From Cultural Catholic to Faithful Servant: Gil Alderete’s Call to Men
A lifetime of conversion, a crucifix passed down through generations, and a providential detour to Mexico City shape the president of Catholic Men’s Fellowship of California
When Gil Alderete talks about conversion, he doesn’t point to a single moment.
“My conversion happened over my lifetime,” Alderete said. “Born and raised a cultural Catholic, if you will. Christmas and Easter Catholics.”
There were no icons in the home growing up. One crucifix hung on the wall — a small inheritance from his great‑grandmother, Lupe, who died in 1970. Somehow, it ended up in his childhood bedroom. It still hangs in his office today.
“I don’t know how, I don’t know why,” Alderete said. “But I always had it.”
A Teen Conversion — and a Long Road Back
At 15 or 16, Alderete was drawn into Protestant Christianity through music, friendships, and a Campus Crusade for Christ pastor.
“I found Jesus,” he said. “I gave my life to Christ and said, ‘I want to follow.’”
The faith was real — but the roots were shallow.
“A lot happened in my life,” he said. “I made a shipwreck of my faith, as Paul says.”
Still, Alderete believes grace never left him.
“I always had the love of God in my heart. That infusion of grace from baptism, communion, confirmation — God never lets go.”
Years later, marriage brought him back. His wife, Catholic but not deeply practicing at the time, refused to leave the Church.
“She said, ‘I know this is the right place to be,’” he recalled.
That conviction pushed Alderete into apologetics, Scripture, and a deeper understanding of the Church as the mystical Body of Christ.
A Call Redirected
While discerning the diaconate, a priest asked him to help bring a men’s group to the parish.
Alderete remembered a conference he had attended years earlier — a gathering of 250 to 300 men that left a mark.
“It was something I’d never seen before,” he said.
That conference was hosted by Catholic Men’s Fellowship of California. Alderete dug out the folder, brought it to the priest, and made the call.
His diaconate aspirations faded into the background.
“What Gil wanted to do went by the wayside,” he said. “I started to do what I believe the Lord wanted me to do.”
Years later, he serves as president of the organization, building men’s ministry parish by parish across California.
He also served as a regional leader for Heroic Men, supporting ministries across California, Nevada, and Hawaii.
‘This Is What I’m Supposed to Do’
Alderete is quick to reject praise.
“I’m not to be thanked,” he said. “This is what I’m supposed to do.”
He points to the Gospel image of the faithful servant.
“Our gift is that we get to call Him Father,” he said. “And hopefully hear, ‘Well done, good and faithful servant.’”
He describes his younger self as quiet and withdrawn — far from the man who now speaks openly about Christ.
“That boldness was given to me by the Holy Spirit,” he said. “To go out and say, ‘Jesus loves you.’”
Rather than urging men to be the “best version of yourself,” Alderete reframes the challenge.
“Be the best version of yourself in Christ,” he said. “Be Christlike. Be another Christ.”
Learning Without Credentials
Alderete has no doctorate in theology.
“I’m just a regular Joe who felt the call,” he said.
His formation comes largely from prayer and spiritual reading — especially In Conversation with God, drawing on the writings of St. Augustine, St. Josemaría Escrivá, and reflections cited by Pope St. John Paul II.
“That’s how I learn,” he said. “That divine, intimate relationship with God is everything.”
He speaks often about apostolate — not as a title, but a calling.
“We are the apostolate,” he said. “When we go out and evangelize, when we share the light of Christ.”
Cracking the Crust
Men’s ministry, he admits, is hard.
“Men have a crust,” Alderete said. “Work, family, responsibilities — we just want to relax.”
But once the Holy Spirit catches fire, everything changes.
“You have the Holy Spirit,” he said. “But does the Holy Spirit have you?”
Without prayer, he warned, faith grows lukewarm.
“If you don’t nurture it, it can go away — just like anything else.”
A Promise Kept in Mexico City
That faith was tested — and affirmed — during a recent trip to Mexico.
Before leaving, Alderete received a call from a fellow leader whose wife had died suddenly.
“Can you pray for her at the Basilica?” the man asked.
Alderete had to say yes — even though plans had changed and the visit seemed impossible.
Through flight delays, fog, and missed connections, the group was unexpectedly stranded in Mexico City.
“It meant we could go to the Basilica,” Alderete said, smiling.
At the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, he prayed for his friend’s wife, fulfilling the promise.
Later, he discovered a small coin in his pocket — five pesos — which turned out to be exactly what was needed to access the restroom on the hill.
“Our Lady was watching after me,” he said.
He recalled a line from St. John of the Cross.
“When God gives you special graces,” he said, “don’t ask for another. Just remember — God is real.”
Leading Men Forward
This December, Alderete will help host a men’s leadership summit at Christ Cathedral in California.
The event will feature Jimmy D. presenting on Christ‑centered leadership, testimonies, prayer, and fellowship.
“We’re inviting men who feel even the slightest nudge,” Alderete said. “If God wants to shut the door, He’ll shut it. But men have to act.”
He believes the need is urgent.
“Our Lord needs men to step up — as priest, prophet, and king in their homes,” he said.
And for Alderete, the work continues — not for recognition, but obedience.
“This is the vineyard,” he said. “And this is where I’m called to labor.”