Calendar of Events. December 14, 2009. Luncheon Meeting and speaker Dr. Chad Gunnoe, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. Dr. Gunnoe, Provost, Aquinas College. Dr. Gunnoe's talk will be about initiatives to strengthen the mission and theological exploration of vocations at Aquinas College. Dr. Gunnoe has served as Provost and Dean of Faculty at the college since July 1, 2008.
December 21, 2009. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
There will be no meeting on December 28.
January 14, 2009. Luncheon Meeting and Speaker Dr. John Penniero, who directs the Catholic Faith Studies at Aquinas College. 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
April 17, 2010. Sisters' Appreciation Dinner, at St. Jude's Brophy Center.
December Anniversaries.
Reverend Robert Gillespie, December 8, 1943.
Reverend Msgr. John Porter, December 15, 1957.
Reverend Msgr. John Porter, December 15, 1957.
Reverend Charles Dautremont, December 18, 1960.
Reverend Julian Reginato, December 19, 1964.
Most Reverend Joseph McKinney, December 20, 1953.
Reverend Isidro Gargantiel, Deember 21, 1968.
Reverend Norbert Leyrita, December 21, 1963.
Most Reverend Robert Rose, December 21, 1955.
Reverend Michael Olson, December 20, 1994.
Correspondence. Lee Sullivan has received notes from several priests thanking her for the anniversary cards. Thank you, Lee, for taking on this important task.
Our club also received this note from Joseph Scoville following the Inaugural Bishop's Dinner on December 1, 2009: Congratulations to Fr. Ed, Pam, Marco, Joe and Kathy Westdorp and everyone else who helped make the event a success.
Seeing Fr. Ferris in a cassock and ferraiolo was worth the price of admission.
The editor thanks the Hon. Joseph Scoville for pointing out the proper nomenclature for such garments.
The editor thanks the Hon. Joseph Scoville for pointing out the proper nomenclature for such garments.
About Ralph Hauenstein. For those who did not attend the Bishop's Dinner, the program included the following information:
Ralph Hauenstein began his service to our nation in 1934 after active duty in the army. He returned to civilian life and became city editor of the Grand Rapids Herald. In December, 1940 he returned to active duty in the Second World War, rising to the rank of colonel as chief of the Intelligence Branch in the Army's European Theater. After he war he entered into international trade. Returning to civilian life, he partnered with European Enterprises to provide goods and services to consumers in Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere where democracies were struggling. Because of his extensive travels, Hauenstein was one of the first Serrans to promote the Serra organization outside of North America. His efforts helped found chapters of Serra International in Liverpool, England in 1957 and later in Genoa, Italy, the organization's first nonn-English speaking chapter. He was chosen as international president in 1961 and now serves as the Dean of Past Serra International Presidents.
His philanthropy has benefited a variety of organizations devoted to medical research and education. The Grace Hauenstein Library at Aquinas College, the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley University, the Hauenstein Center at St. Mary's Health Care for Neurological Studies are recent examples of his generosity.
The Samuel Cardinal Stritch Award.
Mr. Hauenstein was presented with this award as its first recipient both in August at the Serra International Convention in Omaha and later at the Bishop's Inaugural Dinner. The award is named after His Eminence Samuel Cardinal Stritch, who graciously accepted Serra's invitation to become its first Episcopal Advisor in November, 1946 and continued that important role until his death in 1958.
In May, 1951 Cardinal Stritch successfully petitioned His Holiness Pope Pius XII to approve the aggregation of Serra International to the Ponvifical Work for Priestly Vocations, part of the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities.
This award was created to recognize inspired apostleship and unwavering commitment to Serra's global lay apostolate for vocations.
We can help. The Franciscan Center at Lowell has published the following wish lists for various good causes: 1) the Preschool Wish List asks for sleds, wood scraps, binoculars, old jewelry, old wax candles or wax, beads for stringing, alphabet stamps, and dress-up clothes.
2) the Franciscan Friends Program volunteers need donations of yarn suitable for knitting. The volunteer group uses the donated material to create knit caps for cancer chemo patients, afghan blankets for the elderly in nursing homes and lap blankets for parents of neo-natal infants, and items for St. John's Home. Those able to donate these items may bring them to the Franciscan Center or call the center at 616-897-7842 for more information.
Also keep in mind that HARPfest 2010 is scheduled for August 19-21, 2010 at the Center.
Pray for Vocations. Sister Gabriel of St. Anne's Home addressed the parishioners at Our Lady of Sorrows regarding the need for priestly and religious vocations on the weekend of December 5 and 6. She also described the Carmelites' very important work of caring for children and the elderly. Let us all make a special effort to pray for vocations, especially during this Christmas season when we are all so busy with other activities.
Another Way of Supporting Vocations. Again the Trappist Monks at Gethsemani Center offer an array of delicious Christmas gifts. Call toll free at 1-800-549-0912 Monday-Friday between 9:00 a.m. and and 7:30 p.m. ET and Saturday between 9:00 a.m. and 5:00 p.m. ET. Other gift ideas include (1) Mystic Monk coffee (various blends available). Call 1-877-751-6377.
2) The Pope's Cologne (from the private formula of Pope Pius IX). $25.95 with free shipping. The cologne may be ordered online at http://www.thepopescologne.com/ or toll free 888-357-3957.
3) Gifts from MonasteryGreetings.com offers quality products from Trappist, Benedictine, & Franciscan Communities. Call 1-800 472-0425 for a free catalog.
Good News. Salute, the magazine of the Archdiocese for the Military Services USA, Fall
2009's column, "The Harvest Continues," presents the biographies of 19 of its seminarians. They are Ryan C. Boyle of the Diocese of St. Petersburg, FL; Michael E. Creavey, Diocese of Harrisburg, PA; Daniel J. Czajak, Diocese of Syracuse, NY; Thomas P. Gallagher, Diocese of Arlington, VA; Michael R. Hofer, Diocese of Rapid City, SD; Anthony N. Lezcano, Archdiocese of Seattle, WA; Kenneth Malley, Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, PA; Nicholas J. Reid, Diocese of Jefferson City, MO; Alexander B. Scott, Archdiocese of Washington, DC; Matthew S. Soto, Diocese of Victoria, TX; Thomas C. Wills, Diocese of Arlington, VA; and Daniel A. Zeiss, Diocese of Paterson, NJ. The Archdiocese for Military Services USA is under the leadership of (Most Reverend) Timothy P. Broglio, and its website is http://www.milarch.org/
A Special Day. December 13 is the Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday (Liturgical Year C, Cycle II). There are two reasons to commemorate December 13. St. Lucy's calendar day is one. The Sunday feast supplants it liturgically, but she can still be remembered on this day. She's famous as the victim of a gruesome act of torture: Her eyes were torn out (and she's often depicted holding them on a plate). What's less known about Lucy (283-304) was that she was a devotee of St. Agatha, who was a virgin and martyr who was put to death half a century before her. Lucy angered her fiance by distributing her family's riches to the poor in gratitude for a miracle she attributed to St. Agatha. He reported her as a Christian, and she was first condemned to suffer prostitution. She refused, and her captors found her literally unmovable. Her feast day is celebrated especially in Sweden, by crowning the oldest daughter and having her deliver baked goods to family members in bed. The custom is for the oldest daughter to bake the coffee cake--but Mom was usually happy to help. It was once the custom to put candles on a wreath on the eldest daughter's head, but we find having her sister hold a candle beside her conveys the image of light and sight just as wewlll. It's also safer.
Gaudete Sunday is the other, liturgically pre-eminent celebration on this day. The name of the Third Sunday of Advent means "rejoice." Advent is more than half over, and we're that much closer to Christmas. The rose candle in the Advent wreath is lit on this day, and if the priest wishes, he may wear rose vestments. Source: Tom and April Hoopes, National Catholic Register, December 6, 2009.
Our President's Message. December 3, 2009. Dear Serrans, Many, many thanks to the Inaugural Bishop's Dinner Committee for an outstanding evening on December 1. The many sponsors certainly helped us move ahead, but without the outstanding work and faith of the committee...what is there to say but a TREMENDOUS JOB WELL DONE! Many other words of appreciation have been sent my way on how NICE the dinner was. I recommend the committee take a short break and reconvene in January to start 2010 planning. At a later date we will have a complete accounting of the evening's expenses and the final outcome of what we were able to present the Bishop.
Don't forget to attend the last Serra meeting for 2009 on December 14 at Louis Benton Steak House at noon. Our featured speaker will be Dr. Chad Gunnoe, whose short biography appears in the Calendar of Events. Our meetings, with their slate of outstanding speakers, offer a nice opportunity to invite a dinner attendee or other guest to join Serra. Please RSVP for both of the December and January meetings, and especially let us know if you are planning to bring a guest.
Also, during the holiday season, please do not forget to pray for vocations. Adoration as a club was offered on December 4, and of course there are several other opportunities throughout the city for individual adoration in a chapel, or just pray at home in a quiet place.
The coming year will bring us challenges and great opportunities for Serrans to assist our Bishop, our seminarians, students of all ages, and new vocation programs. We may affirm our Catholic faith with family and friends as well. A life with prayer at the top of the list of things to do is the only way to take on these new opportunities and to reflect upon the old ones.
Today's news (Thursday) brings word of the upcoming snow season and a possible 2-5 inches. As if we Michiganders needed to hear this news! But the snow is a good thing, too. Its whiteness can remind us of the white dove of the Holy Spirit. The bright moon shining on the snow gives the glistening excitement of new birth. The coldness lets us cuddle up a little more often with a loved one. Then there is the wind! Is it the Holy Spirit telling us to "Be not afraid," as the Angel Gabriel told Zechariah and Mary? Advent is a time to pause, reflect, and prepare for the coming of the Lord.
(Editor's Note). The Lord awarded many regions in our metropolitan area with much more snow than was predicted in this column.
May the Advent season bring you anticipated peace for the coming of the Lord on Christmas Day and for the coming new year. Christmas and New Year's blessings to everyone! Pam McKenzie.
