Let us keep in mind that we are part of a world-wide organization, nurturing, fostering, and praying for priestly and religious vocations.
Calendar of Events
Reminder: Dinner Meeting and Speaker March 13, 5:30 p.m. Board Meeting 4:30 p.m.
March 11, 2017. Men's Conference, West Catholic High School. Doors open for breakfast at 7:00 a.m. Conference begins at 8:00 and will end at 4:00 p.m.
March 18, 2017. Women's Conference, 10:00 a.m.-3:00 p.m. at Cathedral Square.
March 13, 2017. Dinner meeting and speaker, 5:30 p.m. at the University Club. Board Meeting at 4:30 p.m. Our speaker will be our own club moderator, Msgr. Hankiewicz.
March 27, 2017. Lenten Weekday Mass at the Cathedral chapel, 12:05 p.m. A meeting will follow. All are welcome to attend the meeting.
Looking Ahead. Be prepared to observe special occasions with your parish.
May 7, 2017. World Day of Prayer for Vocations.
June 22-25, 2017. Serra International Convention, Rome, Italy.
October 29, 2017. Priesthood Sunday.
November 4-11, 2017. National Vocations Awareness Week.
SPECIAL EVENT.
Franciscan Life Process Center Women's Breakfast, March 14, 2017, 7:30 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
A Note from Sara Vander Werff:
I received this invitation from the Franciscan Sisters in Vergennes and also on the city's West Side, who provide a number of services and offer fun classes to the community. She has purchased a table and still has 2-3 places available;. If you'd like to join her, let her know.
Sara Vander Werff
616 (988-9654 h
616 (340-1528 c
Gerrie Murray
gmurray@lifeprocesscenter.org or
616 (897-7842.
Priests' Anniversaries for March.
Fr. Richard Host, March 17, 1974.
Spot Quiz:
How many seminarians do we have in our diocese? See answer at the end of the newsletter.
Working for Tomorrow.
Don't miss Fr. Ron Hutchinson's column in the March issue of Faith Magazine. As Father Ron writes, "Sometimes inspiration comes when and where we least expect it." How does his message apply to our club as we dedicate our efforts toward nurturing, promoting, fostering priestly and religious vocations?
"You and I aren't praying and working just so that we will have more priests today, but so that future generations will have priests and religious," is the insight Fr. /Ron gained when he attended the National Convention of Diocesan Vocation Directors this past fall. Let us keep that message in mind as we continue on with our work as Serrans.
Are We a Top Club? From the serraus.org Website.
A must read is Greg Schweiz's article, "What does it take to be a top club?" Being a top club involves more than mere membership. What do top clubs have in common? Take note of the following recommendations:
a. Have established activities. Pick from many vocations activities and consistently perform them over the years.
b. Be organized and structured.
c. Have formal meetings. Two a months has proven to be best. Meet at a regular place and at a regular time that has been determined by the club.
d. Have regular board meetings to direct the activities of the club and monitor its direction.
e. Provide regular and frequent communication. Send out club newsletter regularly, either hard copy or electronic. Establish a face book page with more frequent reminders of activities.
f. Emphasize spiritual growth and Serra camaraderie at regular meetings. There's much more in the letter. Suggestion for all, but especially for board members: Download the entire article and make this topic an item for discussion on March 13.
Please continue to pray for persecuted Christians, especially in the Middle East. Visit the Aid to the Church in Need website if you would like to help in any way. The articles for this month are, A Lent in Tears, "How can we escape from this torture?", Christians assess the damage on Iraq's Nineveh Plain, ravaged by Isis, A Marshall Plan for Iraq, rebuiding Christian villages on the Nineveh plains, and Mother and Son survived two years under the thumb of the Islamic State.
The Projects in Need section of the website provides a path to a number of ways to help priests, religious, and seminarians in troubled areas.
Answer to Quiz Question: 22
They are Cody J. Amock, Andrew M. Ayers, William L. Beers, David J. Bridge, Dominic T. Couturier, Mitchell E. Dietrich, Deacon Stephen J. Durkee, Deacon Steven W. Geerling, Michael J. Goodwin, David A. Jameson, Jonathan W. Johnson, Deacon Kyle J Kilpatrick, Robert C. Mulderink, Daniel R. Orris, Anthony J. Preston, Eric B. Rewa, David J. Sacha, Michael M. Steffes, Jr., Noah I. Thelan, Logan C. Weber, Timothy P. Wheeler, and Jacob M. Zemaitis. Pray for these seminarians, especially the one your parish has adopted.
