"I needed clothes and you clothed me, I was sick and you looked after me, I was in prison and you came to visit me." Matthew 25:36 Please welcome Billy Burke to this episode of A Man's Need for God. Billy was abandoned by his parents as an infant and left in a hotel room to the care of no one. He was luckily saved, but generational trauma followed Billy until he finally turned his life to God. Billy was eventually adopted, but it became a long road of being expelled from elementary school, in and out of youth detention centers, psychiatric wards, to eventually turning to methamphetamine and ending up in the New Hampshire State Penitentiary system. But one thing that never changed for Billy, from the moment he was conceived, to being left in the hotel room, to now, is that God NEVER left him - he walked with Billy, step by step, until finally, Billy fully joined the Catholic Church last year. God personally did this for Billy. As we head into Martin Luther King weekend, I hope this message is a reminder that ALL people are made in the image and likeness of God, and no matter someone's background, skin color, how they might look, or even their past mistakes, as Billy so humbly shares, these things alone do not define who they are, but rather being a child of God does. I pray in thanksgiving that Billy feels accepted and that he belonged in the Catholic Church, and thankful to God, for Billy's testimony. Please enjoy another episode of a Man's Need for God. 

I am very excited to have Fr. Wayne Belschner, Pastor at St. Mary of the Assumption in Dedham, MA join us for this episode. Fr. Wayne is an incredible man - he has built a thriving parish, with youth, and young and old families alike, because of his authentic approach. Born and raised in Revere,  MA, and one of eleven children (nine brothers and one sister) let's just say Fr. Wayne knows a thing or two about people, the faith journey, and a man's need for God. There are so many things I appreciate about Fr. Wayne, but not least of which is his own desire and longing for God. Often times, people can look at priests and think they're invisible, but they are people just like the rest of us, who need to rely on God for their strength and healing all the same. I hope through this conversation, it helps you understand a priest's need for God, and are able to learn a thing or two from the wisdom Fr. Wayne shares with us. Thank you for listening to another episode of A Man's Need for God podcast. 

(Taken from St. Mary's directly, you can read Fr. Wayne's complete bio here:

Fr. Wayne was born in Revere to the late Robert and Celeste Belschner.  Fr. Wayne has nine brothers and one sister along with twenty-four nephews and nieces as well as three grandnephews and one grandniece.  After attending Revere Public Schools, he completed his undergraduate work at St. John’s Seminary College.  He did graduate studies at the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome (1991-1993) and finished his formation at St. John’s Seminary (1993-1995).  Fr. Wayne received a Licentiate in Sacred Theology with a concentrate in history from Boston College in 2011 and his Doctorate from Boston College in 2017 in Medieval history.  While in the seminary, Fr. Wayne served in parishes in Roxbury and Winchester and was ordained to the priesthood on May 20, 1995.  He served as a parochial vicar at St. Charles Borromeo, Woburn (1995-2003); and, as a pastor at Sacred Heart, East Boston (2003-2016).  As a priest, he says that his greatest joys are rooted in the Holy Mass: “My greatest joys as a priest all stem from the celebration of the Mass. Whether it be marriages, baptisms, even funerals, to be gathered together as a family at the altar of God to share in His great gift of His Son is pure joy.”)

https://stmarysdedham.com/about-us/clergy

I am very thankful and humbled for this episode's guest in Devin McCourty - a 2-time All-Pro, 3-time Super Champion, Team Captain, and named to the New England Patriots Hall of Fame. As many know, especially in New England, Devin McCourty is the epitome of what it means to be a Patriot - but, the hope from this episode is that people come to see that he is also an incredible man of faith, and an example of a professional athlete who had amazing success, but yet, always grounded his life in God. I hope and pray, that you take the time to listen to this episode - even if you're just a Devin McCourty fan, there are so many take-aways from this conversation. God bless, and hope you enjoy another episode of A Man's Need for God podcast.

I am honored to have Sherborn, MA Police Officer Doug Kingsley join me for an episode on a Man's Need for God podcast - it can be easy to take for granted first responders, and I hope in this conversation, people can have an appreciation for the humanity of first responders, and in Doug's case, being a police officer, and even more, his need for God. Doug has done an incredible job of bringing mental health awareness to the forefront of the first responder community, and in fact, even walked across Massachusetts - 219 miles in total - to bring to light the suicide crisis in the first responder and tactical athlete community, after losing two of his friends by this means. Doug is such a genuine person, who anyone can benefit from listening to this conversation, especially those in the tactical community potentially searching for God in their own lives.

For this week's episode, we are excited to have Dr. Michael Nicholson, Principal at Xaverian Brothers High School in Westwood, MA join us! Mike, reporting to and working closely with the Head of School (shout out to Dr. Jake Conca!), helps oversee the day-to-day life of the faculty and students, helping ensure we are living out our mission as  a Xaverian Brothers Catholic high school, leading and forming the young men to be who God has created them to be. This is no small task with over 950 boys at the school, and over 100 faculty members, and in a world where there is a lot of information flow and distractions that could pull away from the objective. Mike brings us on his faith journey, and shares his testimony of how and why he needs God. I hope this continues to paint a picture that no matter what we do, from principal to athlete, the need for God is vital in our lives. Please enjoy this episode of A Man's Need for God.

This is a story of redemption, of possibility, and of God's grace working in what seemed to be an impossible situation. My brother Pete Nelson is this episode's guest. Pete is in recovery from intravenous drug addiction, but who has gone on to do incredible things, to today, running his own mental health counseling practice in New Hampshire, named Nelson Counseling, to founding the recovery-home network named St Christopher's Recovery comprising of over four recovery homes, which you can visit here to learn more https://saintchristophersrecovery.com/. For those who have suffered with addiction, or witnessed loved ones struggle with addiction, both Pete and I pray that his testimony gives you or them hope. Pete was in the throes of heroine and intravenous addiction for nearly 10-years, and at its worst, was alone and homeless living on the streets of South Boston until the end of 2019, when things miraculously changed for Pete, and he found God again. Please allow Pete to take you on a journey of addiction, to healing, with God being at the center. Anyone who has experienced this level of addiction, or witnessed someone else experience it, the darkness is almost unspeakable, but they are not alone, and the possibility of something different is available with God's grace. Please be aware, of course, that although the lyrics are clean, we talk about sensitive topics that could be triggering, so take it slow if needed. Thank you for listening to another show on A Man's Need for God.

This episode we are honored to have former 3-time Pro Bowl quarterback, Matt Hasselbeck join us. Matt was born in Boulder, CO and raised predominantly in the Boston-area, attending Xaverian Brothers High School, then to Boston College, to finally, having a 17-year career in the NFL, with his longest stay being with the Seattle Seahawks from 2001-2010, where Matt has been inducted into their illustrious Ring of Honor. With the Seahawks, Matt holds 6 regular season team records, and 2 postseason records. But, I am sure if you were to ask Matt his proudest achievement, he would say his family: wife Sarah, and three children, Annabelle, Mallory, and Henry. Matt is so generous in sharing his faith, and we hope in the episode that you are able to relate with Matt as a brother in Christ, and learn about his need for God.

Dave Nelson is the host of this show - so we thought, maybe you could hear about his need for God before he interviewed others! In short, Dave is a Catholic, man of God, a father, former high school and college football captain, near death survivor, ECAC award of valor recipient, salesman and business owner, former mental resilience teacher, fundraiser, and a lover of people.  He is a person broken without God, but made whole with Him, and for Him, knowing that God takes all broken things and makes them even more beautiful, more glorious, and more fruitful when we surrender to His love - but Dave knows he Needs Him, as he often throughout his day prays, simply, “Lord, I love you, and I need You.’ Amen. Please enjoy getting to know Dave more as we kickoff A Man's Need for God podcast.  (A very special thank you to CatholicTV for allowing us to use their podcast studio at no cost - this wouldn't be possible without their help! Thank God.)