Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, December 2016

Serra International.  498 Clubs, 46 Countries, 14, 943 Members.
Always Keep in mind that we are part of a world-wide organization, all United in our Dedication to Promote and Foster Vocations.  Let us all pray for a blessed Christmas Season and a Holy and Productive 2017.
For the coming new year, visit the new and update website of serraus.org

Calendar of Events.

December 8, 2016.  The Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.  Holy Day of Obligation.
December 12, 2016.  Our Lady of Guadalupe.
December 12, 2016.  Monthly Meeting, Christmas Celebration, Speaker and Dinner, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Feel free to invite guests who couldn't attend the November Member-Guest meeting.  Speaker will  be Fr. Ron Hutchinson, Diocesean Director of Vocations.  Board Meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.
December 25, 2016.  The Nativity of the Lord.
December 26, 2016.  St. Stephen, The First Martyr.
December 27, 2016.  St. John, Apostle and Evengelist.
December 28, 2016.  The Holy Innocents, Martyrs.
December 30, 2016.  The Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph.
December 31, 2016.  International Rosary for Vocations, 8:00 9:00 a.m. EDT.  John Osterhart can assist you in finding out how to tune in.

Looking Ahead....

Plan Ahead.  These dates will come upon us before we know it!

February 2-5, 2017.  World Day of of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.
February 16-19, 2017.  Serra Rally, Phoenix, AZ.  9This event offers a wonderful chance to get together with other Serrans to pray and work for our common goals, but also an opportunity to take a break from our Michigan Winter.
June 22-25, 2017.  Serra International Convention, Rome, Italy.  Look ahead to another chance of a lifetime to pray and work for vocations in this wonderful location.

Priests' Anniversaries for December.

Fr. Norbert Leyrita, December 21, 1964.
Fr. Michael P. Olson, December, 1994.
Msgr. John Porter, December 15, 1957.
Fr. Julian Reginato, December 19, 1964.

Why not address a card to one or more of these priests to thank them for answering the Lord's call.  Also, don't forget to send your parish priests a Christmas card!  Addresses may be found at dioceseofgrandrapids.org website.  Click on the link to priests.

Congratulations to our Newest Member.  

Jim Rosloniec joined our club on November 30, 2016.  John Osterhart is his sponsor.  Thank you to all who attended our Member-Guest reception, and especially to those who invited guests.  Keep in mind that it's always an appropriate time to invited guests to join us at our monthly meetings, and especially to think of those people you might invite to the next member-guest event.

Remember to Pray for Those in Need.  There is Good News!

Iraqi Church leader offers Mass of Thanksgiving for donors in the West.  Wednesday, 23, 2016.


"There will be Christians in Iraq to continue the mission that we have been asked to do for 2000 years."
Homily by Archbishop Basher Matti Warda.

I come from Erbil, where we have worked closely with you, especially in a very difficult moment for Christianity in Iraq.  Two years ago we were really afraid, terrified.  Some of you came to Erbil and heard our fears and listened to all these words, which we were expressing, and saying, "Well, we are afraid that in time there will be no Christians in Iraq because of what ISIS did."
But today, we can tell you the good news that there will be Christians in Iraq.  Today we can tell you that over 12,000 families of Mosul and the Ninevey Plain are waiting for news as their lands and their villages are being liberated--(waiting for the moment that) they could go back and start their life again.
I am sure some of them will stay in Erbil.  I am sure some of them probably will decide to leave the country.  But at least there will be Christians in Iraq to continue the mission that we have been asked to do for 2000 years.
And this was not going to happen without you.  You can be proud that we are the Catholic Church; we are proud that we are really the temple of God.  We are proud that we are one family and still caring for each other.  And because of your help, and the help of others, there are Christians in Iraq.
So, you have to be proud of yourself that what you have done was not in vain.  That what you've done was really worth all the efforts that you were campaigning for, petitioning political leaders, speaking in communities, in churches, everywhere, writing articles, doing interviews.
So, from Iraq, from Kurdistan, I say thank you:  Thank you for all you have done for our community, for our Church, and thank you for the continuous help...
I offer this Mass for you, for each of you, so that God will bless you as His temple, always.  And for this temple, we will always have words and action for warm solidarity.
God bless you all.

Archbishop Warda heads the Chaldean Archdiocese of Erbil in Kurdish Iraq.  This Mass was said at the temporary headquarters of International Catholic charity Aid to the Church in Need, in Kronberg, Germany.

Serra International Foundation.

As the year comes to a close, please consider donations to the Serra International Foundation.
See the Serran, Vol. 63, No. 2 n The Grand Rapids club and the Houston clubs were named Majorca Award Winners at the St. Louis Serra International  Convention.  See the upcoming January newsletter for more information.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, November 2016

As we prepare for our November 14 meeting, let us reflect on the following message from the serrausa website link on membership:
"As one Serran said to another, a Serra meeting should be like spending an hour with Jesus."
Serrans believe than when members gather for prayer, a meal, and conversation, they grow in faith an are inspired and challenged by each other.

Calendar of Events.
November 14, 2016.  Member-Guest Reception, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Hot and cold hors d'oeuvres will be served.  Please let us know if there's anything we can do to assist you in your participation in this drive.  Board meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.  Members please RSVP to Sara and let her know your guest count as the replies to your inquiries come in.  The chef needs to know by Thursday
November 6-12, 2016.  National Vocation Awareness Week.  Any day is appropriate for the message of The Most Reverend Peter A. Labasci, Bishop of Manchester, New Hampshire:  "I urge you to make your appreciation known to your parish priest.  An invitation to lunch, a card, a smile--even the simplest of gestures to assure him of your gratitude for his service to the people of God...will mean so much."
November 20, 2016.  Christ the King.  End of Ordinary Time for 2016.
November 27, 2016.  First Sunday of Advent.
November 5, 2016.  World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.
February 16-19-2017.  Serra Rally, Phoenix, AZ
June 22-25, 2017.  Serra International Convention, Rome, Italy.

A message to pass on to prospective members:  "We invite you to join us at these events and learn more of why we are Serrans."

Priests' Anniversaries for November.

Rev. Daniel DePew, November 2, 1982.
Rev. Rock Badgerow, November 3, 1979.
Rev. Thomas Bouffard, November 7, 1981.
Rev. Brian Johnson, CSsR.  November 8, 1986.
Rev. Peter Schaefer, November 12, 2005.
Rev. Wayne Wheeler, November 3, 1979.

An Invitation.

On October 21, 2016, members of the Serra International Board were granted a private audience with the Holy Father during their Executive Committee meeting in Rome.  As luck would have it, it was International President Dante Vannini's birthday.  At the meeting, Pope Francis presented him with a special rosary as a gift.  Dante Vannini is a member of
 the Serra Club of Siena, Italy.

An opportunity to meet the Vicar of Christ is only one blessing of responding to the call to lead in Serra International's Board.  If you have leadership experience and a desire to help guide our apostolate in one of the brightest times of its history, consider applying for a position on the Serra International Board.  The application can be downloaded from the Serra International site.
Applications are due by e-mail to John Liston by December 16, 2016.  Both Grand Rapids Serrans Dennis Leiber and Dan Grady have served on the Serra International Board

Meet Sister Madonna Buder, the "Iron Nun."

A Nike ad released last summbre introduced the world to the amazing Sister Madonna Buder, who, at 86 years young, has completed 45 Ironman triathlons.  The race requires participants to swim 2.4 miles, bike 112 miles and run 26.2 miles.  Sr. Madonna is the oldest woman ever to complete the race and holds the record for best finishing time in the 80-84 age group.

The next time you feel overwhelmed in your Serra work, just remember what Sister Madonna said:  There are lots of times when I had to think about failures and not reaching the goal I may have set for myself.  Then I realized, the only failure is not to try.  Because your effort in itself is a success."

Source:  Always Forward, Never Back:  News you can use from Serra's USA Council, October 12,
2016.

Another Way to Assist Priestly Vocations.

Recently we were invited to contribute to the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.
The AMS Office of Vocations informs and supports men exploring a priestly vocation and provides opportunities for vocation awareness and discernment with a focus on military chaplaincy.  The AMS Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program is a partnership with local dioceses and religious communities around the country.  Currently, the AMS partners with 23 doioceses across the U. S. with 28 co-sponsored seminarians studying in 16 seminaries.  As many as 20 additional candidates are in processing for 2016, and since the fall of 2014, 113 candidates have been on one or more of the AMS discernment retreats and expressed interest in the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program and military chaplaincy.  Once a seminarian is in the Co-Sponsored program, the AMS covers half the cost to his home diocese for priestly formation.

To learn more about the mission and ministry of the AMS, please visit
www.milarch.0rg/nationalcollection.com

If you missed out on this collection, it's never too late to contribute by visiting the website.

News from Aid to the Church in Need.

A request  from Aid to the Church in Need.  Visit the site, which can easily be found by typing in the search words, Aid to the Church in Need, and find the news from the suffering Church around the world.  "Please help us raise awareness of the plight of Christians by sharing our news stories on your social media networks and in your parish and community.  We are generally happy to give you permission for your news stories to be reproduced in publications and on websites, provided Aid to the Church in Need is credited as the source and the usage does not breach our copyright.

Some recent stories are as follows:
1 Novemb3er 2016.  Displaced Iraqi Christians are determined to return to their homes in areas liberated from ISIS control.  Archbishop Bashar Warda of Erbil has led the relief effort during their period of exile.

7 October 2016.  More than one million children in Syria have been calling for peace as part of a fresh appeal to political leaders to end violence engulfing the country.

5 August 2016.  As fierce bombardment continues in Aleppo, a Carmelite nun whose convent is at the center of the fighting says the nuns are determined to stay and help those afflicted by the war.

A Message from Our President.

The September issue of The Serran paid a nice tribute to Grand Rapids' own Ralph Hauenstein (1912-2016), including a reprint of his President's Message from August 1960 magazine.  I found it interesting to note.

"The short history of Serra, though rich indeed in accomplishment, has had its growth in an era of wars, false ideologies and world tensions...Now I ask you to form more solidly in the ranks of Holy Mother Church and go forward with renewed purpose and dedication.>"

As we look forward to our November Member-Guest Reception and our nation's Day of Thanksgiving, let us remember Sir Hauenstein's word and "go forward with renewed purpose and dedication."

Sara Vander Werff
Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justlyl and to love mercy and to walk humbly with thy God?  Micah 6:8.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, October 2016

October is Respect Life Month.
Special Request to please note President's Message.  
President Sara VanderWerff notifies us of two opportunities to build relationships and support our mission.  They are as follows:
1)  As you know, the Fall Convocation of Priests took place this past week. They have requested our assistance, similar to what we have provided in the past, by way of sponsorship.  Also, Sara and Weldon, now Director of Membership, will be attending the upcoming Red Mass and Dinner.  Our goal is to raise $600 for the Fall Convocation and $200 for the Red Mass.  Please let Pat Leikert know if you would like to contribute to one or both events and he will include the amount in you next dues statement.  Pat can be reached at 616-459-2233 Extension 12 or pleikert@dolinkacpa.com.  Thank you all for your participation in Serra and for your efforts to support our priests.
Calendar of Events
October 9, 2016.  Spaghetti Dinner at Our Lady of Sorrows, 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m..  Call 243-0222 for tickets in advance.
October 10, 2016.  Official Columbus Day and Dinner Meeting and Speaker, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Board Meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.
October 11-October 14, 2016.  Holy Family Radio Fall Fund Drive, "Celebrating Five Years."
The new format will include live broadcast from Newmans Bookshoppe, Live broadcast from the studio on Wednesday/Friday, and Call-in Trivia Answers for prizes.   Check the HFR website for a schedule of programming during the drive.  Call 844-337-2346 to donate, or visit www.holyfamilyradio.net for the complete guest line-up or to donate online
October 18, 2016.  St. Luke, Evangelist.
October 28.  Ss. Simon and Jude, Apostles.
October 29, 2016.  Serra International Rosary for Vocations, 8:00 a.m. CDT.  Remember that on the last Saturday of every month, Serrans from all over the world are invited to join together in a recitation of the Rosary for Vocations.  To join our rosary from your computer, tablet, or smartphone, go to https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/314315981.  You can also dial in using your phone.  Dial 616 and enter the access code 314-315-981.  Let us use today's technology to unite us in our Serran mission through prayer.  Humble prayer plants the see of all great things, including awareness, affirmation, support, and awakening to the call of vocations.  Please join us!  Mark November 26 and December 31 on your calendars as well as we close out the year.
October 30, 2016.  Priesthood Sunday.  See serraus.org for the link to ordering materials for preparation at your parish.
Looking Ahead....
November 24, 2016.  Member-Guest Reception, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Please be working on your list of potential members to invite.  Heavy hors d'oeuvres will be served.

News from Aid to the Church in Need.  Refugee camp ordinations renew hope.
An ordination in a refugee camp in Erbil, northern Iraq, has given hope to displaced Christians--and more are planned.
Four young seminarians, who fled Qaraqosh on Iraq's Nineveh Plains when Daesh seized the city in August 2014, were ordained in Marcy 2016.  Qaraqosh's St. Ephriam Seminary is now under the control of extremists, so the seminarians finished their studies in Lebanon.
Syriac Catholic Archbishop Botrous Moshe told ACN:  "Such celebrations give the people hope. Despite the situation we live in, we can continue to live our faith."  Archbishop Moshe of Musul--another city being held by Daesh--ordained the young men with concelebrants from other Catholic Churches.  Bishops from Orthodox Churches also took part in the ceremony.
ACN is committed to supporting the training of seminarians in Iraq, Syria, and across the Middle East, providing Mass stipends for priests in the region.  Telling ACN that First Holy Communions were also being carried out, Archbishop Moshe said, "Life goes on as usual despite displacement, and another ordination took place in late summer 2016.  Please remember in your prayers those who offer their lives as priests for the glory of God and the service of their people, especially, those in greatest need."

Let us also remember in our prayers, Fr. Engelmar Unzeitig, who was beatified by Pope Francis on September 25, 2016.
Father Unzeitig was arrested by Nazis in 1941, at only 30 years old.  He had been a priest for only two years, serving in Austria and Germany.  His crime was preaching against the Third Reich and their treatment of the Jewish community.  He continually encouraged the congregation to resist the Nazi regime and to keep their sights on the Lord, resulting in his incarceration in the concentration camp Dachau, known as the "largest monastery in the world" for its roughly 2,700 residents.  The majority, 95 percent, of the men housed at Dachau, were Catholic priests from Poland.
While at the camp, Fr. Unzeitig learned Russian to help the prisoners coming from Eastern Europe, leading to his reputation as a holy man.  He remained int he camp for several years, where he stayed relatively healthy, until typhoid fever made its way through the camp in 1945.
Twenty priests volunteered to minister to those who were struck down by the often fatal disease.  Fr. Unzeitig cared for the sick until March 2, 1945, when he succumbed to the fever himself.  Three weeks later, Dachau was liberated by American soldiers.
Fr. Unzeitig's heroic virtue was recognized by Benedict XVI in 2009, when he was declared "Venerable."
In January, 2016, Pope Francis acknowledged Fr. Unzeitig as a martyr, and this past Saturday, Pope Francis proclaimed him "Blessed."

Who Doesn't Know You're a Serran?
After a summer of vacation and traveling, autumn is the typical time that Serrans roll up their sleeves and get back to work for vocations.  Does everyone at your parish, diocese and community know about Serra?  If not, shouldn't they?
Celebrate your club's recommitent this autumn by vowing to become more visible in your community.  Serrans are working mightily for vocations, and everyone should know it!
If you do not have a Serra pin, let Weldon know, or your may shop at the Serra e-store now.  Order any pin or pendant from the Serra e-store during October and get 10% off.
A Message From Our President.  
This past week the diocesan priests gathered for their convocation.  They have requested our assistance, similar to what we have provided in the past, by way of sponsorship.  Under his now full-time role as Director, Continuing Formation of Priests, Fr. Ron Hutchinson wishes to redevelop the relationship with the Serra Club and develop our role in providing for the continuing formation of priests as part of our support for the priesthood and religious life.
Additionally, the Catholic Lawyers of Western Michigan will be hosting the annual Red Mass on October 5 at St. Andrew's Cathedral and Cathedral Square.  Our Membership Director, Weldon Schwartz, and I will both be in attendance and would like to support the Red Mass.  Weldon is working on securing Serra Club prayer books from Bob Barrett, which we hope to make available at each of the tables at the dinner following the Red Mass.  Because of the Catholic Lawyers' annual participation in the Red Mass, we feel this is a golden opportunity to spread the Serra word.
 If you are so inclined, please let Pat Leikert know that you would like to donate to one or both events and he will include your contribution in your next dues statement.  Our goal is to raise $600 for the Fall Convocation and $200 for the Red Mass.  Pat can be reached at 616-459-2233 Extention 12 or pleikert@dolinkacpa.com.  Thank you for your generous donations, thoughts and prayers.  Always forward, never back!
Sara VanderWerff
Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us.

Let us also pray...
John Osterhart passed along a message from Greg Schweitz that Sean Yeo of the Singapore Serra Club has been very ill with a number of serious problems.  He immediately preceded Dan Grady as President of Serra International.  Let us keep him and his wife Lucy in our prayers.
On September 27, Greg Schweitz wrote:
"Mary Lynn and I visited Sean Yeo and Lucy in their home during a recent trip to Singapore.  While the over two-hour visit was uplifting and warm, we must tell you than Sean is a very sick man, and Lucy, a truly devoted and caring wife.  They need our prayers...
Overall, Sean appears to be alert, though mostly quiet, letting Lucy do most of the talking.  He is bedridden.  He says he remains tired and sleeps a lot, and in between physical therapy and meals, he reads and attends to some business, somehow.  He has lost over 40 pounds since the discovery of his illness...
Sean is the oldest of four children.  All of his siblings live in Singapore.  Family members provide ongoing physical and psychological help.  Local priests have celebrated mass in their home over the past months.  As you can well imagine, their faith and devotion carry and sustain them through this difficult time.  Our Lady of Fatima is invoked frequently.
So, our Brother Sean needs our prayers and support.  He and Lucy are going through a very difficult time in their lives, and prayer and expressions of support are greatly needed.  I recommend that you use Lucy's e-mail to send your notes at lucychew@singnet.com.sg, and if you wish to call or text, her cell phone is 65 9672 2938.  To send a note, card, or token of affection, their Singapore address is Buona Lodge, 1 Zender Road, #03-04, Singapore, 117686.
Saint Junipero Serra, Pra for Sean and his family, for his recovery and for the strength to endure this trial.

John Osterhart forwarded this message from Greg.

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God.  Micah 6:8.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, September 2016

Calendar of Events.
September is dedicated to Our Lady of Sorrows.  "Devotion to the Seven Sorrows of Our Lady has its roots in Scripture and Christian piety, which always associates the Blessed Mother with her suffering son."  Holy Family Radio Website.  Original Source:  Catholic Culture.org
September 4, 2016.  Canonization of Saint Mother Teresa of Calcutta.
September 8, 2016.  The Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
September 9, 2016.  Final Devotion for the Seven Sorrows of Mary, 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows.  Meditation will be given by Fr. Donald Lomasciewicz.  We especially invite you to prepare for our September meeting, when the speaker will  be Cynthia Bailey, who will talk about the Seven Sorrows.  We at OLS have had a very successful season for these devotions, with a number of priests present each week.  Each devotion includes a prayer for vocations and ends with Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.
September 12, 2016.  Board Meeting,  4:30 p.m. at the University Club, followed by Dinner Meeting and Speaker, 5:30.  As mentioned above, the speaker will be Cynthia Bailey, on the topic of the Seven Sorrows of Mary.
September 14, 2016.  Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
September 15, 2016.  Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows.
September 21, 2016.  St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist.
September 25, 2016.  Serra International Rosary for Vocations.
September 29, 2016.  St. Michael, Gabriel and Raphael, Archangels.
September 30, 2016.  Last day for receiving Serra International Foundation grant applications.  See below for more information.
September and October, 2016.  Continuation of our Fall Membership Campaign and appointment of a nominating committee for a new president-elect.
November 14, 2016.  Member-Guest in lieu of our regular meeting.  Please be thinking of people to invite.

Looking Ahead.

October 30, 2016.  Priesthood Sunday.  Serra International offers a Bouquet of Prayers for Priests.
We have the opportunity to offer the following for our priests:  Holy Masses, Rosaries, Hours of Adoration, Visits to the Blessed Sacrament, Chaplets of Divine Mercy, Novenas, Our Fathers, Hail Marys, Glory Be to the Fathers, and Stations of the Cross.  OUR PRIESTS NEED OUR PRAYERS!
November 6-12, 2016.  National Vocations Awareness Week.  Serra International has English-language planning materials available for download.
February 5, 2017.  World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life.

About SI Foundation Grants.  This information is especially helpful to Project Directors.
DO YOU KNOW OF A WORTHY VOCATIONS-CENTERED PROJECT THAT NEEDS FUNDING TO HELP IT SUCCEED?

The objectives and purposes of the Serra International Foundation are:

*to fund programs that foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood of the Catholic Church as a particular vocation to service; and
*to fund programs for the formation for men and women in consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church; and
*to enhance the recognition of Serra International as the global lay apostolate for vocations in the Catholic Church.  The Always Forward, Never Back online magazine has a link to grant applications; otherwise, call Serra International for the information you need.

Priests' Anniversaries for September.

Fr. Loc Trinh, September 19, 1992.
Fr. Ron Hutchinson, September 24, 1994.

Fall Convocation of Priests.

President Sara Vander Werff has received the following letter from Fr. Ronald Hutchinson:

Dear Serra Club:

During the tenure of Fr. Mark Przbysz as director of Continuing Formation for Priests, the Serra Club has made a very generous donation to the Diocese of Grand Rapids Fall Convocations of Priests.
The Convocation is a great opportunity for the priests of the diocese to come together for education, renewal, and fellowship.

It is my hope as the new director of Continuing Formation that the Serra Club would once again sponsor the social hour on the evening of the annual banquet during the Convocation.  In advance and on behalf of Bishop Walkowiak, I wish to thank you for your continued support of our Convocation and the priests of the diocese.

Sincerely yours in Christ,
Rev. Ronald D. Hutchinson

The question of our continued support for the sponsorship is on our Serra Board agenda for this
month.

A Message from Dan Grady.

Jim Madigan, age 93,  a long-time Serran of Green Bay, Wisconsin, has received the Cardinal Strictch Spirit of Serra Award at the July Serra International Convention in July.  He is only the second Serran ever to receive the honor.  Fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life has been a worthy action of Madigan for 54 years.  He joined the Serra Club of Green Bay (East) in 1962.

Madigan served as local president, district governor and from 1975 to 1976 as international president.  He is currently trustee emeritus.  As to the question of why Serrans are important, Madigan explains, " Because the Catholic Church is a eucharistic church. Without our priests, there is no Eucharist.  Without the Eucharist, there is no Catholic Church.  So in union with the Office for Priestly Vocations in Rome and with Serrans throughout the world, we pray daily for our priests and religious and young people in years ahead."

Madigan has also served as lieutenant of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulchre of Jerusalem, a lay institution that supports Christians in the Holy Land.  He organized the North Central Lieutenancy which covers Wisconsin, Michigan, Ohio, Illinois, Indiana and parts of Kentucky...

His wish for Serrans is a simple one.  "God has blessed us, but we need more people.  You can never be too large.  Please join us."

Source:  The Compass, Green Bay, Wisconsin.

Let us thank this dedicated Serran for his service to his club and to Serra International, and
let us be guided in our membership efforts by his statement about the importance of priests the importance of our mission to foster and nurture priestly and religious vocations.

Aid to the Church in Need.

Visit the Home Page to support with both our prayers and funding for persecuted Christians, including priests and religious, in the Middle East.  The home page also offers an opportunity to light a candle online in honor of Saint Mother Theresa for her tireless work for the poor and the sick.

The National Catholic Register's Catholic Identity College Guide.  

See the September 4, 2016 edition of National Catholic Register for information about which colleges are most successful in producing vocations to the ministerial priesthood and religious life.  Among the three most successful are Thomas Aquinas College in Santa Paula, California,                    Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio, and Christendom College Front Royal, Virginia.
All of the colleges and univiersities which produce abundant vocations have one thing in common:  strict adherence to principles which provide a Catholic campus culture:
*Mass and confession, vetted speakers, unobjectionable clubs, no coed dorms, and health services in conformity with the Church's ethical and religious teaching and directives.
The Register lists a number of other recommended schools for our readers whose family members may be in the discerning stage of choosing a college.
Source:  National Catholic Register, September 4, 2016.
Editor's Note:  I have a copy of this available and will bring it to the next meeting for anyone who might care to take a look.

A Message from Our President.

Dear Fellow Serrans:

Among the spiritual benefits available to members of all Serra Clubs because of the affiliation of Serra International with the Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations is a plenary indulgence, granted under unusual conditions (confession, communion, visit to a church or public oratory, and prayer for the Holy Father's intention on feasts of Our Lord Jesus Christ, the Blessed Virgin, St. Joseph, the Apostles, and certain saints.  (An indulgence frees from temporal punishment--distinguished from eternal--due to sin, and which is paid for either in this life, or in the next life in purgatory).  September provides many feast day opportunities, including the Seven Sorrows, September 15.
We can look forward to hearing about the Seven Sorrows of Mary from this month's speaker at our regular meeting.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us.

Prayer for Vocations.

Lord of the Harvest,

BLESS young people with the gift of courage to respond to your call.  Open their hearts to great ideals, to great things.

INSPIRE all of your disciples to mutual love and giving--for vocations blossom in the good soil of faithful people.

INSTILL those in religious life, parish ministries, and families with the confidence and grace to invite others to embrace the bold and noble path of a life consecrated to you.

UNITE us to Jesus through prayer and sacrament, so that we may cooperate with you in building your reign of mercy and truth, of justice and peace.  Amen.

Pope Francis

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, August 2016

Calendar of Events.
August 5, 12, 19, and 26, 2016.  Weekly Seven Sorrows of Mary Devotions at Our Lady of Sorrows.  See the July newsletter for complete information of these devotions.  They include recitation of the special rosary, a short homily by each of the priests chosen for the occasion, a prayer for vocations, meditation on each of the sorrows, and benediction.  Homilists for August will be Fr. Patrick Jegar Fickel, Fr. Thomas Cavera, Deacon Pietro Conigliaro, and Fr. Donald Weber, in that order.
August 6, 2016.  The Transfiguration of the Lord.
August 8, 2016.  Monthly Evening Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Board Meeting preceding at 4:30 p.m..  We will have dinner at the University Club and then go on to St. Mary's Parish 423 First St. NW, for the Taize Service, which has been scheduled in place of a regular speaker.  See below for more information about Taize.
August 15, 2016.  The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.   Check your parish bulletins as to whether there will be a special Mass on that Monday.
August 24, 2016.  St. Bartholomew, Apostle.
September 12, 2016.  Monthly Evening Meeting, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Speaker will be Cynthia Bailey of Our Lady of Sorrows on the Seven Sorrows of Mary.  Cynthia is a Third Order Carmelite and a Toastmaster.  She will be accompanied by her sister Mary Stanley, who is instrumental in planning and carrying out the Seven Sorrows devotions, and another Toastmaster.
November 5-12, 2016.  National Vocations Awareness Week.  It's not too early to start planning for your Parish.  See the serraus.org website for materials to download.

About Taize. 

Complete information about the prayer service may be found on the website of St. Mary Parish.
Prayer in the spirit of Taize  (pronounced  teh-ZAY) is an ecumenical form of prayer, for Christians of all traditions, modeled after a monastic community in Taize, France.  It is a ery different experience from a "normal" church service.  No one stands up in front; there is no sermon.  The church is lit by candles.  The simple monthly service is meditative in character, consisting of songs, scripture, a service of light, an extended period of silence for meditation, and prayers for the world.
"May the Peace of Christ, which surpasses all understanding, be in your hearts and minds!"

Priests' Anniversaries for August.

Fr. George Darling, August 11, 1984.
Fr. Stephen Dudek, August 11, 1984.
Fr. Dennis Morrow, August 24, 1975.
Fr. Dennis O'Donnell, August 20, 1983.

We Mourn the Passing of Two of our Parish Priests.

During July, 2016 the Diocese of Grand Rapids lost two of our priests, Fr. Donn P. Tufts and Fr. Philip Salmonowicz.

Father Donn P. Tufts, age 70, retired Roman Catholic Priest in the Grand Rapids Diocese, passed away unexpectedly on Tuesday, July 19, 2016.  He was born July 2, 1946 in Muskegon and was ordained as a priest on August 2, 1980.  During his career he served at St. Francis DeSales,as head chaplain of Blodgett and Butterworth Hospitals, at Immaculate Heart of Mary, St. James, St. Mary's of the Woods, Our Lady of the Assumption, St. John the Baptist and St. Michael's parishes in Edmore and Stanton, and Christ the King.  He was still very active in his retirement.  He started the Blessing of the Jeeps at Silver Lake.  Memorials to Oceana County Animal Shelter or the Johnson Cancer Center of Mercy Health Partners would be appreciated.  As we note, he woud have celebrated his anniversary this coming Tuesday.

Father Philip Salmonowicz entered into eternal life on July 21, 2016 following a long battle with cancer.  He was the current pastor of the clustered parishes of St. Michael, Muskegon and St. Francis DeSales, Norton Shores.

"Father Phil was an energetic pastor and preacher who kept serving his parishioners throughout his illness up to just a few days before his death," said the Most. Rev. David J. Walkowiak.  "His zeal for his priestly work and care for his people have had a profoundly positive impact on the lives of many."

Father Salmonowicz was born in Mt. Clemens, Michigan on December 19, 1948.  He was ordained a priest on June 7, 2003.  Prior to his appointment in Muskegon, Father Salmonowicz served the parish communities of St. Charles Borromeo, Greenville, with the Mission of St. Margaret in Harvard.  He was appointed the dean of the Muskegon Community Deanery, and a a member of the Presbyteral Council.

May God grant them both eternal rest and peace!

We also pray for eternal rest and peace for the mother of Martha Pareles Clark, longtime SI translator and office assistant.

Dan Grady notified us of the death of Martha's mother Rebecca who passed away on Sunday morning.  Please keep Martha and her family in your thoughts and prayers.

St. Junipero Serra Relic Venerated in Honolulu.

Serra's vocations mission was featured in the Diocese of Honolulu's monthly Holy Hour for Vocations at the Co-Cathedral of St. Theresa with the very special presence of a first-class relic of our patron, St. Junipero Serra, on display for veneration.  Attendees received a holy card to touch to the relic so they could create their own third-class relic.  The holy hour took place on July 6, just five days after Saint Serra's feast day and two days after the Serra International Convention in St. Louis.

Bishop Larry Silva presided over the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by silent prayer, rosary for vocations, and Benediction.

Aid to the Church in Need.

Once again we urge you to spend a few minutes at the ACN site.  One of the very worthy projects was assisting youth from Eastern Europe, Central Asia, and the Middle East to attend World Youth Day 2016,  which took place this past week in Krakow, Poland.  The young people from the Middle East represent churches that are coping with great suffering in countries like Iraq, Syria, Jordan and Palestine.  Their presence personifies both the hope of the early centuries of Christianity and the courageous faith of the present-day descendants of the erly Christians.  ACN also sent youth from Sudan and Bangladesh to Krakow, to represent two more countries where Christians daily face discrimination and violent attacks.  Let us pray that WYD provided rich soil for vocations, as it often does.

This project was only one of the many which have received help in a variety of ways to our suffering brothers and sisters in need.

A Message from our President.

Dear Fellow Serrans:

August marks the anniversary o the death of our namesake, Saint Junipero Serra, on the 28th.  Next month will be the anniversary of his canonization.  In Pope Francis's homily at the canonization mass, September 23, 2015, he reminded us of Saint Junipero's motto "which inspired his life and work:  Siempre adelante!  Keep moving forward!"  Serra was the embodiment of a "church which goes forth."  Having left his native land, Serra was excited about blazing trails, going forth to meet many people.

We do not have to leave our native land, however; we are called to go forth and meet people.  The primary topic of most if not all of our recent meetings has been focused on membership.  Our immediate past president, Weldon Schwartz, has graciously assumed the role of Vice President of Membership.  He has received the Bishop's blessing to approach Diocesean parishes to seek new members.  Let us all do what we can to support this endeavor, and siempre adelante!

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us.

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?  Micah 6:8.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter July 2016

Calendar of Events.
June 29-July 3, 2016.  Serra International Convention, St. Louis, Missouri.
July 1, 2016.  Feast of St. Junipero Serra.
July 11, 2016.  Serra Club Evening Meeting.  Board meeting begins at 4:30 p.m.  Regular meeting begins at 5:30 p.m.  Father Joachim Lalley will speak, leading us through a guided retreat.
July 29, 2016.  The first of a Novena of  Friday devotions dedicated to the Seven Sorrows of Mary, 7:00 p.m. at Our Lady of Sorrows, followed by Benediction.  The plan this year is for a guest priest to join us each week to give a talk about one of the Seven Sorrows.  We urge our fellow Serrans to join the members of Our Lady of Sorrows for at least one of these  devotions.  Listen for further information on Holy Family Radio.
We will keep you posted as to further developments.

Looking Ahead.
February 16-19, 2017. Serra Rally, Phoenix, AZ.  Hotel information TBA.

July 11, 2015.  Outside the Club Special Event.

Fellow Serran Sara Vanderwerff calls our attention to the upcoming 17th Circuit Court Town Hall to be held in the basement of St. Thomas the Apostle, 1449 Wilcox Park Dr. SE, at 7:00 p.m.
The Town Hall features three candidates for the Kent County 17th Circuit:  Curt Benson, Professor Emeritus at WMU Thomas M. Cooley Law School;  Thomas P. Murray, Jr., 25 year veteran lawyer & Lead Attorney at Hanover Law Group; and Joe Rossi, United States Marine Corps Veteran and Former Assistant U. S. Attorney at the U. S. Department of Justice.  On August 2, 2016, Kent County voters will select 2 of the three candidates for a November general election runoff with the winner to be the new Judge in Kent County's 17th Circuit Court.  R. S. V. P. on Eventbrite.  If you have questions, call Mike at 616-634-0418.

Liturgical Calendar and Other Events during July, August, and September.  

July 22, 2016.  Memorial of St. Mary Magdalene.
July 26, 2016.  Memorial of Sts. Joachim and Anne, Parents of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
August 6, 2016.  Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord.
August 15.  Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
August 22, 2016.  Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
September 8, 2016.  Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
September 14, 2016.  Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.
September 15, 2016.  Feast Day of Our Lady of Sorrows.

Report on the 2016 Convention.
On July 4, 2016, John Osterhart reported as follows, answering an inquiry regarding George Reichel.
"George Reichel is the President of the Greater Muskegon Serra Club and represented his club at the 2016 Serra International Delegates' Meeting.

Weldon (our Grand Rapids Serra Delegate to the 2016 SI Delegates' Meeting) and Karen Schwartz, Dan Grady, and Ellen and I attended from the Grand Rapids Serra this year, and I represented the Serra Clubs of Saginaw and Detroit/Oakland.

All of the proposed Constitutional Congress Amendments (one to the SI Constitution; and ten to the SI Bylaws) passed unanimously or by large margins, as did other matters related to the Minutes, the financial report and coming year's budget, and the slate of officers and trustees, etc.

All in all, it was an outstanding convention with three Masses, a Perpetual Adoration Chapel, a benediction and mini-retreat, ongoing confession opportunities, and great speakers, panels, and information to bring back and use.  I only wish more members would have had the opportunity of attending."

Blessings,
John

Priests' Anniversaries for July.

Fr. Raymond Bruck, July 20, 1958.
Fr. Thomas Danielson, CSSR, July 2, 1964.
Fr. Larry King, July 8, 1989.
Fr. Peter Omogo, July 10, 2004.

A Pleasant Surprise.
Editor's Note.

On Saturday, June 25, Bishop Walkowiak concelebrated 4:00 Mass at Our Lady of Sorrows with Fr. Ted Kozlowski.   Earlier that week, Fr. Ted gladly accepted his offer to visit our parish. The Bishop, during his homily, mentioned that he had just attended the open house of a Catholic Central graduate who is headed for the seminary in the fall and also announced that we will have eight new seminarians in the coming year.  Let us all thank the Bishop for his interest in and his support of vocations.

Membership.
As we continue to turn our attention to membership, we can prepare by downloading and reading the Serra International's membership recruiting materials.  One of the very helpful suggestions comes from Lloyd P. Crockett, Charter Member of the Serra Club of Williamson County, TN and Serra International  President during 2007-2008.
He writes, "The best prospects for Serra are those lay Catholics who attend daily Mass. Why?  They have a love for the Church, the Eucharist, and the Priesthood that is unsurpassed.  And in most instances, they have the time and the financial resources to be good Serrans."  He adds that eighty percent of the members of his club were daily Mass attendees and says that many good Catholics want to become Serrans who are just waiting to be asked.  Please let us know your thoughts on membership recruiting.

Continued Report on Aid to the Church in Need.
As a club, we always welcome opportunities to support priestly and religious vocations in big ways and small.  A recent success story comes from The Democratic Republic of Congo:  two mopeds and eight bicycles for the work of the pastoral team in the parish of St. Augustine in Poko:

In the northeast of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, in the parish of St. Augustine, in Poko, two priests are delighted to have moped each each, and the catechists are equally please to have eight bicycles among them.  Thanks to generosity of the benefactors of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), who have given $14,600, they no longer have to spend hours walking to reach their destination.
Also sharing in the general rejoicing are the ordinary Catholic faithful, who indeed stand to benefit most from these gifts.  For now the priests and catechists can much more easily reach even the remotest villages, and so the people can receive the sacrament more frequently, receive instruction in their faith, and participate more fully in the life of the Church.
Needless to say, this parish is situated in a predominately rural area.  The people here struggle to support themselves on what they are able to grow in the fields.  Sadly, the armed conflict in the region has only made their poverty worse and has devastated the local infrastructure.  Roads, bridges, medical centers, parish centers--everything has been destroyed or damaged.  But what the people need here more than anything else is spiritual help and support.  Hence these simple items, funded by the benefactors of ACN, have brought untold spiritual blessings to the Catholic faithful of the area.  Their heartfelt thanks to you all!
The vital work of Catholic charities like Aid to the Church in Need provide a lifeline to the Church wherever she is poor, persecuted, or threatened.  Please help our work by donating online or send your donation to Aid to the Church in Need, P. O. Box 7246, Baulkham Hills NSW 2153,
Source:  Catholic News, 20 June 2016.

A Message from our President.

We have a few things of importance to discuss in this message.  The first is my resignation as president of the club so that Sara Vanderwerff can assume her duties effective immediately.  This change in leadership is needed because Sara expects to have to run for re-election in the next year for her current position as controller of Grand Rapids and she would not have the time or energy to devote both to her re-election campaign and to the position of presidency.  Therefore, I agreed with Sara to step aside so that she could be president for the next year.  Her term would be one year rather than the normal two years.  We could then revisit who will succeed her next year.

Several of us, including Monsignor Hankiewicz, myself, Sara Vanderwerff, and Bob Nolan from the Muskegon Serra Club met with Bishop Walkowiak last Wednesday to discuss our plans for increasing membership by making presentations at some of the parishes in the diocese at the end of Sunday masses followed up by having one or more Serrans at the back of the church to answer questions for the prospective members.  As a result of the meeting the Bishop was very supportive of our plan and said he would support it.  We will have to develop a plan to work with the parishes with other members of Serra to make the most effective use of time and effort.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!
Weldon Schwartz

Editor's Note: As of that writing, on June 30, Weldon mentioned that would soon be on his way to St. Louis.  He, along with John Osterhart, Dan Grady, and George Reichel from Muskegon, attended.

On Friday, July 1, Weldon announced that our club was one of eight to receive the Padre Award from Serra International Foundation.  Those winning the award contributed between $3000 and $4999 to the Foundation.

Download the Region/District Convention Manual for club requirements for winning the Outstanding Club award at the next Region/District Convention.

Let us Pray...
for all of our priests, and especially for those who began their new assignments as of July 1, 2016.
Let us give thanks for their vocations.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, June 2016

Calendar of Events.
June 3, 2016.  The Most Sacred Heart of Jesus.
June 4, 2016.  Ordination of four priests, 11:00 a.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew.  See below for more information.  Weldon has asked for ushers for this event.  RSVP at 616-401-0227.
June 5, 2016.  Masses of Thanksgiving with each of our four new priests as celebrants.
June 13, 2016.  Dinner Meeting and Speaker, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Board Meeting precedes at 4:30 p.m.  Serra pins will be handed out to new members.
June 23, 2016.  Leadership training session at Gilbert & Blake's Restaurant, Okemos, beginning at 10:30.  District Governor Bob Barrett has just notified Weldon of this meeting. 
June 24, 2016.  The Nativity of St. John the Baptist.
June 20-July 3, 2016.  Serra International Convention, St. Louis, MO.

Priests' Anniversaries for June.
The Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak; Priesthood June 9, 1979, and Episcopacy, June 18, 2013.
Bishop Emeritus Walter A. Hurley, June 5, 1965; Episcopacy, August 12, 2003.
Rev. Louis Anderson, June 1, 1963; Rev. Michael Alber, June 1, 2002; Rev. Msgr. Gaspar Ancona, June 1, 1963; Rev. Robert K. Balser, June 29, 1949; Rev. Matthew Barnum, June 2, 2007; Rev. Mark Bauer, June 14, 1986;  Rev. Thomas Bolster, June 12, 1982; Rev. Edward Boucher, June 14, 1960; Rev. James Bozung, June 3, 1961; Rev. Douglas A. Braun, June 6, 2015; Rev. Charles D. Brown, June 5, 1993; Rev. Thomas J. Brown, June 5, 1999; Rev. Michael E. Burt, June 6, 2009;  Rev. Bernarad R. Carlin, June 1, 1978; Rev. Patrick T. Crowley, June 6, 1970; Rev. James A. Chelich, June 6, 1976; Rev. Michael Cilibraise, June 7, 2008; Rev. Michael A. Danner, June 5, 1965; Rev. Thomas DeYoung, June 18, 1983; Rev. Norman P. Droski, June 6, 1964; Rev. George Fekete, June 5, 1965; Rev. Aaron Ferris, June 6, 2009; Rev. Joseph Fix. June 1, 1968; Rev. Melvin E. Fox, June 1, 1963; Rev. Luis Garcia, June 4, 2011; Rev. Eugene S. Golas, June 4, 1955; Rev. Patrick Grile, June 24, 1971; Rev. David Gross, June 5, 2010; Msgr. Edward Hankiewicz, June 24, 1979; Rev. Frederick D. Hoesl, June 11, 1964; Rev. Victor Kynam, June 2, 2007; Rev. John P. LaGoe, June 3, 1961; Rev. Donald E. Lomasiewicz, June 2, 1962; Rev. Richard J. Lowie, June 7, 1969; Rev. Thomas McKinney, June 3, 1961; Rev. Paul A. Milanowski, June 5, 1965; Rev. Ayub Nasar, Jun 28, 1985; Rev. Troy A. Nevins, June 1, 1996; Rev. Scott T. Nolan, June 1, 10`3; Rev. Godfrey Onyekwere, June 7, 2003;
Rev. Thomas Page, June 16, 1979; Rev. Mark E. Peacock, June 2, 2007; Rev. Anthony M. Pelak, June 7, 2003; Rev. Luis Quintana, June 1, 1996; Rev. Chris W. Rouech, June 1, 1996; Rev. Anthony Russo, June 3, 2000; Rev. Philip J. Salmonowicz, June 7, 2003; Rev. Kenneth Schichtel, June 2, 1962; Rev. Ronald F. Schneider, June 3, 1967; Rev. Charles J. Schwartz, June 1, 2013; Rev. Philip Sliwinski, June 7, 1997; Msgr. R. Louis Stasker, June 5, 1965; Msgr. Terrence L. Stewart, June 19, 1970; Rev. John J. Thome, June 15, 1946; Rev. D. Anton Tran, June 1, 2002; Rev. Anthony C. Vainawicz, June 3, 1961; Rev. John F. Vallier, June 13, 1987; Rev. James R. VanderLaan, Jun 1, 2013; Rev. Thomas S. Vesbit, June 6, 1964; Rev. Peter Vu, June 7, 1997; Rev. John J. Wisneski, June 6, 1964.  Those wishing to send cards to any of these priests may go to the Dioscean home page and click on Priests.  This page provides access to locations and mailing addresses.

It May Be Old News....
but I didn't know it and thought it was interesting and very inspiring!
"The organizers of the 18th Serra Asian Conference at Pattaya, Thailand in April, gathered with Cardinal Tagle, Archbishop of Manila and Past Serra International President Dan Grady for a ceremonial blessing of the Thai New Year's celebration.
The Asian convention drew over 200 Serrans from seven countries: Thailand, Singapore, Macau, India, USA, the Philippines, and Hong Kong.  The convention was attended by Immediate Past International Trustees Michael Bragg, Blessida Diwa, and Jeanette D'Souza, and Past Serra International President Judge Dennis Leiber.  Thank you to our local Serrans for their involvement in Serra International.

Pray and Work for Membership.

During these times, we encourage all of our readers to pray and work for new membership.  In keeping with this effort, we can go to serraus.org and download and read the membership materials which Serra International and Serra U. S. offer.  One of these pieces deals with Why I am a Serran...reflections on being a Serran.

"...I attended a Serra Club meeting and was asked to join.  I decided I was just too busy.  The next weekend when my wife and I were at the shore, we went to a scheduled 10:30 Mass to learn it was only a Communion Service because the priest could only come every other week.  I complained bitterly to my wife and she reminded me that I needed to do something to help eliminate the problem instead of complain about it.  I went back home and joined Serra.  I am working to increase vocations in the future and glad to spend some of my time to improve things."

"...I had some friends who were Serrans from daily mass who kept telling me about all the priests they saw and with whom they interacted.  I finally asked them if I could join Serra.  Of course, they said yes.  Then I learned that yes, I interacted with the priests, but I also affirmed their vocation and prayed for them.  I also affirm and pray for the religious and for our seminarians.  Serra has become my vocation.  It is how I am identified at Archdiocesean events.  What a blessing Serra has become in my life!"

"I received a mailed invitation to attend a Mass and dinner meeting of the Serra Club of Middlesex County in the fall of 1971.  There were several invitees.  What impressed me was the apparent devotion and deep faith manifested by the Serran members at this meeting.  Furthermore, their professionalism, organization, and fellowship were most evident.  Sometimes opportunity knocks, but most of the time it sneaks up on you and then quietly steals away.  The value of persistent prayer is that God will hear us, but that we will finally hear God.  Here was my opportunity to listen and respond to God.  I believe God was speaking to me through his Instruments at this meeting...By joining Serra International, I knew then I was conforming to His call and will.  Amen!"

During this and coming months, we can each do something toward the membership cause and toward the Serra mission as well...

We recommend that you try these simple and achievable goals.

***Download and read the membership materials at the serraus.org website.  These materials provide a great number of suggestions as to what we can say to prospective members about our club.
***Ask at least one person to join us at our next meeting.
***Spend an hour in adoration, listening to God.

We will discuss these points at our next board meeting and mention them at our general meeting.

Let us Continue to Pray for our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters in the Middle East and Throughout the World.

For this month and in the months to come, we recommend a visit to the Aid to the Church in Need website to learn about what we can do for this urgently needed cause.  Find the link to What We Do to learn the following:

"Aid to the Church in Need is at work in more than 140 countries, helping the Christians who are persecuted, oppressed, or in pastoral need.
Thanks to you, we are able to support more than 5,000 projects every year, helping the Church's mission.  From training seminarians for the priesthood to providing transport to help priests and Sisters to reach the remotest communities, or building much-needed chapels, you (by helping Aid to the Church in Need) bring Christ to the faithful around the world."

The site also provides videos on a number of topics; e.g. from Syria, an appeal for help from four bishops, or from Lebanon, providing help to Syrian refugees.
Above all, Aid to the Church in Need helps priests, sisters, seminarians, and catechists.
We urge you to spend a few minutes, or more, if you have the time, learning about this very important organization, which is also in direct keeping with your Serran mission in general.

A Message From Our President.

The June Serra Club meeting will be a time when we will pass out pins for the members who do not yet have one, a President's pin, and a Past President's pin.  We will then determine how many additional pins I will have to order so that every member has one.  If you have lost yours, let me know and I will order another one for you.

The Serra International Annual Convention is being held this year in St. Louis, of course.  I'm sure you know all members are invited to attend, although the deadline for the reduced rate has passed.  Several of us have already signed up, including John Osterhart, Daniel Grady, and me.

A couple of weekends ago I was permitted by Father Tom to address the parishioners at each of the three weekend masses at St. Stephen regarding new members for the Serra Club.  I also set up a table in the back of the church with a bifold picture of St. Junipero Serra.  I received one inquiry from a woman who expressed interest in Serra.  I then sent e-mails to priests in two other parishes but have not yet heard back.  I believe it's a little too early to determine whether or not this method of recruiting will be successful.  We can discuss it further at the board meeting.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!

Weldon Schwartz

Serra Club Grand Rapids Newsletter May 2016

Calendar of Events.
May 5, 2016.   The Ascension of the Lord.  Transferred to May 8 in our diocese.
May 9, 2016.  Dinner Meeting and Speaker, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.  Board Meeting precedes at 4:30 p.m.
May 17, 2016.  Ordination of Three Transitional Deacons, 7:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew.
See below for biographies of these deacons.
May 22, 2016.  The Most Holy Trinity.
May 29, 2016.  Most Holy Body and Blood of Christ (Corpus Christi).
May 31, 2016.  The Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Looking Ahead.
June 21, 2016.  Saginaw's 9th Annual Benefit Dinner for the Bishop Carlson Seminarian Endowment Fund, 6:00 Social Hour, 7:00 Dinner, at the Swan Valley Banquet Center,
June 30-July 3, 2016.  Serra International Convention, St. Louis, MO.

Priests' Anniversaries for May.

The Reverend Ernest J. Bernott, May 22, 1948.
The Reverend Michael Bliszcz, May 24, 1958.
The Reverend Anthony Britto, May 14, 1988.
The Reverend Charles Cunniff, CSP, May 21, 1983.
Msgr. William Duncan, May 19, 1990.
Very Reverend John Geaney, CSP, May 11, 1964.
Reverend Thomas Hack, May 28, 1955.
Reverend Theodore J. Kozlowski, May 29, 1958.
Reverend Joachim Lalley, May 22, 1965.
Reverend Charles O. Mason, May 19, 1979.
Reverend Peter Joang-Xuan Nghiem, May 20, 1972.
Reverend Kevin Niehoff, OP, May 8, 1993.
Reverend Bradford Schoeberle, CSP, May 27, 2000.
Reverend Philip Shangraw, May 5, 1979.
Reverend Robert Sirico. May 13, 1989.
Reverend Leonard Sudlick, May 15, 1976.
Reverend Dominic Tirkey, May 19, 1998.
Reverend Mark Przybysz, May 19, 1980.

Meet our Transitional Deacons.

Stephen J. Durkee, 26, is the son of Doug Durkee of St. Sebastian Parish, Byron Center, and Mary Durkee of Holy Family Parish, Caledonia.  He has three siblings:  Erin, David, and Holly.  He is a member of St. Sebastian Parish.
Steven W. Geerling, 42, is the son of William (deceased) and Kay Geerling.  He has two siblings:  David and Susan (Cesar).  He is a member of Blessed Sacrament Parish in Grand Rapids.  He worked for the U. S. Postal Service for 13 years.
Kyle J. Kilpatrick, 29, is the son of Kevin and Brenda Kilpatrick. of St. Michael Parish, Coopersville.  H has two siblings:  Alex and Connor.  He completed his pastoral internship under the mentorship of Father Jose Luis Quintana.
All three will enter their final year of seminary at the University of St. Mary's of the Lake, Mundelein.

Thank you.  

Thank you to Serran Dr. Larry Burns, who agreed to speak at our April meeting on how his Catholic faith influenced his medical practice.  Those in attendance enjoyed the talk very much.

Reflections on Vocations.

Last Sunday Catholics around the world observed World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  As a follow-up, we might consider a recent broadcast of Jerry Usher's Vocations Boom on Holy Family Radio featured the story of twin brothers Gary and Todd Koenigsknecht of Fowler, Michigan.  They were ordained in June of 2014 and a third brother, Lee Koenigsknecht, is now in seminary.  Their home parish, Most Holy Trinity hosts  a weekly prayer hour dedicated religious vocations and offers prayer, confession, and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.
Fowler and its neighboring community, Westphalia. are small farming communities where everyone is Catholic, everyone is related, and everyone shows up at Mass, according to an article appearing in June 2014 in the New York Times.  The elevation of religious life has also had an effect on young women:  Westphalia has produced 37 Catholic nuns over the diocesean data.  For the twins, encouragement arrived in many forms, from messages scribbled in crayon by grade-school children to $20 checks scrawled in shaky cursive, gifts from older parishioners to defray seminary costs.

While we might not all find ourselves in that exact situation, we can all do something to carry out our mission of supporting and nurturing priestly and religious vocations.
Source:  Christina Capecchi, "In Two Michigan Villages, a Higher Calling is Often Heard," The New York Times, June 16, 2014.

An Update on our Persecuted Brothers and Sisters.

Among the many websites one can consult about this very unfortunate but timely topic, we encourage our members to consult opendoorsusa.org.  As Serrans, if we're looking for something we can do every day to assist those in need as well as priests and religious who are working in the troubled areas.

Open Doors suggests that there are many ways to help persecuted Christians around the world: By praying, advocating, traveling, volunteering, or giving, we can truly change the lives of Christians facing persecution for their beliefs.  But above all, the number one thing Christians in that difficult situation ask for is prayer.

We welcome information from our membership from those of you who can add to this subject.

In addition, we note one of many events which took place in April, 2016 regarding persecution of Christians.

During the week of April 6, Cardinal Timothy Dolan, Archbishop of New York and chair of Catholic Near East Welfare Association, traveled to Iraqi Kurdistan to offer support for families displaced by extremist violence. Along with visiting displaced families, the delegation also visited schools, nurseries, and clinics serving these families' needs and prayed the Divine Liturgy together.  The visit was also aimed at showing solidarity with the priests, religious sisters, and laity who, although being displaced themselves, have taken initiative in meeting the needs of those forced to leave their homes.
The delegation also spent time meeting with the patriarchs and bishops of the Chaldean and Syriac Catholic churches, as well as the Syriac Orthodox Church and the Assyrian Church of the East.
The visit marks the start of year-long observances for the 90th anniversary of the Catholic-Near East
Welfare Association. As an agency of the Vatican, the group works to offer humanitarian and pastoral support to Eastern Catholic Churches.
Let us continue to pray for our persecuted brothers and sisters and for the priests and religious who serve them in various capacities.

A Message from Our President.

Dear Serrans,

We've been asked to fund a trip by the mother of a couple of students from West Catholic who wish to participate in the LEAD training at Franciscan University in Steubenville, Ohio. Since supporting vocations to the religious life is what we do, I decided to advance the funds to help pay for this training.  The funds were sent to the parents of the students since they need to pay for the training in advance, before our next board meeting.

On a more personal note, the daughter of my wife's cousin last year began her first year with the Carmelite Monastery of Our Lady of Guadalupe, Parnell, Michigan.  On May 1, Sunday, she received her habit at a ceremony held at the Monastery.  Karen and I and other relatives of my wife's side of the family were also there.
The induction ceremony took place behind a heavy grill which keeps the sisters totally separated from family and well-wishers.  However, we were able to speak to her through the gate.  Her twin sister, who is teaching English in China, was able to communicate with her via Skype.  Family visits are limited to a certain number per year for these sisters.

I also made a $100 contribution from Serra Club of Grand Rapids.  This clearly is supporting vocations to the religious life.

I plan to see all of you at our May dinner.  Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!

Weldon Schwartz

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter April 2016

Please note that this month's Board Meeting will take place just before our regular monthly meeting.
Calendar of Events.
March 28-April 7, 2016.  California Mission Pilgrimage.  Pilgrims follow in the footsteps of St. Juniperio Serra.
April 3, 2016.  Second Sunday of Easter and Divine Mercy Sunday.
April 4, 2016.  The Annunciation of the Lord.
April 11, 2016.  Board Meeting and Regular Monthly Meeting at the University Club.  Board Meeting will begin at 5:00 p.m.  Dinner Meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m. with Speaker to follow.  This month's speaker will be Dr. Larry Burns, who will speak on how his faith has guided his medical practice.
April 17, 2016.  World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  Download Parish Promotional Kit at www;serraus.org
April 21-24, 2016.  USA Council Transitional Executive Committee Meeting, Techny, Illinois.  John Osterhart will attend this event.
April 24, 2016.  Spaghetti Dinner at Our Lady of Sorrows, 11:00 a.m. until 3:00 p.m.  Call 243-0222
Tuesday--Friday 10 a.m.--3:00 p.m. for tickets in advance, or tickets may be purchased in advance for $8.00 or at the door for $9.00 per adult.
April 30, 2016.  Serra International Group Rosary for Vocations.  's website for instructions, or John Osterhart will be happy to assist as to how to dial the telephone connection.
June 4, 2016.  Ordination of Deacons Thomas Cavera, Patrick Jagar N. Fickel, Colin J. Mulhall, and Daniel P. Schumaker to the Priesthood at St. Andrew's Cathedral, 10:00 a.m.
June 30-July 3, 2016.  Serra International Convention at St. Louis, MO.  This year's convention will offer a unique opportunity:  to celebrate Junipero Serra's Feast Day as a saint on July 1 with the largest Serra Club  in the world.  Schedule highlights are as follows:  Opening Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of St. Louis celebrated by Archbishop Robert Carlson, Archbishop of St. Louis on June 30.
USA Council Episcopal Advisor Bishop Andrew Cozzens will close Thursday evening with a Benediction before the Blessed Sacrament.  Other activities include a retreat led by Bishop Hermann of the Archdiocese of St. Louis focusing on unilateral forgiveness, something all Catholics should be mindful of during this Year of Mercy.  A Mass celebrated by Archbishop Lucas of Omaha on July 1, the first feast day of St. Junipero Serra since his canonization, and Perpetual Eucharistic Adoration throughout the convention.
Family activities are also included, such as Serra Night at the Ballpark, Royals @ Cardinals on June 29.  The first pitch will be thrown by Bishop Naumann of the Archdiocese of Kansas City, Kansas.  A 5k mile fun run/1 mile walk to support vocations with the National Life Runners on July 2.  Complimentary child care will be available for Serrans with children under 12.
The convention registration fee is $425.  Register by May 15 and save $100.

Priests' Anniversaries for April.

Father Bernie Campbell, CSP, April 27, 1968.
Father Steven Cron, April 1, 1978.
Father Peter Damian, April 2, 2005.
Father Roc Gerald Majalla, April 29, 1992.
Father Sahaya Stanley, SAC, April 30, 2003.

We Congratulate our newest Member, Dominic Niewald, formerly of Lincoln, Nebraska.

A Message of Thanks from Serra International President Tim O'Neill.

...Over the past 40 days, may of you enjoyed our first-ever Daily Serran Lenten Reflections prepared by a staff member in Chicago.  These daily reflections, shared on Facebook and delivered by e-mail to those who requested them, were a great step forward to unite all Serrans in prayer.

I am happy to add these reflections to our list of services we receive from our office, and marvel at how wonderful it is in this particular season to partake of an activity that enhances our specific
Serran spirituality.  If you chose to join us on this journey, thank you; I hope your personal experience of Lent was enhanced by the reflections as much as mine was... 

We encourage all of our members to take advantage of the extensive services of Serra USA and Serra International in aiding our commitment to encourage and affirm the ordained priesthood and vowed religious life.

Mother Angelica.

We give thanks for the vocation of EWTN founder Mother Angelica, who passed away on Easter Sunday.  She belonged to the order of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration and founded a men's religious community, the Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word.

EWTN broadcasts 24-hour programming to more than 264 million homes in 144 countries, in English, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, and German.

Mother Angelica was the first woman in the history of broadcast to found and lead a network for over 20 years.

Let us Pray for the Persecuted.

We trust that our Nigerian brothers and sisters will join us in the upcoming Serra International Convention.  Let us also be mindful of unfortunate developments such as the following:

Killing of Christians in Nigeria Has increased by 62%.

...A partner director for West Africa says,:  "This report shows that the extent and impact of the persistent violence on the church in northern Nigeria is much more serious than previously expected.   Once Boko Haram is defeated, the problem will not be solved.  Christians living under Sharia law are facing discrimination and marginalization and have limited to no access to federal rights.  We hope that this report will prompt the Nigerian government and international community to take the real suffering of persecuted Christians seriously and act on their behalf.  Next to that, I hope that Nigerian Christians will become much more involved withtheir brothers and sisters; that they will stand in the gap for them.

...In 2015, there were 4,028 killings and 108 church attacks.  An estimated 30 million Christians in northern Nigeria form the largest minority in a mainly Muslim environment.  They are at risk of violent persecution, as the report states:  "For decades, Christians in the regiou have suffered marginalization and discrimination as well as targeted violence."

Open Doors works in northern Nigeria, funding development projects such as clinics, community health training, provision of waterholes, schools and teacher training, vocational training for farmers and micro-loans for orphans and widows.  Trauma work is also done with people who have suffered violent persecution; emergency relief is provided for these people.

...Please continue to keep this nation in prayer as violence and persecution reaches unprecedented levels....
Source:  Open Doors USA.  Name of author changed to protect identity.

Furthermore, please consult the insert from this past weekend:  USCCB 
president Urges Support for Petition to Stop Christian Genocide, March 15, 2016.  The petition is available at www.stopthechristiangenocide.org
Let us pray for the victims of this persecution, among whom have been numerous priests and religious.  Please sign this petition.

"With each passing day, the roll of modern martyrs grows.  While we rejoice in their ultimate victory over death through the power of Jesus' love, we must also help our fellow Christians carry the cross of persecution and, as much as possible, help relieve their suffering.  By doing so, we will make the Middle East and the the world safer for people of every faith to live in peace.
Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz 

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God?

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us! 

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter March 2016

Calendar of Events.
Marach 4-5, 2016. 
24 Hours for the Lord, beginning after the 12:05 p.m. Mass on March 4 and continuing through March 5 at noon at the Cathedral of St. Andrew  Priests of our diocese will be readily available to hear confessions during that time.

March 5, 2016.  Women's Conference at Cathedral Square, 8:30 a.m.-3:30 p.m.  Morning hospitality and lunch are included.  Speaker will be Sr. Mary Anne Lidner, FSE.  Program theme is, "A Love of Incredible Proportion."

March 12, 2016.  Men's Conference at West Catholic High School.  Speakers will be Jason Evert, International Speaker and Culture Warrior; Fr. Mike Schmitz, Gifted National Speaker and Priest Par Excellence; and The Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, Bishop of the Diocese of Grand Rapids who will preside at Mass.  Doors open at 7:00 a.m.  Hot breakfast and lunch are included.
Check the diocesan web site for links to both conferences.

March 13, 2016.  Daylight Saving Time Begins.

March 14, 2016.  Note the Change.  Serra Board Meeting to Precede the Monthly Meeting and Speaker, 5:00 p.m. at the University Club.  Evening meeting and speaker to follow at 5:30 p.m.  Scheduled Speaker is Fr. Marcos Zamoras, St. Andrew's Cathedral.

March 20, 2016.  Palm Sunday of the Passion of the Lord.

March 25, 2016.  Friday of the Passion of the Lord.  Day of Fast and Abstinence.
March 26, 2016.  Serra International's monthly group Rosary for Vocations.  Further notes and instructions to follow when the time comes.

March 27, 2016.  Easter Sunday of the Resurrection of the Lord.

March 28-April 7, 2016.  California Mission Pilgrimage.  If we cannot attend ourselves, we can always follow the trip via the Internet and pray for its success.

In the Future...

April 17, 2016.  World Day of Prayer for Vocations.  It's not too early to prepare for a Parish event to include the general membership in this prayer activity.  Vocation awareness is one way we can support our mission of nurturing, fostering, and praying for priestly and religious vocations. See serraus.org for materials supporting this day.

April 21-24, 2016.  USA Council Transitional Executive Committee Meeting, Techny, Illinois.

June 30-July 3, 2016.  Serra International Convention, St. Louis, Missouri.  For registration and additional information please visit Serra International.

Planning for Graduation--Class of 2016.  Keep in mind that the Newman Connection is a good way to share our Serra Mission.  

Priests' Anniversaries for March.

Fr.  Richard Host, March 17, 1974.

A Letter from the Bishop.

Our President Weldon Schwartz received this letter from our Bishop, dated February 1, 2016.

Dear Mr. Schwartz,

In keeping with the desire to be of more assistance to the clergy in this diocese, I understand the Serra Club of Grand Rapids is embarking on a new initiative to provide assistance to your younger clergy.  The Club membership is to function as a means to connect priests with the services of professionals (not necessarily club members themselves) for advice or counsel regarding such matters as personal finance, medical issues, administrative skills, leadership training, language skills, and other matters as they arise.

It is important for our clergy in their formative years, usually as Parochial Vicars, to learn more of the "tools of the trade," not necessarily covered by formal seminary training.  I support your endeavors in this matter and will pray for your success.  The better prepared our priests are in their personal skills, the better able they will help the faith to flourish.  I would appreciate updates as to how this program is progressing.

Sincerely yours in Christ,

Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak

Thoughts on Why Be A Serran?

As we continue with our special Lenten activities and prayers, let us renew our dedication to the mission of our club.  The serraus.org web site offers a wealth of Serra promotional materials and guidelines for preparing for special Vocation activities, such as World Day of Prayer for Vocations and Priesthood Sunday, to name a few.  Especially helpful for inviting new members is the "Why Be A Serran?" brochure.  Check out these materials and reflect on how they can be used to support our mission.

One Model for Celebration of Vocations.  
Serra USA "In the Loop" presents a wonderful example of how to celebrate vocations:
"On Saturday, January 23, 2016, the Columbia River Serra Club (Vancouver, WA, Archdiocese of Seattle) held its 6th Annual Celebration of Vocations Mass and dinner.  This event supports vocations in the Archdiocese of Seattle, specifically Quo Vadis Days.  Quo Vadis is a 3-day camp for young men who might be interested in the priesthood.  The camp allows young men to spend time with priests and seminarians.  This program started in the Portland Archdiocese 17 years ago and has spread throughout the Northwest region.
Why is this dinner event such a gem?  This year 450 people attended a vigil Mass, with Archbishop Peter Sartain, followed by a buffet dinner.  In attendance were families with their children, priests, seminarians, sisters, novices, Archbishop and Serrans.  The buffet dinner was served by students of Seaton High School.  The program included a seminarian Chris Holland (whose parents are members of the Columbia River Serra Club) and Sister Maria Gemma, OP as master of ceremonies; with a seminarian (Chad Hill) and a novice, Sister Maria Jeannette, OP, sharing their vocation stories.  The keynote speaker was Archbishop Sartain; followed by the Columbia River Serra Chaplain Father Thomas Nathe doing the "ask" for funds to support vocations, and Serra, but in particular because of all the young people who are present at these events.
Source:  The SERRAN Magazine Spring 2015.

A Message From Our President.
Dear Serrans:
Eight of us from the Grand Rapids Serra Club attended the Bishop's fundraiser dinner sponsored by the Muskegon clu b.  The bishop spoke about vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  He also discussed the the seminaries our prospective priests are attending.  He said he appreciates the work of both Serra clubs in their important endeavor of supporting religious and priestly vocations.
As you know, our Moderator, Msgr. Hankiewicz spoke about the need for our support for newly ordained priests in the diocese.  Such support would be providing assistance to the priests in areas not covered in their seminary training, such as business or financial matters or requests for any other kind of help as the need arises.  To that end, we received a letter from the Bishop which is included elsewhere in this edition supporting this concept to be incorporated into our other club activities.
Finally, I am suggesting that we might want to move our board meetings to the same night as our monthly meetings.  This change would reduce our schedule from three meetings a month to only one per month.  The change would offer a reduction in cost, since we wouldn't have to pay for the noon lunch at Board meetings or the Fourth Monday meeting included in our old schedule.  Therefore, I plan to hold the March Board meeting  beginning at 5:00 AT THE UNIVERSITY CLUB ON MARCH 14TH.  If this new time works better for everyone, then we will continue the plan for the rest of the year.  Changes can be made in the need arises.
Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!

Let Us Pray.
First, let us pray for the repose of the soul of Hazel Paul, wife of former Serran Bob Paul.  Also,
let us continue to pray for our persecuted Christian and Jewish brothers and sisters all over the world, especially in the Middle East in these especially troubled times.

Mea Culpa.  
USA Council President John Osterhart sent a link to the Monthly SERRA Rosary for Vocations Prayer for Vocations.  I thought I had sent the information to the membership, but the attempt failed.  The important thing to remember is that this group prayer will take place on the last Saturday of each month, beginning at 8:00 a.m. Central Time, 9:00 a.m. Eastern.  Serrans from all over the world are invited to join together in a monthly recitation of the Rosary for vocations.  If you wish to dial in by telephone, the number is 1-312-757-3119.  Access Code is 314-315-981.  We will remind you again next month of this group.
SI President Emeritus Dan Grady also alerts us to daily Lenten readings and reflections via your
Smart Phone.  We will forward this information to you as well upon request, or call the Chicago
office.

We welcome new member Dominic Niewald.  He was introduced to the club by Tim Hile.

What doth the Lord require of thee, but to do justly, and to love mercy, and to walk Humbly with they God?  Micah 6:8.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter February 2016

Calendar of Events.
February 1, 2016. In a Nutshell.  Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at First Wok on Old 28th Street.  Weldon called the meting outside of our usual schedule because we had several items on the agenda which needed our immediate attention.  Weldon's monthly President's Message will summarize what was discussed at this meeting:
Dear Serrans:
February 1st, we held a board meeting to discuss several matters which had to be dealt with very quickly.  First, we decided t support a fundraising dinner for our Bishop, David Walkowiak, to be held on February 23 at the Prince of Peace Church in North Muskegon beginning at 6:00 p.m.  All our members are invited to participate by purchasing a dinner ticket for $50 per person.  We plan to carpool from St. Stephen's Church for the trip to and from Muskegon.  Please bring your checks payable to Muskegon Serra Club to our regularly scheduled dinner next Monday at the University Club.
The Board then decided to provide a table setup at both the Women's Conference on March 5 at Cathedral Square and the Men's Conference on March 12 at West Catholic High School, with each event beginning at 9:00 a.m.  We are looking for two women to volunteer for the Women's Conference and two men for the Men's Conference. See the Diocesean website for all the information you need about the two meetings. These conferences offer an excellent opportunity to let people know about Serra and what we do to nurture and foster religious vocations and the consecrated life. We are especially interested at this time in recruiting new members.  Let Weldon know if you can help.
We also discussed what direction our club should be taking.  Monsignor Hankiewicz stated that there is a need for people with various skills to assist newly ordained priests as they go through their first years at their various parishes.  The new priests need help in business, financial, legal, and personal matters of various kinds.  Those whose first language is not English sometimes need assistance with English syntax, grammar, and presentation.  There is a need for these types of skills which newly ordained priests do not possess early in their careers.  Also, the priests themselves feel overwhelmed with the amount of work they have to do.  We agreed that this is a positive step forward for our club in recruiting different types of new members needed to provide such assistance.
Monsignor will be meeting with the Bishop and Father Ron Hutchinson within the next few days to discuss this topic.
As you can see, we are on the threshhold of exciting times for our club.
Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us!
February 2, 2016.  Presentation of the Lord.
February 8, 2016.  Regular membership meeting, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club.
February 10, 2016.  Ash Wednesday.  Day of Fast and Abstinence.
February 12, 2016.  Lincoln's Birthday.
February 22, 2016.  Washington's Birthday and the Chair of St. Peter the Apostle.
February 22, 2016.  USA Vocations Committee Conference Call.  You are invited to join in on a free conference call on Monday, February 22, 2015 at 7:30 p.m. CST for information on connecting college bound students with the Catholic Campus Ministry through the Newman Connection with Guest Speaker Matt Zerrusen.  Dial 712-775-7031/AccessC Code:  42165504#.
February 23, 2016.  Muskegon Club's Annual Vocations Dinner, Prince of Peace Parish, Muskegon.
Weldon's President's Message and a letter from George Reichel and Robert Nolan will provide all you need to know:

Serra Club of Greater Muskegon is hosting their annual Vocations Dinner on Tuesday, February 23, 2016 at 6:00 p.m. at Prince of Peace Catholic Church.  We are writing to request your consideration in becoming a supporter of the only organization recognized by our Holy Father for their work in promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life, Serra International.  Please consider (joining us and/or) becoming a sponsor of the Serra Club on Greater Muskegon's Annual Vocations Dinner.  
We work to promote vocations through our prayer as a group and individually for priests and religious, as well as through financial support of seminarians, high school mission trips, and youth conferences.  We also offer financial support in other special instances for individuals in need of assistance, such as raising money to assist in the retirement of college debts for aspirants to religious life...
Our speaker will be His Excellency, the Most Reverend David J. Walkowiak, Bishop of the Grand Rapids Diocese. Please help us to continue our ministry and welcome our warm and eloquent bishop to Muskegon.

Just Received from Serra International. 
Daily Lenten Reflections.
The Lenten season begins on Ash Wednesday, February 10 this year, and we are proud to introduce Daily Lenten reflections created specifically for Serrans (but designed to be shared with all!!!) to help us grow together in prayer this year.  We will post one reflection per day for all 40 days in Lent on our Facebook page.  If you haven't liked our Facebook page yet, please do so on the Serra International link, "Always Forward, Never Back from jliston@serrainternational.org
Or, you may choose to have the reflections delivered directly to your inbox.  Sign up with Serra International.
Also, the Always Forward Never Back news letter (from Serra's USA Cpuncil) announces National Catholic Sisters Week, March 8-14, 2016.  Visit www.nationalcatholicsistersweek.org to learn more about the NCSW and how to participate.  The "Get Involved" link will help you find posters, bookmarks, and ideas of how to celebrate in your local parish.  There are intercessions for each Sunday in March as well as for each day of the week. 
Looking Ahead. 
March 5, 2016.  Diocesan Women's Conference at Cathedral Square.
March 12, 2016.  11th Annual Men's Conference at West Catholic.  Our club is interested in setting up and handling tables advertising the Grand Rapids and Muskegon Serra Clubs.  Bob Thorndill gave a presentation on the Men's Conference at our January meeting.  For the table, Weldon will be looking for volunteers.

Other Lenten Opportunities.
The following activities are listed in the Lenten edition of The Troubadour, the newsletter of the Franciscan Life Process Center in Lowell.

Wednesdays of Lent, February 17 through March 16, Noon -1:00 p.m.  Lenten Lunches and Prayer Experience.  Lunches include soups donated by Applause, Bob Schultz, Grand Rapids Community College Culinary Program, Schnitz Deli, Vitale's of Ada, and Kitchen Sage, bread baked by our Franciscan volunteers, and applesauce made from apples grown on our farm.  A lenten prayer will be offered at 12:45 p.m.  Donations appreciated.
Lenten Retreats and Classes, Lowell Campus.
February 17, 10:00-12:00 Noon.  Parallel History:  The Life of the Church and the Life of Each Person, Father Ray Bruck.  Cost $25.
February 24, 10: 00 a.m. -2:30 p.m.  The Merciful Sacrifice.  Contemplate the Year of Mercy with singer-songwriter Liz Christian.  Inspired by the Year of Mercy, join us through song and prayer to contemplate the season of Lent.  Cost $40.
March 2, 10:00 a.m.-12:00 Noon.  Praying with Pope Francis, presented by Dan Pierson.  Cost $25.
March 16, 10:00 a.m. to 12:00 p.m. OR 1:15-3:15 p.m.  The Polish Decorated Egg:  Symbol of Easter Mystery, by Sister Mary Margaret Delaski.  Please bring half a dozen hard boiled eggs.  Cost $15.
All retreat participants are welcome to attend the Lenten Lunches.  Donations Appreciated.

At the Heart of Marriage--A Retreat for Married Couples, Saturday February 27, 10:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m.  The day will include lunch and end with Saturday Vigil Mass at 4:00 p.m.  Cost $70 per couple.
For more information or to register please go to www.lifeprocesscenter.org

Priests' Anniversaries for February.

Father Fredrick Brucker, February 25, 1976.
Fr. William Langlois, February 24, 1974.

Another Suggested Lenten Activity.  
Let us not only pray for our Seminarians, but also consider writing a card or a note to one or more of them.
Andrew M. Ayer, Patrick Byars, Dominic Couturier, Stephen J Durkee, Patrici Jegar N. Fickel, Steven Geerling, Michael J. Goodwin, Jonathan W. Johnson, Kyle J. Kilpatrick, Robert C. Mulderink, Daniel Orris, Michael M. Steffes, Noah J. Thelan, and Justin J. Wiltse are all attending USML/Mundelein Seminary, 1000 E. Maple Avenue, Mundelein, IL 60060.
Notes to the following Seminarians can be addressed to Saint John Vianney College Seminary at St;. Paul, MN 55105.  Michael Dietrick resides at 2115 Summit #6027; Alexander Erickson is at 2115 Summit #6120, William R. Marcinkus is at 1115 Summit #2387, Anthony I. Preston at 2115 Summit #5939, and David J. Sacha at 1115 Summit, #2904.
Deacon Thomas Cavera is at St. Isidore Parish, Grand Rapids; Deacon Colin J. Mulhall is at Holy Family Parish, Caledonia, and Deacon Daniel Schumaker is at St. Michael Parish in Coopersville.
Go to dioceseofgrandrapids.org and ask for the link to Seminarians for complete information.

Let us Keep in Our Prayers....two Serra giants, Ralph Hauenstein, and Francis Patrick Egan, Jr. who passed away on January 7, 2016 at age 86, in Derby, Kansas.