Heroic Leadership Summit 2024 Brings Catholic Men Together for a Transformational Weekend at Christ Cathedral
Orange County, CA – From Friday, June 28 to Sunday, June 30, 2024, Catholic men from across North America gathered at the iconic Christ Cathedral in Anaheim, California, for a weekend of faith, formation, and fraternity at the annual Heroic Leadership Summit, hosted by Heroic Men and the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance (CMLA).
Held on the campus of Christ Cathedral—formerly known as the Crystal Cathedral—the summit invited men to immerse themselves in a weekend of spiritual renewal, sacramental encounter, and leadership training surrounded by stunning architecture and serene surroundings.
This all-inclusive, retreat-style event offered meals, lodging, daily sacraments, and top-tier Catholic keynote presentations, positioning it as a high-trust, high-impact experience for leaders ready to grow their ministry to men.
"The Heroic Leadership Summit is an amazing and powerful experience. I highly recommend it to any man, especially those serving in ministry to men. It was inspiring, encouraging, challenging and most of all, a great environment to encounter Jesus."
2024 Attendee
The Heroic Leadership Summit: A Call to Action
The Heroic Leadership Summit is the annual, no-nonsense, cutting-edge event for Catholic men hungry for serious growth in their faith journey. Brought to you by the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance, the weekend was designed to ignite, equip, and grow the mission of ministry to men through practical strategies, deep conversations, and authentic brotherhood.
“This summit is for every man who’s ready to step off the sidelines and into his God-given call to lead,” said Dan Donaldson, VP of Heroic Men. “We’re not just forming individuals. We’re forging a movement.”
Meet the Speakers Who Are Leading the Charge
The weekend featured a star-studded lineup of Catholic leaders:
Jason Shanks, President of OSV Institute – “Divine Intimacy”
Tim Glemkowski, CEO of the National Eucharistic Conference – “The Eucharist”
David Bereit, Founder of 40 Days for Life – “The Little Way of Evangelization”
Deacon Charlie Echeverry, Founder of the Black/Brown Collective – “Building Authentic Brotherhood”
Kevin Matthews, Author of Broken but Loved
Bishop Joseph Coffey, Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA
Fr. Larry Richards, Founder of the Reason for Our Hope Foundation
Deacon Harold Burke-Sivers, Host of The Deacon’s Call
Robert Tunmire, Co-founder of Heroic Men and CMLA
Dan Donaldson, VP of Heroic Men & CMLA
Andre Regnier, Founder of Catholic Christian Outreach
Sean Lynn, Founder of God Squad Canada
Dean Patterson, President of CMLA
Mike Donovan, Executive Coach and Catholic Leader
Chris Mann and Chris Scroggin, National Catholic Speakers
Summit Schedule Highlights
Friday, June 28:
4:00PM – Check-in & Registration
6:30PM – Keynote: Divine Intimacy with Jason Shanks
8:30PM – Mass with Bishop Vann
9:30PM – Brotherhood & Networking
Saturday, June 29:
6:30AM – Adoration & Sacraments
9:00AM – Keynote: The Eucharist with Tim Glemkowski
10:45AM – Workshops: Building Divine Intimacy
1:00PM – Keynote: Building Authentic Brotherhood with Deacon Charlie Echeverry
2:45PM – Workshops: Creating Brotherhood in Ministry
7:00PM – Keynote: Broken but Loved with Kevin Matthews
8:00PM – Area Breakouts & Fellowship
Sunday, June 30:
7:00AM – Adoration
8:45AM – Keynote: The Little Way of Evangelization with David Bereit
11:30AM – Closing Mass
12:30PM – Lunch & Departure
"I am now better able to verbalize my faith and feel called to evangelize the men in my church, in spite of the roadblocks I have experienced trying to follow this calling." - 2024 Attendee
Why This Summit Matters
We've kickstarted a movement in ministry to men. Join us. Let's leave no man behind.
31% of Catholic men don't even have one close personal friend at their parish (New Emangelization Project). Many parishes struggle to reach them, and a lot of efforts to evangelize men simply aren't working. Let's change this together.
We’re tackling the real issues that men face—head-on:
How to evangelize without pushing others away
How to cut through distractions while keeping what matters most
How to finally make lasting changes in your faith and leadership
What should I be using for small group content
How to engage younger men
How do I get men to talk about what matters
How do I raise up leaders to grow the ministry
We’re giving you real tools to help you to:
Break down the walls of isolation from other men
Share your faith with confidence and purpose
Step boldly into your calling to evangelize and lead - even when there are roadblocks.
"Join the most action-driven Catholic men’s leadership event in North America where you’ll get the exact training, tools, and support to build a thriving men’s ministry. At this summit, you won’t just hear inspiring talks—you’ll work alongside top Catholic leaders to get a step-by-step plan to evangelize men, launch small groups that actually grow, and create a brotherhood that transforms lives. No more struggling alone. No more guesswork. This is the field-tested blueprint to reignite men’s faith in your parish and beyond. Let’s build something that lasts!"
Dan Donaldson, CEO, Heroic Men
"The best conference I have ever attended, both in content and precision in how it was run. I can't wait to get to God's work. The Holy Spirit was here!"
- 2024 Attendee
Real Lives, Real Impact
The 2023 CMLA/Heroic Summit was a game-changer, a rallying cry for us to step up and embrace our heroic potential.
The energy, the camaraderie, the deep, honest conversations—these events are where brotherhood is forged and lives are transformed. For those of you reading this comment. If you haven’t been, make it a priority.
Surround yourself with men who challenge you to be better, who lift you up when you’re down, and who remind you of the hero within. You won’t regret it—this is where the real work of becoming the men we’re meant to be happens.
Alan Diaz, 2023 Attendee
“Attending this Summit was one of the best things that ever happened to me. I rated everything a 10 because the entire experience impacted my life in ways that words cannot describe…” - 2023 Attendee
Join the Movement
Contact Heroic Men if:
You want to stop going it alone and build true, heroic brotherhood.
You want to hone your leadership skills to reach more men for Christ.
You want to become an authentic apprentice of Jesus and a missionary disciple.
You want the men around you to live life to the full—with their faith and families.
About Heroic Men
Heroic Men is a project of the Catholic Men’s Leadership Alliance (CMLA), a movement to launch, form, and equip Catholic men’s leaders across North America. Through events, resources, and support, we aim to ignite the hearts of men to become missionary disciples.