July 1, 2014. Feast Day of Blessed Junipero Serra.July 4, 2014. Independence Day.
July 14, 2014. Luncheon Meeting and Speaker, 12:00 Noon at the University Club. Speakers will be seminarians. Fr. Chelich is scheduled for August.
July 9-13, 2014. Serra International Convention, Sacramento, California. President-Elect John Osterhart of Serra USA is the new president-elect, and Serra International President-Elect Dan Grady will become president. Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, Moderator Msgr. Edward Hankiewicz, Dan Grady, John Osterhart, Nancy King, club delegate, and Frank Lake, club alternate delegate, will attend from Grand Rapids.
July 21, 2014. Board Meeting and luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Ss. Peter and Paul.
July 28, 2014. Serra Meeting and luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Ss. Peter and Paul. Please remember to prepare for discussion of Chapter 5 of the "Be Happy Attitudes."
Priests' Anniversaries for July.
Fr. Larry King, July 8 1989.
Fr. Lam Le, July 10, 2009.
Fr. Ray Bruck, July 20, 1958.
A Message from Sean Yeo, on the Feast Day of Blessed Junipero Serra.
1 July 2014
My Fellow Serrans,
Shalom!
On this feast day of Blessed Junipero Serra, I would like to take this opportunity to thank all of you for all the good works and personal sacrifices that you all have made for God's Kingdom in the Serra lay apostolate for vocations. I would also like to thank you for all your prayers and for your support that you have extended to Serra International and to me over the past year. I hope you will continue to lend your support to Serra and to Daniel Grady who will be taking over the office...I also hope you keep Dan in your prayers so that he will be able to carry out the responsibility that God is entrusting him with.
I would also like to seek your prayers for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit upon all who will be attending the convention from 10-13 July. Kindly join me to offer a decade a rosary daily from 10 July (Thursday) to 13 July (Sunday) for this intention. I pray for the special intercession of Blessed Junipero Serra for all of you.
If anyone serves, he should do so with the strength God provides, so that in all things God may be praised through Jesus Christ. To him be the glory and the power for ever and ever. Amen
1 Peter 4:11.
Some Significant Serra Events in June.
Last week, on June 23, 24, and 25, our club set a record in experiencing three consecutive days of important Serra events.
The first of these meetings was a dinner with the Dominicans at the Marywood Campus in observance of the opening of a valuable community resource, opening of the newly refurbished Aquinata Hall. Aquinata Hall was dedicated and blessed this past April as a long-term, assisted living community with 45 rooms on three floors.
The moderately priced rooms are open to area seniors 60 and older, and residents do not have to be Catholic. Dominican sisters also in the home, which includes a central dining room, chapel, beauty salon, and three-story atrium. Each floor also features a community day room with fireplace, laundry facilities and an exercise room.
Aquinata Hall, once an infirmary for the sisters, has been repurposed as part of the sisters' new focus on health care services. It is part of a long-term plan to transform the Marywood campus at 2025 E. Fulton Street into a center that offers programs for all ages. An important feature for Serrans to keep in mind is that the facility, in conjunction with Mary Free Bed, has rooms available for short-term post surgical rehabilitation. The Dominican Sisters also collaborate with Porter Hills Retirement Communities and Services in offering Marywood Circle Home Health.
We enjoyed the opportunity to have dinner with the sisters and experience the beautiful Marywood campus.
The second Serra event, on June 24, took place on June 24 with District Governor Bob Barrett presiding. Also in attendance were President Jim Wilson and Judy Cancro of Detroit-Oakland, and John Osterhart, Weldon Schwartz, Aggie Kempker-Cloyd, Beth Gumina, Nancy Mulvihill, and Michael Fiorenzo of Grand Rapids. In summary, the group discussed the importance of eucharistic adoration, especially around the clock. The Diocese of Lansing has 34 seminarians, and the Archdiocese of Detroit has 32. Jim Wilson, whose son is a seminarian, said that in recent years 15 young men have entered various seminaries from the University of Detroit Jesuit High School. Michael spoke of St. Isidore Parish, with 24/7 Eucharistic Adoration, as a "vocation making machine," and he also mentioned his participation in the Cincinnati Serra's Bible Reading Novena, lasting 108 consecutive hours. Muskegon has done something similar as part of an ecumenical project with other denominations in Muskegon. And those present discussed the many contributions of Nate McKenzie, who passed away in June, along with the opportunity to donate to the Sister Robert Anne Scholarship Fund, established in the name of Nate's grandson, Malik Haywood. Donations can be sent to
Catholic Central High School, 319 Sheldon Blvd. SE, Grand Rapids, Michign, 49503, or (616-233-5899.
One of the most important topics discussed at the meeting was the Newman Connection, which has replaced the old Catholic Conference, as a means of insuring the continuing involvement of college-age Catholics in the Church. Research shows that of those practicing Catholics entering college, only 15 per cent, if left on their own, end up still practicing their faith upon graduation.
Bob Barrett, noting in an article appearing on June 13, 2014 in the Michigan Catholic the vital connection between campus ministry and the mission of vocations, says, "Sixty percent of vocations come out of campus ministry." With campus ministries in college, he says, we have a better chance of more vocations.
The process involves getting in touch with youth ministers to inform them of what's available in offering a Catholic presence on college campuses. As we move toward fall, John Osterhart, Michael Fiorenzo, Nancy Mulvihill, Weldon Schwartz, and Nancy King will be calling on various parishes to gather the names of those headed for college. Also, because eighty percent of Catholic high school students attend public schools, we will be working with representatives from all schools in the diocese. Let John know if you'd like to help.
The third event was a gathering at the home of Dennis and Margaret Leiber with newly appointed Bishop Joseph Arshad and two other priests from the Diocese of Faisalabad, Pakistan, as guests of Father Ayub Nasar, chaplain of St. Mary's Hospital and frequent substitute priest throughout the diocese. The guests spoke of the challenges facing Christians in their country. Pakistan is a country of more than 180,000,000 inhabitants, only 13 percent of whom are Christians. An article from Agenzia Fides, an organization dedicated to propagation of the faith, reports that 2014 has been proclaimed a "year of peace and hope" in Faisalabad:
The Diocese of Faisalabad in the heart of Pakistan, Punjab, has declared 2014 a "year of peace and hope," is what the new Bishop, Msgr. Joseph Arshad said, who is making a pastoral visit to parishes, communities, educational institutions in the area, to learn more about the different realities, meet priests and religious mean and women, listen to the faithful, all in the name of two words, peace and hope. As Fr. Emmanuel Parvez, pastor of the St. Paul Church in Pansara says, "the bishop continues to become familiar with the nature and potentiality of the diocesan Catholic reality, trying to exploit the existing pastoral resources." In particular, the work carried out by Fr. Parvez regards children: the priest has launched a special childhood pastoral, thanks to the presence of a statue of the Infant Jesus of Prague. Fr. Pavez promotes spirituality and prayer meetings, educational, social, cultural, and recreational activities that involve thousands of Christian and Muslim children. "Dialog, peace and reconciliation, in the name of Christ, who loves us all, start right from childhood. If children of different religions are educated to getting to know each other and to live peacefully together, the foundations for a harmonious society are laid," he explains. Bishop Arshad and also the Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies inPakistan. Fr. Waseem Walter, appreciate and encourage the pastoral work with children promoted by Fr. Parvez. (PA) Agenzia Fides 31/01/2014.
Let us pray for the efforts of Bishop Arshad and his fellow priests who offer hope for a better future in promoting peace and harmony among the various religions in Pakistan. Let u
s remember that with God, anything is possible.
A Message from our President.
Please pray for me and for our soon to be elected SI President Dan Grady and our USAC President-Elect John Osterhart. We are blessed to have produced so many leaders out of our local chapter. Let us keep these gentlemen and their families in our daily prayers.
A big thank you goes out to all the Serrans who accepted the Dominican Sisters' invitation to their center for dinner and to share their vision with out club. I encourage all of us to come together to be generous in our support of the Dominican Sisters and their work. Do not let the starting pledge of $1000 scare you away from giving help. Do the best you can do. It is not necessary to give that amount ($1000) at one time...rather break that amount up to bite size pieces that are comfortable in your budget. For instance, approximately $333 a year amounts to $999 or $200 a year for five years equals $1000. Or, if you prefer a monthly budget, $30 a month for 34 months is a $1020 contribution. Remember, every little bit helps. If everyone does a little bit, that will make a big difference. This joining forces to contribute also allows a naming opportunity for the Serra club. We already have approximately $76,000 given by the Serra Club. May the Holy Spirit guide you in your gift giving to this worthy cause.
Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us in our vocations work to bring dedicated leaders to the call for Service to the Church.
Agnes Kempker-Cloyd
Editor's Note: Those wishing to contribute to the Marywood Legacy Campaign may call 616-514-3106 to request a pledge card.
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