Calendar of Events.
November 8, 2010. Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. Speaker will be Sr. Myra Bergman, Mission Services, Sisters of Mercy.
November 15, 2010. Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House.
November 22, 2010. Prayer Service and Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart.
December 4, 2010. Board Planning Meeting at Sacred Heart Rectory. Mass at 8:00 a.m. with meeting to follow. Among other activities we will discuss, we will keep you informed of our efforts in planning and promoting a spring event.
Looking Ahead.
January 9-15, 2011. National Vocation Awareness Week.
January 13, 2011. Serra USA Leadership Development Conference.
January 14-16, 2011. Serra USA Super Weekend, Chicago, Ill. See Serraus.org for details.
We urge all of our members to become involved in these regional, national, and international Serra events.
Priests' Anniversaries.
Father Rock Badgerow, 11-3-1979; Fr. Thomas Boufford, 11-7-1981; Fr. Dan DePew, 11-2-1985; Fr. Charles Hall, 11-3-1979, Fr. Peter Schafer, 11-12-2005; Fr. Ed Vella, 11-9-1985; and Fr. Wayne Wheeler, 11-3-1979.
Thank-you Notes.Dear Serra Friends: My sincere thanks for your good wishes and thoughtfulness on the occasion of my fifth anniversary as Bishop of Grand Rapids. Your gift was most thoughtful. I am grateful for your prayres and good wishes. Walter A. Hurley.
Dear Serra Club: On behalf of the priests of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, I would like to thank you for your generous donation to the 2010 Priest Convocation. It is a wonderful opportunity for the priests of the diocese to come together for relaxation, camaraderie, and learning.
Thank you for your continued support that the Serra Club provides through prayer and service to the Church. Good bless for all you do.
Peace, Rev. Mark Przybysz
Director Continuing Formation of Priests
Another Thank-you...to Beverly Shields and Nancy Mulvihill and all our club members who participated in launching 31 Clubs in Lakeview and Howard City last weekend. By promoting and launching this effort, we have increased our army of Pray-ers for Vocations!
Confraternity for Priestly Renewal suggests praying the Rosary a decade a day in its pamphlet,
"Pray for Priests. A Decade a Day." Visit http://www.eccesacerdos.com/ for more information.
Our Seminaries are Full...Is this something we dreamed? No, Fr. Aldo Vendramin, C. S., of the Scalabrini Missionaries spoke this most welcome message during his homily as guest priest at Our Lady of Sorrows on World Mission Sunday. Not only did we learn more about this vibrant order, but also about Fr. Aldo's missionary work, most recently in Guatemala.
The Scalabrinian Missionaries, serving migrants, refugees, and seafarers, were founded by Bishop John Baptist Scalabrini in 1887. Initially the Congregation expanded particularly in North and South America, engaged in the assistance to Italian migrants. The transformation of international migrations which began in the 1960s, with the progressive globalization of flows and diviversification of countries of origin, brought also a transformation in the Congregation, and the order is now involved with migrants of all nationalities.
The Scalibrinians are present in Canada, the United States, Mexico, Guatemala, Venezuela, Colombia, Brazil, Peru, Bolivia, Paraguay, Uruguay, Chile, Argentina, United Kingdom, France, Belgium, Luxembourg, Portugal, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, South Africa, Taiwan, the Philippines, and Australia.
The Scalabrinians provide a variety of services for migrants, In addition to the spiritual ministry and community building, they provide education in schools, local organization for cultural activities, care for the sick, counseling, and legal referral, advocacy, and care for the elderly. They also encourage the study of migration through research centers and the dialogue with political and civil groups through specialized magazines.
Let us give thanks for the vocations of Fr. Aldo and his fellow Scalibrinians, and may your order continue to grow.
Information provided by personal notes and www.scalibrini.asn.au/
Some thoughts about Cincinnati. Those of us from the Grand Rapids Serra Club who attended the Ohio Valley Great Lakes 2010 Regional Conference would like to thank everyone who was involved in the planning and carrying out of this wonderful conference.
What did we gain from our attendance?
1) Renewed enthusiasm for our faith and for our mission in fostering and praying for priestly and religious vocations.
2) A reminder that prayer is fundamental to our mission.
3) Renewed resolve to increase our membership. More on that later.
4) A reminder of the importance of the College Connection in our outreach to young people.
5) A reminder that we must remain open to new technologies in communicating with young people.
6) A reflection on the importance of what priests do: they oversee the spiritual life and death of human beings.
7) A reading list, as follows: Rediscovering Catholocism, Journeying Toward Our Spiritual North Star, by Matthew Kelly. Beacon, 2002. According to the book jacket introduction,
"Over the past ten years, Matthew Kelly has seen more of this world that most presidents and more of the Church than most bishops. Now, in this unique and timely book, he proposes that Catholicism is not a lifeless set of rules and regulations, but a way of life designed by God to help each person reach his full potential. With remarkable insight, Kelly dispels dozens of the myths that surround the practice and rejection of Catholicism today, and provides a profound and practical vision of what will lead the Catholic Church to thrive again in the future."
In some parishes, every member is given a copy of this book. To order it, or share it with others, just visit http://www.dynamiccatholic.com/ and request as many copies as you would like to pass around in your community. Or visit or write to DynamicCatholic.com, 2330 Kemper Lane, Cincinnati, Ohio 45211.
As all of the speakers at the Convention reminded us, our faith is not something we practice on Sunday, we must EVANGELIZE, not tomorrow, but NOW. We must make the Gospel, and our knowledge of Jesus through the daily reading of the Gospel, the center of our lives.
The Eucharist and the Rosary: Mystery, Meditation, Power, Prayer, by Matt Swain.
New from Liguori Publications. Call 1-800-325-9521 to order, or visit http://www.liguori.org/
Matt Swain was the presenter of the Communications Workshop.
Booklets to inspire prayer and meditation:
Inspiration, by Rev. Jim Willig, 2005.
Write or call HEART TO HEART, 1768 Cedar Avenue, c/o McAuley Convent, Cincinnati, OH, 45224. 513-791-9700 or 1-877-208-4875.
Listening Prayer: God Speaks in Prayer Relationships, by Robert R. Massa, a member of Serra Club of Cincinnati #371.
And from the Membership Workshop, a handout from Lake Geauga Serra Club's 2009 Membership Drive resulting in 17 new members--a 40 percent increase in club membership.
By Nancy King
The above books and pamphlets could become Christmas gifts and stocking stuffers for our members and prospective members.
And, speaking of Christmas (yes, it's almost that time already!!!), order a Holy Spirit Monastery Gifts catalog from the Abbot's Table, Monastery of the Holy Spirit, Edition 29, 2010 toll free at 1-800-592.5203. Consider ordering gifts from this catalog as one more way to support vocations and to provide those on our gift list with beautiful, mouth-watering foods and beverages. The mission at Holy Spirit Monastery, Ora et Labora: St. Benedict's simply motto reflects our goal at the Monastery of the Holy Spirit is to serve and contemplate God in all we do.
More Thoughts on Membership from Being a Serran docx.
Being a Serran...what does it all mean? Below is a list of questions. Please take some time and answer them honestly.
What do I personally believe is the Serra mission?
How many years have I been a Serran? What keeps me in the GR Serra Club working for vocations?
Could I name and share with others three blessings I have received as part of my membership in the Grand Rapids Serra Club?
Could I name three activities conducted by our club that fulfill Serra's mission?
What would the world be like without Serrans?
Could I name three reasons why the Church needs Serra? Has our club made a difference in Serra's mission to foster priestly and religious vocations?
And, think about a person you want to invite to the Grand Rapids Serra Club. What about this special person made you think that he or she would find membership in Serra fulfilling. What qualities does this person possess that could make him or her a valuable member of our club?
After answering these questions, you may find yourself better prepared to approach someone about joining Serra. Writing down your answers will give you a clear picture of your own personal experience of Serra and how you and your club play a part in its mission. A snapshot of what Serra means to you personally could be much more effective than the scripted mission.
Submitted by Pam McKenzie
A Message from our President.
Fellow Serrans: One of the best ways to develop a deeper appreciation of Serra is by attending regional and international conferences. This month's Regional Convention in Cincinnati was a rewarding experience for the five Serrans from our club( Nate, Nancy, John O., Jeanine, and me)
who attended. The highlight of the weekend was the Saturday luncheon speaker, Matthew Kelly, world renowned inspirational speaker and author. He distributed a free copy of his recent book, Rediscovering Catholicism, to all in attendance and spoke about living according to right values in a world of compromised morals.
What better way to conclude National Vocations Awareness Week, January 9-15, 2011 than by attending the Serra USA Council Super Weekend in Chicago? The event will take place at the Crowne Plaza-O'Hare from January 14-16. The room rate is only $81 per night and the registration is $75 per person. We are blessed to be located so close to Chicago. Go to
serraus.org for further information.
Special thanks this month to Bev Shields and Nancy Mulvihill for organizing our club's venture into new parishes in the northern part of our diocese to establish 31 Clubs and pray for vocations.
Sincerely,
Dan LaVille, President.
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