Precious in the sight of the Lord is the death of his faithful ones. Psalm 116:15. In 2006, when a group of Serrans visited Our Lady of Sorrows in their bid to recruit new members, it was Phillip Weber who heard the call to join our club. We now mourn his passing on August 8, 2009. We will remember him as one of our most prayerful members ever, and we take comfort in our certainty that his prayers will make a difference in our collective effort to nurture and support priestly and religious vocations.
Thank you to members of St. Andrew's Cathedral who led the Rosary at his visitation. All who attended were reminded of the importance of the Rosary in Phillip's life.
We extend our thanks also to Father Ted for his wonderful funeral homily, in which he pointed out Phillip's role as a quiet, unsung hero in setting an example for all of us in his love of the Lord and the richness of his prayer life.
I once read in an otherwise long since forgotten novel that it is not the absence of the dead that startles us; it is their presence. I, for one, as a member of Our Lady of Sorrows, will forever see Phillip's bicycle parked in the breezeway, or Phillip kneeling in prayer at either of the side chapels or otherwise praying or meditating in various locations throughout the parish grounds. Father Ted mentioned his habit of sitting on the school steps at 8:30 every Sunday morning, in good weather and in bad, waiting for the church to open. Now and then Father Ted says still, as he prepares for weekday or Sunday masses, "Phillip won't be with us today."
No, he will not be physically present, either at Our Lady of Sorrows or at Serra meetings. But we will not easily forget the blessings he brought to the parish and our club and to all who knew him. We give thanks for the gift of his life. Let us pray for the repose of his soul.
By Nancy King
Adoration Opportunities for September, October, and Beyond.
Tuesday, September 1. Ss. Peter and Paul. 6:00 p.m. Adoration with Mass to follow at 7:00.
Monday, October 5. Holy Spirit. 8:00 a.m. Mass, with Adoration to follow at 9:00.
These are the Adoration Opportunities regularly scheduled by our club. Fr. Ed has offered additional Adoration Opportunities at Sacred Heart as follows:
Thursday, September 3. Adoration to begin after 7:30 a.m. Mass. Adoration closes at 7:00 p.m. with Evening Prayer, Night Prayer, and Benediction.
Thursday, October 20. Adoration to begin after 9:00 a.m. Children's Mass. The closing of Adoration at 7:00 p.m. will be more formal than usual, with extra priests present, Evening Prayer, Guest Homilist, Litany of Saints, Procession, and Benediction.
Thursday, November 5. Same format as September 3.
Thursday, December 3. Same format as September 3.
Meeting Dates for September and Beyond.
September 14, 2009. Luncheon Meeting at 12:00 Noon at the University Club. At this meeting, we begin our fall lecture series with Dr. Woody Hoover, Chair of the Department of Business Administration at Aquinas College. Here is the information he gave us: Dr. Hoover will discuss a study of the role and responsibilities that organizations have in their relationship to local, state, national and international communities and how the School of Management uses these encyclicals as a basis for its Ethics course for students in the Master of Management program.
September 21, 2009. Board Meeting at 12:00 Noon at the University Club.
September 28, 2009. Prayer Service and Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart. The International Convention report will be given at that time.
October 12, 2009. Member/Guest Reception at 5:30 p.m. at Louis Benton Steak House. Please submit names of prospective guests/members to Tim Hile so that he can send invitations.
A Note About our Annual Bishop's Dinner. The dinner, to be held on Tuesday, December 1 at the Conference Center at Cathedral Square, has undergone name changes since its inception. Nineteen years ago, we were asked to support our Bishop by inaugurating the Sabbatical Dinner Program. Proceeds were used to fund sabbaticals for priests actively serving in our diocese. Over time, the proceeds from this dinner were also used for other diocesan vocational activities, and it became known as the Vocations Dinner. This year, our club has been asked to continue our fundraising endeavor and host the Annual Bishop's Dinner. Proceeds from this event will be used to support the continuing education of a priest at the North American College in Rome, This fall, the Reverend Monsignor William Duncan, once a Serran, will be participating in this program. He will return to Grand Rapids and deliver the Keynote Address at the dinner, which will begin at 6:00 p.m. with hors d'oeuvres and social hour, with dinner to follow at 7:00 p.m.
As Mark explains in his letter, each Serran is asked to support the program the co-ordinating the sale of a table of eight. An early bird rate of $760 per table, ($95 per person) is available to those who submit payment by Monday, October 12.
Priesthood Sunday. Priesthood Sunday will be observed on October 25, 2009, the Thirtieth Sunday in Ordinary Time. For music and other liturgical ideas, visit http://www.priestsunday.org/
Preists' Anniversaries. The following diocesean priests will celebrate anniversaries of their ordination in September: Fr. Johnson Jeyable Pappusamy, September 16, 1998, Pastor of St. Jerome, Scottville and St. Mary Custer; Fr. Loc Q. Trinh, September 19, 1992, Pastor of St. Anne, Paris, and St. Phillip Neri, Reed City; and Fr. Ron Hutchinson, September 24, 1994, Pastor of Holy Redeemer, Jenison.
News From the Franciscan Life Center. Father Stan Fortuna, C. F. R., will appear at the Franciscan Center's Life Fest during the weekend of October 10 and 11, starting with Saturday night's Evening of Inspiration from 6 to 10 p.m.
A founding member of the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, Father Stan uses his background as a cabaret singer, recording artist, music producer, and composer to reach people of all ages.
Beginning at noon on Sunday, October 11, Father Fortuna will celebrate the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Later in the afternoon he will take the stage, performing with his guitar, accompanied by additional musical performers.
Saturday night's Evening of Inspiration is $60 per adult, or $50 per student ticket. The Sunday Family Fall Celebration costs $8 per person or $20 per family. Box lunches are available for purchase at the event, or guests are welcome to bring their own picnic lunches.
Source: Troubador, Fall, 2009.
News from Iraq, from Chaplain (Lieutenant Colonel) Gary R. Studniewski.
In this Year of the Priest, we offer this piece as an example of the many faces of the Priesthood,
"Never Far from Home, Again."
"Ten years ago the AMS, in conjunction with Jack Ball Productions, Inc., produced a video promoting the vocation of the priest-chaplain serving the members of our military communities. The video was titled, "Never Far From Home." The title conveyed the idea that, no matter how far removed our military members were from "home," the priest gathers the family of God together and, through the ministry of the Church, gives access to the comfort and the surety of our true home in Christ. As I serve in Iraq, as one privileged to assemble the Church around the Lord's Table, I have come to experience the reality of that insightful title.
Home is that 'place' where we feel welcomed and where we feel safe; where we can always be ourselves because we are surrounded by those who love us for who we are. In the austere and oftentimes hostile environment of a deployed setting like Iraq one is removed from things friendly and familiar. One feels like a stranger, out of place and disconnected from the security and comforts of home.
In the war film Saving Private Ryan, Captain John Miller, played by Tom Hanks, remarks, "Every time I kill someone, I feel farther away from home." In our wars today there are still plenty of brutalities, alienations, and deprivations that make a battle space a hostile territory. Not a few free moments are spent with the mind's eye on the homeland we hope to regain. Isn't it a wonderful gift to have the Church resent at the place where people are feeling such estrangement, such disassociation from all that their heart longs for? With the Church present and visible in the many settings that military personnel serve, people are never far from home.
Sunday Eucharist has been the occasion for the family to gather here at Joint Base Balad, a large base with some 20,000 military personnel and another 10,000 civilians. So many people have commented to me that Sunday Mass is the highlight of their week here; the time when they feel transported to a safe place, a lace of refuge and peace. I know what they mean. Recently I returned from two weeks of R&R leave in Hawaii, a marvelous escape to a tropical paradise. And yet how indescribably good it felt to be back 'home' in Iraq with the family, in the Father's house with nurture of Mother Church. I found myself saying that this was where I wanted to be. There are many exciting and beautiful places to visit and explore in life, but none feels quite like home in the heart of a family where our soul derives peace.
Many people come 'home' to Mother Church in Iraq. For years some have been estranged, or lukewarm, or variously distracted. But the regularity of life here and the silence of the heart proper to the desert prompt many to pursue soul care. Some make a good confessin after many years, a sweet homecoming. Others attend Mass more regularly, take up a new devotion, or participate in a study group. Many depart Iraq very thankful for the spiritual growth and consider it the great grace of their tour. There is great appreciation for the opportunities which the Church presents for spiritual growth through the ministry of priests...
It saddens me that many service members in Iraq are deprived of the sacramental and pastoral ministry of a priest because of our severe priest-chaplain shortages. I pray that more priests may answer the call to serve as military chaplains. But I also give thanks for the dedicated and faithful priests who are spending themselves in service to the deployed forces, and in so many other places, reminding the people that wherever and whenever Christ draws the family together, they are truly never far from home."
Source: Salute, The Magazine of the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. Father Gary Studniewski is an Active Duty Army Chaplain serving in Iraq since September, 2008. He is a priest of the Archdiocese of Washington.
Our President's Message. September 1, 2009.
Summer comes to a close and fall begins--school starts, colors change, temperatures cool, football rivalries are renewed, and the Grand Rapids Serrans continue moving forward in their missin of promoting, fostering, and praying for vocations.
In the near future, we will again be attending a meeting with the Aquinas staff and students with Paul Nelson as our facilitator. These meetings have been beneficial in connecting with the students on their faith journey. The venturing crew of young men discerning priesthood is still active and we will be hearing more about them in the coming weeks.
West Catholic High School has set Thursday, October 22 as their service day. They have asked if they could help at the Consolatas raking leaves. I have arranged this dat with the sisters, and they are happy to get the help. Serrans, please hold this date open to help keep the students on track as well as mingle and talk with them about their faith journey. Arrival time of the students at the Consolatas will be approximately 8:30 a.m. until 11:00 a.m.
By now you should all have your Bishop's Dinner tickets at hand. If you did not attend the last meeting, they will be mailed to you. Mark Kubik and his committee are working hard to make this an exciting, enjoyable evening. The proceeds will be given to Bishop Hurley for the purpose of sending priests to the North American College in Rome for continuing education. We will also be celebrating Serra International's 50th anniversary. As many of you know, our Ralph Hauenstein was instrumental in promoting Serra around the world. He chartered the first club outside the United States in Genoa, Italy, making Serra a truly international organization. Because of his efforts, Serra has grown all over the world. Let us celebrate with Ralph on this 50th anniversary! I hope ticket sales are moving ahead and we can fill the room. The committee is also working on getting more sponsors for the event.
Today, members returned home from the International Convention in Omaha, Nebraska. I am hearing lots of stories on what happened or didn't happen at the convention. I look forward to hearing their report on September 28. Congratulations to Dan Grady on being voted to the International Advisory Board. Also, thanks to Dennis Leiber for his continuing leadership in planning the convention.
Try to attend one of the adoration times if you can, but if it is not possible,please continue praying for vocations when and where you can.
Go Blue! Pam McKenzie. (Editor's note: We typed the letter as presented. Lest some of our dear friends be offended by the closing, please note that readers may feel free to substitute some other color of their choice. Some may prefer red, some green, and so on).
