January Devotion.
January is the month of the Holy Name of Jesus. Because of the feasts in January which pertain to Christ's infancy and childhood, January has also become a month dedicated to the Holy Childhood of Jesus.
Calendar of Events
January 13, 2020, Luncheon Meeting and Prayer Service, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.
January 16-19, 2020. Serra Rally, Ventura, CA. The post-rally tour of cathedrals and missions is available again this year. Fr. Jim Heyd will serve as chaplain.
January 27, 2020. Board meeting and Luncheon, 12:00 Noon at Cathedral Square.
June 25-28, 2020. Serra International Convention, New Orleans, LA.
Other dates in January. We might consider January as a time when we are waiting for spring, but the month is rich in significant saints' days. Devote the month to getting to know these saints better:
January 1. Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God.
January 2. Sts. Basil the Great and Gregory Nazianzen, Bishops and Doctors of the Church.
January 3. The Most Holy Name of Jesus.
January 4. St. Elizabeth Ann Seton, Religious. Through her liturgical designation is "Religious," Elizabeth Seton, her feast-day prayer reminds us, was also wife, mothe, educator, and foundress. Born into a wealthy Episcopal family, Elizbeth married William Seton, whose untimely death in Italy where the young family sought healing for William's tuberculosis, left her, at twenty-nine, a widow with five children. Inspired by the faith and charity of the Italian family with whom they stayed, Elizabeth embraced Catholicism despite her family's disowning her and ceasing financial support. This woman of many firsts (and several vocations!) opened the first free Catholic school, beginning the American Catholic educational system, and founded the first American religious community for women, the Sisters of Charity. The tuberculosis that claimed her husband also took her oldest and youngest daughters and, finally, at just forty-seven, Elizabeth herself. Another first: in 1975 she was canonized the first native-born American saint. Once asked to summarize her spirituality, she replied: "Faith lifts the staggering soul on one side, hope supports it on the other, experience says it must be, and love says let it be!"
January 5. The Epiphany of the Lord.
January 6. St. Andre Bessette, Religious.
January 7. St. Raymond of Penafort.
January 12. The Baptism of the Legal Protection of Unborn Children.
January 23. St. Vincent, Deacon and Martyr and St. Marianne Cope, Virgin.
January 24. St. Francis De Sales, Bishop and Doctor of the Church.
January 25. The Conversion of St. Paul the Apostle.
January 27. St. Angela Merici, Virgin.
January 28. St. Thomas Aquinas, Priest and Doctor of the Church.
January 31. St. John Bosco, Priest.
Christmas Dinner.
Thank you to all who attended. We enjoyed getting together with old friends and new, and we thank Weldon for making the arrangements for the dinner. Msgr. Ed received his gift for his faithful service as chaplain/moderator of our club. Also, Dr. John Stepanovich has been given an award for 50 years of membership, but he was not able to attend the dinner.
Membership.
Let us continue to pray and work for new members. Is what we do important? Please remind prospective members that Serra is recognized by the Holy See as the global lay apostolate for vocations. Also, the Serra International website tells us that the Roman Catholic population worldwide is growing, but the number of priests and religious continues to decline. Join Serrans in our work to ensure the future of our church.
In the December 2019 issue of The Serran, Mario Biscardi, Past President of Serra International reminds above all, "Serrans, our priority is clear: We must keep growing our membership."
Belated Congratulations.
As I prepared for this newsletter today, I ran across an item which I had missed before, that a son, John Basil Liston, had been born to John and Volha Liston on March 12, 2019.
The Serra Foundation.
As the new year begins, we might consider financial gifts to the Serra International Foundation. A number of options are available.
Legacy Giving: Unlock Treasure for Future Vocations.
"When you produce much fruit, you are my true disciples. This brings great glory to my Father."
John 15:8
There are many ways for you to leave a financial legacy ensuring that the Serra International Foundation responds to the needs of vocations all around the world. Giving to our cause can be done either directly or through a gift model that can provide tax benefits and even income, including the following:
Bequest. You designate our organization as the beneficiary of your asset by will, trust, or another instrument.
IRA Rollover.
Congress has enacted a permanent IRA charitable rollover. As a result, you can make an IRA rollover gift to the foundation this year and in future years.
Beneficiary Designation Gifts. You can designate the foundation as a beneficiary of a retirement,
investment or bank account or your life insurance policy.
Charitable Lead Trust. You can transfer your cash or property to fund a lead trust that makes gifts to the foundation for a number of years. You receive a charitable deduction; your family receives remainder at substantial tax savings.
Sale and Unitrust. If you give a portion of your property to the foundation to fund a charitable remainder trust, when the property sells you receive cash and income for life.
Life Estate Reserved. You may desire to leave your home or farm to the foundation at
your death, but would like to receive a current charitable tax deduction. A life estate reserved might offer the solution you need.
Need help deciding which giving option is best for you? Consult your financial planner or call Serra International Foundation Executive Director John Liston at 312-419-7411.
Shepherds of Our Future Capital Campaign.
Seminarian Peter Wasinski will visit Our Lady of Sorrows next weekend to tell us how the campaign is helping seminarians in reaching their goals to priesthood.
Weldon Schwartz, our president, proposes that we say this prayer from our Diocese at our future meetings:
Loving God, our needs are great and we thirst for your presence. Call from us an abundance of men to serve your Church as priests in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Open their hearts to respond with faith and courage. Open our hearts to support their calling to become models of discipleship, heralds of truth, and shepherds to your people. Through Christ our Lord, Amen.
What doth the Lord require of thee, but to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with thy God? Micah 6:8.
No comments:
Post a Comment