Calendar of Events.
April 14, 2014. Monday of Holy Week. Luncheon Meeting and Speaker, 12:00 Noon at University Club. Speaker will be David Skidmore, partner at Warner, Norcross & Judd. He will be speaking about Widowed Persons Services as the president of that organization.
April 13. Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.
April 18, 2014. Good Friday. Day of Fast and Abstinence.
April 20, 2014. Easter Sunday of The Resurrection of the Lord.
April 21, 2014. Serra Board Meeting and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Ss. Peter and Paul School and Parish Center.
April 27, 2014. Second Sunday of Easter, or Divine Mercy Sunday.
April 28, 2014. Prayer Service and Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Ss. Peter and Paul School and Parish Center. Prepare Chapter 4 of The Be Happy Attitudes.
May 3, 2016. Sisters' Appreciation Dinner, St. Jude's. Mass at 4:00, Social Hour at 5:00, Dinner at 6:00 p.m. Let Beth Gumina know if you can help. She is available at 616-706-4733 or guminasflowers@gmail.com.
May 17, 2014. Schubert Concert at The Fine Arts Center of East Grand Rapids High School, 7:30 p.m. Family and friends of Serrans are welcome. Ask Aggie about tickets.
July 10-13, 2014. Sacramento Serra International Convention. Dan Grady writes, "TheInternational Convention is scheduled for July 10-13. There are several outstanding tours associated with the convention. See the Serra International website for details. Because of the Board Meeting schedule, Dan Grady, President-elect for Serra International, and Dennis Leiber, Past President of Serra International cannot participate in these tours for July 7 and 8. If you are able to take a little more time and are interested in joining them, please notify Dan Grady at daniel.grady@firstcb.com or 616-706-9819. The more the merrier!
Priests' Anniversaries for April.
Father Steven Cron, April 1.
An Invitation from Cincinnati.
In talking with former Cincinnati Serra Club President Pam Hecksel on another subject,
John Osterhart learned of the Cincinnati Club's Bible Reading Novena for Vocations on May 12-20.
"I hope among Grand Rapids and Muskegon Serra Clubs and Bible Study groups, we can find a way to be represented. Please review and let me know if you're thinking of attending. We could organize a road trip of a contingent from our area. Think about it. Is this the Holy Spirit at work? It is an opportunity to build relationships and bridges. Please use me as a clearing point." John's contact information:
616-245-1893 or
ejost1@att.net
The complete information about the project is as follows:
The Serra Club of Cincinnati is undertaking a huge project for priestly vocations for 9 days straight, May 12-20, 2014 from 9:00 a.m. to 9:00 p.m. Members of the Serra Club and anyone else who would like to help will be reading the Bible from cover to cover to pray for an increase in priestly vocations in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati.
Let us all pray together for an increase in young men willing to accept the supernatural call to the priesthood. The club hopes to record the entire Novena and make it available online and is accepting donations to help offset production costs at any PNC bank in the Cincinnati area. The event will take place at the Our Lady of the Holy Spirit Center in Norwood. There are 216 available slots.
An ordination is also taking place on Saturday, May 17 from 11:00 a.m. until 1:30 p.m. in downtown Cincinnati at St. Peter in Chains Cathedral. Let John know if you're interested.
Another Way to Pray for Vocations.
Jerry Usher's Vocation Boom is conducting a prayer campaign to pray for vocation and is inviting people to sign up. The plan is to cover each of the 168 hours of each week. Participants are not asked to pray for the entire hour of their choice, but at some time during that hour to pray in some way for an increase in vocations: an Our Father, a Hail Mary, or a short prayer in the person's own words. Of course, one can also spend a holy hour in adoration or in prayer or Bible reading as well, but any form of prayer, however short, can be said as well. Find the link by typing Prayer Campaign Vocation Boom in the Google search bar. You will find a description of the program and the sign-up times on that page. More than one person may sign up for each hour, but the goal, of course, is to provide some kind of prayer for every hour by at least one person.
Editor's Note. Vocation Boom can be heard on Holy Family Radio, 1140 AM, on Saturdays at 5:00 p.m.
Summary of Monday, March 10, Serra District 15 (MI-LP) Governor Meeting with Diocese of Grand Rapids Bishop David Walkowiak and Grand Rapids and Muskegon Serra Club Representatives.
On Monday, March 10, 2014 District Governor Bob Barrett arranged a meeting with Bishop David Walkowiak at the University Club, where the Bishop was scheduled to speak at the regular 2nd Monday meeting of the Grand Rapids Serra Club immediately following (many thanks to Dan LaVille for making the U. Club arrangements). Muskegon Serra Co-Presidents Sylvia Scallerup and Barb Perri, together with Muskegon Serra Club Chaplain Fr. Julian Reginato, and Grand Rapids President Agnes Kempker-Cloyd and Moderator Msgr. Edward Hankiewicz participated in the District Governor meeting as well. Msgr. Hankiewicz started the meeting with a prayer.
SERRA STATUS AND ACTIVITIES UPDATE
Bob Barrett provided a brief update of the status of Serra and various vocations and Serra extension activities in District 15 (Michigan's Lower Peninsula). The presidents of Grand Rapids and Muskegon Serra Clubs reviewed the status and undertakings of each of their clubs.
NEWMAN/COLLEGE CONNECTION PROGRAM IMPLEMENTATION
The major topic of the meeting related to the West Michigan launch of the Newman/College Connection for Catholics program--a program to provide graduating high school students with information regarding Catholic faith opportunities at, or near, their college of choice, and to provide the respective campus ministries contact information for incoming students at their colleges.
The former College Connection for Catholics program has been officially transferred to the Newman Connection, who has more resources and other campus ministry programs that help provide them additional efficiencies and synergy. Newman Connection's Randy Pifher attended to explain the program, now that Newman has taken it over, and to facilitate and support its local implementation.
Directors of the Youth/Young Adult Ministries involved with campus ministry for the Dioceses of
Grand Rapids and Kalamazoo were invited to participate in the meeting. Mark Mann from the Grand Rapids Diocese was able to attend.
The Grand Rapids Serra Club had earlier established a committee which has met for the purpose of supporting the implementation of Newman/College Connection in Grand Rapids. Committee members Tim Hile an John Osterhart participated in the DG meeting with the Bishop.
STRUCTURE OF THE PROGRAM
The program consists of the following component
1. Directors of Diocese Youth, Young Adult, and Campus Ministry--upon the approval of the Bishop--request materials from Newman Connection, which include template letters for use to request names of graduating seniors from parishes and schools, to begin the program.
2. Parishes and Catholic high schools.
3. Newman Connection.
4. Serrans or others (e.g., K of C) provide follow-up with parishes and schools.
5. Leaders of college campus ministries.
Statistics are that as few as 15 % of Catholic students adhere to the practice of their faith during college years. The Newman/College Connection program can raise that statistic dramatically, to approximately 30% and above with a focused effort to collect student information, appropriate follow-up with campus faith opportunity information, and ongoing campus ministry contact.
The results positively affect lifelong practice of faith, healthy dating relationships and marriages, increased discernment of priestly and consecrated religious vocations, and an increase in strong lay leadership--and as Father Julian pointed out--models for, and inspirations to, fellow students and others.
To date, and in spite of strong growth in the College Connection Program through dedicated efforts by Judy Cozzens, Bob Barrett and other Serrans, only a few thousand of the estimated five million Catholic college students have been touched by this wonderful program--approximately 25% of thattotal coming from Michigan, largely through Serra District Governor Bob Barret's efforts. With Newman Connections's greater resources, and the additional efficiencies that they are able to offer, the potential for quickly and widely expanding this program's impact is tremendous.
Bishop Walkowiak expressed his approval of the vocations work of the GR and Muskegon Serra Clubs. He stated he was familiar with Serra from his time as a seminary rector and as a pastor of a large parish in Ohio. He also responded favorably to the information presented regarding the proposed Newman Connection program. Mark Mann with follow up with Bishop Walkowiak regarding approval to go forward with the program in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Meanwhile, Serrans stand ready to help.
Thanks to John Osterhart for providing this report.
The process of implementation will be covered in a future issue.
Adoration Opportunities.
IHM 24/5, Code 5412
St. Isidore 24/7, Code 513.
A Message from our President.
Dear Fellow Serrans:
Please pray for me and our local Serra Club. It is the fourth Sunday of Lent, where we hear about Christ healing the blind man and the reaction of the people who confronted the blind man about what occurred: even greater blindness. We pray for God to banish our blindness that prevents us from recognizing the truth so we can see the world through God's eyes and with the compassion of Jesus who redeems us.
There are many ways for each of us to become more engaged with the activities of the Serra Club. You may have a book suggestion for the club to read as a group to discuss, you may have a suggestion for a speaker, you may volunteer to lead the book discussion for the last chapter of the Be Happy Attitudes, you may wish to help with the Sisters' Appreciation Dinner, or the many opportunities to work with Nancy Mulvihill on the 31 Club presentations to the various parishes. Please don't hesitate to come forward.
In May we also have the Schubert Choir Concert on the evening of the 17th. Please consider inviting friends and loved ones to this wonderful event.
May God bless you during this Lenten season!
Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!
Agnes Kempker-Cloyd
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