My Men’s Right of Passage (MROP) at Ghost Ranch hosted our mob of about a hundred initiates and the experience was special. On the day of our fasting and silent wandering, I  paired up with a man about my age and off we went.

We are completing our second month of the Soul Brothers program. Some reflections from our brothers concern a sense of sorrow when the brother they are paired with becomes unresponsive. I think back to when I proposed this idea to Brian and Chuck and how I wanted the bonds created from our Mary Oliver writing retreat to stay strong during the long days between councils. I am not a man who easily trusts other men, and I truly know the sorrow that comes from the unreciprocated bravery and vulnerability extended to connect with another man. I never want Illuman to be a source of broken bonds that can exacerbate the pandemic of loneliness that plagues most men in America. So, I have some ideas.

The Men’s Rites of Passage (MROP) is not just another Catholic/Christian men’s retreat, but five days of formal male initiation. These teachings on the “mysteries” and the accompanying rituals of Passover have been met with a very strong response in recent years. Over 6,000 men have now been initiated through these rites of male initiation since they were begun in 1996.