Priests' Anniversaries.
Bishop Robert Rose, Priesthood December 21, 1955; Episcopacy, December 6, 1960.
Robert Gillespie, December 8, 1943.
Charles Dautremont, December 18, 1960.
John Porter, December 15, 1957.
Julian Reginato, December 19, 1964
Isidro Gargantrel December 21, 1968
Norbert Leyrita, December 21, 1963
Planning for future direction for our club.
Board Planning Meeting, December 4, 2010. Attendance: Fr. Ed, Pat Leikert, Dan Grady, Abe Rossi, Beverly Shields, Nancy Mulvihill, Nancy King, John Osterhart, Bob Gabridge, Bob Paul, Mark Kubik, Pam McKenzie, Aggie Kempker-Cloyd.
Fr. Ed spoke of our primary mission as assisting the priesthood, supporting priests, seminarians, and especially late seminarians (those nearing the end of their studies). Our "latest" seminarian is Luis Garcia. Assisting can be defined as seeing to the priests' and seminarians' financial, personal, administrative, and medical needs. He suggested that along with showing appreciation and praying for vocations, we look to providing practical solutions for the questions a prospective or new priest might have when faced with the everyday responsibilities of sheparding a parish, e.g. accounting. Fr. Ed also suggested that assistance for some situations might better be provided from outside the priest's parish. We must increase our contact with seminarians and especially late seminarians. Mark Kubik and the Programs Committee are working on the Charter Night Dinner. Pam McKenzie will chair the Sisters' Appreciation Dinner, and Tim Hile will serve as head chef. Let Pam and Tim know if you would like to help. Adoration was discussed as listed above in the Calendar of Events, and Membership as well. Treasurer Pat Leikert reported that the club is doing well financially. The Club plans to schedule a College Connection speaker. We need to appoint a nominations committee for our next election, and we need to get started on planning for our 2014 Regional Convention. The Vocations Committee will co-ordinate with parishes to schedule Serra Club visits and information about 31 Clubs. The Board strongly encourages attendance at Regional and International Conventions and Super Weekends (held in Chicago). A number of these topics will be further addressed at the December 20 Board meeting.
LET US PRAY FOR THESE SPECIAL PRIESTLY VOCATIONS: For those who serve in the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA. The AMS worldwide mission is to provide for the pastoral care of the 1.5 million Catholics serving in the armed forces, their family members, students at the Military Academies, patients in the VA medical centers and US governmental personnel serving abroad. It is the only agency responsible for endorsing and granting faculties to Catholic chaplains and deacons in service to those populations.Archbishop Timothy Broglio is the Ordinary of the Archdiocese and Bishop Richard Higgins, Bishop Joseph Estabrook, and Bishop Richard Spencer, are the three Auxiliaries. In support of the mission, they spend 65 percent of their time on pastoral visits to over 220 military locations in 29 countries and 153 VA Medical Centers throughout the United States.The AMS faces special challenges in these times: The country has been at war for almost 10 years, placing a very heavy professional and personal burden on the men and women in the military and their family members. With such hardships they rely on our Catholic chaplains for spiritual guidance and support. At the same time, the chaplains are hard pressed to serve them owing to the severe shortage in their ranks.In 2001 there were over 400 active duty Catholic chaplains. Today there are only 272. While some 25 percent in the military are Catholic, only 8 percent of military chaplains are Catholic priests. This shortfall places a very heavy burden on our Catholic chaplains, and results in our military men and women serving "in harm's way" not having access to the sacraments for months at a time. A key role of the AMS is caring and supporting Catholic Chaplains in such troubling times as well as seeking more chaplains from US dioceses and religious orders.One way the AMS is directly addressing the severe chaplain shortage is through its Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program, which identifies and encourages men in the military to seek a vocation to the priesthood for the benefit of the entire Church and service thereafter as a chaplain. Just as vocations surged after World War II, today's military is also a most fertile ground for priestly and religious vocations.
What is the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program? With more than 300,000 Catholics between the ages of 18 and 29 on active duty, the U. S. military provides the Church with a tremendous pool of potential priestly vocations. These military members have chosen a vocation that demands sacrifice, self-discipline, obedience, and valor--all fundamental attributes for priesthood or religious life. In the same way that all dioceses have an obligation to assist young men in the discernment of a vocation to the priesthood, the Archdiocese for the Military Services does its part in inviting and prayerfully guiding those in the military so that they are equipped to decide if they will enter a seminary for a US diocese or religious order. In 2008, the AMS initiated a long-term program to recruit priestly vocations from the military for the benefit of US dioceses, religious orders and the armed forcess. As part of the program the AMS has made a contractual commitment with US dioceses to fund 50% of the cost of five years of seminarian education ($30,000 per year). In return, the candidate and diocese agree that, once ordained and having served in a parish for three years, the priest will commit to serve as a military chaplain in the Armed Forces for three years or more. Currently there are 30 co-sponsored seminarians in the program from 22 US dioceses and studying in 16 seminaries.(A) unique requirement for the AMS is to maintain faithfully and provide Sacramental Records (baptisms, confirmations, marriages) for anybody receiving the sacraments at a military installation. The AMS stores over 2 million records and receives over 10,000 requests for copies of records each year...Did you know??? Today's military provides more vocations to the priesthood for the Catholic Church in America that any other single source...The AMS depends on Salute Magazine's readers' generosity and support. A gift can support vocations in two ways:
1. For Vocations Discernment weekends, the Archdiocese covers the cost of members of the Armed Forces interested in exploring their call to priestly service. Just one weekend for 35 men runs $30,000, including airfare, board, lodging, and other travel expenses.
2. With the Co-Sponsorship Program, military men who have a vocation to the priesthood will be co-sponsored through their five years of seminary training with a US diocese or religious order. The number of Co-Sponsored seminarians in the last two years has increased four-fold--from 7 to 30. Source: Salute. For new subscriptions send title, name, address, and phone number to support@milarch.org or call 202-719-3600 or write Development Office, Archdiocese for the Military Services, P. O. Box 4469, Washington, D.C. 20017-0469.
Notes from Pam McKenzie: Several Serrans attended the Schubert Male Chorus Concert on December 4. For those who missed this social event, there was glorious singing and entertaining. Afterwards, we all commented on how the concert put us all in the Christmas mode. Many thanks to Dan and Jeanine LaVille for hosting the social gathering prior to the event. The food was delicious and the conversations with friends was wonderful. Thank you also to the Serrans who invited a sister or a priest to the concert. They were very appreciative of the opportunity to attend this event with us.
A Message from Bishop F. Richard Spencer. The Holy Father recently appointed Auxiliary Bishop to the Archdiocese for the Military Service: "Auscultabo ut Serviam." "I will listen that I may serve." I look forward to doing just that--listening and being of service to you and with you--to the Glory of God through his Son Jesus, the Christ!"
As we celebrate the Advent season, let us be thankful for the Lord's blessings.
Pray a decade a day for Vocations!
