Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, February, 2010

Calendar of Events.

February 3, 2010. St. Blase.

February 4, 2010. Adoration opportunity at Sacred Heart. Mass begins at 7:30 a.m. The adoration will close at 7:30 p.m. Sacred Heart will not host adoration during Lent.
February 6, 2010. Serra Planning Session for Board members only. 8:00 a.m. Breakfast will be served.
February 7, 2010. World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.
February 8, 2010. Luncheon Meeting and Speaker, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. Sister Patrice Konwinski and Sister Teresa Houlihan will present their thoughts on the Dominican Heritage in Today's World. Sister Patrice is a friend of the Serra Club who has visited us many times over the years, in addition to being a sponsor at the Bishop's Dinner by selling a table. Sister Teresa Houlihan is a retired philosophy teacher, having taught in Providence, Rhode Island and at Aquinas College. Please welcome these sisters on February 8 and invite a friend. Keep in mind that these luncheon lectures provide a great way to recruit new members.
February 15, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
February 17, 2010. Ash Wednesday.
February 22, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
February 27, 2010. Diocesean Youth Conference, 2010 Transfigured, for high school students at various locations in Cathedral Square, beginning at 8:00 a.m. The closing ceremony will take place at 7:00 p.m. Our club will sponsor a table at this event. We will provide literature on Notre Dame Vision, prayer cards, and a Bible Trivia Quiz, among other materials. We need people to preside at the table, at least two at a time, in two or more shifts. Let Pam know if you can help.
Other Upcoming Events.
April 16 and 17, 2010. Sisters' Appreciation Dinner at Brophy Center, St. Jude's. Meal preparation and set-up will take place on Friday evening. More information to come. Please note the Sewing Bee information following in this newsletter.
April 25, 2010. World Day of Prayer for Vocations. More information to follow in this newsletter.
May 10, 2010. Charter Night. Look for election information as to which new officers will be installed. The list is listed below in this newsletter.
There will be no regular noon meeting on this date.
June 5, 2010. Ordination of David Gross at the Cathedral of St. Andrew.

Super Weekend. On January 15-17, John Osterhart and Nate McKenzie attended the semi-annual Serra Super Weekend in Chicago. At the recent meeting at Sacred Heart, Nate urged our participation in these events. Not only are they important to the well-being of our club and of all of the Serra clubs, but they also help the membership to become better and more informed Serrans. Added note: These two gentlemen know Chicago very well and can guide participants to fine dining experiences. Watch for the next Super Weekend. Superweekends are generally scheduled for the Serra International Convention, and in January and September. serraus.org will keep you informed.

February Anniversaries.
Rev. William Langlois, February 24, 1974.
Rev. Phillip Witkowski, February 2, 1975.

2010 Nominations Committee Report.
President--Dan Laville
President-Elect--Tim Hile
Treasurer--Pat Leikert
Secretary--Joe Westdorp
V. P. Communications--Nancy King
V. P. Vocations--Beverly Shields and Nancy Mulvihill will serve as co-vice presidents.
V.P. Membership--Agnes Kempker-Cloyd
V. P. Programs--Mark Kubik
Trustees--Abe Rossi, Dan Grady, John Osterhart, Bob Gabridge
Past President--Pam McKenzie
Moderator--Fr. Edward Hankiewicz

Fr. Ed recently attended the 150th anniversary celebration of North American College in Rome. He reports that North American College is enjoying its highest occupancy rate in 40 years.

A Note Regarding the World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
From the Office of the Pontifical Pastoral Ministry for Vocations to the Priesthood
Congregation for Catholic Education, Vatican City, dated 15 September, 2009.
Your Excellencies, Bishops Delegates for Pastoral Ministry for Vocations, Directors of Vocations:
I am happy to announce to you that the Holy Father Benedict XVI has already provided the Church with his Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations which will be celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of Easter, 25 April 2010.
The Pontifical pastoral Ministry for Vocations to the Priesthood has done the translation of the new Message in all the official languages and by the first days of January, it will send the Message to their Excellencies the Apostolic Nuncios who, on their part, will transmit it to the Bishops' Conferences, the National Centers for Vocations and to the male and female Superior Generals of Religious orders and Institutes of Apostolic Life, who then plan to send it to all the Christian communities.
The theme of the Message for the World Day of Prayer for Vocations, 2010 is Witness awakens vocations and it is a follow-up of the current year's theme, namely: Faith in the divine initiative--the human response, which we still have to make the object of our prayer. We, as persons who are responsible for the pastoral ministry of vocations, have to help the young ones, adolescents, youn people, and also adults to take up their responsibility, personally and in communion with other persons, to pray for vocations as the Holy Father proposed to us in His Message for 2009.
Our first duty, therefore, is to keep alive in families and in parishes, in movements and in apostolic associations, in religious communities and in all the sectors of diocesesan life this appeal to the divine initiataive with unceasing prayer. We must pray that the whole Christian people grows in its trust in God, convinced that the "Lord of the harvest" does not cease to ask some to place their entire existence freely at his service so as to work with him more closely in the mission of salvation. What is asked of those who are called, for their part, is careful listening and prudent discernment, a generous and willing adherence to the divine plan, and a serious study of the reality that is proper to the priestly and religious vocations, so as to be able to respond responsibly and with conviction."
In the history of the Church there is a long tradition of many Christian communities and persons, distinguishing themselves by their holiness, who made the prayer for vocations the programme of their life, and because of this, they succeeded to help grow many vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life. As persons responsible for the pastoral ministry for vocations, we need today to commit ourselves to pray continually, personally and in communion with other persons, and also teach young people to pray for vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life...
Msgr. Francis Bonnici
Serran Dennis Leiber generously sent the Message of the Holy Father in all of the official languages. The English version, while too lengthy to publish here in its entirety, contains the following excerpt:
..."In the Old Testament the prophets knew that they were called to witness by their own lives to the message they proclaimed, and were prepared to face misunderstanding, rejection, and persecution. The task which God entrusted to them engaged them fully, like a 'burning fire' in the heart, a fire that could not be contained (cf. Jer 20:9). As a result, they were prepared to hand over to the Lord not only their voice, but their whole existence. In the fullness of time, Jesus, sent by the Father (cf. Jn. 5:36), would bear witness to the love ofGod for all human beings, without distinction, with particular attention to the least ones, sinners, the outcast, and the poor. Jesus is the supreme Witness to God and to his concern for the salvation of all. At the dawn of the new age, John the Baptist, by devoting his whole life to preparing the way for Christ, bore witness that the promises of God are fulfilled in the Son of Mary of Nazareth. When John saw Jesus coming to the River Jordan where he was baptizing, he pointed him out to his disciples as the 'lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world' (Jn. 1:29). His testimony was so effective that two of his disciples, "hearing him say this, followed Jesus (Jn. 1:37)...."

Speaking of Hearts on Fire...A note from the Editor: The 2010 March for Life on January 22 in Washington, D. C. provided a living witness to the dedication of people of all ages and all walks of life to the prolife cause. EWTN estimated the size of the crowd as 300,000 plus, the largest ever. Especially inspiring, as usual, was the presence of young people, not only at the march, but also at the numerous rallies, conventions, and masses preceding this event. Mass attendance on the evening before and on the day of the rally has become so great that masses are held at various times and locations throughout the city.
The Catholic presence and the youth presence at the march are significant, but let us note the participation of a number of other groups as well.
Although we didn't hear much about the march on the various network news programs, we found a number of Internet sites which provided at least some coverage. Here are a couple of suggestions for internet coverage: Go to ncregister.com, click on COMMENTARY, and on the right click on Steven Graydanus's blog, March for Life final update: Media Lies 13691. For recipients of the paper copy of the newsletter, I have printed this article and would be glad to send a copy to you upon request. Leave a message at 616-662-4569, or I can bring one to you at the next meeting.
A Google search, 2010 March for Life Washington d c produced some good U-tube coverage.

The Serra Club Pillowcase Sewing Bee. President Pam McKenzie has already put in a great deal of effort in organizing the sewing bee.
Purpose: This is a project to make a colorful pillowcase for each of our Religious Sisters who attend the annual Sisters' Appreciation Dinner in April.
What is Needed: Cotton colorful fabric, WASHED. Each pillowcase is made up with three pieces of different fabrics. Each piece of fabric is one yard. Sports themes, animal themes, music, flowers, stripes, plaid--use your imagination! We need 100 pillowcases. If 10 ladies bring nine yards of fabric, 90 pillowcases will be produced.
Other items needed: Good cutting scissors, straight pins, irons, ironing boards, tape measures, sewing machines. We need help with cutting fabric, pinning the fabrics together. ironing at various stages, and a very small amount of sewing. So, even if you do not sew, there are many other things you can help with. Morning and evening dates have been set up to meet the needs of working gals and those who don't like to drive at night. Older elementary children and grandchildren can help, too.
Dates to Help: Tuesday evening, March 2, from 6:30 p.m.-9:00 p.m. at St. Stephen Church, Konrad Room, lower level on the north end of the building. Uses the Reed Street parking lot. Signs will be posted to get you to the right place.
Saturday morning, March 6 from 8:30 a.m.-11:30 a.m. at the same place. Refreshments will be provided on both days. Please call Pam McKenzie 893-5233 if you can help. reporting what items you can bring and what date works best for you. If you are not able to attend one of the sewing bee dates but would provide fabric, also call Pam. All donations will be accepted. Male Serrans, please pass this information on to your better half, remembering that you are also welcome to come and help out on this project.

The President's Message.

Dear Serrans: Many thanks to the Serrans who were nominated and elected to serve on our board of directors starting June 1. This process moved very quickly this year under the direction of Bob Paul. I wish to thank him and his committee for their work, The new board will be busy before they actually take office. President-elect Dan Laville has called for a planning day February 5. The new District Governor will also be calling for a Spring Leadership Day very soon. Your continued support and prayers for the board members is appreciated as we start the transition process and induction on May 10 at Charter Night. I also need to announce the slate of officers nominated to our United States Council of Serra, better known as USAC. They are on a twooooooo-year cycle, so only half are elected each year. You will notice congratulations going out to John Osterhart, who will be our new Region 6 Director. We will be voting on the following slate of officers on February 22:

President Joe DeLoy--one-year term.

President-elect Kurt Metyko--one year term.

Treasurer Paul Defnet--two year term.

Vice-president Patricia DeJarnett--two year term.

Vice-president Dan Jones--two year term.

Region 6 Director John Osterhart--two year term.

In addition to the USAC officers, USAC has also revised the by-laws. Dan Laville is working with a committee to revise our club's by-laws and will be giving us a presentation on February 22.

I have received many favorable responses to the sewing bees coming up in March. Many hands will make the work easy. All are welcome to help with this project for our religious sisters.

Saturday, February 27 is the DYO2010: Transfigured Youth Day at the Cathedral Square complex. Many youth directors will be bringing their high school parishioners to this great day of learning, discerning, and fun. We have been asked to sponsor a booth in the exhibit area, and club members have been calling to say they will help. We will need two or three Serrans at each time slot:

8:00 a.m.-10:15 a.m. This time includes a keynote talk by Sr. Clare Hunter, FSE.

11:15 a.m.-1:00 p.m. There will be a lunch break, and at 1:00 p.m. Thomas Awlapo will present another keynote talk. The time after that until 4:30 p.m. will be spent in workshops.

Mass will begin at 4:30, with dinner to follow at 5:45, followed by a dance. The closing ceremony will take place at 7:00 p.m., with dismissal at 7:15 p.m. This will be a full day for these students and will provide two great opportunities for us to mingle with them at our table. We will offer Notre Dame information and brochures, along with prayer cards for vocations and discernment, and we will play a Bible Trivia quiz with them. If you can work either shift, call Pam at 893-5233.

Don't forget to invite a friend to the February 8 meeting; we have two great sisters talking about the Dominican Heritage, yesterday and today. Dan Laville will preside, as I will be in Fort Worth, Texas getting to know my new grandbaby. Happy Lent! Pam McKenzie

Serra Club of Grand Rapids Newsletter, January 2010

Calendar of Events.
January 5, 2010. (Tuesday). January Adoration at Ss. Peter and Paul. Adoration will take place all day beginning at 9:00 a.m., with Mass and Benediction beginning at 7:00 p.m. Len's plan is to arrive at 6:30 p.m. and stay through the Mass and Benediction.
January 11, 2010. Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. Speaker will be Dr. John Pinero, Director of Catholic Faith Studies at Aquinas College.
January 10-16, 2010. Vocation Awareness Week. Serrans are urged to get the message out to their respective parishes. See the military articles in this newsletter for an added perspective to praying for vocations.
January 22, 2010. March for Life, 12:00 Noon in Washington D.C.January 25, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
February 1, 2010. (Monday). Adoration at Holy Spirit. Mass at 8:00 a.m., with adoration to follow.
February 7, 2010. World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.

Looking Ahead.
April 16 and 17, 2010. Preparation and Sisters' Appreciation Dinner at St. Jude's Brophy
Center. Details to follow as they become available.
April 25, 2010. World Day of Prayer for Vocations.

Vocations in the Grand Rapids Diocese.
We now have 12 seminarians. Let us pray for them.

Priestly Anniversaries.
The following anniversaries will take place in January, 2010:
Rev. William Perez-Navarro, January 9, 1999.
Rev. Joseph W. Kenshol, January 19, 1973.
Rev. G. Frederick Brucker, January 25, 1976.
Rev. Mark E. Mitchell, January 25, 1976.
Rev. Msgr. Ernest P. Schneider, January 30, 1977.
Rev. Thomas G. Simons, January 30,, 1977.

In November, Lee Sullivan received thank-you notes from Father Julian Reginato and Father Norman Leyrita. Thank you, Lee, for your efforts in sending these anniversary cards. A number of years ago, this ministry was faithfully observed by the late Serran Joe Cavera, and Lee Sullivan recently resumed sending the cards on a regular basis. As the priests' thank-you notes indicate, they very much appreciate this small token of recognition in celebrating their vocations.

Other News from the Vocations Committee. Bob Gabridge and Paul Nelson are reviewing several films aimed at promoting and encouraging vocations.

Nominating Committee. Bob Paul is serving as the chairman of the Nominating Committee, assisted by Tim Hile, Bob Gabridge, and Dan LaVille. Let them know if you have someone in mind to fill the available positions. The ballots will be revealed as the information becomes more complete.

Thank you for a great job. Many thanks especially to Joe and Kathy Westdorp and Mark Kubik and all others who had a part in making the Inaugural Bishop's Dinner a success.

Membership. The Membership Committee is considering options other than the evening Member-Guest receptions we have been holding for the past couple of years. As always, our guest speaker programs provide an excellent format for introducing your Catholic friends and neighbors to our club and to the educational and enrichment opportunities provided at these luncheon meetings. Keep in mind that guests are always welcome.

Always Pray for Vocations.
Tom Hoopes, Correspondent for the National Catholic Register, writes from Kabul, Afghanistan, "Chaplains Help Troops Through Tough Times."
It's an eight-yar war already, and in spite of a planned surge that promises to bring it to an end, it's still tough for those who have to be there, especially at this time of year--the Christmas Season, including the feast of Epiphany and ending with the Baptism of the Lord,
It's aa time of year when military chaplains, rare at any time, are perhaps even more important.
"Christmas in a combat zone is often lonely," said U. S. Marine Lt. Col. Timothy Parker, who spent one Christmas deployed in Iraq. But then, there is precedent for spending Christmas this way."
He compared Christmas on the front to "the Holy Family, who had to trek across the desert to another town, where there was no place to stay and in many ways they were unwelcome."
"We make the best of what we have and are thankful for a warm place to stay," he said. "The company of good friends, a good meal in the chow hall, and being able to attend Mass in a makeshift chapel or in the field."
Those "makeshift Masses" are made possible by U. S. military chaplains.
Father Michael Duesterhaus has been deployed to combat areas three times, including Fallujah, Iraq, in 2006. The Navy chaplain said close teamwork, mission focus, and personal deprivations can deepen one's faith, and he recounted how one Marine whom he baptized and confirmed and to whom he gave First Holy Communion in the Al Anbar Province told him one night, "Catholicism is a tough religion...We have to believe that the Eucharist is truly Jesus and not a symbol. Andconfession--whoa, there's a challenge. Yeah, it's tough. But I'm a Marine. Who wants a wimpy faith?"...
U. S. Army Lt. Col. Father Eric Albertson is a chaplain on the Afghan front. "Christmas when deployed is hard because of the separation. However, we all become family to one another and celebrate it as much as we can." The troops put on holiday programs with carols and skits...
Father Albertson notes that in the combat zone, soldiers become far more open to prayer. Small group prayers are quite common, and the chaplain is often invited to lead them...He also said that there is a hunger in the troops for religious literature. "Many read their Bibles nightly and will frequently ask questions over lunch or before missions," he said...
"Finally, I am often asked to bless medals and rosaries that loved ones have sent from home. The troops devoutly carry these with them in combat, condfident that Mary and the saints are interceding for their protection."
Source: National Catholic Register, January 3, 2010.
A Follow-up from Salute Magazine. Reprinted from the Boston Pilot. Sacraments can be a challenge for troops.
While St. Neil W. McCabe was prepared for the blazing temperatures and the dusty, dry conditions which are part of the arid desert climate in Iraq, deployment has brought him to an unexpected challenge--the struggle to receive the sacraments. ...Though sometimes travel and other obligations keep service members from participating in the sacraments, many times the problem is that there are simply too few priests to go around.
"I've never in my life had to deal with a situation where there are no priests. It's something you hear about in missionary countries," he said.
McCabe said sometimes senior officers may lead liturgies of the word when a priest is not available. Other times, Catholic service members have to settle for attending Mass whenever they can, even when it's not Sunday....
Vicar General Father Richard Erikson, a colonel and chaplain in the Air Force Reserve, concurred with McCabe's experience of a scarcity of Catholic chaplains in the military. He also spoke of the dedication of existing chaplains who often go back on successive tours of duty. According to Father Erikson, the lack of Catholic chaplains in the armed services results from a shortage of vocations to the priesthood in the United States. Priests are needed at home, so bishops are less willing to send them abroad.
However, despite hardships, service in Iraq has provided the Pilot reporter with unforgettable spiritual memories...a unique rite of sprinkling and a Mass in Aramaic offered by the Bishop of Basra, for example.
"For all my experiences so far, this is the highlight of my deployment--to have been in the chapel for that Mass," he said....

Editor's Note: For those who would like to send either monetary donations or religious reading materials and religious medals and rosaries to the troops, we will try to confirm an address for doing so and will let the readers know what we have found out. Some may already be contributing to our troops through other means.

There is a new website for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, at THENEWWWW.MILARCH.ORG

Let us pray that as Serrans these two excerpts regarding the experiences of the military will give special meaning to our efforts to pray for more vocations, not only on those special days listed in the Calendar of Events but also during every day of our lives.

A Message From our President.

Dear Serrans: A Happy 2010 New Year to Grand Rapids Serrans and their families. Time certainly flies when you are having fun!

Our Serran year was full of activities, planing, praying, traveling, and enjoyment. January 2009 started out with the signing of a second venturing crew. This is a group of men discerning at Aquinas College. They enjoyed the use of the Boy Scouts' facility on Walker for a retreat weekend. This group continues to meet and needs our prayers. W\

We enjoyed many outstanding speakers this past year: Fr. Tony Russo, Dr. Woody Hoover, Dr. Chad Gunnoe, Sister Colleen Ann Nagel, and Cheryl Doyle, to name only a few. We again hosted and enjoyed putting on the annual Sisters' Appreciation Dinner. Even though it took place in a blizzard, 65 sisters attended. The weather situation has prompted the committee to schedule this year's event after Easter.

We were happy to celebrate with the seminarians who were ordained this past year, and we continue to wish them well and to pray for them. Our summer picnic, Pulaski Day in July, was delicious. Pat Polega and Carolynne Etheridge outdid themselves with the cooking of authentic Polish food. It was especially nice at the picnic to make friends with the Trinitarian Order of Sisters located in Lowell.

This past fall we also met with the staff, faculty, and students at Aquinas College to learn of the many new opportunities available on campus for faith formation, discernment, mission/retreat opportunities, and Catholic Faith classes. The list goes on.

Several members attended the International Convention in Omaha. Dan Grady was elected to the International Board.

The Vocations Dinner Committee was especially busy planning our annual dinner for December. The Dinner has a new name: The Bishop's Dinner for Continuing Education for Priests. All of these activities, along with many not mentioned, included prayers for vocations.

And prayer was always at Phillip Weber's list of things to do. With his passing, may he rest in peace with the Lord.

I know I have missed some things, but these were some of the highlights. None of them would be possible without the dedication and hard work of the Grand Rapids Serra Board of Directors and Trustees. They have all put in many hours of hard work and prayer for our club, and for this I am deeply grateful. May our club continue to grow in membership, creating lasting friendships and wonderful memories for the cause of Serra and vocations for our Church.

There is much to do in the coming months. Please bring a friend to a meeting, and never hesitate to get involved with a committee. Many hands make light work. The Board is planning a work day to review the activities we have already done and those we would like to try in the future.

In addition to our regular meetings, our next big event is the Sisters' Appreciation Dinner in April. Watch for details in upcoming newsletters.

Happy New Year!

Pam McKenzie.