Calendar of Events.
March 2 and March 6, 2010. Sewing Bees. March 2 begins at 6:30 p.m. and March 6 begins at 8:30 a.m. Both events are held at St. Stephen's Konrad Room. Call Pam if you have any questions.
March 5, 2010. Adoration at St. Isidore's, 9:00-10:00 a.m. The new adoration chapel is open. The admission code is the same as always.
March 8, 2010. Luncheon Meeting at 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. Speaker will be one of the Paulist Fathers of St. Luke's, Allendale.
March 15, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
March 22, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
Looking Ahead.
April 12, 2010. There will be no Monday Noon Meeting.
April 16 and 17, 2010. Sisters' Appreciation Dinner at Brophy Center, St. Jude. Friday evening will be devoted to preparation and setup. The Sisters' Dinner will begin with Mass at 4:00 p.m., followed by social hour, dinner, and entertainment.
April 19, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
April 25, 2010. World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
April 26, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
May 10, 2010. Charter Night, Cathedral Square. Installation of new officers, dinner, and speaker Mike Miller of the Acton Institute. Details TBA.
June 17-20, 2010. USAC Super Weekend, Chicago. Call Nate McKenzie or John Osterhart if you want more information. Our loyal Serran Nate urges your participation in these Super Weekends in order to have a voice in important issues and in order to learn more about the activities of Serra beyond the local level. Both Nate and John serve on the By-laws and Membership committees of USAC.
September 2-5, 2010. Serra International Convention, Anchorage, Alaska.
October 8-10, 2010. Great Lakes Regional, Cincinnati, Ohio. Speakers will be Brian Patrick, Matthew Kelly, and Fr. Jay Scott Newman. Register for Early Bird rates at $199 before September 1. The cost will rise to $249 after September 1. A group rate of $115 per night is available at Hotel Hilton Netherland Plaza. Visit serraus.org for more information.
March 2 and March 6, 2010. Sewing Bees. March 2 begins at 6:30 p.m. and March 6 begins at 8:30 a.m. Both events are held at St. Stephen's Konrad Room. Call Pam if you have any questions.
March 5, 2010. Adoration at St. Isidore's, 9:00-10:00 a.m. The new adoration chapel is open. The admission code is the same as always.
March 8, 2010. Luncheon Meeting at 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. Speaker will be one of the Paulist Fathers of St. Luke's, Allendale.
March 15, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
March 22, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
Looking Ahead.
April 12, 2010. There will be no Monday Noon Meeting.
April 16 and 17, 2010. Sisters' Appreciation Dinner at Brophy Center, St. Jude. Friday evening will be devoted to preparation and setup. The Sisters' Dinner will begin with Mass at 4:00 p.m., followed by social hour, dinner, and entertainment.
April 19, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
April 25, 2010. World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
April 26, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
May 10, 2010. Charter Night, Cathedral Square. Installation of new officers, dinner, and speaker Mike Miller of the Acton Institute. Details TBA.
June 17-20, 2010. USAC Super Weekend, Chicago. Call Nate McKenzie or John Osterhart if you want more information. Our loyal Serran Nate urges your participation in these Super Weekends in order to have a voice in important issues and in order to learn more about the activities of Serra beyond the local level. Both Nate and John serve on the By-laws and Membership committees of USAC.
September 2-5, 2010. Serra International Convention, Anchorage, Alaska.
October 8-10, 2010. Great Lakes Regional, Cincinnati, Ohio. Speakers will be Brian Patrick, Matthew Kelly, and Fr. Jay Scott Newman. Register for Early Bird rates at $199 before September 1. The cost will rise to $249 after September 1. A group rate of $115 per night is available at Hotel Hilton Netherland Plaza. Visit serraus.org for more information.
Priests' Anniversaries.
The following priests will celebrate their anniversaries in March:
March 17, 1974. Reverend Richard J. Host.
March 18, 2006. Reverend Dennis Ryan.
March 26, 1955. Reverend Joseph J. Pettie.
Charter Night Speaker. Mr. Michael Miller has been confirmed as our Charter Night speaker. He is the Director of Programs and media at Acton Institute. Mr. Miller received his bachelor's degree from University of Notre Dame. He has a master's degree from Nagoya University Graduate School of International Development (Japan) and a master's degree in philosophy from Franciscan University. He also holds an MBA in International Management from Thunderbird, the American Graduate School of International Management. Before coming to Acton, Mr. Miller spent three years at Ave Maria College of the Americas in Nicaragua, where he was the chair of the philosophy and theology department. His research interests include political economy, ethics, philosophical anthropology, economic development, and political theory.
Congratulations. Congratulations to John Osterhart, who has been chosen USAC Region 6 Director.
Nominations.
President: Dan LaVille
Vocations: Beverly Shields, Nancy Mulvihill
Membership: Aggie Kempker-Cloyd
Programs: Mark Kubik
Treasurer: Pat Leikert
Communications: Nancy King
Past President: Pam McKenzie
Trustees: Abe Rossi, Dan Grady, John Osterhart, Bob Gabridge, and Bob Paul
Moderator: Fr. Ed Hankiewicz
The Board moved to accept the slate of candidates at the February 19 meeting. Thanks to Bob Paul and the Nominations Committee for the work they have done in assembling this slate of candidates.
Obedience. Following the viewing of the Oprah Winfrey show's segment on the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, of Ann Arbor at our February 26 meeting, Fr. Ed further explained obedience as it applies to religious vocations. In keeping with that topic, and in keeping with our March devotions, let us reflect on the Angelus.
This devotion, in honor of the Incarnation, is repeated three times each day, morning, noon, and evening. And in March, during the feast of the Annunciation, when we remember Mary's yes to the Angel it takes on greater significance: the central mystery of Christ, the Incarnation. Pope Benedict XVI said, "In fact, Mary's 'yes' perfectly mirrors that of Christ himself when he entered the world. The Son's obedience was
The Angelus:
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary...
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary...
And the word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary...
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beg you, O lord, hour grace unto our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought t the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen
Source: http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/
God Works in Mysterious Ways. Let us thank Him for these vocations: When Brother Joseph Mary Vazquez speaks of his conversion and calling he can't help but smile and believe God truly works in mysterious ways. His was a conversion that came about from watching television and an older brother who abused drugs.
"My brother was always in problems and using drugs. But one day, while high on drugs he saw Mother Angelica on EWTN and in the midst of so much ugliness, his heart was touched. I always looked up to him, so I also began watching EWTN with him and God touched my heart. I converted with EWTN, began praying more, and learning about the faith from TV. As a child, I had learned to pray from my mother, but I never got into profound things," Vazquez says.
His parents, born in San Ignacio in Jalisco, Mexico, were always good examples and prayed the rosary with the family every day, although sometimes the children did not want to pray. "My father is a construction worker and my mom is a homemaker, who often sold tamales and burritos to help the family. She always said that all she wanted from us was to be good children and when we were born she gave us to God and the Virgin. Like any mother, she found it hard to let go of her children, but she is happy they are following the Lord. She always wanted us to follow God."
As Brother Joseph Mary and his older sibling got closer to God, they brought the whole family. "He got us in, prays for us all the time, and goes to Mass every day. Although he suffers a lot because he has schizophrenia, God listens to him. We may suffer, but there is always hope. And prayer is a powerful thing. When we think that the entire world is falling on our shoulders, God is so awesome and powerful, He comes to our rescue. Eucharistic adoration and just sitting with the Lord has helped me a lot. That's where the true power is."
Vazquez joined the Little Brothers of Saint Francis, a contemplative community of brothers who have their cloister amid the poor inner-city streets and their cell deep in the center of their hearts where they discover the authentic charism given by St. Francis and his early friars. They are all brothers, not priests, sharing the fruits of prayer life; visiting the destitute and outcast in Boston; bringing the love of Jesus in a simple way with their presence and love. They always wear their habits, which gives witness that they are about God and Jesus.
The Vazquez brothers were not the only ones to undergo a conversion from watching EWTN. Their sister, Maria Isabella of Christ the Merciful King, is a Poor Clare living in a monastery in Alabama. She entered the same order as Mother Angelica.
Source: Who says there is nothing good on TV? http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/
Other Good Things on EWTN. Question: Was the Bard Catholic? Fulfilling the promise he made in his previous book, The Quest for Shakespeare, bestselling literary writer Joseph Pearce analyzes in this volume three of Shakespeare's immortal plays: The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, and King Lear, in order to uncover the Bard's Catholic beliefs.
In The Quest for Shakespeare, which has been made into an EWTN television series, Pearce delved into the known biographical evidence for Shakespeare's Catholicism. Here the popular and provocative author digs into the plays, which were written and first performed during the English crown's persecution of Catholics. English history and literature were taught for generations through the prism of English Protestantism. Of late, both these fields have been dominated in universities and academic presses by modern scholars with filters and interpretations of their own. Though the evidence for Shakespeare's Catholicism has been studied before now, thanks, in part, to the unique contribution of Joseph Pearce, the Bard's genius is being analyzed in the open air of the public arena, the very place where Shakespeare intended his dramas to entertain and edify.
Suggestion to Serrans: finish out the long winter by reading Joseph Pearce's book or the plays themselves, looking for your own evidence of the Bard's Catholic beliefs.
Also available: The Quest for Shakespeare: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays. "Dealing with the facts of Shakespeare's life and times, Pearce's quest leads to the inescapable conclusion that Shakespeare was a believing Catholic living in very anti-Catholic times."
Source: The National Catholic Register, February 1-15, 2010.
One More Vocation Story. A number of our club's members have noted the calling of Oakland Athletics' Grant Desme to the priesthood. "I was doing well at ball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things," he said during a converence call to National Catholic Register's Tim Drake on January 22. "Baseball is a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me to more...I wasn't at peace with where I was at. I love the game, but I aspire to higher things..."
Desme will enter St. Michael's Abbey in Orange County, California in August. St. Michael's Abbey is home to the Norbertine Fathers, one of the religious orders that is experiencing a fair amount of growth. The process of becoming a priest will take about ten years.
"It's like re-entering the minor leagues," he said. "I desire and hope to become a priest. But it's
Congratulations. Congratulations to John Osterhart, who has been chosen USAC Region 6 Director.
Nominations.
President: Dan LaVille
Vocations: Beverly Shields, Nancy Mulvihill
Membership: Aggie Kempker-Cloyd
Programs: Mark Kubik
Treasurer: Pat Leikert
Communications: Nancy King
Past President: Pam McKenzie
Trustees: Abe Rossi, Dan Grady, John Osterhart, Bob Gabridge, and Bob Paul
Moderator: Fr. Ed Hankiewicz
The Board moved to accept the slate of candidates at the February 19 meeting. Thanks to Bob Paul and the Nominations Committee for the work they have done in assembling this slate of candidates.
Obedience. Following the viewing of the Oprah Winfrey show's segment on the Dominican Sisters of Mary, Mother of the Eucharist, of Ann Arbor at our February 26 meeting, Fr. Ed further explained obedience as it applies to religious vocations. In keeping with that topic, and in keeping with our March devotions, let us reflect on the Angelus.
This devotion, in honor of the Incarnation, is repeated three times each day, morning, noon, and evening. And in March, during the feast of the Annunciation, when we remember Mary's yes to the Angel it takes on greater significance: the central mystery of Christ, the Incarnation. Pope Benedict XVI said, "In fact, Mary's 'yes' perfectly mirrors that of Christ himself when he entered the world. The Son's obedience was
The Angelus:
The Angel of the Lord declared to Mary:
And she conceived of the Holy Spirit.
Hail Mary...
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.
Hail Mary...
And the word was made Flesh: And dwelt among us.
Hail Mary...
Pray for us, O Holy Mother of God, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray:
Pour forth, we beg you, O lord, hour grace unto our hearts; that we, to whom the incarnation of Christ, your Son, was made known by the message of an angel, may by His Passion and Cross be brought t the glory of His Resurrection, through the same Christ Our Lord.
Amen
Source: http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/
God Works in Mysterious Ways. Let us thank Him for these vocations: When Brother Joseph Mary Vazquez speaks of his conversion and calling he can't help but smile and believe God truly works in mysterious ways. His was a conversion that came about from watching television and an older brother who abused drugs.
"My brother was always in problems and using drugs. But one day, while high on drugs he saw Mother Angelica on EWTN and in the midst of so much ugliness, his heart was touched. I always looked up to him, so I also began watching EWTN with him and God touched my heart. I converted with EWTN, began praying more, and learning about the faith from TV. As a child, I had learned to pray from my mother, but I never got into profound things," Vazquez says.
His parents, born in San Ignacio in Jalisco, Mexico, were always good examples and prayed the rosary with the family every day, although sometimes the children did not want to pray. "My father is a construction worker and my mom is a homemaker, who often sold tamales and burritos to help the family. She always said that all she wanted from us was to be good children and when we were born she gave us to God and the Virgin. Like any mother, she found it hard to let go of her children, but she is happy they are following the Lord. She always wanted us to follow God."
As Brother Joseph Mary and his older sibling got closer to God, they brought the whole family. "He got us in, prays for us all the time, and goes to Mass every day. Although he suffers a lot because he has schizophrenia, God listens to him. We may suffer, but there is always hope. And prayer is a powerful thing. When we think that the entire world is falling on our shoulders, God is so awesome and powerful, He comes to our rescue. Eucharistic adoration and just sitting with the Lord has helped me a lot. That's where the true power is."
Vazquez joined the Little Brothers of Saint Francis, a contemplative community of brothers who have their cloister amid the poor inner-city streets and their cell deep in the center of their hearts where they discover the authentic charism given by St. Francis and his early friars. They are all brothers, not priests, sharing the fruits of prayer life; visiting the destitute and outcast in Boston; bringing the love of Jesus in a simple way with their presence and love. They always wear their habits, which gives witness that they are about God and Jesus.
The Vazquez brothers were not the only ones to undergo a conversion from watching EWTN. Their sister, Maria Isabella of Christ the Merciful King, is a Poor Clare living in a monastery in Alabama. She entered the same order as Mother Angelica.
Source: Who says there is nothing good on TV? http://www.thecatholicdirectory.com/
Other Good Things on EWTN. Question: Was the Bard Catholic? Fulfilling the promise he made in his previous book, The Quest for Shakespeare, bestselling literary writer Joseph Pearce analyzes in this volume three of Shakespeare's immortal plays: The Merchant of Venice, Hamlet, and King Lear, in order to uncover the Bard's Catholic beliefs.
In The Quest for Shakespeare, which has been made into an EWTN television series, Pearce delved into the known biographical evidence for Shakespeare's Catholicism. Here the popular and provocative author digs into the plays, which were written and first performed during the English crown's persecution of Catholics. English history and literature were taught for generations through the prism of English Protestantism. Of late, both these fields have been dominated in universities and academic presses by modern scholars with filters and interpretations of their own. Though the evidence for Shakespeare's Catholicism has been studied before now, thanks, in part, to the unique contribution of Joseph Pearce, the Bard's genius is being analyzed in the open air of the public arena, the very place where Shakespeare intended his dramas to entertain and edify.
Suggestion to Serrans: finish out the long winter by reading Joseph Pearce's book or the plays themselves, looking for your own evidence of the Bard's Catholic beliefs.
Also available: The Quest for Shakespeare: Seeing the Catholic Presence in the Plays. "Dealing with the facts of Shakespeare's life and times, Pearce's quest leads to the inescapable conclusion that Shakespeare was a believing Catholic living in very anti-Catholic times."
Source: The National Catholic Register, February 1-15, 2010.
One More Vocation Story. A number of our club's members have noted the calling of Oakland Athletics' Grant Desme to the priesthood. "I was doing well at ball. But I really had to get down to the bottom of things," he said during a converence call to National Catholic Register's Tim Drake on January 22. "Baseball is a good thing, but that felt selfish of me when I felt that God was calling me to more...I wasn't at peace with where I was at. I love the game, but I aspire to higher things..."
Desme will enter St. Michael's Abbey in Orange County, California in August. St. Michael's Abbey is home to the Norbertine Fathers, one of the religious orders that is experiencing a fair amount of growth. The process of becoming a priest will take about ten years.
"It's like re-entering the minor leagues," he said. "I desire and hope to become a priest. But it's
all up to God."
Source: National Catholic Register, February 1-15, 2010.
Source: National Catholic Register, February 1-15, 2010.
A Message from our President.
Dear Serrans: This newsletter finds us in the middle of Lent, with winter, we hope, coming to an end, and we are busy Serrans!
Yesterday, (Saturday, February 27), was DYC2010 Transfiguration Youth Day for high school students in our Diocese. Over 300 students attended. Judging from the early response, the event went well, was well organized, and was a lot of fun, with great food, wonderful speakers and breakout sessions, and an awesome band. Our Serra Club presided at an exhibit table, and we met many great students. We even have a few names of young people interested in going to Notre Dame Vision. It's amazing what we can learn from young people. Do you know who Bella and Edward are? I found out a lot about them. Len Gross enjoyed talking with some of the boys from his home town of Conklin. Nancy Mulvihill struck up conversations with the Hispanic students, and she handed out copies of the new magazine for high school students with emphasis toward Hispanic students and culture. Mark Mann and his committee did an outstanding job, and we can only hope the students were captivated as well.
Yes, the sewing bees start this week. Joanne Fabrics is starting a sale on March 2, but there are always sale tables if you ask and look around. Because St. Stephen's is a busy spot, it would be best to park in the Reed Street lot. Signs will be posted for you to follow.
Monday, February 22 as one of the best Serra meetings for me in a long time. The television show that Oprah aired on the Dominican Sisters living in a convent was done very well. Our discussion afterwards was the best part. We are going to try to get a copy of the show on disc, as there have been several requests for it. Several youth directors are already interested in viewing the show, too.
The Sisters' Dinner is beginning to come together. There will be opportunities to sign up to help. We will need hors d'oeuvres for the social time. There will be a Friday night set-up starting at 6:00 p.m. Setting up should not take long, but a couple of the food items will have to be done that night also. The invitations have been sent out, the wine has been ordered, and Chef Joseph has a great menu planned.
Because April 1 is the start of the Triduum, our newsletter will not be out until after Easter Sunday. Here's wishing you and your families a blessed Holy Week and a joyous Easter morning.
Pam McKenzie.
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