Calendar of Events.
June 5, 2010. Ordination of Father David Gross and Deacon Luis Garcia, 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew. Members of our Serra Hospitality Team should arrive between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m. David Gross has been the "adoptee" of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish for the past several years. Charles J. Schwartz will become the parish's new adopted seminarian.
Prayer for our newly ordained: Fr. David Gross and Deacon Luis Garcia...and all the seminarians of our diocese, that they will continue to grow in holiness and desire to serve God's people. For all people to be open to God's vocation call for their lives, and for their families and friends to support God's call, we pray...."
Please continue to lift up Fr. David in your prayers as he prepares for his first assignment as a parish priest. Also, please continue to pray for Deacon Luis as he returns to the seminary for his final year of preparation.
Source: Our Lady of Sorrows Bulletin, May 30, 2010.
We also note that Fr. David Gross is a native son of St. Stephen's, the parish home of so many of our Serrans.
If you would like to send cards to congratulate our newly ordained, you may send them to the Office of Priestly Vocations, Cathedral Square, 360 Division Avenue S., Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
June 14, 2010. Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at the University Club.
June 17-20, 2010. Serra USA Annual Meeting and Super Weekend, Chicago, Illinois
June 21, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at the University Club.
June 28, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
July 1, 2010. Feast Day of Blessed Junipero Serra. Please refer to page 11 of the spring issue of Serra USA Magazine for a club program from the USA Council Programs Committee.
September 2-5, 2010. Serra International Convention, Anchorage, Alaska.
October 8-10, 2010. Ohio Valley-Great Lakes Convention, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Note: For more information about Super Weekend, the Serra International Convention, and the Ohio Valley-Great Lakes Convention, go to the serraus.org website to check for all necessary information, to download registration forms, and to make hotel arrangements. The Early Bird Special for the Ohio Valley-Great Lakes Convention expires August 11. An alternative method of making hotel arrangements for this convention is to call Dottie Ciok at 1-800-334-9548. You must mention the Serra Club Code UCS to get the $115 plus tax per night for Friday and Saturday nights.
October 31, 2010. Priesthood Sunday.
Priestly Anniversaries. June anniversaries are as follows: Rev. Michael Alber (6-1-2002), Rev. Msgr. Gaspar Ancona (6-1-1963), Rev. Louis L. Anderson (6-1-1963), Rev. Bernard Carlin (6-1-1978), Rev. Joseph J. Fix (6-1-1968), Rev. Melvin Fox (6-1-1963), Rev. Jose Luis Quintana (6-1-1996), Rev. Troy Nevins (6-1-1996), Rev. Chris Rouech (6-1-1996), Rev. Anton Tran (6-1-2002), Rev. William Zinh (6-1-1968), Rev. Matthew Barnum (6-2-2007), Rev. Victor Kynam (6-2-2007), Rev. Don Lomasiecwicz (6-2-1962), Rev. Mark Peacock (6-2-2007), Rev. Ken Schichtel (6-2-1962), Rev. James Bozung (6-3-1961), Rev. Peter Chukwu (6-3-1993), Rev. John LaGoe (6-3-1961), Rev. Tom McKinney (6-3-1961), Rev. Tony Russo (6-3-2000), Rev. Ron Schneider (6-3-1967), Rev. Anthony Vainavicz (6-3-1961), Rev. Thomas Schiller (6-4-1955), Rev. Eugene Golas (6-4-1955), Rev. Andrew Thompson (6-4-1981), Rev. Paul Milanowski (6-4-1965), Rev. Philip Shangraw (6-5-1979), Rev. Louis Stasker (6-5-1965), Rev. Charles Brown (6-5-1993), Rev. Thomas Brown, 6-5-1999), Rev. Michael Danner (6-5-1965), Rev. George Fekete (6-5-1965), Rev. Pedro Garcia (6-5-1965), Rev. Thomas Vesbit (6-6-1964), Rev. James Chelich (6-6-1976), Rev. Norman Droski (6-6-1964), Rev. Msgr. John Giammona (6-5-1959), Rev. Jon Wisneski (6-6-1964), Rev. Godfrey Onyekwere (6-7-2003), Rev. Anthony Pelak (6-7-2003), Rev. Philip Salmonowicz (6-7-2003), Rev. Phillip Sliwinski (6-7-1997), Rev. Peter Vu (6-7-1997), Rev. Michael Cilibraise (6-7-2008), Rev. Fred Hoesli (6-11-1964), Rev. John Vallier (6-13-1987), Rev. John Thome (6-15-1946), Rev. Thomas Page (6-16-1979), Rev. Msgr. Terrence Stewart (6-19-1970), Rev. Ed Hankiewicz (6-24-1979), Rev. Ayub Francis Nasar (6-28-1985), Rev. Walter Marek (6-29-1946), and Rev. Rudolph Papes (6-29-1965). Deacons' anniversaries are as follows: Deacon Robert McClintic (6-5-2004), and Deacon Thomas F. Jurek (6-11-1994).
A special thanks to Lee for the formidable task of getting out the cards for our diocese'sJune anniversaries.
Thank you. Thank you to all who made our Charter Night a success, and thanks to District Governor Louis Rapin, who presided over the installation of our new officers and new members.
We enjoyed hearing from guest speaker Michael Miller of the Acton Institute. The full text of his speech can be found at the website of the Acton Institute. Congratulations to C. David Mohan, who received a 50-year membership certificate from Serra USA and to our new members who were installed into our club that evening: Mrs. Beth Gumina, Mrs. Nancy Mulvihill, and Mr. David VanderLinde. We also welcome our new slate of officers for 2010-2011.
A complete list can be found in the new directory issued by our secretary Joseph Westdorp. One other note: Aggie Kemper-Cloyd, our new Vice-President, Membership would like a bulletin from each of the parishes represented by our club.
Our Club welcomes Mrs. Camille Cebelak back to Grand Rapids, her home of many years. On Monday, May 24 we had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Cebelak at St. Ann's Home for our fourth-Monday prayer service and luncheon, at which time Tim Hile presented her with an honorary Grand Rapids Serra Club membership certificate. Mrs. Cebelak has been a long-time friend of our club. Help, a center for pregnancy crisis aid, honored her with the following article which appeared in a recent issue:
"We had the privilege of meeting a very special woman who recently moved back to her home town after living in Florida for several years. She was raised on the West Side and lived in Cascade for over 24 years with her husband, Bernard. Camille Cebelak has been working behind the scenes for so many years as a prayer warrior and financial backer for HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid. She said that she first became involved with our ministry after she had learned that a young girl chose to keep her baby after viewing prenatal pictures of the development of babies while visiting a pregnancy center near her home in Naples, FL. The ultrasound machine was not available in those days.
After talking on the phone with her daughter to see how she could get involved in a crisis pregnancy center in Grand Rapids, Camille jumped at the opportunity to help purchase the first ultrasound for HELP. 'Once the mom could see the picture of the baby, she would be more open to keeping the baby and not aborting,' she stated with evident emotion. One-hundred percent of the women who have had an ultrasound at HELP are so happy they did! The young moms are appreciative that they were able to see, and to choose LIFE as a result of the ultrasound services provided.
This quick-witted but soft-spoken lady, who anonymously gives and gives from her heart, said that she was thankful for the opportunities that she has been given in life. Both of Camille's daughters and sons-in-law are very involved in protecting the sanctity of life, as well as are her eight grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, of whom she is most proud. It is obvious that in her 95 years of life, she has served a a strong role model for her family and friends. She has been a humble servant for a countless number of individuals whom the Lord has led her to assist in her quiet, loving way."
We thank Mrs. Cebelak for meeting with us on that special day.
June 5, 2010. Ordination of Father David Gross and Deacon Luis Garcia, 10:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew. Members of our Serra Hospitality Team should arrive between 9:15 and 9:30 a.m. David Gross has been the "adoptee" of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish for the past several years. Charles J. Schwartz will become the parish's new adopted seminarian.
Prayer for our newly ordained: Fr. David Gross and Deacon Luis Garcia...and all the seminarians of our diocese, that they will continue to grow in holiness and desire to serve God's people. For all people to be open to God's vocation call for their lives, and for their families and friends to support God's call, we pray...."
Please continue to lift up Fr. David in your prayers as he prepares for his first assignment as a parish priest. Also, please continue to pray for Deacon Luis as he returns to the seminary for his final year of preparation.
Source: Our Lady of Sorrows Bulletin, May 30, 2010.
We also note that Fr. David Gross is a native son of St. Stephen's, the parish home of so many of our Serrans.
If you would like to send cards to congratulate our newly ordained, you may send them to the Office of Priestly Vocations, Cathedral Square, 360 Division Avenue S., Grand Rapids, MI 49503.
June 14, 2010. Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at the University Club.
June 17-20, 2010. Serra USA Annual Meeting and Super Weekend, Chicago, Illinois
June 21, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at the University Club.
June 28, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
July 1, 2010. Feast Day of Blessed Junipero Serra. Please refer to page 11 of the spring issue of Serra USA Magazine for a club program from the USA Council Programs Committee.
September 2-5, 2010. Serra International Convention, Anchorage, Alaska.
October 8-10, 2010. Ohio Valley-Great Lakes Convention, Cincinnati, Ohio.
Note: For more information about Super Weekend, the Serra International Convention, and the Ohio Valley-Great Lakes Convention, go to the serraus.org website to check for all necessary information, to download registration forms, and to make hotel arrangements. The Early Bird Special for the Ohio Valley-Great Lakes Convention expires August 11. An alternative method of making hotel arrangements for this convention is to call Dottie Ciok at 1-800-334-9548. You must mention the Serra Club Code UCS to get the $115 plus tax per night for Friday and Saturday nights.
October 31, 2010. Priesthood Sunday.
Priestly Anniversaries. June anniversaries are as follows: Rev. Michael Alber (6-1-2002), Rev. Msgr. Gaspar Ancona (6-1-1963), Rev. Louis L. Anderson (6-1-1963), Rev. Bernard Carlin (6-1-1978), Rev. Joseph J. Fix (6-1-1968), Rev. Melvin Fox (6-1-1963), Rev. Jose Luis Quintana (6-1-1996), Rev. Troy Nevins (6-1-1996), Rev. Chris Rouech (6-1-1996), Rev. Anton Tran (6-1-2002), Rev. William Zinh (6-1-1968), Rev. Matthew Barnum (6-2-2007), Rev. Victor Kynam (6-2-2007), Rev. Don Lomasiecwicz (6-2-1962), Rev. Mark Peacock (6-2-2007), Rev. Ken Schichtel (6-2-1962), Rev. James Bozung (6-3-1961), Rev. Peter Chukwu (6-3-1993), Rev. John LaGoe (6-3-1961), Rev. Tom McKinney (6-3-1961), Rev. Tony Russo (6-3-2000), Rev. Ron Schneider (6-3-1967), Rev. Anthony Vainavicz (6-3-1961), Rev. Thomas Schiller (6-4-1955), Rev. Eugene Golas (6-4-1955), Rev. Andrew Thompson (6-4-1981), Rev. Paul Milanowski (6-4-1965), Rev. Philip Shangraw (6-5-1979), Rev. Louis Stasker (6-5-1965), Rev. Charles Brown (6-5-1993), Rev. Thomas Brown, 6-5-1999), Rev. Michael Danner (6-5-1965), Rev. George Fekete (6-5-1965), Rev. Pedro Garcia (6-5-1965), Rev. Thomas Vesbit (6-6-1964), Rev. James Chelich (6-6-1976), Rev. Norman Droski (6-6-1964), Rev. Msgr. John Giammona (6-5-1959), Rev. Jon Wisneski (6-6-1964), Rev. Godfrey Onyekwere (6-7-2003), Rev. Anthony Pelak (6-7-2003), Rev. Philip Salmonowicz (6-7-2003), Rev. Phillip Sliwinski (6-7-1997), Rev. Peter Vu (6-7-1997), Rev. Michael Cilibraise (6-7-2008), Rev. Fred Hoesli (6-11-1964), Rev. John Vallier (6-13-1987), Rev. John Thome (6-15-1946), Rev. Thomas Page (6-16-1979), Rev. Msgr. Terrence Stewart (6-19-1970), Rev. Ed Hankiewicz (6-24-1979), Rev. Ayub Francis Nasar (6-28-1985), Rev. Walter Marek (6-29-1946), and Rev. Rudolph Papes (6-29-1965). Deacons' anniversaries are as follows: Deacon Robert McClintic (6-5-2004), and Deacon Thomas F. Jurek (6-11-1994).
A special thanks to Lee for the formidable task of getting out the cards for our diocese'sJune anniversaries.
Thank you. Thank you to all who made our Charter Night a success, and thanks to District Governor Louis Rapin, who presided over the installation of our new officers and new members.
We enjoyed hearing from guest speaker Michael Miller of the Acton Institute. The full text of his speech can be found at the website of the Acton Institute. Congratulations to C. David Mohan, who received a 50-year membership certificate from Serra USA and to our new members who were installed into our club that evening: Mrs. Beth Gumina, Mrs. Nancy Mulvihill, and Mr. David VanderLinde. We also welcome our new slate of officers for 2010-2011.
A complete list can be found in the new directory issued by our secretary Joseph Westdorp. One other note: Aggie Kemper-Cloyd, our new Vice-President, Membership would like a bulletin from each of the parishes represented by our club.
Our Club welcomes Mrs. Camille Cebelak back to Grand Rapids, her home of many years. On Monday, May 24 we had the privilege of meeting Mrs. Cebelak at St. Ann's Home for our fourth-Monday prayer service and luncheon, at which time Tim Hile presented her with an honorary Grand Rapids Serra Club membership certificate. Mrs. Cebelak has been a long-time friend of our club. Help, a center for pregnancy crisis aid, honored her with the following article which appeared in a recent issue:
"We had the privilege of meeting a very special woman who recently moved back to her home town after living in Florida for several years. She was raised on the West Side and lived in Cascade for over 24 years with her husband, Bernard. Camille Cebelak has been working behind the scenes for so many years as a prayer warrior and financial backer for HELP Pregnancy Crisis Aid. She said that she first became involved with our ministry after she had learned that a young girl chose to keep her baby after viewing prenatal pictures of the development of babies while visiting a pregnancy center near her home in Naples, FL. The ultrasound machine was not available in those days.
After talking on the phone with her daughter to see how she could get involved in a crisis pregnancy center in Grand Rapids, Camille jumped at the opportunity to help purchase the first ultrasound for HELP. 'Once the mom could see the picture of the baby, she would be more open to keeping the baby and not aborting,' she stated with evident emotion. One-hundred percent of the women who have had an ultrasound at HELP are so happy they did! The young moms are appreciative that they were able to see, and to choose LIFE as a result of the ultrasound services provided.
This quick-witted but soft-spoken lady, who anonymously gives and gives from her heart, said that she was thankful for the opportunities that she has been given in life. Both of Camille's daughters and sons-in-law are very involved in protecting the sanctity of life, as well as are her eight grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren, of whom she is most proud. It is obvious that in her 95 years of life, she has served a a strong role model for her family and friends. She has been a humble servant for a countless number of individuals whom the Lord has led her to assist in her quiet, loving way."
We thank Mrs. Cebelak for meeting with us on that special day.
We continue with our prayers...Serran Nate McKenzie continues to recover on schedule from major surgery which he underwent just two weeks ago. Let us continue to pray for him.
In fact, he attributes his good recovery to the prayers of so many of his Serra friends.
We are blessed for these vocations...Catholics who are deployed to combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan face many challenges in the practice of their faith. They are uprooted from their home parishes and chapel communities, as well as from their families. The uncertainty and even danger in which they live and work tends to discourage the kind of regular, planned religious practice that is so important to those who take their faith seriously. Even when, as at some of the larger bases, large numbers of Catholics can come together with their chaplains to celebrate the Eucharist and enjoy other forms of ministry, the constant turnover in people and missions can make a sense of community difficult to attain.
The Catholic community at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, the largest military base in that country, has faced all of thse challenges. It includes troops of all the United States military services and Coalition forces, civilian government employees, and civilian contractors from a variety of nations. The collaborative efforts of Catholic chaplains and committed lay people have nevertheless led to a strong Catholic community life at Bagram. Each weekend, nine well-attended Masses are celebrated at the main Enduring Faith Chapel and several other chapels and locations around the sprawling and rapidly expanding base. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has already led three new Catholics into the Church, with several more (having prepared) initiation at Easter. Under a special delegation from Archbishop Broglio, twelve community members were confirmed just before Christmas, and another Confirmation group is in formation. A dedicated, talented Catholic choir provides the music at Catholic liturgies and ecumenical events. The Bagram Round Table of Knights of Columbus welcomed nine new First Degree members in January...
A big factor in the liveliness of the Bagram Catholic Community, which is under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel, is a highly successful program of adult religious education...In September 2009 Army Catholic chaplains Father Matt Foley and Father Alan Irizarry and Army Major Dan Bridon collaborated to present a course on Church history published by Ascension Press. Epic: A Journey Through Church History consists of a series of twenty lectures on DVD by religious educator Steve Weidenkopf with associated study materials...
Each presentation is preceded by an hour-long opportunity for Confessions, and followed by the recitation of the Rosary. The first session, in September, 2009, attracted about fifty participants...
As time went on, some happy challenges arose. Catholics rotating into Bagram after the start of the program wanted to be able to watch the lectures they had missed. The same was true of those who had to miss one or more sessions due to operational requirements...To meet those needs, the American Chancellor of the Order, Mr. Jeff Ludwig, approved the purchase of four more Epic DVD sets and two hundred sets of study materials. Another Knight of St. George coordinated the shipping of these items to Afghanistan, where Lieutenant Colonel Walsh received them in November, 2009. The DVDs and study materials are now being used at Bagram..by a number of groups.
Epic has inspired many Catholics at Bagram to appreciate their Catholic faith in new and wonderful ways, and to become excited about their faith. As this has occurred, the Catholic Community there has developed in the ways mentioned above, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Holy Spirit will bring similar results to Catholics at other locations in Afghanistan, and that the challenges of being Catholic while deployed in that country will be transformed into opportunities for new experiences of faith.
By Reverend Patrick J. Travers, Chaplain, Major, U. S. Air Force. Source: Salute Magazine
A Message from our President.
I am honored to be your President this year. Pam McKenzie has left me with huge shoes to fill and I will try my best to continue good stewardship of our club.
It has been 15 years since I was the club's President, and I am struck by the changes which have occurred--all for the better! We have a good mix now of men and women and age diversity. We have accomplished many good things together, and I am confident that we have many more accomplishments ahead of us.
I want to urge you to give serious consideration to attending the Great Lakes Regional Serra Conference this coming October 8th-10th in Cincinnati, Ohio. Southern Ohio is beautiful in the fall, and the Serra Clubs of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have put together an impressive list of speakers. It is 365 miles from Grand Rapids to Cincinnati, about a six-hour drive. A Serra Regional (or International) convention does reinvigorate both our faith and our commitment to the mission of Serra. Please consider your registration soon.
Our diocese has been blessed with the upcoming ordination of David Gross, son of Len and Robbie Gross. Congratulations to the entire Gross family, and thank you, David, for your commitment to the priesthood!
Dan LaVille
Editor's Note: The entire state of Ohio turns bright red during the Saturdays of autumn.
Some people like red; others prefer other colors! Our club is blessed with diversity of taste when it comes to these matters.
We are blessed for these vocations...Catholics who are deployed to combat zones like Iraq and Afghanistan face many challenges in the practice of their faith. They are uprooted from their home parishes and chapel communities, as well as from their families. The uncertainty and even danger in which they live and work tends to discourage the kind of regular, planned religious practice that is so important to those who take their faith seriously. Even when, as at some of the larger bases, large numbers of Catholics can come together with their chaplains to celebrate the Eucharist and enjoy other forms of ministry, the constant turnover in people and missions can make a sense of community difficult to attain.
The Catholic community at Bagram Airfield, Afghanistan, the largest military base in that country, has faced all of thse challenges. It includes troops of all the United States military services and Coalition forces, civilian government employees, and civilian contractors from a variety of nations. The collaborative efforts of Catholic chaplains and committed lay people have nevertheless led to a strong Catholic community life at Bagram. Each weekend, nine well-attended Masses are celebrated at the main Enduring Faith Chapel and several other chapels and locations around the sprawling and rapidly expanding base. The Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults has already led three new Catholics into the Church, with several more (having prepared) initiation at Easter. Under a special delegation from Archbishop Broglio, twelve community members were confirmed just before Christmas, and another Confirmation group is in formation. A dedicated, talented Catholic choir provides the music at Catholic liturgies and ecumenical events. The Bagram Round Table of Knights of Columbus welcomed nine new First Degree members in January...
A big factor in the liveliness of the Bagram Catholic Community, which is under the patronage of St. Michael the Archangel, is a highly successful program of adult religious education...In September 2009 Army Catholic chaplains Father Matt Foley and Father Alan Irizarry and Army Major Dan Bridon collaborated to present a course on Church history published by Ascension Press. Epic: A Journey Through Church History consists of a series of twenty lectures on DVD by religious educator Steve Weidenkopf with associated study materials...
Each presentation is preceded by an hour-long opportunity for Confessions, and followed by the recitation of the Rosary. The first session, in September, 2009, attracted about fifty participants...
As time went on, some happy challenges arose. Catholics rotating into Bagram after the start of the program wanted to be able to watch the lectures they had missed. The same was true of those who had to miss one or more sessions due to operational requirements...To meet those needs, the American Chancellor of the Order, Mr. Jeff Ludwig, approved the purchase of four more Epic DVD sets and two hundred sets of study materials. Another Knight of St. George coordinated the shipping of these items to Afghanistan, where Lieutenant Colonel Walsh received them in November, 2009. The DVDs and study materials are now being used at Bagram..by a number of groups.
Epic has inspired many Catholics at Bagram to appreciate their Catholic faith in new and wonderful ways, and to become excited about their faith. As this has occurred, the Catholic Community there has developed in the ways mentioned above, through the power of the Holy Spirit. We pray that the Holy Spirit will bring similar results to Catholics at other locations in Afghanistan, and that the challenges of being Catholic while deployed in that country will be transformed into opportunities for new experiences of faith.
By Reverend Patrick J. Travers, Chaplain, Major, U. S. Air Force. Source: Salute Magazine
A Message from our President.
I am honored to be your President this year. Pam McKenzie has left me with huge shoes to fill and I will try my best to continue good stewardship of our club.
It has been 15 years since I was the club's President, and I am struck by the changes which have occurred--all for the better! We have a good mix now of men and women and age diversity. We have accomplished many good things together, and I am confident that we have many more accomplishments ahead of us.
I want to urge you to give serious consideration to attending the Great Lakes Regional Serra Conference this coming October 8th-10th in Cincinnati, Ohio. Southern Ohio is beautiful in the fall, and the Serra Clubs of Cincinnati and Northern Kentucky have put together an impressive list of speakers. It is 365 miles from Grand Rapids to Cincinnati, about a six-hour drive. A Serra Regional (or International) convention does reinvigorate both our faith and our commitment to the mission of Serra. Please consider your registration soon.
Our diocese has been blessed with the upcoming ordination of David Gross, son of Len and Robbie Gross. Congratulations to the entire Gross family, and thank you, David, for your commitment to the priesthood!
Dan LaVille
Editor's Note: The entire state of Ohio turns bright red during the Saturdays of autumn.
Some people like red; others prefer other colors! Our club is blessed with diversity of taste when it comes to these matters.
