What is Serra?
Serrans are lay Catholics, men and women of all ages from all walks of life: lawyers, doctors, accountants, business people, nurses, engineers, sales people, clerics, retirees and more, all dedicated to promote and foster vocations.
Calendar of Events.
February 13, 2017. Dinner and Speaker, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club. Speaker will be Father Scott Nolan, Pastor, St. Stephen's. Board Meeting will begin at 4:30. You're always welcome to invite guests at any Serra event.
February 27, 2017. Mass at the St. Ambrose Chapel at St. Andrew, 12:05, followed by a Committee meeting. The meeting is not required of all members, but all are welcome to attend. The mass will serve as our monthly spiritual event. We will also celebrate Serra International Founders' Day (1935).
Looking Ahead.
February 16-19, 2017. Serra Rally, Phoenix, Arizona.
May 7, 2017. World Day of Prayer for Vocations and Good Shepard Sunday.
June 22-25, 2017. Serra International Convention, Rome, Italy.
October 29, 2017. Priesthood Sunday.
November 4-November 11, 2017. National Vocations Awareness Week.
It's never too early to plan for these special Vocations events. Excellent promotional materials are available at serraus.org, providing a great opportunity to share our Serra mission with our fellow parishioners and to nurture and promote vocations at the same time. If you haven't already visited the new Serra web page, please do so soon. Also, get on the e-mailing list at serraus.org.
Looking Ahead to Other Events.
Diocesean Men's and Women's Conferences.
Weldon is looking for volunteers at both events to hand out Serra materials and to promote our club.
The 2017 theme for the men's conferences is, Building a Legacy. The men's conference, beginning at 8:00 a.m., will be held at West Catholic High School and will feature Fr. Larry Richards, Fr. Dave Pivonka, and Fr. Michael Gaitley. Bishop Walkowiak will celebrate Mass. For more information go to www.buildingalegacy.org or call Robert at 616-258-8530.
The women's conference is scheduled for March 18, 2017 at the Diocese of Grand Rapids. The theme is The Father's Love. Sheri Wohlfert, a motivational humorist who combines laughter and love of God will be the keynote speaker. Her presentations are said to leave the audience thinking, praying, and finding God's fingerprints in all corners of life.
Priests's Anniversaries for February.
Fr. Fredrick Brucker, February 25, 1976.
Fr. William Langlois, February 24, 1974.
Officer Vacancies and Proposed Nominations.
President-elect Weldon Schwartz accepted the nomination to resume his presidency.
Vice-Presidents, Vocations, Larry and Marian Burns.
Vice-President, Programs, Dan LaVille. Dan is open to suggestions as to the speakers you would want to hear,
Vice-President, Membership, Dominic Niewald.
Editor. Karen Schwartz has accepted the nomination.
Trustee, Jim Hunter.
Vice-President, Communications, Nancy King.
Professional Support Group.
As a club, we will work on a list of club members and contact information for those willing to provide advice and services in the following fields: accounting/business management, insurance (personal or business), legal counsel, dental, medical, investment advice. There are already diocesean programs available in some of the following areas, but let us offer our own set of unique skills and talents to the mix. To be discussed at subsequent meetings.
Special Ways to Celebrate Lent.
The Franciscan Life Process Center offers a wealth of spiritual and cooking activities in observance of the Lenten Season. For more information go to www.lifeprocesscenter.org. The spring Once-a-Month Kitchen activities include Paczki Class, Lenten and Easter Breads, Gluten Free, Bread Baking for Couples, Baking with Rhubarb and Strawberries, and Strawberry Jam Making.
As for the Lenten Speaker Series, our club members might want to consider the class given by Father Ron Hutchinson (our Diocesean Vocations Director) on March 22: Lenten Fridays Aren't All About Fish.
"You don't like fish...but you're a priest? Given Father Ron's desire not to eat fish unless he has to, he has explored many options for his Friday night meal. Father will share his favorite recipes and bring along some samples. Who knows? Maybe you will find something new to replace that worn out tuna noodle casserole you are still serving the family."
All Lenten Lunches and Prayer Experiences are held on Wednesdays, March 8 through April 5 at Noon-1:00 p.m. Lunches include soups donated by various local businesses, bread baked by Franciscan volunteers, and applesauce made from apples grown on the farm. A Lenten prayer will be offered at 12:45. Donations appreciated.
Aid to the Church in Need.
Visit the website to view the many ways in which we can support the priests and religious as they strive to carry on their work in spite of difficult conditions. Visitors to the page are offered a variety of ways to direct their contributions to favorite causes, or donors can simply direct the organization to use the funds where they are most needed.
A Letter from our President.
January proved to be a win for life, as the new Vice President spoke at the March for Life in D. C. on January 27 and the new President nominated Neil Gorsuch to the SCOTUS. Both events give a new sense of optimism and hope for the support for the right to life and the free exercise of religion for our country. Let us give thanks as we continue to pray for vocations.
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.
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