The Martyrs' Walk founder Jason Murphy has been involved in men's ministries going all the way back to 2005 when he first joined the Knights of Columbus. He quickly made his way up through their ranks becoming a Fourth Degree Knight in 2006 and multiple term Grand Knight in the years to follow. In 2010 as Grand Knight, he helped to establish the Catholic Men's Conference of the Carolinas which has become a yearly staple for Catholic men in the Diocese of Charlotte and beyond.
Through his involvement as coordinator of the men's conference since 2019, Jason began hosting a weekly men's forum podcast on the local Catholic radio station Carolina Catholic Media Network called 'The Obligation.' His goal was to continue reaching men in the hopes of engaging and challenging them (and himself) to more as the men, fathers, and husbands God is calling them to be.
Jason is a husband and father to six beautiful children and understands first-hand the difficulties and dangers of raising children in a world set upon destroying traditional family values, faith, and ultimately the domestic church which is the foundation of the Church body and society as a whole. As a proficient boxer and second-degree black belt in MMA, Jason has learned to never give up even when the odds are against you. His hopes are that The Martyrs' Walk will serve as a vehicle to that end and push men to more and help restore hope in the dignity in which they were created.
Tico is a husband to a wonderful woman for over 25 years and a father to 5 wonderful children.
I am a professional dog breeder of working Standard Bulldogs bred for protection, farm utility and hunting. I enjoy working out especially lifting weights and eating healthy. I like to challenge myself on a physical and mental level and I’m always looking to place myself mentally and physically to that next level. I am a Traditional Catholic who attends the Latin Mass, goes to weekly adoration, and believes in the importance of a properly catechized family. I believe in teaching and raising my children in the fullness of the Faith.
“The Martyrs Walk was an incredibly intense experience for me, physically and spiritually! It superseded my preconceived expectations and became far more impactful! On a physical level I had to grind and pull from reserves I didn’t think I had. On a spiritual level I found myself completely connected with Our Lord and asked both St. Joseph and Our Lady for constant intercession of my prayers. I found that even through the intensity and the surreal reminding theme of martyrdom, fear, anxiety and at times yes even pain, any notion of quitting was not a part of my perception. The camaraderie between men formed a brotherhood I'm sure will last a lifetime. It was this brotherhood that makes “The Martyrs Walk” the incredible program/retreat/bootcamp that it is.
My name is Joe Simmers. I was raised in the Mid-Atlantic, but have lived in the south for half my life. I am a Catholic revert who attends the TLM with my wife and kids. Having spent over a decade on active duty in the Marine Corps conducting multiple deployments, my Faith became extremely important for mine and my family’s spiritual support during those periods. I am raising my kids in a home with traditional values, working to properly catechize them in the teaching of the Church. Staying both spiritually and physically active are important to me because they are intrinsically linked and foster growth and resilience that are desperately needed today.
"The Martyrs Walk is a unique retreat designed to push you to your limits. The short duration isn’t to be scoffed at because of the mental and physical rigors involved. I’ve been on a dozen spiritual retreats in my life, and this one has given me the most growth out of them all. Incorporating the physical demands with the spiritual discipline of an Ignatian retreat is something that I had to experience to have a full appreciation of. The brotherhood formed with my fellow Martyrs through the shared hardship is something that will continue throughout my life. I strongly recommend this for any Catholic man that is looking for serios like-minded men that want to push themselves for Christ and know if they could truly be a Martyr if the time ever comes. "
Daniel Vu was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest as a cradle Catholic. After graduating high school and briefly attending college, Daniel attended World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid and 2013 in Rio de Janeiro. In 2014, he enlisted in the Marine Corps and served for 8 years in the United States Marine Corps deploying twice in support of various operations. Daniel currently works in the security industry as a security specialist. When he is not working in the security realm, Daniel is currently running a Catholic Men's social media apostolate on Instagram and leading Men's Rosary Marches in Southern California.
"The Martyrs Walk in its short time frame has not only changed my life, but it was definitely a huge gut check. It helped me to realize that there's so much more that I have learn as a Catholic Man and to piece it altogether to be the defender, guardian, and protector not just to the Church, but also to the like-minded men standing left and right of me. Overall, I strongly recommend The Martyrs Walk to all Catholic men who want to see where they truly stand in the face of adversity and whether or not they have the grit to truly be a Martyr should that time ever come in their life."
Cesar is a Cradle Catholic, Husband and Father of 3, born in Peru and raised in NY. Cesar has spent the last two decades working with people with mental illness. Cesar returned to his Faith as an adult, completing his sacraments prior to Marriage, consecrating himself to Mother Mary and Saint Joseph. Cesar and his family observe Traditional Catholic values, attend weekly TLM in the Carmelite Rite as well as weekly Eucharistic Adoration. Cesar leads an early morning Rosary apostolate @thesonsofMary on IG which has helped him connect to other like-minded men including the Brothers who have participated in The Martyrs Walk.
"I was contacted by Jason M. about "this thing" he was putting together - a Catholic Men’s Bootcamp. I experienced things that I would not have experienced anywhere else, allowing time to engage in self reflection and emotional growth. This experience was life changing - it has allowed to look more closely at the kind of Father, Husband and Man I have been for so many years and look ahead to the kind of Man I need to be for my family. The Martyrs Walk has been designed for Men who are looking for a different path to follow while seeking emotional and spiritual growth. You will not do this alone, you will always the support and love of your Brothers. "
Rick is a Cradle Catholic and Husband of 14 years. Born in and raised in the suburbs of Rhode Island. In 2007 he moved to the state of Texas to pursue a career in teaching. After seeing the writing on the wall, he left the teaching profession to pursue his passion, which is firearms and firearms training. He now is the organizer of The Armed Catholic, a firearms education and training organization. Rick reverted to the faith in 2014, enrolling in the Brown Scapular Devotion, consecrating himself to Saint Joseph and his family to Mother Mary. Rick and his wife attend the TLM.
"Jason reached out about the idea of The Martyrs Walk. The idea was that American Catholic men have become too soft in the modern world. There is no challenge for them anymore. Jason wanted to know if I would participate in a “beta” test of the Walk. Now I believe that this would be difficult, but nothing that I haven’t done before. I was wrong. I have never been pushed to this limit physically, mentally and spiritually. Not only have I been revitalized in mind, body & soul, I now have 5 brothers that I can now count on for the rest of my life. "
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