Calendar of Events.
October 1-31, 2010. Keep in mind that October is Rosary Month and Respect Life Month. Pray the Rosary for vocations and respect for the sanctity of human life.
October 3, 2010. Respect Life Sunday.
October 8-10, 2010. Ohio Valley/Great Lakes Regional Convention, Cincinnati, OH. Call Dan LaVille if you want to make car pool arrangements.
October 11, 2010. Luncheon meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. Scheduled speaker is C. Edward Balog, President of Aquinas College since 2007.
October 18, 2010. Board meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
October 23 and 24, 2010. Grand Rapids Serrans travel to Christ the King (9596 N. Reed Rd., Howard City, and St. Francis de Sales (829 E. Richardson, Lakeview) to invite formation of a 31 Club in these two parishes. Members choose one hour of one day of each month to pray for vocations. Brochures are available. Under the Serra-sponsored 31 Club plan, "thousands of Catholics pray for vocations through the 31 Club Program all over the world. This is an excellent way to spread realization of the need for an increase in priestly and religious vocations at the grassroots parish level. The introduction of the 31 Club into every parish can help encourage vocations and make parishioners aware of Serra's work." Source: the 31 club brochure, a program from the USA Council of Serra International. Len Gross and Bob Gabridge have volunteered for the 4:00 Saturday mass. We still need volunteers for 9:00 a.m., Lakeview, and 11:00 a.m., Howard City.
October 31, 2010. Celebrate Priesthood Sunday. Priesthood Sunday is a special day set aside to honor priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one. The nationwide event is coordinated and sponsored by the USA Council of Serra International.
Outside the Club. Our Lady of Sorrows Spaghetti Dinner, 11:00 a.m.-4:00 p.m., October 10, 2010 Father Ted suggests the reminder for our calendars, 10-10-10. Tickets for adults are $8. Children's tickets are $3 and may be purchased in advance. Call 243-0222 for more information.
Looking Ahead. Monday, November 29, 2010. Vocations Dinner, Cathedral Square. The Dinner Committee is finalizing plans. Early bird tickets are $95. Tickets purchased after November 1 will be priced at $125. More information will become available as the committee continues its work. This year tables of six will be made available, as opposed to tables of eight in the past. Ralph Hauenstein will present the L. Bernard Haviland Award to an honored recipient.
October Anniversaries. We have only one for October: Deacon Don Sobolewski, October 16.
2010 Serra International Convention, Anchorage, AK--A Short Report.
As I await my convention materials, my notes (shipped back, since my suitcase was already bulging), and the availability of the information from Serra International and the SI website, I want to give you a brief preliminary report on the convention:
First, thanks to all for your efforts in getting delegate forms in--I had 14 delebate and proxy delegate designations to vote for clubs in Michigan, Ohio, and West Virginia. There were no issues which were the subject of debate or contention raised at the delegate meeting. The prior year's delegate meeting minutes, the coming year's Serra International budget, the past year's financial statements, related audit report, and the slate of officers and directors for the coming year were all presented for votes and were approved without dissent.
Approximately 200 persons attended the Anchorage convention. However, in spite of the small attendance, the bishops of the three dioceses in Alaska (Juneau, Anchorage, and Fairbanks) are all supportive of forming Serra Clubs in their respective dioceses.
An impressive number of Church heirarchy participated. Two cardinals, Anthony Cardinal Okogie, Archbishop of Lagos, Nigeria; and Francis Cardinal George, O. M. I., Archbishop of Chicago; and at least seven other bishops and archbishops (including one from Nigeria, two from Mexico, one from Canada, and three from Alaska), together with numerous clergy--many from Alaska--were in attendance.
I recommend that district governors and the respective clubs in their respective districts
obtain at least the following from Serra International related to the 2010 Serra International Convention proceedings:
***Transcript and CD (and/or DVD) of the Closing Banquet address of our incoming Serra International President John M. (Tomi) Asenuga, Lagos, Nigeria...(just outstanding!!!)
***Transcript of Anthony Cardinal Okogie, Archbishop of Lagos, Nigeria's presentation on the history of the priesthood in Nigeria
***Transcript and/or CD (and/or DVD) of Francis Cardinal George, O. M. I., Archbishop of Chicago's keynote address
***CD and/or DVD of Father Brett A. Brannen's presentation on Vocations, Discernment, and the Seminary (most enthusiastically received by attendees!)
***Transcript, if available and/or DVD) of the remarks of Bishop Edward J. Burns, Bishop of Juneau and former Rector of St. Paul Seminary in the Diocese of Pittsburgh, PA.
And of course, there is more. I attended two sessions (Serra Around the World and the Communications Breakout Session) that were devoted to the new Serra International Website and details regarding its goals, functions, mechanics, implications for existing Serra websites, other implications, and implementation concerns, etc. I will have more to report on this and other Convention topics later.
The scheduled location for our 2011 SI Convention, London, England, is to be changed because of conflicts with other events scheduled for London at the same time and projected costs. A decision on a new site is to be made within a month--any USA site is at issue because of the approximately 60 Nigerians who wished to attend the Anchorage convention who were unable to obtain visas from the United States government and were, therefore, not able to attend.
I hope to see all in Cincinnati at our Regional Converence in October. More later...Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us!
Sincerely,
John Osterhart, Director, Region 6
USA Council, Serra International
Editor's Note: Thank you, John for attending SI, for representing us as a delegate, and for submitting this report.
Inaugural Speech. We offer the following excerpts from the Inaugural Speech of our new International President, John M. (Tomi) Asenuga, Lagos, Nigeria.
When one first joins Serra, it certainly is not with the goal of becoming President. One joins Serra because its objectives and purposes align with one's own--a fervent desire to becoming a cooperator with the Holy Spirit in fostering and promiting vocations to the ministerial priesthood, and the desire to answer the call to personal holiness.
Since I joined Serra, I have always loved what it stands for. My own biship, His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Okogie, who by the grace of God is here with us tonight, always encourages me to strive to do Serra's work for vocations. He taught us that the secret of Serra's success is prayer. The power of prayer is what has brought me to where I stand tonight.
Thank you all for your confidence in me. I feel honored by the nominating committee's and the delegates' actions in electing me as your President. Please pray for me and for Serra as we face the year ahead...
We proudly, firmly, and resolutely foster and promote vocations to the sacred priesthood, and we proclaim that priestly vocations are a gift from the Lord, and that they are an example of the powerful mystery of God's love for us...
As the first Serra President from the continent of Africa, I recognize the great potential to introduce Serra to the countries that make up Africa, many of which are experiencing a tremendous growth in religious faith and vocations. During my tenure, I intend to launch Serra across the African continent. To do this successfully, all hands in the entire Serra ship must be on deck.
Africa, the missionary land of yesterday, has become the leaven for the global Church of tomorrow. From the spiritual wealth of Africa, missionary priests are being called to serve in the materially wealthy but spiritually poor countries of Europe and North America.
How do we, as Serrans, stand ready to take advantage of this global shift? This is a clear message to all that Serra must be a global organization just as the Church herself is. Serra must be united and stand together to execute this task successfully, because our unity will give us the strength fo succeed...
Fellow Serrans, know that by supporting the Church's priests around the world through your prayers and actions, you are doing work that is vital to the Church. Be guided by the words of Matthew's Gospel 5:4-16: You are the light of the world. A city on a hill cannot be hidden. Neither do people light a lamp and put it under a basket. Instead, they put it on its stand, and it gives light to everyone in the house. In the same way, let your light shine before men, that they may see your good deeds and praise your Father in heaven.
Christ's final command to his apostles was: "Go, therefore, make disciples of all nations..."
We've been given our marching orders. Now let's pray and follow those orders...
I thank Almighty God for keeping us to this day and entrust the future into His hands.
God bless you all! Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!
A Special Guest. Our club was honored at the September 27 meeting at Sacred Heart by a visit from Anne Melissa Hughes, who is putting together a book called, Letters to Priests, Thanking the Men of the Catholic Church project. We were introduced to Anne through Tim Hile, who, because of a business contact, learned of the project and invited her to address our club to acquiant us with this project in the making. Anne invites fellow Catholics to join her by sharing stories of how a priest guided them to joy in time of need, as many others have done in the past. Visit the website http://letterstopriests.com/
Special Prayers. We ask for special prayers for Serran Mary Stepanovich, who has been diagnosed with breast cancer and is in the process of weighing treatment options.
Our President's Message:
Fellow Serrans: October 31, 2010 is Priesthood Sunday. It is a day when we should salute our priests and express our appreciation for all that they do. The nationwide event is co-ordinated and sponsored by the USA Council of Serra International (USAC). They have established a website for planning: www.priestsunday.org The last newsletter I received from USAC provided some food for thought:
One afternoon, I was waiting for Mass to start at St. John's and there was no priest. Some nuns were visiting from New York and they said they didn't have a priest in all their parishes any more and that Eucharistic services were common. I thought, "What would it be like if there were no priests?" And I asked myself, "What are you doing about it?" Elizabeth Shrier, Serra Club of Omaha, NE.
We all need to ask ourselves both questions...Have you personally encouraged a young person to consider a religious vocation lately? Dan LaVille, President.
Concluding Prayer. Let us end this newsletter with the Prayer of St. Francis, the Sunday prayer for the brochure, "My Daily Prayer Book."
Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.
Where there is hatred,
let me sow love.
Where there is injury, pardon.
Where there is doubt, faith.
Where there is despair, hope.
Where thre is darkness, light,
and where there is sadness, joy.
Amen.
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