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
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