Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, November 2017

498 Clubs in 46 Countries.  14,490 Members.*

We Welcome New Member Mr. George W. Rutherford.  

His home parish is St. Patrick's of Portland, where he serves as Co-ordinator of the Youth Ministry, Lector, and Cantor.

Calendar of Events.  PLEASE NOTE IMPORTANT CHANGES IN OUR MEETING INFORMATION.  

October 29, 2017.  Priesthood Sunday.  Pray for priests today and every day.
November 1, All Saints Day.  Holy Day of Obligation.
November 2, 2017.  All Souls Day.
November 4-11, 2017.  National Vocation Awareness Week.  Any day is appropriate for the message of  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 11, 2017.  Veterans Day.  Pray for veterans, especially on November 11.  See below the article on the Archdiocese For the Military Services, USA.  Also keep in mind that our moderator is a veteran of the United States Navy.
November 13, 2017.  Note change of location.  Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Ss. Peter and Paul.  Billy K will cater. Speaker will be Ms. Dana Prince, Executive Director of St. Anne's Home.  Sister Gabriela will accompany her.  We look forward to hearing them. Weldon will be receiving information from the University Club regarding choices of menu.  At that time, if you have an opinion, let him know.
November 23, 2017.  Thanksgiving.
November 27, 2017.  Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Ss. Peter and Paul.

Looking Ahead.
There will be an evening Christmas meeting at the University Club on Tuesday, December 12.  We were not able to get the room for our regular Monday date. The meeting will begin at 5:30 p.m., with dinner being served at 6:00. The dinner will be open to friends, relatives, or spouses.  Please invite them or prospective Serra members to enjoy the dinner, the  prayers, and the fellowship.

January 11-14.  Serra Rally, Phoenix.  Early Bird registration is available for $300 until December 15.  Chaplain Early Bird rate is $200.  See the web site at inspireserrainternational.org


Priests' Anniversaries for November.

Reverend Daniel DePew, November 2, 1982.
Reverend Rock Badgerow, November 3, 1979.
Reverend Thomas Bouffard, November 7, 1981.
Reverend Peter Schaefer, November 10, 2005.
Reverend Wayne Wheeler, November 3, 1979.

Thank you to Dan, Dennis, Sara, and John.

On October 18, Dan Grady, Dennis Leiber, Sara Vander Werff, and John Osterhart filled the 5-6- p.m. time slot during the fall 2018 fund drive for Holy Family Radio.  They discussed their recent trip to Rome, the Papal Audience, and activities in general of our Grand Rapids Serra Club.  Thank you to all of them for their excellent job in making our club and its activities known to the Holy Family Radio listeners.

Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA.

In observance of Veterans' Day, we present the November 2017 newsletter of Most Reverend Timothy P. Broglio, Archbishop for the Military Services, USA.

Dear (Friends).

On 1 November, the solemnity of Saints (All Saints Day), and November 2, the Commemoration of the Faithful Departed (All Souls Day), I will remember the deceased relatives and friends of the faithful of this Archdiocese, and those of her benefactors, during the celebration of the Eucharist...
"The souls of the just are in the hands of God (Wisdom3:1"

On 10 November, I will participate in the annual Veterans Day event at my alma mater, Boston College, one of two events held on campus each year focused on honoring those who have served in the armed forces.  Since 11 November, 1918, when an armistice was reached to end the fighting in World War I, Veterans Day has commemorated the service of the brave men and women who have fought honorable to protect our nation.  Veterans, and their families, sacrifice selflessly so that all Americans can enjoy freedoms, including the freedom of religion.

This month, I ask for your continued prayers and financial support so that the Archdiocese for the Military Services (AMS), USA, may continue to provide access to the sacraments to service men and women who may be in harm's way.  Through your generous gifts, the AMS is able to:
provide for the formation of future chaplains through the Co-Sponsored Seminarian Program; provide catechesis through the Archdiocesean Curriculum Guide; initiate a young adult conference and marriage retreat; and continue to provide pastoral visits to military installations and the 153 Department of Veterans Affairs Medical Centers.  These inportant programs would not be possible without your kind support.

There are 43 AMS Co-Sponsored Seminarians, from 26 different dioceses in the United States currently studying in 19 seminaries across the country.  This is the largest number in recent years, and your continued support and prayers are needed to prepare these men, the next generation of priests, to answer the call to serve God and country as military chaplains...

AMS programs and services are solely funded by by the generosity of private benefactors...
With heartfelt sentiments of gratitude, I remain, Sincerely in Christ.
Readers may visit www.milarch.org if you wish to choose this path in supporting and praying for priestly vocations.

In Case you Missed it...

The Dominican Sisters of Grand Rapids are now publishing a quarterly magazine, Mission and Ministry.  The Fall 2017 edition contains an article about the Transportation Ministry of the Sisters, which they describe as one of the many ways of "Making a Difference in the Lives of people who need you  We look forward to future editions of this publication.

*Please note that the numbers at the beginning of the newsletter differ from those appearing on the right describing the history of Serra Clubs.  That information was entered at the time we began the online blog and I have lost access to the edit option.  We apologize for any confusion on this matter.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us.