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