Serra Newsletter January 2008

Dates to Remember. First, our meeting schedule for January, 2008.

January 3, 2008. Serra Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steak House. The Board received thank-you notes from His Excellency, Bishop Hurley, and from Msgr. Duncan for the Vocations Dinner. Also, our club issued the Diocese a check in the amount of $5,000. We thank Chairman Bob Paul for his excellent work.

January 14, 2008. Installation of new members and reception, 5:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart. R.S.V.P. to Tim Hile in one of the following ways: thile@ottawa-kent.com, thile@okins.com, or 437-1404.

January 19, 2008. Serra Board Planning Meeting, 8:00 Mass, 9:00 Meeting at Sacred Heart.




January 28, 2008. Member-guest reception, 5:30 p.m. at Louis Benton Steak House.
Please notify Membership Chairman Tim Hile if you wish to invite anyone. Again, notify Tim at thile@ottawa-Kent.com or thile@okins.com. Tim's preferred method of communication is e-mail, but you may also call 616-437-1404.

Other important dates.

January 10-13. USA Council Super Weekend, Chicago, Illinois. For more information, go to serraus.org or call toll-free 1-888-777-6681.

January 13-18. National Vocation Awareness Week.

Looking ahead...

February 3. World Day of Prayer for the Consecrated Life.

February 6. Ash Wednesday.

February 24-28. Planning Conference for District Governors and Regional Directors.

August 12-17. Serra International, Aguas de Lindoia, Sao Paulo State, Brazil.

A Tribute to a Great Lady. Grace Hauenstein, wife of Charter Member Serran Ralph Hauenstein, passed away on Tuesday, December 25. The Hauensteins had been married 75 years. Over the years, the couple left their mark in the area, helping to open the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University in 2001, Aquinas College's Grace Hauenstein Library in 2005, and Saint Mary's Health Care Hauenstein Neurosciences Center, which is expected to open in September, 2008.

Originally from Big Rapids, Mrs. Hauenstein graduated from the nursing education program of St. Mary's Hospital. She was an active member of St. Stephen Parish for more than 60 years and received the Bishop's Award for her work. She was a member of the guild at St. Stephen's, the Diocesan Council of Catholic Women, and the Nazareth League, which helped take care of foster children. She was also a Lady Commaner of the Knights of the Holy Sepulcher, an international organization with roots in the Crusades whose purpose is to serve the Church in the Holy Land.

Family friend Peter Cook said Ralph Hauenstein's best memory of his wife was her patientlly raising their three children while he spent four years as a top Secret Service official in Europe during World War II. "Grace was such a supporter of him," recalls Mr. Cook. "When he was in Europe and couldn't tell her much,...she just kept raising the kids, with no complaints."

Aquinas College President Ed Balog said the couple's generosity and loving ways go beyond their donations. "It's very hard to find people who are nicer to everybody, and they were kind and generous and admirable in every way."

"I've never heard her say an unkind word about anyone," says Ralph. A common refrain spoken by friends of Grace Hauenstein is that she was one of the finest individuals in West Michigan, a model for men and women alike in the manner in which she lived her life for 96 years.

Gleaves Whitney, director of the Hauenstein Center, agrees. "She had a great sense of humor. She was a great lady. We will all miss her."

Mrs. Hausenstein's funeral mass took place at St. Stephen Parish on Saturday, December 29, at 11:00 a.m

Source: The Grand Rapids Press, December 27, 2007.

Please Note: Members may send contributions to Serra International in Mrs. Hauenstein's name. A Mass in her name will be said for each contribution.

New Directories for 2008. We are preparing (typing, proofreading, revising) our 2008 directory, which we hope to distribute at the Installation for New Members on January 14.If you have any changes to report for now, please send an e-mail to njking50@hotmail.com or call 662-4569. We will also welcome any changes in information throughout the coming year so that we can maintain accurate, up-to-date records.

A Continuation of, "Do Catholic Universities Make the Grade?" submitted by Serran Don Nelson. The first portion of this article appeared in our December newsletter.

...Most families and their college students have ony a limited understanding of what makes a college or university meaningfully or distinctively Catholic. Research suggests that relatively few even give the matter much thought. Only one in every six Catholics now in college attends a Catholic institution, and of thse only 10 to 15 percent considered "the religious affiliation/orientation of the college" as a "very important" influence in their decision to attend a particular Catholic institution. Ranking considerably higher are factors relating to an institution's academic reputation, proximity to home, affordability, and size.



The qualities that unite the nation's 220-plus Catholic colleges and universities tend to reflect their common spiritual origin. Pope John Paul II, in Ex Corde Ecclesiae, wrote that the fundamental responsibility of a Catholic university is " to consecrate itself without reserve to

the cause of truth." He added that every Catholic university must exhibit four essential characteristics: Christian inspiration, research and reflection in the light of the Catholic faith, fidelity to the Christian message, and an institutional commitment to service. In addition the Holy See and the U. S. bishops have itemized specific ways in which universities should institutionalize their Catholic identity.



Catholics have a right to expect that the Catholic faith will hold a privileged position at Catholic schools and that church teachings will be taught. They should be lively centers for the pursuit of all truth, where Catholics and others are prepared for leadership in a wide range of professions and occupations, and where ethical decisions, virtuous behavior, and Christian faith are modeled. Catholic universities also should apply their expertise to solving societal problems and to advancing justice and peace. And, of course, they should be Christian communities where prayer, sacraments, and spiritual development are integral.



Today's Catholic colleges and universities, diverse in many respects, are working to strengthen their Catholic mission and their service to the church. One indicator of success is that these institutions, which educate only one-sixth of the nation's Catholic college students, taught 42 percent of all the men ordained as priests last year. May God continue to bless our schools, and may more Catholic families support them. USC

By Richard Yanikoski, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities.

Reprinted from U. S. Catholic, November, 2007.



Serra International News. Serra International has named Mark Kubik to its nominating committee for 2008. Also, an explanation of the Serra International meeting of December 4, 2007 can be found at serraus.org.

Serra Local News. Congratulations to Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Scoville for the birth of their granddaughter on November 14, 2007. Also, congratulations to Pat Polega, our newest member. We begin the new year with a membership count of 55.

A Message from our President.

Dear Serrans:

As 2007 comes to an end, I would like to thank all of you for your help and support of our programs and events over the past year. Our club is fortunate to enjoy such a diverse membership that lends its time and talents to our cause.

On Saturday, January 19, the Board will hold a strategid planning session to quantify the goals and objectives set at our 2005 session. To maintain consistency, the Board is grateful to Bob Paul, who moderated the 2005 session, for agreeing to do the same for the 2008 meeting.

On Charter Night in 2008 we will celebrate the 60th anniversary of the chartering of our club. A number of volunteer organizations like ours have survived over the years, but not all have maintained as high a level of activity in the community as ours. The accomplishments of our club are admirable.

I am proud as your president to represent our club at Serra events, both domestically and internationally. Our past history lends itself to an anticipation of success in the future. We owe at least some of our success to strong leadership within the club, and we have shared that leadership on a regional and international level. Not all cities the size of Grand Rapids can boast of such a high level of leadership over such a long period of time.

Please remember that our two club meetings in January will occur in the evening, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

Monday, January 14 will be our investiture ceremony at Sacred Heart, with vespers in the church, and refreshments to follow in the rectory.

Monday, January 28 will be our next Member/Guest reception at Louis Benton Steak House. Complimentary valet parking will be available at the Ionia Avenue entrance. Please forward names of potential members to Tim Hile at thile@ottawa-kent.com or telephone 616-437-1404.

I look forward to seeing you at our meetings over the next few weeks. Your participation and support ensure our continued success.

Very truly yours,
Mark A. Kubik, President

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, December, 2007

Calendar of Events.

December 6, 2007. Vocations Dinner, Noto's. Social Hour 6:00 p.m. Dinner 7:00 p.m.

December 14, 2008. Registration Deadline, Super Weekend.

December 17, 2008. Board Meeting, Louis Benton Steak House, 12:00 Noon.

For our January, 2008 meetings, it is important to note two changes from our ordinary schedule: a) The locations of the meetings will be reversed, and b) there will be no noon meetings during January. Membership Chairman Tim Hile sends the following message: Dear Serrans: Please reserve Monday, January 14, 5:30 p.m. at Sacred Heart. We will be having our New Member Investiture Service in the church at Sacred Heart and then moving to the rectory for a cocktail reception and appetizers. Please mark your calendars now. Also, please forward this message to any members you do not see on the list.

January 19, 2008. Grand Rapids Serra Club Planning Meeting. Exact time and location TBA.

January 28, 2008. Member-Guest Reception at Louis Benton Steak House, 5:30 p.m. Those Serrans still receiving a paper copy of the newsletter will find a special Member-Guest enrollment form included in this mailing. Those receiving the electronic version, please find Tim's November 17 e-mail and click on Attachments. Otherwise, just let Tim know if you need one of these forms and he will send one to you. Fax him with your request at 616-457-4050 or send him an e-mail at thile@ottawa-kent.com

OTHER SERRA REGIONAL, NATIONAL, AND INTERNATIONAL EVENTS:

January 10-13, 2008. Super Weekend at O'Hare Mariott, Chicago, IL. The USA Council Finance Committee Meeting begins at 7:00 p.m. Those interested in attending can get in touch with the USA Council Office in Chicago as follows: USA Council of Serra International, 65 E. Wacker Place, Suite 802, Chicago, IL 60601. Toll free:888-777-6681, or at serraus@serraus.org
For our new members who may not be familiar with Super Weekend, Super Weekends are scheduled twice a year so that the USA Council Board and USA Council Committees have an opportunity to work on the here and now but also toward the future.
The USA Council of Serra International schedules three Board Meetings during the Serra year. The first of these meetings is scheduled to occur during the Serra International Convention. The second and third meetings occur in September and January. The September and January meetings are characterized as "Super Weekends." All Serrans are encouraged to attend Super Weekend.

January 13-18, 2008. National Vocation Awareness Week.

Looking Ahead. The 2008 Serra International Convention will be held August 12-17 at Aguas de Lindoia, Sao Paulo State, Brazil.

A Gift for our Seminarians: At the November meeting, the Board agreed upon a $25 Visa gift card for each of our seminarians. We will pass the cards on to Father Ron, and he will distribute them.

Register on-line to receive the Serra USA electronic newsletter at serraus.org.

Congratulations to our newest member, Dr. Patricia Hughes, D. Min, Director of the Pastoral Services Division of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. Welcome to our club. Also, Joseph Scoville has offered to take the temporary secretary position in Monica's absence, and we have accepted his offer.

A Thank-you Note. Dear Pam and Members of the Serra Club: Thank you for your prayers during my recent illness. I truly appreciate your gift of Masses on my intention at the National Shrine of St. Jude. Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families. We truly have much to be thankful for. With gratitude, Sr. Zelia M. Cordeiro.

Please Pray For Father Bob Hart, of Prince of Peace Parish, Muskegon. He is very ill.

Serran Paul Nelson submits an article that he believes would make for an interesting discussion. The article is called, "Do Catholic universities make the grade?"
Because of its length, we will present it in two installments.

HOW CATHOLIC SHOULD A CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY BE? "As Catholic as possible," is the proper answer, but what that means will vary from institutin to institution. Consider these different approaches: The Thomas More College of Liberal Arts in New Hampshire educates a small number of highly committed Catholics and requires everyone to spend a semester in Rome. In contrast, Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, the most Protestant state in the nation, serves students from diverse religious backgrounds and seeks to educate all of them in the Catholic and Benedictine traditions. Christendom College in Virginia requires all professors to be Catholic, and each must make an annual profession of faith to the diocesan bishop. The University of Notre Dame in Indiana, on the other hand, requires all professors to be exceptional scholars in their fields and strives for a predominant number of Catholic intellectuals, but imposes no creedal tests. As these examples reveal, Catholic colleges and universities manifest their Catholic identity in very different ways, depending upon their founding charism, mission, resources, sponsorship, size, and student body. Yet each is Catholic and adds to the Church's mission in unique ways.

In Catholic Higher Education (Oxford University Press), Melanie M. Morey and Father John J. Piderit, S.J. identify four models of Catholic higher education, each representing distinctive rather than mutually exclusive points of emphasis.

Immersion colleges serve only staunchly Catholic students , who are required to take at least four courses in Catholic theology and philosophy. Campus life is infused with Catholic moral teaching, sacramental opportunities, and spiritual vitality. Faculty are all or overwhelmingly Catholic. Most institutions in this category are relatively small and located outside urban areas, such as Southern Catholic College in Georgia. With nearly 2,000 undergraduate students, Franciscan University of Steubenville, Ohio is considerably larger than the typical immersion college.
Persuasion schools seek to instill in all students, Catholics and others, "a certain religious maturity in knowledge of the Catholic faith." Required Catholic courses number about half of what is expected in immersion schools. Persuasion universities provide Catholic worship services and activities, but participation is encouraged rather than expected. Catholic professors are actively recruited but do not necessarily predominate. This type of institution is most common and includes, for example, Villanova University in Pennsylvania and Loyola Marymount University in Los Angeles.
Diaspora universities, often located in inner cities or in predominantly non-Catholic regions, serve a student body in which Catholics are a minority--although Catholics are actively recruited. These institutions encourage but seldom require students to take courses on Catholic teaching. Catholicism anchors the institution's character and provides a clear guide to activities and policies, while a predominantly non-Catholic faculty strives to blend Catholic teaching with interreligious sensititivy. DePaul University in Chicago is the most prominent of the diaspora institutions.
Cohort universities attract academically distinguished students who as graduates are expected to exercise considerable social influence in promoting viewpoints informed by Catholic teaching. Among an internationally distinguished faculty and student body, Catholics are well represented but typically in a minority. Students usually are not required to take Catholic courses but may do so. Catholic students, who form a "cohort" at such institutions, are given generous resources to strengthen and express their Catholic faith outside the classroom. Georgetown University in Washington, D. C. is the most prominent of the cohort institutions.
There are also many other types of institutional distinctions. Some Catholic universities, such as Mount St. Mary's University in Maryland, have on-campus seminaries, while most others do not. Nine Catholic colleges are diocesean institutions, such as Loras College in Iowa, while most others are sponsored by religious orders and a few are governed by lay incorporators.
All this variety, while unsettlilng to some people, helps to address the complex and seemingly endless needs of the church in secular society. Across-the-board uniformity among Catholic colleges and universities would diminish rather than enhance the church's impact in the world. In part for this reason, Pope John Paul II's apostolic letter Ex Corde Ecclesiae guarantees a generous degree of autonomy to institutions.
Some critics urge Catholic families to walk away from Catholic institutions that serve significant numbers of non-Catholics, that allow any notable presence of non-Catholic or secular voices, or that invite controversial speakers or artists to campus. The core of this strategy is to purge Catholic institutions of distracting influences, leaving as "authentically Catholic" only institutions of the immersion variety. However, if immersion colleges continue to serve only ardent Catholics (who constitute a minority of all Catholics), who is to teach and inspire all the others?
Fortunately, more than 200 other Catholic institutions take up the complex challenges of educating a broad range of Catholic students, including those who come from families where knowledtge and practice of the Catholic faith are weak. In such institutions, leadership and inspiration are possible, but control is not. So, to paraphrase one of Jesus' parables, most Catholic colleges gamely work at growing intellectual and Catholic wheat in the midst of the world's weeds, even when society's spiritual soil is parched. The work of these Catholic colleges and universities has an almost missionary or prophetic quality to it--requiring respect, sensitivity, patience, love, and acknowledgement of freedom of conscience. These Catholic institutions contribute profoundly--if not always perfectly--to fulfilling Jesus' instruction to go out into the world to spread the Good News.
By Richard Yanikoski, president of the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. U. S. Catholic, November 2007. To be continued...

Serran Leonard Grotenrath recommends this follow-up on Father Thomas Simon's address at the Serra luncheon on November 12: http://catholicculture.org/library/view.cfm?recnum=7832. The article provides commentary on what is at stake in Pope Benedict's effort to reform the post-Vatican II liturgy.

A Message from our President: Dear Serrans: The 17th Annual Vocations Dinner is just a few short days away, and I would like to thank Bob Paul and his committee for all of their work on this year's event. This is the largest project we are asked to lead by our bishop to assist financially the Office for Priestly Vocations in its ministry. For many of us, the Vocations Dinner marks the beginning of the Christmas season. Having chaired this event in the past, I recall the amount of planning and hard work that is the key to its success. This year's committee has worked for many months, and we can be proud that nearly 200 people will be joining us this year.
As we conclude 2007, I believe that we can be proud of our accomplishments for the past year. Our membership has increased 23.6 percent, bringing our total number of active members to 60. Our efforts and success have been recognized on both the national and international levels. This success can be attributed to the model our club employs in carrying out its mission to
"Foster vocations to the ministerial priesthood and religious life," but in making a strong effort to foster our own vocations as lay men and women and permanent deacons through our club activities and lecture series carried out each month.

At the next board meeting, scheduled for December 17, the 2007-08 officers will begin formulating the agenda for our annual planning meeting to be held in January of 2008. Between the December and January board meetings, the officers will be working on strategies and models for their respective offices to follow for 2008-09. Please offer suggestions to me at mkubik@umich.edu by Sunday, December 16 so that they may be included in our planning agenda. Suggested items may concern the operations of the club, programming, and social and club activities.
I look forward to seeing you on Thursday, December 6 and wish you and your families a wonderful Christmas and a Happy New Year. Very truly yours, Mark A. Kubik, President.

A Prayer to the Holy Spirit. Come Holy Spirit, come. Encircle us with light. Raise our consciousness of being one with You. Help us to hear each other with open hearts.
Guide us as we seek to know our purpose. Give us a vision of what it is we want and need to do for self, community, and all humanity.
Help us to empty ourselves and and make room for faith and hope. Speak through us as we meet together. Uplift our hearts and minds.
Empower our words and actions which are helpful to people, and buffer the ones which are not. Forgive us our shortcomings and help us to forgive ourselves and each other.
Come, Holy Spirit, Come! Come as the wind and blow! Come as the Water and quench! Come as the fire, and burn until we are wholly yours. Amen.

Serran Bill Bjork's recommended reading. Bill Bjork sends our readers some details on the book recently published written by Fr. Bob Miller (born in 1950), who was originally from Grand Rapids.

Both Prayed to the Same God
Religion and Faith in the American Civil War
By Robert Miller
Lexington Books, a division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Copyright 2007

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, November 2007

Calendar of Events for November, 2007 and Beyond.

November 12, 2007. Luncheon Meeting, Louis Benton Steak House, 12:00 p.m.

November 19, 2007. Board Meeting, Louis Benton Steak House, 12:00 p.m.

November 26, 2007. Prayer Service and Luncheon, Sacred Heart Parish, 12:00 p.m.

Mark these dates on your calendar:

December 6, 2007. Vocations Dinner at Noto's. Chairman Bob Paul reminds all Serrans to R. S. V. P. as soon as possible. Reserve a table, invite guests, or at least send in your own reservation now! Please keep in mind that our club has guaranteed attendance at 200. Also, please refer to President Mark Kubik's address at the conclusion of this newsletter.

Seminarian Luncheon. TBA.

January 10-13, 2008. Super Weekend, to be held at Mariott-O'Hare. Make reservations no later than December 14, 2007. Serrans may register online at http://www.serraus.org/, but because the address is not a secure site, someone from the USA Council office will call you to get your credit card information. Forms may also be obtained by calling the USA Council of Serra International at 888-777-6681.

January 14 and 28, 2008. Of course, you will put these dates on your calendar because they are the regular meeting dates for our club. HOWEVER, PLEASE NOTE THAT BOTH WILL BE EVENING MEETINGS, AND THE LOCATIONS OF THE MEETINGS WILL BE REVERSED. The January 14 meeting will take place at Sacred Heart and will feature the installation of our new members, with a reception to follow in the rectory. Hors d'oeuvres will be served. The January 28 meeting will be a Member/Guest reception at Louis Benton Steak House, beginning at 5:30 p.m.

News from the Board: Tim Hile, Bob Paul, Pat Leikert, Nancy King, and Mark Kubik attended the October 15 meeting. They discussed updating our membership records with Serra International, the Vocations Dinner, and possible dates for the Seminarian Luncheon and the induction of our newest members. The Board also approved sending a check to the Saginaw Club to defray expenses for the recent Regional Conference. Depending on the available funds in our treasury, the Board agreed on an amount ranging between $150 and $250.


Congratulations are in order! Congratulations to our newest member Carolynne Etheridge, who, along with her friend Pat Polega, joined Fr. Ed, Mark Kubik, and Nancy King on a recent pilgrimage to Rome. Welcome to our club. Also, congratulations to Nate and Pam McKenzie, who were married on October 13 in a beautiful ceremony at St. Anthony's Parish. And finally, congratulations to Father Peter McCormick, who was inducted into West Catholic High School's Hall of Fame on October 10, 2007. For those who would like to send Fr. McCormick a card, his mailing address is Holy Cross Vocation Office, P. O. Box 541, Notre Dame, Indiana 46556.

Meet Our New Members: We welcome new Serran Leonard Grotenrath, who is a member of the Latin Mass community of Sacred Heart. Although he now resides in Ada Township, he grew up on the north end in a home his father built on Dean Lake. He and his family were members of St. Jude Parish.

Receiving his primary schooling at the parish school, Leonard then attended St. Joseph's Seminary to discern a vocation to the priesthood. Although coming from a family who boasted of two priests belonging to the Congregation of the Most Precious Blood, Leonard did not follow in their footsteps; instead, he went on to attend Northview High School and the University of Michigan, graduating in 1971. Deciding against a doctoral program in Constitutional history, to which he had been invited personally by one of the university's more celebrated professors, he came home and took a summer job with the City of Grand Rapids in the Public Works Department. He retired from the Public Works Department in 2004.

In 1978, Leonard took a leave of absence and went to Spain, where he was privileged to study under the inimitable Thomistic philospher, Dr. Frederick D. Wilhelmsen. It is to Dr. Wilhelmsen that Leonard attributes his understanding that Catholicism is (to quote G. K. Chesterton), "not a thing like a theory, but a thing like a love affair."

Leonard has served in a variety of capacities over the years. He was Family Life Commissioner on the St. Jude Parish Council; Vice-president of Michigan Right to Life Political Action Committee; Chairman of the Mary, Seat of Wisdom Chapter of Catholics United for the Faith, RCIA catechist, and founding member of ACCORD, a local group of Catholic professionals and intellectuals dedicated to the defense of the Catholic faith in the public square.

If asked to encapsulate his vision of the Catholic faith, Leonard is quick to respond with the following lines from Chesterton's, "The Ballad of the White Horse":

Out of the mouth of the Mother God
Like a little word come I;
For I go gathering Christian men
From sunken paving and ford and fen
To die in a battle, God knows when,
By God, but I know why.

National Catholic Register sends us the following information about the latest in Vocations. Vocations Awareness Week will be observed the week after January's Feast of the Baptism of Our Lord. Good Shepard Sunday will be celebrated on the Fourth Sunday of Easter. SerraUS.org offers the parish-based program, "Called by Name." Vocation.com
offers a parish-based adoration for vocations program that is promoted by the U. S. Bishops.
EPriest.com offers "Best Practices" and "Vocations Promotion" for the following:

"Traveling Chalice and Statue Spur Vocations" is an article about St. John's Parish in Foley, Minnesota, in the Diocese of St. Cloud. "Knights Energize Youth & Churn Out Vocations" gives information about St. Boniface Church in Lafayette, Indiana, Diocese of Lafayette.

Other web sites to note are FranciscanFriars.com, which tells some great vocation stories, while Hawthorne-Dominicans.org features a video about religious women's vocations. Finally, USCCB.org allows viewers to watch the excellent "Fishers of Men" video online.
Source: National Catholic Register, October 7, 2007.

A Thank-you Note. October 8, 2007. Dear Serra Club: On behalf of the priests of Grand Rapids I would like to thank you for your generous donation to the 2007 Priest Convocation. It is a wonderful opportunity for the priests of the Diocese to come together for relaxation, camaraderie, and learning. Thank you again for your continued support! Peace, Rev. Mark Przybysz, Director of Continuing Formation for Priests.

News of recent club activities. 44 West Catholic students assisted with the leaf raking day at the Consolata Sisters' headquarters in Belmont. West Catholic freshman raked leaves, with seniors serving as work captains. Serrans who assisted with this project were Abe Rossi, Fred Platte, Bob Paul, and Nate and Pam McKenzie.

Sister Zeila is at home in Belmont resting comfortably from cander surgery and would welcome your prayers. The Serra Club will send her a healing Mass card, but she would appreciate other cards as well.

Grand Rapids Serrans who attended the Regional Conference would award high ratings to the Saginaw Club, who did an excellent job of organizing the event. The Double Tree was a great place to hold the conference, and the food was deemed the best ever.

Last week Dale Hollern and Nate McKenzie enjoyed an excellent visit with Catholic Central principal Steve Passinault. Mr. Passinault is now on board with the Serra Club and our mission of fostering, promoting, and praying for vocations. Nate and Dale will report to the membership regarding this meeting.
Source: Pam McKenzie

Recommended Reading: Serran Bill Bjork recommends the recently published book, Both Prayed to the Same God, by Fr. Bob Miller (born in 1950), who was originally from Grand Rapids.
Both Prayed to the Same God
Religion and Faith in the American Civil War
By Robert J. Miller
Lexington Books, a division of Rowman & Littlefield Publishers, Inc.
Copyright 2007.

In case you missed this item: Book collector Randy Bergers has donated his copy of "The War in Three Pages," by Dwight Eisenhower, along with 450 other books by U. S. Presidents, to the Hauenstein Center for Presidential Studies at Grand Valley State University. Bergers chose the Hauenstein Center over other organizations as a tribute to Ralph Hauenstein, who served as colonel and chief of intelligence for the Army's European Theater of Operations, along with Bergers' late father, James Berger. We thank Ralph for all he does for our club and for our community.
Source: The Grand Rapids Press, Thursday, November 1, 2007. Pages A1+

A Message from our President. Dear Serrans: Serra Clubs around the world serve at the pleasure of their bishops. Over the years our club has been asked to lead various projects throughout the diocese as requested by our bishops. We are very fortunate to enjoy the support and participation of Bishop Hurley at many of our club's activities.

The Annual Vocations Dinner, to be held this year on December 6, originated under Bishop Rose's administration as the Sabbatical Dinner. In the past, funds raised at the dinner were applied to the support of priests who went on sabbatical. When Bishop Britt was invested as our bishop, he asked that this event become the Vocations Dinner, whereby the funds we supplied would be used to promote vocations activities at a grass roots level. He suggested that we retain 40 percent of the funds we raised from the dinner for our treasury and allow him to use the remaining 60 percent for diocesan activities to promote vocations. Bishop Hurley's administration has kept the same formula for revenue sharing from this event. We used to proceeds from our portion last year as follows:

* Sponsored the Sisters' Appreciation Dinner for all religious women in the diocese.
* Funded two scholarships for the Notre Dame Vocations Initiative, allowing high school
students to spend a week at the University of Notre Dame discerning what their vocation
in life will be.
* Sponsored the annual Seminarian Luncheon for seminary students and their parents to join
us as we celebrate their journey to the priesthood.

Your efforts will not only ensure the success of this evening but also allow the club to continue its support of vocations activities for the next year. This evening is a wonderful opportunity to introduce potential members to our club, demonstrating one of our major initiatives with work towards the support of vocations. Please invite your business associaties, neighbors, friends, and fellow parishioners to join us on December 6. Call chairman Bob Paul at 616-949-9133 for questions or to make additional reservations.

At the September Member/Guest reception, District Governor Nate McKenzie explained how Serra has made him a better Catholic through participation in regional, national, and international events sponsored by the organization. This past month several of us were fortunate to join our Moderator, Fr. Ed Hankiewicz, on a pilgrimage to Rome. The week was highlighted by an audience with His Holiness, Benedict XVI. I can truly say that our experiences during that week have deepened our faith and added to our knowledge of the history of the Catholic Church.

I look forward to seeing you at our November 12th luncheon at Louis Benton Steak House. Our speaker, Revrend Thomas Simons, will address the topic of Liturgy.

Very truly yours,

Mark A. Kubik, President.

Editor's Note: We, Nancy King, Carolynne Etheridge, Pat Polega, Mark Kubik, and Fr. Ed, are grateful that our recent pilgrimage to Rome, including the papal audience, turned out to be such a blessing beyond our expectations both for our club and for each of us personally. On Thursday I flew to Berlin for a reunion with dear friends whom I first met in 1988 in the former DDR (East Germany). Carolynne and Pat joined a Globus Tour already in progress and continued on to Florence and Venice. Mark and Fr. Ed, who stayed in Rome until the end of the week, experienced two fantastic encounters with friends of Serra. Msgr. Ancona provided the lead for one of those meetings, and the other proved all the more exciting because it was totally unplanned. Stay tuned in subsequent issues for Mark's account of these wonderful people.
Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us.

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter, November 2007

Grand Rapids Serra Club Newsletter October, 2007

Calendar of Events for October, 2007 and Beyond.

October 8. Luncheon meeting, 12:00 noon, Louis Benton Steak House.

October 10. All school mass at West Catholic High School, 10:00 a.m. in the cafetoria, with reception to follow. At that time West Catholic alumnus Reverend Peter McCormick, C. S. C., will be inducted into West Catholic's Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed upon West Catholic's graduates who answer the call to the priesthood and the religious life. Fr. McCormick graduated from West Catholic in 1995 and then earned a B. S. degree in biology from Grand Valley State University in 1997. He graduated from Notre Dame University in May, 2007 with a Master's Degree in Divinity, and was ordained on April 14, 2007. He has served in various capacities at St. John Vianney Parish in Goodyear, Arizona, and at Notre Dame University, where he now directs the Freshman Retreat Program and was recently appointed Assistant Director of Vocations.

October 15. Board meeting, 12:00 noon, Louis Benton Steak House.

October 19, 20, and 21. Regional meeting for Regions 5 and 6, sponsored by the Saginaw Serra Club, to be held at the Double Tree Hotel inBay City, Michigan. It's still not too late to sign up. All of the latest news, including recent revisions, can be viewed at the Saginaw Club's website at http://www.saginawserraclub.org/page5.html. Page 4 of the Saginaw club's newsletter contains a tentative schedule of events, and page 5 gives detailed information on speakers and participants.

Also, those who cannot attend the entire event may consider attending at least some of the sessions.

October 22. Prayer meeting and luncheon, 12:00 noon, Sacred Heart Parish.

October 25. Leaf raking with the Consolata Missionary Sisters, 6801 Belmont NE, from 8:00 until the job is finished. West Catholic students will arrive at 8:30 and will work until 11:30. The Consolata Sisters will provide lunch. For those who wonder why the event is not held on a Saturday, West Catholic sponsors an all-school community service day each year, and this year that day falls on Thursday, October 25. West Catholic provides transportation to various service destinations, including Belmont, and the students are freed from their regular classroom obligations on that morning.

Vocations Director Abe Rossi invites all Serrans who want to help with this project to provide assistance and adult supervision for the students. Bring rakes and leaf blowers and any other useful equipment. Although the students must be back in school for the afternoon, Serrans will stay on until the job is finished.

October 28. Priesthood Sunday. Serrans recently received a copy of the Summer 2007 Serra Leader,
which announces Priesthood Sunday and contains a parish planning guide. At the September 24 meeting, some discussion took place at to how we might observe this special day. One problem is that the North American Council of Catholic Bishops does not officially recognize the Serran version of Priesthood Sunday, and our members concluded that, at least for this year, it was too late for us to follow any of the outlined suggestions within our parishes. We may look into the cost of an ad of appreciation to be published in the Grand Rapids Press.

December 6.17th Annual Vocations Dinner. Serrans should have received their invitations by now. Chairman Bob Paul urges each Serran to make an all-out effort toward the success of this wonderful event. By now everyone should have received the mailing announcing the Vocations Dinner. Act as soon as possible to reserve a table of eight or to become part of someone else's table of eight. The early bird reservation program will continue, with group reservations made before October 30 at $65 per person and individual reservations at $70. All reservations made after October 30 will be $75.

The evening will be celebrated at Noto's Old World Restaurant in the presence of His Excellency Walter A. Hurley, Bishop of Grand Rapids. It is our major fundraising event of the year, and proceeds go to the Bishop to help support his vocation-related activities. Cocktails and hors d'oeuvres will be served at 6:00 p.m. and dinner will be served at 7:00. If you have questions, please call Bob Paul at 616-949-9133.

Our next member/guest reception will be held in January. Exact date and time TBA.

Serran Larry Mulligan sends us this good news, the title of which is What Vocational Crisis? We include this information not to encourage complacency but to encourage our members to persevere in fostering and nurturing religious vocations.

32oo Youth Show Readiness to Follow Call.

When the leaders of a Loreto youth rally made a vocations call, some 2,000 men and 1,200 women stood up to show their readiness to become priests or consecrated persons.

The September 3 rally gathered about 100,000 youth from the Neocatechumenal Way, as a follow-up visit from Benedict XVI, who had been with the youth the two days before.

Archbishop Stanislaw Rylko, president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, presided over the meeting, accompanied by several other bishops. The rally was animated by the founders of the Neocatechumenal Way, Kiko Argüello and Carmen Hernandez, along with Father Mario Pezzi.

A Neocatechumenate communique explained that since Pope John Paul II's 1984 meeting with youth in Rome, the movement has called together its young people for a vocational meeting in order to harvest the fruits from the encounters with the Holy Father. The meeting included a procession of about 1,000 priests and a reading of the Gospel.

Archbishop Rylko commented on the Gospel reading, saying: "The Holy Father wants to convey a message to all young people, that being a Christian is beautiful."

After more commentaries, the leaders invited those youth who think they have a call to the priesthood or consecrated life to stand and receive a blessing from the bishops. That's when 2,000 young men came forward to show their interest in the priesthood. And 1,200 women expressed a similar desire for alife consecrated to God.

"The large number of participants--mostly Italian, but also many delegations from all countries of Europe--is a sign that in many families, the faith is being taught to the young people," the communique said.

To prepare themselves for the meeting with Benedict XVI, the youth made a pilgrimage, stopping in streets and plazas to witness to their faith and talk with other young people.

Cardinal George Pell of Sydney was inspired by the rally and invited the young to engage in a similar preparation for World Youth Day, to be held in Australia next July.

Source: National Catholic Register, September 16-21. Also, Zenit, the world seen from Rome news agency.

Get reacquainted with long-time Serran Aggie Kempker-Cloyd and husband Brian Cloyd. When membership chairman Tim Hile sent us this information, we decided to turn the tables a bit, and we present this good news about Aggie and Brian in lieu of our usual Meet our New Members column.

Agnes Kempker Cloyd wears an unusual necklace--truly one of a kind. The necklace was a gift from Brian, something he had made especially for her on their first wedding anniversary 33 years ago. The charm shows their first initials, A and B, connected by an infinity symbol, representing their connection, which they describe as limitless and everlasting.

Though certainly not as romantic as the charm on her necklace, the idea of perpetuity is part of what attracted the Cloyds to Grand Rapids Community Foundation.

Aggie and Brian met at freshman orientation at the University of Detroit. He was from St. Louis and moved to West Michigan after graduation to start his life with Aggie, who was from the area. Today he is vice president of global community relations for Steelcase, and Aggie is an attorney with the Department of Justice U. S. Attorney's Office.

Brian and Aggie first became donors to the Community Foundation when Brian was asked to serve as a trustee in 1996.

"The Community Foundation has a legacy of involvement and sustainability," Brian said. "We want to give to an organization that respects its donors' wishes, stewards the funds responsibly, and will continue to give. The Community Founcation has the processes in place to have a lasting impact. It is not going away." With a gift through their estate plan, the Cloyds hope to help the Community Foundation continue to expand, influence, and regenerate.

Influenced by his work, Brian is interested in diversity, education, and economic development. "Our community is becoming more diverse, and we need to make sure all people here have the opportunity to learn and develop. This influences our local economy," he said.

Aggie is passionate about the arts and programs that meet basic human needs. The latter she attributes to her experience in Upward Bound as a teen. "The experience taught me that we are all one person; potential exists in each and every one of us. The only thing wrong with the poor is that they lack money. I believe everyone should be treated with dignity and respect," Aggie said.

The Cloyds describe giving as part of their belief structure--a concept they've passed on to their adult children, Barrett and Brandon.

"When they were growing up, we gave the boys an allowance. We taught them that a portion went to the bank, part was for them, and the rest should go to helping others," Aggie said. During high school, both Barrett and Brandon served on the Community Foundation's Youth Grant Committee.

"For us, giving back to our community is an obligation. We have been blessed with resources. Community is a place where everyone can participate, and it is our responsibiolity to help in any way we can," Brian said.

Source: The Metz Society magazine.

Congratulations to our newest members, Leonard Grotenrath, Joe and Kathy Westdorp, and Chris Grady. Their profiles will follow in subsequent newsletters. Now that Chris has joined our club, Mark Kubik has graciously surrendered his title as our youngest member. Chris, among others, helps to bring the demographics down a bit, and that's a good thing. Also, let us keep prospective member George Lewis in our prayers, as he has lately experienced a bit of a setback in his recovery from hip replacement surgery.

Good News from our area's newest parish. Grand Rapids Press reporter Matt Vande Bunte writes that attendance at the first mass of our diocese's newest parish, St. Luke University Parish in Allendale, was much larger than anticipated. The turnout of 170 or so people pushed the crowd into the gym of the Allendale Christian School for the time being.

Paulist Fathers Rev. Donald Andrie and Rev. Brad Schoeberle will take on the responsibility of building the new parish and establishing an ongoing Catholic presence at Grand Valley State University. Along with celebrating weekly masses, they envision regular office hours, counseling, retreats, mission trips, and educational programs as part of their campus ministry.

Sunday mass is held at 10:30 a.m. Learn more about the new parish at lukespot.com

Source: The Grand Rapids Press, Saturday, September 29, 2007.

Let us wish Abe and Anne Rossi and their family a safe and wonderful trip!
Abe and Anne left for Europe on September 28. Their plan was to spend a few days in France and then move on to Tuscany, where a total of 33 of their family members have rented two villas in the vicinity of Assisi.

A Message from our President.

Dear Serrans:

I am confident the members who attended the fall member/guest reception had a wonderful evening. Fr. Hankiewicz and Nate McKenzie did a wonderful job describing the objectives of our organization and what the club means to them. Special thanks to Tim Hile, our Membership Co-ordinator, who organized the event. We are proud to announce our newest members: Chris Grady, Leonard Grotenrath, and Joe and Kathy Westdorp.

Just over two months away is the 17th Annual Vocations Dinner, which we be held at Noto's on 28th Street in Cascade. We will once again be in thepresence of our Bishop, His Excellency, the Most Reverend Walter A. Hurley. The Programs Committee and Bob Paul have been working diligently to make this a wonderful evening and successful event raising monies for Bishop Hurley to promote vocations in our diocese. A portion of these monies are used to fund our Notre Dame Vocations program, providing scholarships to high school students to discern their calling to the ministerial priesthood or religious life and to allow us to host the Sisters' Appreciation Dinner. If you did not receive your official invition, or if you have further questions, please call Bob Paul at 616-949-9133.

This event provides a wonderful opportunity to introduce your colleagues, neighbors, and prospective guests to an example of the work our organization does. Please take a moment and invite them to attend or to join in sponsoring a table. For many Serrans this moment has become the "kick-off" to the Christmas season; I look forward to seeing you there.

Dr. Patricia Hughes from the Diocese of Grand Rapids will be our featured speaker at the October 8 luncheon at Louis Benton Steak House. As a reminder for new members and the guests you will invite, parking is available in the City of Grand Rapids structure next to the restaurant. The entrance is located on Ionia Avenue, with complimentary one-hour parking.

From October 21-18, Fr. Hankiewicz will be leading a pilgrimage to Rome. Nancy King and I will be attending, along with two prospective members of our club, Pat Polega and Carolyn Etheridge. We look forward to sharing our experiences with you upon our return.

Very truly yours,

Mark A. Kubik, President

Grand Rapids Serra Newsletter, September, 2007

Calendar of Events for September, 2007

September 10, 2007. Member-guest reception, Louis Benton Steak House, 5:30-7:00 p.m. Membership chairman Tim Hile is still taking names and addresses of prospective new members.

September 24, 2007. Prayer service and luncheon meeting, 12:00 noon,
Sacred Heart Parish, with orientation for new members.

Coming up...

Regional Conference. The Great Lakes Conference of Serra USA will take place on October 18-21 in Bay City, Michigan. Everything needed to sign up is at http://www.saginawserraclub.org/.

Priest Appreciation Day. Priest Appreciation Day will be observed on October 28, 2007.


Fall leaf raking with Consolata Sisters in Belmont. Date TBA.

Vocations Dinner, December 6. Noto's Restaurant. Chairman Bob Paul urges all members to participate in inviting guests to this event, as we are committed to 200 in attendance. We also welcome sponsors. Please do all you can to make this event an unprecedented success. Tickets will be $75.00 per person, but those who reserve a table or pay early will be offered an incentive of $65.00 per person. Remember, the Vocations Dinner is our major fundraiser of the year and provides funds for the Bishop to carry on his work in fostering vocations.

Sister's Appreciation Dinner. The dinner is scheduled for April 12, 2008 at St. Jude's Parish.

Notes from our Board. The Serra Board met on August 20 at Louis Benton Steak House. Two guests, Dennis Rybicki and Sarah Clapp, spoke about the formation of a Catholic Choral Group for grades 2-8. The vision of the group is to introduce young people to singing sacred music and becoming involved in the Church. Dennis asked about the possibility of support from Serra Club, and board members recognized that vocations could result from this group. However, the board ultimately decided that significant financial support of this activity was a bit too far afield from our mission, but that we would perhaps invite the group to perform for our club on certain occasions and give a stipend for doing so. Individual Serrans interested in contributions to the Catholic Choral Group may visit http://www.catholicchoralacademy.org/


The Board also acknowledged recognition of our club by the International Foundation of Serra because of contributions by Charter Member Ralph Hauenstein. A banner presented to the club in honor of this occasion will be displayed at all future Serra meetings. The Board announced that a healing card would be sent to Ralph following eye surgery performed in early August. Let us keep Ralph in our prayers as he recovers.

Serrans Honor the Memory of Long-Time Member Harry Mika. Harry E. Mika, ( a long-time memer of the Grand Rapids Serra Club), age 87, of Grand Rapids, passed away on Tuesday, July 31, 2007. Born in Bay City in 1920, Harry moved to Grand Rapids in 1934 and graduated from Central High School in 1938. Harry lived a life exemplified by service to his church, to his professions, and to his community. A member of St. Alphonsus
Church for more than fifty years, Harry was a leading proponent of parochial education and was actively involved in significant parish and diocesean development activities, including extensive renovation of the church in the late 1970s.

After a number of years as an owner of the East End Super Market, Harry set home sales records in the state as a leading realtor in Michigan, and finally, as a banking executive, was involved in several of the more significant bank mergers in West Michigan. He occasionally taught courses in real estate and labor and industrial relations for the University of Michigan and Michigan State University.

For more than fifty years Harry served on many professional and community boards and associations in the Grand Rapids area. As a board member of the Grand Rapids Urban League, he was among the longest serving Urban League directors in the country. Harry was a religious and caring man who was deeply devoted to his family, the pillar of his support. From humble beginnings, Harry devoted his life to public service, driven by his conviction that God-given talents must be used for the betterment of others. He touched the lives of many people and will be remembered for his gentle and caring manner, his integrity, and his compassion...

The Mass of Christian Burial for Harry Mika was celebrated on Saturday, August 4, at 12:30 p.m. at St. Alphonsus Church. Interment was in Fairplains Cemetery. The family greeted friends and relatives on Friday, August 3 at Arsulowicz Brothers, Remembrance Mortuary, in Walker. Those who still wish to extend an expression of sympathy may make a contribution to Hospice of Michigan. Source: The Grand Rapids Press.

Seminarian David Gross Shares Reflections on his Retreat. After considering my options and consulting with my spiritual director, I decided to embark on a 30-day Ignatian Retreat at Creighton University this summer. I was looking to deepen my relationship with the Lord, learn more about myself, and reduce my dependence on material goods. The experience gave me all of this and more. I was a little bit nervous about not being able to talk for 30 days, but I was more nervous about how to fill four to five hours of prayer time every day. The hardest part of the silence was not knowing how my family was doing back home and being out of touch with what was going on in the world.

The retreat began on Friday evening, June 29, and I quickly settled into a daily routine of spiritual direction, prayer, mass, meals, rest, and recreation. The first three days I prayed over the Principle and Foundation of the Spiritual Exercises before moving into the first week, praying about the love of God, my own sinfulness, and how I have let God down. The surprising thing was how much joy I felt at the end of the week ad I became more aware of the tremendous love that God has for me and how wide his mercy and forgiveness are. The remaining three weeks I spent meditating on the life of Jesus and putting myself into the events of the gospel. I gained a new appreciation for many of the Bible stories that I had heard countless times, and this led me to a more intimate relationship with Jesus. Finally, on the last evening of the retreat I experienced a breakthrough in which I realized deep down in my heart that I have a personal and intimate relationship with Jesus, who is the same amazing and wonderful God who created me and the entire vast universe. While I had said many times before that Jesus is God, suddenly those words took on a whole new meaning.

The experience of the Spiritual Exercises helped me to appreciate that God has been calling me to the priesthood for most of my life. I also discovered that following God's will is the only thing that can bring me true happiness. I realized that it is not about what I do, but rather what I allow God to do with me. This thought brought me a feeling of great joy and peace. I am grateful for the opportunity that I was given to participate in this retreat, and while I don't have a desire to do it again, the graces that I was given will stay with me for the rest of my life.
S0urce: David Gross.

Serrans could benefit from the Jesus prayer: breathing God. The Jesus prayer is a prayer of the Eastern Desert Fathers. Some patriarchs also call it the prayer of the heart. It is a very short prayer repeated often throughout the day. It can say something like, "Lord, have mercy," or "Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner."

This is one of the deepest and most mystic prayers and it is constantly repeated as part of a personal relationship with God. For those who say it constantly, it becomes part of breathing and thus becomes part of the whole person.

When practiced constantly, the Jesus Prayer becomes automatic and spontaneous. Some people consider it part of meditation, but since it is not reflective meditation, it could be considered rather as a part of contemplation. In this prayer there aren't many words, but a simple being with the Lord, being in God.

The prayer probably originated in the desert of Egypt. The remains of an inscription containing fragments of the Prayer of Jesus were found in the ruins of a monastery in the desert of Egypt. The remains are from the 13th century.

Theologically, the Jesus Prayer could be considered as an extension of the lesson of Jesus about the Publican and the Pharisee. The Publican is the one who, correctly and humbly, says: "Jesus, have mercy on me, a sinner."

The Eastern monks often say this prayer up to hundreds of times a night. The monk tries to internalize the prayer to bring the presence of Jesus to his heart and mind. It can also be used as a prayer of repentance. To say this prayer is to move and breath in God constantly, even in the midst of daily tasks and concerns. It is a way to remind oneself of our purpose in life, what we are doing, and the constant presence of God in our lives.

If a person is in prayer in this way, all of his or her reactions, actions, thoughts, and desires will be dominated by the presence of God. There won't be any room, therefore, for things that are not in the spirit of the Lord, like anger, selfishness, pride, or violence. This is, therefore, a prayer that unites the person with God in such a way that the person acquires a new personality and identity.
Source: Our Lady of Sorrows bulletin, August 5, 2007.
Jesus, son of God, have mercy on me, and Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us.

A Message from our President. Dear Serrans: I am confident that all who attended the annual picnic at the Franciscan Sisters' property in Lowell had a wonderful evening. Our thank go to Fr. Hankiewicz for celebrating mass, Pam Szczesny and Nancy King for preparing a wonderful meal, and the sisters for allowing us to use their facility. Also, thank to all who made donations to the Franciscan Sisters that evening.

In August a handful of Serrans traveled to the International Convention in Atlanta, Georgia. Grand Rapids has always enjoyed a good representation at these events and we should be proud of our accomplishments. The programming is always done very well, and the hosts are from area clubs. This is a wonderful opportunity to meet Serrans from around the world and get a picture of the role our organization plays in the Universal Church worldwide. Next year's convention will take place in Brazil; details will be forthcoming. There are several members who are already planning on attending this event. I will forward information as it becomes available. The Brazilians are excited and look forward to hosting us in 2008.

September 10, 2007, from 5:30 to 7:00 p.m. will be our fall member/guest reception at Louis Benton. If you have not invited potential guests yet, please do so personally and forward their contact information onto Tim Hile at thile@ottawa-kent.com or 616-437-1404 so that he may send them a formal invitation. There will be a social hour with heavy hors d'oeuvres from 5:30 to 6:30 p.m. The formal presentation will begin at 6:30 and conclude no later than 7:00 p.m. Complimentary valet parking will be available at the Ionia Avenue entrance of the restaurant. The member-guest receptions are one of the most important activities we sponsor as a club. This evening is an informal way of sharing our SERRA experience with our co-workers, friends, neighbors, and fellow parishioners. We all benefit from the camaraderie and friendships we establish in the club; we ask that you please share that experience with others.

The autumn is always an exciting time of the year, but this year is a little busier than usual for two Serrans. I am pleased to announce that Pam Szczesny and Nate McKenzie will be married on October 13. On behalf of the club I would like to extend them our congratulations and best wishes.

I look forward to seeing you on September 10 at Louis Benton.

Very truly yours,

Mark A. Kubik, President

Miscellaneous Items.

A new diocesean poster featuring our seminarians will be published this fall.

A new CD titled, A Pictoral History of Serra International is now available. Ask Pam Szczesny if you're interested in obtaining one.

And finally, muchas gracias to the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist for hosting our picnic with the South-of-the Border theme. Thanks to some of our fellow Serrans and their guests for becoming cornhuskers for a time, although we have little information about their sentiments toward Nebraska.

Life Fest 2007 will take place during the weekend of September 7-9 at the Franciscan Center. The Life Fest is advertised as a weekend for the heart and soul and features a Friday retreat, a Saturday dinner and auction, and a Sunday family picnic. For complete information about the Life Fest or the Franciscan Life Process Center in general, visit http://www.lifeprocesscenter.org/

Pray for Vocations.

Serra Newsletter August 2007

Calendar of Events

August 13, 2007. Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon at Louis Benton Steakhouse.

August 9-12, 2007. International Convention at the Hilton Atlanta in Atlanta, Georgia. Fr. Ed, Mark Kubik, and Dennis Leiber plan to attend from our club. Mark will serve as our delegate and Dennis has been designated the alternate. Information may be found by visiting the Serra International website.

August 17, 2007. Shrimp Dinner at Muskegon Catholic Central, beginning at 5:00 p.m. This dinner is the Muskegon club's principal fundraiser for sending students to Steubenville for a week of prayer, reflection, and fellowship. Those who have attended in the past highly recommend it.

August 27, 2007. Serra Picnic with the Franciscan Sisters at the Franciscan Life Center, 11650 Downes St. NE. If you haven't been there before, find driving directions on the Internet. The evening will begin at 6:00 with Mass in the chapel, with Fr. Ed as celebrant. Committee members Joseph Scoville, Pam Szczesny, Nancy King, and Barbara King will furnish everything you need.The menu is planned for a South of the Border flavor. Also, we're hoping for fresh, picked-the-same-day sweet corn, seasoned with real butter and salt and pepper to taste, and some homemade desserts, along with a number of other good dishes. The cost will be $7.50 per person, $15.00 per couple and $25.00 per family, with a family consisting of grandparents and grandchildren or parents and children, for example. Serrans are invited to bring friends, relatives, children or grandchildren. Note for new members: We can't make any guarantees because one can never predict the future precisely, but judging from past history, when G. R. Serrans put on a spread, the results are usually VERY GOOD! Remember that there will be no noon meeting on that day.

Mark These Dates on Your Calendar.

September 10, 2007. Member-Guest Reception will take place at Louis Benton Steakhouse, beginning at 6:00 p.m. Tim Hile is still taking names of prospective guests. There will be no noon meeting on that day.

October18-21, 2007. Regional Meeting hosted by the Saginaw Club at Doubletree Hotel in Bay City, Michigan. District Governor Nate McKenzie urges either your attendance or your support in some form, including monetary contributions. Nate reiterated that regional conventions were started so that people who could not attend the International Convention would have a chance to get together and stay current on Serra issues. Dick McKinley would like to speak to our group to promote the regional meeting, but the time and place have not yet been confirmed.

Grand Rapids Serrans should have received a mailing about the event from the Saginaw Club. If you're planning to attend, remember that early registration makes life much easier for the hosts.

October 22, 2007. Regular meeting at 12:00 noon at Sacred Heart. The program for that day will include orientation for new members.

Looking ahead...

December 6, 2007. Vocations Dinner at Noto's. Chairman Bob Paul reminds his fellow Serrans that this is the major event of our year and the primary source for funds that support the Bishop's and the club's vocation efforts. We have guaranteed an attendance level that will support these activities. Therefore, we need every Serran's support to make this event a success.

Other upcoming events for which the dates have not been confirmed: Seminarian Luncheon, which will take place between Christmas and New Year's Day; and Sisters' Appreciation Dinner, which will be held sometime in April. Pam Szczesny is working with Father Danner so that the dinner can be held at St. Jude's.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us.

News from Notre Dame Week. West Catholic students Katie O'Connor and Anthony Olin left for Notre Dame on Monday, July 16, with Father Ed extending them a blessing upon departure. Abe Rossi and Jeanne Host drove the students to Notre Dame, and Pam Szczesny and Nate McKenzie brought them back. The students will speak to our group on August 12, and their parents will attend that meeting as well.

Thanks, Aaron. Seminarian Aaron Ferris ended his internship at Sacred Heart on August 1. Aaron looks forward to a pilgrimage in the Holy Land, a Diaconate Retreat in Rome, along with sightseeing, and further studies. His Diaconate ordination is planned for June of 2008, and a Mass of Thanksgiving is on the calendar for June 9, 2009 at Sacred Heart. At the July 23 meeting the club presented Aaron with a thank-you card and a gift certificate for the fine work he did in planning and conducting our prayer meetings at Sacred Heart.

Farewell to a Beloved Mother

The family of Mary Ancona wrote the following tribute in her honor. Mary departed earthly life on July 6, 2007.

Born in Grand Rapids in 1916 and baptized as Maria Antoinette, Mary was the first child of Illuminata and Pietro Mancusa. Italian was Mary's first language. Her father died when she was eight years old and Mary had many household responsibilities when she was very young.

From her upbringing and her faith, she learned the virtues of anticipating the needs of others, providing for them and serving them with joy. "Providence" for Mary meant not only the Lord's watchful care for us, but her own watchful care for her family and for the needs of others. She "looked ahead" in order to serve. These were the gifts she brought to managing her household with great orderliness.

Mary also had the gift of making an environment beautiful. She loved crocheting, knitting, and sewing and often made gifts of blankets, sweaters and baby clothes. She tended her gardens and plants until the end. She made a dozen loaves of bread every week, signing each loaf with the cross before it went into the oven, thus teaching her family to love not only those loaves but the Bread of Life.

What her family learned about Mary most of all is that all her organizing, anticipating, cultivating, and creatively providing for the needs of others were not duties or bothersome responsibilities for her. They were her joy. For Mary, to serve the Lord, her family, and others was simply joyous.

Mary took great pride in her family but also in her extended family, the Church, especially the faith community at St. Sebastian's.

With loving thanks to God for the irreplaceable gift Mary has been, we offer her back to the
Lord from whom she came...Until we meet again.

Msgr. Gus, Theresa, Annette Herp, Mary, Peter, and Cindy

Our club presented the family with the Serra Bear and a Claretian Prayer Card signifying perpetual mass in her name. Serran Dennis Leiber also suggests memorial contributions to the Serra International Foundation. Dennis will bring envelopes for this purpose to our next several meetings.

How to Stay Catholic in College, by Christopher Kaczor, Catholic Answers, San Diego, 2007...is the title of a wonderful booklet that is worth far more than its nominal price. If you have children, grandchildren, friends or relatives of college-age, this booklet will surely be of interest to you. Or, if you don'thave any direct connections with college-age students, its relevance to our club is not only because we have set a goal of establishing and maintaining a Catholic presence on a number of our local college campuses, but also because it urges young readers to think about figuring out and praying about whatever vocation the Lord has chosen for them. Furthermore, the advice it has to offer is of interest to Catholics of any age. It might just as well be titled, "How to Stay Catholic in our Pop Culture Society."

I found my copy at God's Gifts, 1740-44th Street SW, Wyoming, near the corner of 44th Street and Burlingame.

Charter Member Ralph Hauenstein graced us with his presence at the July 9 meeting. At that time he briefly addressed the group, informing us that he is the only living person who knew all four of the founders of Serra mentioned in the sidebar of this newsletter.

An August Meditation. St. Monica, whose feast we celebrate in August, is often known as "the persistent mother." She watched her oldest son, Augustine, turn his back on the Christian faith.

Monica was exasperated. For years she gave up talking directly to her son on the advice of a local bishop, who told her that it was better to talk to God about Augustine than to Augustine about God.

The mother never gave up praying for her son. Eventually, Augustine abandoned his wild ways and was baptized and later ordained and named bishop of Hippo. St. Augustine went on to become one of the Church's greatest scholars.

Monica's story addresses the importance of persistent prayer. The Lord rewarded her perseverance. She reminds us that this is our charge: keep praying.

(Paraphrased from the bulletin of Our Lady of Sorrows, week of July 28-August 3).

News from thePerpetual Adoration Chapel at St. Isodore's. The 14th anniversary celebration of the Pope John Paul Adoration Chapel at St. Isodore Catholic Church is being celebrated the week of August 11-19, 2007. During this time the Vatican International Exhibition of the Eucharistic Miracles of the World will be on display. This is an extensive collection of photographs and historical records representing a sampling of ancient and modern eucharistic miracles that have taken place around the world. The collection was created by the Vatican in the Year of the Eucharist which took place from October 2004 until October 2005. After being shown in more than 500 parishes in Italy, it is now traveling around the world. For hourss during which the exhibit can be viewed, call Carol at 957-3340, Mary Lou at 233-8993, or Sabina at 459-8486.

A Letter from our President

Dear Serrans:

As members of the Grand Rapids club, we have been exposed to Serra internationally more so than other clubs of our size because three of our members have served as international presidents.

When Bernard Haviland, Ralph Hauenstein, and the Hon. Dennis Leiber returned to our club from their travels, they always shared their experiences with us. In my opinion the international scope of our organization is an example of how small the world truly is today, yet how much we have in common with Catholics around the world.

In October 2004 at the invitation of then International President-elect, Dennis Leiber, I joined him at the Vatican for the International Board meeting. I had the opportunity of observing the International Board at work and was impressed by the respect given to the Board by the Congregation for Catholic Education at the Vatican and His Eminence Zeon Cardinal Grocholewski, the Prefect for that congregation. Somewhat equivalent would be meeting with the U. S. Department of Education and its secretary. Dr. Giovanni Novelli, Serra International's Ambassador to the Holy See, was responsible for the organization and coordination of this meeting and Serra's reunification with the congregation.

At our last meeting, Dennis Leiber informed those in attendance of Giovanni's passing. Giovanni was a wonderful Serran who had been blessed with a prosperous career, not only professionally but also within our organization. Born in 1930, Giovanni lost his mother when the Nazis occupied Italy during World War II because the medical treatment she needed was no longer available. He became an internationally renowned chemist and represented the Italian government on many occasions around the world. Most recently Giovanni was working on a method to convert coal to a liquid fuel to be used in combustion engines. Giovanni was responsible for the meeting of Serra pilgrims from around the world with His Holiness Pope John Paul II on December 7, 2000. He served as International President from 2001-2002 and was then named Serra International's ambassador to the Holy See. Most recently he was laying the groundword for Serra's expansion into France and for a club to be chartered in Paris. Giovanni will be truly missed by those who have met him within and outside of Serra.

We pray that his soul and all the souls of the faithful departed rest in peace through the mercy of God. Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us!

Very truly yours,

Mark A. Kubik, President

Serra Newsletter July 2007

Calendar of Events

July 9, 2007…....Luncheon Meeting, 12:00 Noon, Louis Benton Steak House
July 16, 2007…..Board Meeting, 12:00 Noon, Louis Benton Steak House
July 23, 2007…..Prayer Service and Lunch, 12:00 Noon, Sacred Heart Parish

Mark Your Calendars for These Upcoming Events

July 16 and July 20, 2007. These are the dates for delivery and pick-up for NDVI students. Our Director of Vocations Abe Rossi plans to drive for one of these occasions. Call him for details if you’re thinking about helping out. Our club provided two scholarships for these students.


August 9-12, 2007. Join Serrans from around the world in Atlanta, Georgia. The Hilton Atlanta will serve as Serra’s convention hotel for this event, which will feature some of the most dynamic speakers in the world. In addition, the Serra International community would like to extend a special invitation to our Serra chaplains.

Serra International encourages every Serra club to send a delegate. It is important that each club’s voice be heard and each vote counted. Go to the Serraus.org website, which provides a link to the Bellringers to find the Delegate Credential form. It appears in the June 2007 edition. Fr. Ed Hankiewicz plans to attend from our club. Please let us know if you have decided to do so as well. We need delegates.

Internationally recognized journalist and EWTN News Director Raymond Arroyo is set to welcome members as Atlanta’s 2007 official Master of Ceremonies. Registration and additional information about pre-and post-convention activities may be found by visiting the Serra International website. You will find a link at the left of our page.

August 17, 2007. Muskegon Serra Club’s shrimp dinner will begin at 5:00 p.m. Muskegon Catholic Central High School. New members may call their sponsors or any other veteran member for more information. This event is the Muskegon Club’s principal fundraiser for sending students to Steubenville for a week of prayer and reflection.

August 27, 2007. Our annual Summer Picnic will take place on this date. Pam Szczesny and Nancy King will assist chairman Joseph Scoville in planning the picnic. We are tentatively planning to hold the event at the Franciscan House in Lowell. We will confirm the information in the August newsletter.

September 10, 2007. This will be an evening member-guest reception at Louis Benton Steak House. Let Membership Chairman Tim Hile know if you would like to invite someone. He needs the addresses so that he can mail invitations to prospective members.

October 18-21, 2007. The Saginaw Serrans will host the 2007 Great Lakes Conference. The club has put together an outstanding selection of speakers and presenters and have arranged several activities for you leisure enjoyment.
Go to http://www.saginawserraclub.org/page5.html for details. For those of you who do not use computers, Ray Bartels informs us that the conference will be held in Bay City at the Double Tree Hotel (989-891-6000).

The workshops will focus on our mission to foster vocations. Bishop Robert J. Carlson, bishop of the Diocese of Saginaw, and Bishop Daniel E. Flores, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Detroit, are scheduled to celebrate masses and speak during the conference. Other confirmed speakers include Fr. Joseph Fessio, S. J., founder of Ignatius Press and instructor and former Chancellor at Ave Maria University in Naples, Florida; Sr. Molly Neville, SNJM, vocation director for the Diocese of Monterey, California; and Fr. Jay Scott Newman, Pastor of St. Mary’s Parish in Greenville, South Carolina.

On Thursday evening there will be a special show and dinner at the Delta College Planetarium. On Friday the club has planned trips to Frankenmuth, “Michigan’s Little Bavaria,” and the state’s number one tourist attraction and to Midland to visit the beautiful home of the famous architect Alden B. Dow.

District Governor Nate McKenzie reminds fellow Serrans that if they are planning to attend, they should register now. Not only does early registration help the hosts' cash flow, but also allows them to plan more accurately.


For more information call Mr. Louis Rapin at 989-781-1878.

December 6, 2007. Thursday, December 6 has been the date selected for our annual Vocations Dinner, with Noto's as the tentative location. This dinner is one of the highlights of our Serra Year and we invite all of our members and guests from other clubs to participate. The Most Reverend Bishop Hurley plans to attend.

More News from the Saginaw Club

The Saginaw Club inducted its new officers on June 19, 2007. They are as follows:

President: Bernie Coppolino
President-elect: Jean Seamon
Programs: William Ruger
Vocations: Sharon Wahl
Membership: Kathy Bronz
Communications: Ray Bartels
Secretary: Cyril Schultz
Treasurer: David Beyerlein
Trustees: Scott Seamon, Tracy Knaub, and Dick McKinley.

Each year the Saginaw Club announces its Serran of the Year. This year Dick McKinley was chosen. We congratulate Dick McKinley upon receiving this honor.

Meet Our New Members

New members David and Judy VanderLinde reside in Walker. They recently celebrated their 30th anniversary with a trip to Hungary and Germany. They have two children. David and his wife Sarah live in Hudsonville, and Amanda and her husband Shaun live in Walker. They are eagerly awaiting their first grandchild.

Travel is a way of life for David, Vice-president of Sales and co-owner of Envirotronics, Inc. He visits China and other parts of Asia at least twice a year. He also goes at least twice a year to various locations in eastern Europe. This year the VanderLindes were also able to spend a month in New Zealand and Australia.

They are 25-plus-year members of SS. Peter and Paul Parish in Grand Rapids. Between the two of them, they are either serving or have served on almost every committee or every organization within the parish.

In their spare time they enjoy camping trips throughout the U. S. in their travel trailer.
We welcome them into our club.



WE GIVE THANKS FOR THIS VOCATION

Fr. Mark Przybysz began his funeral homily for Fr. Nash with the story of a confirmation which took place shortly after Fr. Mark had been assigned there as Assistant Pastor under Fr. Nash. The 15 or so young confirmants, the boys all scrubbed and dressed in their white shirts and ties and the girls with their hair done especially for the occasion, stood in a row as Fr. Nash spoke at some length about how they were about to receive the Holy Spirit via the holy oil in the bowl he was holding in his hands. As the ceremony continued, he dipped his hand in the bowl and anointed each child, quite a bit more abundantly than is the usual practice, with the oil of the Holy Spirit. But behind the humor of the incident, says Fr. Mark, there is a lesson: “Father Nash loved the sacraments and he taught me to love them as well,” says Fr. Mark.

Fr. Nash died Sunday, June 3, 2007. He was born on January 18, 1931, in Rossmore, Tahilla, County Kerry, Ireland. He came to the United States when he was 18 and was ordained in 1954. He served the parishes of St. John Vianney in Wyoming, St. Mary in Spring Lake, St. Ambrose in Delton, St. Paul the Apostle in Grand Rapids, St. Charles in Greenville, Our Lady of the Lake in Holland, and St. Dominic in Wyoming. His last parish was Holy Redeemer, where he remained as part of the parish family after retiring to senior priest status in 2000. He continued to serve there as well as at neighborhood nursing homes and at St. Mary’s Living Center, Lacks Cancer Center, Villa Elizabeth, and other parishes throughout the diocese.

Serran Pam Szczesny recalls Fr. Nash’s skills both as an investor, to the great benefit of whatever parish or charity he was serving at the time, and as a gardener. The geraniums which adorn the grounds at St. Dominic are the very ones he planted when he began his ministry there. He taught the parishioners how to take care of the plants not only in the summer but during their dormant season as well.

Every parish he served was represented either at his Vigil Mass or his funeral. His guest book paints a picture of a memorable character who loved life to the fullest and who committed acts of kindness, both great and small, all the days of his life.

“He was the most PASTORAL pastor I ever met,” writes Mary Mooney of Spring Lake. “Fr. Nash knew everyone’s name and was always standing outside at the entry door to greet people as they came to mass (usually with his ND jacket on), and to greet them afterward again.” He once held up a Saturday evening mass for a few minutes as Notre Dame finished playing Florida State. A family in Delton fondly remembers that he would frequently call up and ask, “Are we having burgers tonight?” This family was honored to keep Fr. Nash’s Kerry Blue Terrier Blarney when Father was assigned to St. Paul the Apostle and couldn’t take Blarney with him. The book even tells us that he gave out the best candy in Georgetown Forest at Halloween.

What was so charming about him was that he said exactly what was on his mind, and he expressed his thoughts exactly in the order in which they occurred to him, an explanation, perhaps, for his stream-of-consciousness style of preaching. I saw Fr. Nash as he celebrated one of his last daily masses at Holy Redeemer. I had never been to a daily mass there and wasn’t sure where the chapel was. The mass was already underway when I arrived. As I entered, a little hesitantly, Fr. Nash interrupted his comments with, “Come on in, dear. We won’t hurt you.” A few moments later, he interrupted himself again and said, looking my way, “I know you. Where do I know you from?”

“Our Lady of Sorrows,” I replied. “Oh, yes. Our Lady of Sorrows. A fine parish.” Without skipping a beat he went on to complete the homily, which covered a large number of topics in a short time. Even during his last days he celebrated mass with such enthusiasm that an outsider would never have guessed the gravity of his condition.

Though he had his own illness to deal with, he brought love and comfort to his fellow travelers in the world of cancer treatment. A grieving mother writes, “We met Fr. Nash when our 15-year-old son was admitted to Trillium Woods. Fr. Denis formed an immediate friendship with him and visited his room every day for conversation and cookies. He provided so many moments of joy to our family during the final weeks of our son’s life. We fully believe that God put him there to be a light for us in our darkest hour.”

As he completed his earthly journey, Fr. Nash knew exactly where he was going, and as far as we know, he was as ready to go there as any of us could ever be. Though we miss him greatly, it’s hard to think of him without smiling through the tears. Recalls Stan Roth of Jenison, “He was one of the most giving men I have ever met and he had no aspirations for promotion and public acclaim. He went about doing good to countless people.”

He bore his suffering with extraordinary grace and dignity. May he rest in peace.

By Nancy King


More Thank You Notes from the Sisters' Dinner

Dear Mr. Kubik and all the members of the Serra Club:

We, the Consolata Sisters, would like to express our deepest gratitude for the Mass, dinner, and entertainment organized for us at St. Robert's. You truly went out of your way, and everything was just wonderful! May the Lord reward you for your kindness and generosity as only He can.

With much gratitude and love,
The Consolata Sisters

Dear Members of the Serra Club of Grand Rapids:

Thank you for inviting all of the women religious to your dinner last Saturday evening. The dinner was delicious and the music and singing were enjoyable. We also had fun with the prizes.
Most of all, thank you for all you do to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life. May our Loving Lord continue to bless you personally and the work you do for the Church.

Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist, per Sister Bernice Blake, F. S. E.

Dear Mark,

I am writing to thank you and all the Serrans of my gratitude for hosting the sisters of the Diocese for a lovely reception and dinner. It was an outstanding occasion.

God Bless You! Sister Aquinas Weber, O. P.

A Message From our President

Dear Serrans:

Summer is my favorite time of the year! I don't know if it is because of the more relaxed business pace, the ability to eat outdoors, or just because everything is in bloom, except for many lawns!

This past month I traveled to Ireland and France for a project I am involved with at the University of Michigan. I had been to France many times and even studied there as an undergraduate. This was my first time to Ireland, a very interesting experience. I am not sure whether the statistics are completely accurate, but I was told that Southern Ireland is 98 percent Catholic. A 38-year-old colleague of mine from Cork reiterated that the majority practice their faith and raise their children in it as well.

When I was taking the train from Cork to Dublin, I was going through the countryside and thinking about the mission of our organization in fostering vocations to the ministerial priesthood and the religious life. A component that I highly appreciate is the furthering of our own vocations as lay men and women through our lecture series and club activities. This year's lecture series focuses on the forms of worship we have available to us as Catholics. As a cradle Catholic, I am looking forward to these talks because like anything one has been exposed to throughout one's lifetime, there are components we lose as we become accustomed to our traditional ways of worshipping.

The annual International Convention is around the corner and has always been a time for Serrans and their families to renew old friendships and gain new ones with Serrans from around the world. We will talk about this topic and other upcoming events such as the annual club picnic at our next meeting.

I look forward to seeing you at our next regular meeting on July 9 at 12:00 noon at Louis Benton Steak House.

Very truly yours,

Mark A. Kubik, President

If you know of anyone who would like to receive
an electronic copy of this newsletter,
please write to Nancy
King at njking50@hotmail.com
with an e-mail address for that person.

The Serran Spokesman is published by the Grand Rapids Serra Club,
founded February, 1948,
District 15. The Serra Club meets at noon on the 2nd and 4th Mondays of each month. The first meeting of the month is held at Louis Benton Steak House at 12:00 Noon
and the second meeting of the month takes place with a prayer service and luncheon at 12:00 Noon at Sacred Heart Parish. Our Moderator is Fr. Ed Hankiewicz. Comments or inquiries may be sent to: Editor
the Serran Spokesman
GRSC 3920 Acadia Drive Hudsonville
MI 49426

Serra Newsletter June 2007

The Serran Spokesman


The Grand Rapids Serra Club Founded February, 1948 June, 2007


Calendar of Events
June 11, 2007……………...Luncheon at Louis Benton Steak House, 12:00 Noon
June 25, 2007……………...Prayer Service and Luncheon, Sacred Heart Parish, 12:00 Noon

Coming up…

The 2007 Serra International Convention will take place in Atlanta, Georgia on 2-12 August, 2007.

The Hilton Atlanta will be Serra’s host for this event, featuring some of the most dynamic speakers in the world. Internationally recognized journalist and EWTN News Director Raymond Arroyo is set to welcome you as Atlanta 2007’s official Master of Ceremonies. To register go to the serraus.org website. From this website you may also find out about optional tours, convention schedule, convention speakers, and An Evening with Raymond Arroyo at the Georgia Aquarium.

More Thank-you Notes

Thank you so much for the enjoyable time we had Saturday evening (April 21). Everything about the evening was perfect. May God bless all you do. Gratefully, Sr. Donna Jean

Thanks for the delicious food and great hospitality. Your hospitality is greatly appreciated. Sr. Theresa.

Thank you for the wonderful meal and everything you gave us. Sr. Lourdes.

Dear Nancy: Please extend my heartfelt thanks to all the Serra Club members who provided the delicious dinner, gifts, entertainment, and fun for the Sisters. I always look forward to this special evening, and I am grateful for all the planning and hard work that it takes to have such a great celebration. May God bless all of you and your work. Sister Diane Dehn, O. P.

Dear (Serrans): What a wonderful evening! Please convey to all of the Serrans my deep gratitude for their care and hard work in preparing for us a delicious meal. Everything about the evening was so well done. The presentation of the dinner, the lovely decorations, the gifts, the entertainment…all is deeply appreciated. God bless you for your care and generosity. Sister Rosemary O’Donnell, O. P.

Dear Mark and Serrans: Thank you for the wonderful evening this past Saturday. It was great gathering as always. Also, thank you for the gift certificates and flowers. I appreciate your thoughtfulness and kind words. Sincerely, Sister Patrice.


The Vocation Sacrament
By Gail Besse

The Eucharist is a key to vocations, says author Vinny Flynn. He says in his case, a spiritual hunger for the Eucharist has infused his life. Even as a child, he sensed that Our Lady somehow played a part in this new relationship he entered when he received first Holy Communion.

He believes when Catholics really understand this sacrament, the Eucharist will radically change their lives, and this can transform the world. Flynn’s new book, 7 Secrets of the Eucharist, (published by MercySong with Ignatius Press), invites readers to recognize Christ in the breaking of the bread as the disciples on the Road to Emmaus did.

Known as “the man who sings the Divine Mercy Chaplet on EWTN,” Flynn and his wife Donna now run MercySong Ministries of Healing (mercysong.com), which offers Eucharistic parish missions, retreats, talks, and music. He recently spoke with Register correspondent Gail Besse about his ministry and his recent book.

The World Day of Prayer for Vocations is April 29. How does Eucharistic adoration promote vocations?

Recently at a parish mission, the pastor told us he had received his vocation during a Eucharistic procession. He had been away from the Church and had only attended the devotion at a relative’s request. Although he had no interest in what was happening, when the priest blessed him with the Eucharist, he heard an inner voice telling him he was to be a priest. He had never contemplated the priesthood, and it came as a total shock, but he knew immediately that this was for real. Jesus had called him from the Eucharist and given him the grace to change his life. But I must add that, as wonderful as such dramatic healings may be, I’ve found that what the Lord told St. Faustina is true: “The greatest miracles of mercy take place in the confessional” (Diary, 1448). Once people understand that we come to confession not just to be forgiven, but to be healed” (Diary, 377), everything changes.

In your title, “secrets” refer to known truths about theEucharist that have been hidden somewhat because they haven’t
been appreciated. Is that right?

Yes, in fact I was led to write the book because as I traveled around the country, I realized most people, even some daily communicants and those devoted to adoration, don’t really know what the Church teaches about the Eucharist. Many priests told me they never learned this in the seminary, even though recent Popes (John XXIII, Paul VI, John Paul II, and Benedict XVI) have all emphasized that the Eucharist is central to their lives, to their ministry, and to the life of the Church. I felt there was a great need to express this deep theology simply, with clear relevance to the daily life of the average person.

What are some of the truths that many of us know little about?

We’re invited to enter into Communion, not just to passively receive. The whole Holy Trinity is involved. Christ is truly present—body, blood, soul, and divinity—in every particle of the Host and drop of Precious Blood. People need to understand the reality and importance of spiritual Communion, and how the Mass relates to them. Most importantly, they need to get the “so-what” aspect, meaning: “How does it all fit together” and “How can it help me live my life?” For example: Christ is alive, in his full divinity and in his full humanity, in the Eucharist. So what does this mean in my life? It means I have to be aware of how I receive him, and of all that I do…

Do you see a connection between our diminished appreciation for the Holy Eucharist and the loss of a sense of sin?

We’ve had a 40-year gap in solid CCD and RCIA teaching, and we’ve lost a sense of the body as a tabernacle. But I’m convinced we won’t stay illiterate, as the Eucharistic revival that Pope John Paul II called for is happening. People will be unpacking what he wrote on the Eucharist for years, and now we have Benedict’s apostolic exhortation, Sacramentum Caritatis, the Sacrament of Charity.

Are there other secrets you plan to write about in the future?

Oh, yes. One is: To grow you must adore. We must adore before, while, and after we receive. We also have to adore the Eucharist outside of Mass. And Our Lady is the other secret. There’s a direct relation between Mary’s fiat and our “Amen. The Annunciation was her first holy Communion. She was asked to believe that God himself lived in her. When we receive and say, “Amen” we should be saying, “Yes, take flesh in me, Lord. Let me carry you to other people.” We should act like her, and bring Jesus in haste to someone else.

When we do, we become living monstrances.

From the National Catholic Register, April 29, 2007



Meet Our New Members…
Paul Nelson, who is not really a new member of Serra Grand Rapids, rather he is a returning member. While he was President of Aquinas College, he had so many noon and evening obligations that he was unable to attend Serra functions on a regular basis.

Paul rejoined to begin a process with other Serrans involving local colleges and the Catholic high schools to create a culture of vocations by supporting them in their efforts to

1) Affirm the Catholic faith
2) Encourage growth and development
3) Invite consideration for exploring a religious vocation
4) Provide experiences to test options
5) Offer ongoing support and encouragement.

Aquinas College has agreed to be our first effort and the response has been overwhelmingly positive and encouraging. Paul and his team have met twice with a committee from Aquinas. They hope for a full-time priest/chaplain on campus as a first priority. To date, volunteer priests have helped out. They also want to work with the Theology Department to develop a Catholic studies minor consisting of 20 semester hours of study. Other possible events, such as meetings between Aquinas students and seminarians, are in the works.

May the Lord bless Paul and our fellow Serrans who have undertaken this work.

The Vocation Chalice
The purpose of the Vocation Chalice, a blessed chalice, is to provide a focal point for prayer.

Each week at a Sunday liturgy, the celebrant will use the Vocation Chalice. After purifying the chalice at the end of Communion, he will call a family forward to receive the Vocation Chalice. They receive a blessing and take the chalice home, putting it in a place of honor.

Each day of the week, the family prays for an increase in and perseverance of vocations. The following Sunday, they return the Vocation Chalice with the bread and wine at the Offertory.

From the Parish Bulletin, St. Adalbert’s, South Bend, Indiana. May 13, 2007

Nate McKenzie tells us that the Vocation Chalice is making its way to Michigan. He will keep us posted. As mentioned in St. Adalbert’s bulletin, this is a wonderful family project, whatever size family you have—1 or 15.
A special mass in honor of Blessed Junipero Serra will take place on July 1 at Sacred Heart. See Mark’s message for more information.


News from the Board
The Board met on May 21. Father Ed opened with a prayer.

Bob Gabridge reported on Charter Night. We did not have official figures at the time, but approximately 50 paid guests attended. The Board paid tribute to Fr. Ed for planning and executing the excellent Vespers Service and to Bob Gabridge and Beverly Shields for taking on the chairmanship of this very successful event.

The Board also went through the proposed master calendar and assigned each major event to a committee, paying special attention to the Vocations Dinner, Charter Night, the Sisters’ Dinner, and the Summer Picnic. One of the goals is to create a customs book so that those who take on these events will start with a guest list and notes with the arrangements for a particular event already in place.

Several of the events were assigned to the Vocations Committee: leaf raking at Belmont, the Priest Appreciation Day, the Vocations Dinner, the Seminarian Luncheon, and the Hospitality Team at ordinations. The Summer Picnic was assigned to Programs.

Member/Guest receptions and other recruiting events were assigned to the Membership Committee. We aim for a 15 percent increase in membership by the end of 2007.

Pam Szczesny, as our President-elect, will serve as the contact person for Serra U. S.

Nate McKenzie and John Osterhart attended Super Weekend in Chicago on May 18-20.

Paul Nelson reported on our club’s work at Aquinas College.

The meeting adjourned with a prayer at 1:15 p.m.

Recommended Reading

At the May 21 Board meeting, President Mark Kubik distributed a copy of Our Iceberg is Melting to each of the Board members. This is an award winning book by Harvard Business School author John Kotter, with foreword by Spencer Johnson, M. D., who wrote Who Moved My Cheese.

Our Iceberg is Melting is described as a simple fable about doing well in an ever-changing world and has been used to help thousands of people and organizations.

This book is published by St. Martin’s Press. For more resources and ideas, log on to http://www.ouricebergismelting.com/.


We Are Blessed…
with the ordination of the following on Saturday, June 2 at St. Andrew’s:

Reverend Matthew J. Barnum, 27, was born to Daryl and Wendy Barnum of Hastings. Father Barnum has one younger sister. St. Paul Campus Parish in Big Rapids is his home parish. Father Barnum is a 2001 graduate of Aquinas College with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts. He holds a master’s degree in divinity and a master’s degree in theology from the Oblate School of Theology. He will serve as Assistant Pastor at Holy Spirit Parish.

Reverend Victor Kynam, 47, was born in Vietnam. Father Kynam has six siblings. His parents are deceased. St. Isodore Parish in Grand Rapids is his home parish. He received his bachelor’s degree in 2001 from St. Mary’s Seminary and University in Baltimore, Maryland. In May 2007 he earned his master’s degree in divinity and a bachelor’s degree in sacred theology. He has been assigned to Blessed Sacrament Parish as Assistant Pastor.

Reverend Mark E. Peacock, 49, was born in Trenton, Michigan to Lowell and the late Mary Louise Peacock. He has one sister and three brothers. Our Lady of the Lake Parish in Holland is his home parish. Father Peacock graduated from Aquinas College in 1979 with a bachelor’s degree in religious education. He received his master’s degree in divinity from Sacred Heart School of Theology in May, 2007. He will begin his priesthood as Assistant Pastor at St. Jude’s.

Reverend Mister Michael Cilibraise, 49, is the oldest son of Charles and Charlene Cilibraise of Sheridan, Michigan. Deacon Cilibraise has two brothers and one sister. St. Paul Campus Parish in Big Rapids is his home parish. He graduated from Ferris State University in 1982 with a bachelor’s degree of science in social work. He also earned an associate’s degree in criminal justice from Kellogg Community College. Deacon Cilibraise will be entering his final year of seminary at St. Mary of the Lake, Mundelein, Illinois this fall and is a candidate to receive his master’s degree in divinity in May, 2008.
Oops!

Larry Mulligan’s e-mail address is listed in the new directory as Lpmukkligan@comcast.net. Asked whether he considered the proposed name change a really good idea, he surmised that it might help keep the bill collectors away but in the end decided to remain Larry Mulligan. Therefore, you may write him at lpmulligan@comcast.net. Also, you may reach Darlene at XdarleneX2002@yahoo.com, as “hahoo.com” is just a fly-by-night outfit, not to be relied upon.

This item is not an OOPS! but simply a change that occurred after the directory was published. Please change Steve Kramer’s address to:

Steven Kramer
300 Riverfront Drive #4K
Detroit, MI 48226
stevenkramer946@sbcglobal.net


A Message From our President
Dear Serrans:

Last month the new officers and board members spent their first meeting defining our organizational chart committing to the events on our 15-month calendar. We are very fortunate to have a group of leaders who are willing to take on the task of running this club. While we are all volunteers, we commit to projects that aid in fulfilling our club’s mission, but also activities to foster our individual vocations. Please participate or assist in planning these events as your schedule permits.

Over the summer we continue to be involved in activities and events in addition to our regularly scheduled club meetings. A few of these events are as follows:

· The club will be providing transportation and financial support for the students we sponsor to attend Notre Dame Vocations Initiative.
· July 1 Feast of the Blessed Junipero Serra, 10:30 a.m. mass at Sacred Heart of Jesus with Msgr. Ancona as homilist and Fr. Hankiewicz as celebrant.
· The International Convention will be held in Atlanta, Georgia.
· The Annual Serra Picnic will take place at the home of the Franciscan Sisters in Lowell.

This October Fr. Hankiewicz will be hosting a trip to Rome for Serrans, their families, and guests. We will be having the first informational session on this event on Sunday, June 10 at 4:00 p.m. at Sacred Heart Rectory. Please notify me via e-mail or at 616-458-2026 or Fr. Hankiewicz at 616-459-8362 if you are interested. I hope you will consider joining us on June 10.

Very truly yours,

Mark A. Kubik, President

And Finally, Notes From Pam About More Summer Events

You are cordially invited to attend a Vespers Service in prayerful gratitude to Sister Patrice Konwinski for her 19 years of service as Chancellor of the Diocese of Grand Rapids. This service will take place on Thursday, June 21, 2007 at 5:00 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Andrew, with a reception to follow in the parish center.

Please RSVP by June 13 to Jackie at jzbikowski@dioceseofgrandrapids.org or 616-243-0491 Ext, 1542.

Pam also reminds us of the annual Shrimp Dinner at Muskegon Catholic Central on August 21.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, Pray for Us.