on dads comes from many sociological studies. It’s a vast oversimplification of the large problem of fatherlessness, but children that have a stable, involved father have statistically less issues in life. 

Dr. Meeker’s book is a quick read with lots of stories, advice from her experience as a doctor, and a mix of challenge and encouragement. The book would be a great one for a first-time dad, as well as a shot in the arm for the experienced dad.  

Man Your Post: Learning to Lead Like Saint Joseph by Carrie (née Schuchts) & Duane Daunt

This book focuses on particular virtues of St. Joseph and teaches about them through the stories of Catholic men. Each of the thirteen chapters follow the same format. First, they start with one of the titles of St. Joseph from his litany. Then Carrie & Duane Daunt have a short reflection followed by a testimony/essay by another author. Those contributors include former MLB All Star Mike Sweeney, Dr. Bob Schuchts, business leader Patrick Lencioni, and Jake Khym, who hosts the podcast “Restore the Glory” with Dr. Bob Schuchts. With the diverse lineup of writers, there’s bound to be one that speaks to every man’s experience.  

One of the best parts of the book for me was at the end of each chapter. It had questions for reflection/discussion (if read in a group), a “mobilizing the mission” action item, and a closing prayer. If this book speaks to you, I encourage checking out the John Paul II Healing Center and Dr. Schuchts’ other books. We will not experience full, spiritual healing until heaven (God willing!). Still, Christ became man to give us everything—the Holy Spirit, the sacraments, the Church—so that we might have life, and have it abundantly (John 10:10). Take your wounds to Christ to gain freedom from them!

Catholics, Wake Up! by Jesse Romero

Personally, I had a hard time reading this book at first. I have heard Jesse speak a few times at conferences and his style is nothing if not gripping. The book was not what I expected until I realized he wrote exactly how he talked. Once I started reading the book with his voice/style in my mind, it became a fun read. 

Jesse tells stories from his life and ministry.  Some of the chapters are short stories around a particular lesson or experience, and others take on a greater length. He tells of his conversion, discusses apologetics (“I don’t have enough faith to be an atheist”), and confronts all kinds of issues that men face today. This is an easy, fun, and engaging read, and you may be looking up Jesse’s talks online when you finish the book. 

Boys to Men: The Transforming Power of Virtue by Tim Gray and Curtis Martin

If your men’s group happens to need a book/program to work through, this book is a great choice. It was written by Tim Gray (president of the Augustine Institute) and Curtis Martin (founder of FOCUS, the Fellowship of Catholic University Students) over 20 years ago. Virtue is the topic of discussion: specifically, the four cardinal virtues of temperance, prudence, justice, fortitude, and the three theological virtues of faith, hope, love.   

Each chapter has about 7-10 pages of reading on one of the virtues listed above. Then it turns into a workbook with questions that reference bible verses from Eden to Revelation. For those who might not be as familiar with the Bible as they would like, this book would be an excellent starting point.