We Give Thanks - Serra International fall 2015.pdf · —Pope Francis in a homily at the...

Serranthe

Vol. 62 No. 4 | Fall 2015

We Give ThanksF R AY J U N Í P E RO S E R R A’ S C A N O N I Z AT I O N

2 the Serran | Vol. 62 No. 1

The Serran Calendar

Jan. 14-16, 2016The Serra Rally, Houston, TXSee back page for details or click here

Feb. 7, 2016World Day for Consecrated Life

April 17, 2016World Day of Prayer for Vocations

June 30-July 3, 2016Serra International Convention, St. Louis, MO, USA

“(Friar Serra) was one of the founding fathers of the United States, a saintly example of theChurch’s universality and special patron of the Hispanic people of the country. In this way mayall Americans rediscover their own dignity, and unite themselves ever more closely to Christ andhis Church.

—Pope Francis in a homily at the Pontifical North American College, May 2, 2015

In This Issue:3 Homily from Junípero Serra’s Canonization Mass

by His Holiness Pope Francis

6 An Unforgettable Moment for Serraby Anne McCormack

12 The Serra International FoundationExtending Serra’s Work Beyond Borders and Expectations

13 One Serran’s Journey to the Basilicaby Greg Lynch, Jr.

16 Christ’s Light in the Great South LandMelbourne Convention Report

18 Featured Club Program: Mission and Ministry of Priesthood

20 Our Time to Become Missionary Disciplesby Serra International President Tim O’Neill

21 Finding Meaning in the Example of St. Serraby Serra’s National Council for the United States President John Osterhart

22 The Serran Time Capsule: Vintage Vocation Posters

24 Examining Our Presence in the Churchby Serra International Executive Director John Liston

26 Serra Clubs Celebrate!A Glimpse of Canonization Celebrations from Around the World

ON OUR COVER:The sun illuminates the peak of the dome

of the Basilica of the National Shrine ofthe Immaculate Conception in Washing-ton, D.C., during the canonization Mass

for Saint Junípero Serra, presided over byHis Holiess, Pope Francis, on Sept. 23,

2015. Photo by Greg Lynch, Jr.

The Serran magazine is the official publication of Serra International. It is published electronically threetimes a year and printed once annually. Views expressed in this publication may not reflect the views ofthe Board. Send letters or manuscripts to [email protected]. The Serran does not ac-cept advertising.

The Serran editor: Anne McCormackSerra International Executive Director: John Liston333 W Wacker Drive, Suite 500 Chicago, IL 60606

www.serrainternational.org

http://www.serrainternational.org/content/serra-rally-1

3the Serran | Vol. 62 No. 4

Rejoice in the Lord always! I say it again, re-joice! These are striking words, words whichimpact our lives. Paul tells us to rejoice; he

practically orders us to rejoice. This command res-onates with the desire we all have for a fulfilling life, ameaningful life, a joyful life. It is as if Paul could hearwhat each one of us is thinking in his or her heart andto voice what we are feeling, what we are experiencing.Something deep within us invites us to rejoice and tellsus not to settle for placebos which always keep us com-fortable.

At the same time, though, we all know the strug-gles of everyday life. So much seems to stand in the

way of this invitation to rejoice. Our daily routine canoften lead us to a kind of glum apathy which graduallybecomes a habit, with a fatal consequence: our heartsgrow numb.

We don’t want apathy to guide our lives… or dowe? We don’t want the force of habit to rule our life…or do we? So we ought to ask ourselves: What can wedo to keep our heart from growing numb, becominganesthetized? How do we make the joy of the Gospelincrease and take deeper root in our lives?

Jesus gives the answer. He said to his disciples thenand he says it to us now: Go forth! Proclaim! The joyof the Gospel is something to be experienced, some-

Keep moving foward!Pope Francis’ Homily at Junípero Serra’s Canonization Mass, September 23, 2015, in Washington, D.C.

A view of the altar on the East Portico of the Basilica of the NationalShrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., during thecanonization Mass of Saint Junípero Serra. Photo by Don Simoneaux.

thing to be known and lived only through giving itaway, through giving ourselves away.

The spirit of the world tells us to be like everyoneelse, to settle for what comes easy. Faced with thishuman way of thinking, “we must regain the convic-tion that we need one another, that we have a sharedresponsibility for others and for the world” (LaudatoSi’, 229). It is the responsibility to proclaim the messageof Jesus. For the source of our joy is “an endless desireto show mercy, the fruit of our own experience of thepower of the Father’s infinite mercy” (EvangeliiGaudium, 24). Go out to all, proclaim by anointing andanoint by proclaiming. This is what the Lord tells ustoday. He tells us:

A Christian finds joy in mission: Go out to peopleof every nation!

A Christian experiences joy in following a com-mand: Go forth and proclaim the good news!

A Christian finds ever new joy in answering a call:Go forth and anoint!

Jesus sends his disciples out to all nations. To everypeople. We too were part of all those people of two

thousand years ago. Jesus did not provide a short listof who is, or is not, worthy of receiving his messageand his presence. Instead, he always embraced life ashe saw it. In faces of pain, hunger, sickness and sin. Infaces of wounds, of thirst, of weariness, doubt and pity.Far from expecting a pretty life, smartly-dressed andneatly groomed, he embraced life as he found it. Itmade no difference whether it was dirty, unkempt, bro-ken. Jesus said: Go out and tell the good news to every-one. Go out and in my name embrace life as it is, andnot as you think it should be. Go out to the highwaysand byways, go out to tell the good news fearlessly,without prejudice, without superiority, without conde-scension, to all those who have lost the joy of living.Go out to proclaim the merciful embrace of the Father.Go out to those who are burdened by pain and failure,who feel that their lives are empty, and proclaim thefolly of a loving Father who wants to anoint them withthe oil of hope, the oil of salvation. Go out to proclaimthe good news that error, deceitful illusions and false-hoods do not have the last word in a person’s life. Goout with the ointment which soothes wounds and heals


Pope Francis delivers a homily celebrating Saint Junípero ’s life and work. Photo by Don Simoneaux.


hearts.Mission is never the

fruit of a perfectlyplanned program or awell-organized manual.Mission is always the fruitof a life which knowswhat it is to be found andhealed, encountered andforgiven. Mission is bornof a constant experienceof God’s merciful anoint-ing.

The Church, the holyPeople of God, treads thedust-laden paths of his-tory, so often traversed byconflict, injustice and vio-lence, in order to en-counter her children, ourbrothers and sisters. Theholy and faithful Peopleof God are not afraid oflosing their way; they areafraid of becoming self-enclosed, frozen intoélites, clinging to theirown security. They know that self-enclosure, in all themany forms it takes, is the cause of so much apathy.

So let us go out, let us go forth to offer everyonethe life of Jesus Christ (Evangelii Gaudium, 49). ThePeople of God can embrace everyone because we arethe disciples of the One who knelt before his own towash their feet (ibid., 24).

We are here today, we can be here today, becausemany people wanted to respond to that call. They be-lieved that “life grows by being given away, and itweakens in isolation and comfort” (Aparecida Docu-ment, 360). We are heirs to the bold missionary spiritof so many men and women who preferred not to be“shut up within structures which give us a false senseof security… within habits which make us feel safe,while at our door people are starving” (EvangeliiGaudium, 49). We are indebted to a tradition, a chain

of witnesses who havemade it possible for thegood news of the Gospelto be, in every generation,both “good” and “news.”

Today we rememberone of those witnesseswho testified to the joy ofthe Gospel in these lands,Father Junípero Serra. Hewas the embodiment of“a Church which goesforth”, a Church whichsets out to bring every-where the reconciling ten-derness of God. JuníperoSerra left his native landand its way of life. He wasexcited about blazingtrails, going forth to meetmany people, learningand valuing their particu-lar customs and ways oflife. He learned how tobring to birth and nurtureGod’s life in the faces ofeveryone he met; he made

them his brothers and sisters. Junípero sought to defendthe dignity of the native community, to protect it fromthose who had mistreated and abused it. Mistreatmentand wrongs which today still trouble us, especially be-cause of the hurt which they cause in the lives of manypeople.

Father Serra had a motto which inspired his lifeand work, not just a saying, but above all a realitywhich shaped the way he lived:siempre adelante! Keepmoving forward! For him, this was the way to continueexperiencing the joy of the Gospel, to keep his heartfrom growing numb, from being anesthetized. He keptmoving forward, because the Lord was waiting. Hekept going, because his brothers and sisters were wait-ing. He kept going forward to the end of his life. Today,like him, may we be able to say: Forward! Let’s keepmoving forward! %

This image of Junípero Serra, displayed on the outer wall of theEast Apse of the Basilica, is carefully interpreted from a stainedglass window in the sacristy of the Basilica’s Great Upper Church.Pope Francis’ coast of arms appears above Serra, while the Basil-ica’s appears below. Photo by Don Simoneaux.


The opening notes to Jesus,You Brought Me All theWay rang through the

warm afternoon air. I ran up toa young woman, whose blueand white shirt told me shewas one of dozens of guidesposted at the event to helppoor lost souls like myselffind their way. “Could you tell me whereSection 16 is?” I asked,hurriedly but politely. Sheexplained to me that itwas way, way over there.

In a pencil skirt andill-fitting loafers, I ranacross the Eastern lawn

of the Basilica, past hundreds ofpeople in folding chairs, hopping over covered elec-

trical cords and weaving through bystanders. Finally,there was Section 16: way in the back, way to theright, and with pretty much every view of the altarand big screens obscured by trees, pillars, and very tallpeople. Gingerly, I peeled off my shoes and fishedaround in my national security size-approved purseto find my spare Band-aids. Prior to this I had stoodin line for about three hours in the hot sun; I wasamazed at the sort of blisters I received from inchingforward in a sea of thousands just a few blocks to thisevent. A kind lady dressed all in black next to measked if I needed more dressings for my blisters. Ishowed her my handful of Band-aids. She showed mehers. We laughed the laugh of shared clever foresight.

I opened my canonization Mass “swag bag” dis-tributed to all ticket holders once past security.Among other things, it contained a pen, Serra biog-raphy booklet, official “Pope in D.C.” rain poncho,and a 56-page Mass program, which I found just in

Continued on page 8

An Unforgettable Moment for SerraReflections on Junípero Serra’s Canonization

by Anne McCormack

The official canonization portrait of SaintJunípero Serra hangs above the front en-trance to the Basilica of the NationalShrine of the Immaculate Conception.


CLOCKWISE FROM LEFT: Serra International Executive Director JohnListon walks to the Mass alongside Patience, a Serran from Nigeria;Security was tight at the Basilica; The hours-long line to get throughsecurity before Mass; Pope Francis in the Popemobile; and MexicanSerrans Maria Teresa and Mauricio Tappan and Malena Dosal sing asong about Blessed Serra in the crowded line to security. Click thepicture to hear them sing!

https://youtu.be/0pTpBGnaTS0

time for the opening hymn: Laudate, laudate Dominum.

For so many reasons, this was no ordinaryMass. It was the first and only canonization I wouldprobably ever attend, and the main celebrant wasHis Holiness, Pope Francis. It was multi-lingual:most of the Mass was said in Spanish, but the read-ings were delivered in Chochenyo Native Americanand English, and the petitions were read in Korean,Vietnamese, Tagalog, Igbo, and Creole, and signedin American Sign Language, truly reflecting the di-versity of the faithful of our nation. Beyond that, itwas a Mass I traveled 700 miles to attend, becausethe saint-to-be was Blessed Junípero Serra, the pa-tron of the organization for which I have workedfor nearly two decades. And, it was the first canon-ization ever to be performed on United States soil.

The first order of business was the canonizationitself, said entirely in Latin, heralded by severalverses of Veni Creator Spiritus performed exquisitelyby the choir and orchestra. My seat may not havehad the best sight lines, but I was near the music tentand was continually astonished by the beauty andtechnical skill of their performance throughout thewhole service.

Pope Francis began the Litany of Saints, callingupon select representatives of this holy lineage to“sustain... the act which we now solemnly under-take.” And then, during the Formula of Canoniza-tion, Pope Francis said those words that Serrans hadprayed for, so steadfastly, for so long: “... We declareand define Blessed Junípero Serra to be a Saint andwe enroll him among the Saints, decreeing that heis to be venerated as such by the whole Church.”This was followed by the placing of the relics. Icraned my neck to catch a glimpse of Father Ken-neth Laverone, OFM, one of the vice-postulatorsfor Serra’s Cause for Sainthood, on the big screenacross from me, presumably presenting the Holy Fa-ther with special relics to be placed in a custom-de-signed reliquary which would then be placed atSerra’s shrine at Old Mission Carmel in California.

What a moment!The Mass continued in the usual way, except of


FROM TOP: Pope Francis consecrates the Eucharist; Yellow andwhite umbrellas form the line for Communion; the media pitat the Basilica.

course that one was a part of a gigantic congregationwitnessing an historic open-air event. After the read-ings, Pope Francis delivered his homily on the life andwork of Saint Junípero (appearing on page 3-5 of thisissue of the Serran). English subtitles appeared on thebig screens for non-Spanish speakers.

The enormity of the crowd and the circumstancesimpressed upon me how our shared faith united usnearly seamlessly in prayer. You never quite knowwhat a big Church you are part of until you lookaround and see that your responses, song, and ges-tures are choreographed perfectly with 24,000 otherpeople.

Speaking of choreography, the Communion Ritewas organized so thoughtfully and so well that all thethousands of attendees, in seated areas and in stand-ing room-only sections, were able to receive the Eu-charist in an orderly fashion. Ushers directedMass-goers to priests under bright yellow-and-whiteumbrellas strategicallyplaced in the avenues be-tween seated and standingareas. I was amazed,when I returned to myseat, to see how old habitsdie hard: quite a fewMass-goers (not Serrans!)apparently decided to beat a hasty retreat right afterthe Eucharist!

After the Pope’s blessing and dismissal, the Massofficially closed with “Holy God We Praise ThyName.” The sun that made us squint for most of theceremony had slipped behind the Basilica now, andthere was a chill in the air.

I made my way toward the exits, looking for Ser-rans along the way. I arrived here with a busload ofthem and we were given instructions as to where tomeet; however, when we got to the street, we discov-ered that we would not be able to get to our meetingpoint because the roads were blocked to allow PopeFrancis and the bishops’ departure.

Meanwhile, I tried to find more Serrans in an at-tempt to keep us in a tidy group. But through thecrowds of others meandering about, looking for their

transportation options, I could see many Serransgoing in disparate directions. No one seemed to begoing in the direction our driver presented to us.

Eventually, John Liston appeared and a combi-nation of his tall stature and position as Executive Di-rector of Serra International drew all 90 attendingSerrans to a single spot.

But where were our buses?The sun had set over Washington and all was

dark. The crowd was thinning. We had no contactwith our drivers and information from security andevent volunteers was conflicting. At one point weeven got barricaded into the wrong area because se-curity let us in... but then closed the road andwouldn’t let us out!

The cheer that sustained our Serrans though thelong, hot wait in line before the event was waning. Wewere weary, hungry, thirsty, exceedingly late for ourcelebration dinner at the hotel, and worse, we ap-

peared to be stranded.United States Council Vo-cations Chair JudyCozzens began a Rosaryto keep our hopes up.

We received infor-mation from security thatwe were to wait for our

buses along the side of a certain street. We weren’talone. Crowds of seminarians and others who hadchartered buses lined the avenue. Finally, our coachescame.

Back at the hotel, which had kindly decided tohold our dinner for us, I stopped in my room to seemy 1-year-old daughter and my husband, and to slipon a more comfortable pair of clogs. My husbandgasped at the lobster-hued sunburn I had on the backof my neck. The baby held my face like she hadn’tseen me in years and fell asleep. I headed down to jointhe Serrans for dinner.

And what a first-class dinner it was. The hotelprepared an absolutely beautiful meal for us. With abit of food, drink and comfortable chairs, the laughterand celebration returned to our group -- about 240Serrans in all, from 12 countries. After dinner, we


You never quite know what a bigChurch you are part of until you lookaround and see that your responses,

song, and gestures are choreographedperfectly with 24,000 other people.

were entertained by a keynote talk by Most Rev.Emilio C. Berlie, Bishop of Merida, Yucatan, Mex-ico. We listened to reflections of the day from SerraInternational President Tim O’Neill, Past USACouncil President Bob Labat, Executive DirectorJohn Liston, and we got to meet Kati Ritchie, theartist who created the Junípero Serra icon that was tobe presented as a gift to the Holy Father. Spirits werehigh enough at the end of the evening to allow mostof the group to pose for a group shot captured byGreg Lynch, Jr.

To me, though Saint Serra was put on the fast-track to canonization without the usual two-miraclerequirement, the day of his honor was not short onmiracles. That 90 of our Serrans made it through thelong lines in heat that saw the less hearty of the crowd(most of whom were much younger than our crew)carried off in stretchers, probably due to dehydration,is miraculous in itself. That we all returned after sucha long day safe and sound was another miracle. And

that I, an employee of Serra who just two years agofeared the organization would not survive its owntroubles, found myself here, to participate in and wit-ness this joyful once-in-a-lifetime event, was a mira-cle, too.

I reflect often on the parallel that can be drawnbetween the prayerful tenacity and physical en-durance of the Serrans with whom I shared the ex-hausting events of the day, and our patron JuníperoSerra, whose spiritual vision enabled him to walkthousands of miles to complete his life’s work, unde-terred by countless corporeal and bureaucratic chal-lenges. I can only conclude that Serra himself was aspecial guide watching over and protecting Serrans,giving them all they needed to press on through thislong prayed-for day. They would have had every rea-son to ad lib the Mass’s opening hymn: “Jesus, youbrought me all the way... But Saint Junípero cheeredme on!” %



CLOCKWISE FROM TOP: Serra leaders smile for the camera after Mass; Past USA Coun-cil President Bob Labat holds up a fan made special for the occasion at the banquet;iconographer Kati Ritchie and Serra International President Tim O’Neill pose withRitchie’s Serra icon, a gift for Pope Francis; and USA Council Vocations Vice PresidentJudy Cozzens sits next to her son, USA Council Episcopal Advisor Bishop AndrewCozzens. PAGE 10: Serrans who traveled to Washington to celebrate gather for a groupphoto. All photos by Greg Lynch, Jr.


“When Bishop Pierre-Antoine Paulo ar-rived in 2001, there was one seminarianstudying for the diocese... This year, 2014,we have 45 seminarians... Since 2011,Bishop Paulo has ordained nine new priests,and another five will be ordained on Dec.18, 2014. It has not been an easy road totravel, especially with the earthquake in2010 which killed several seminarians. Butit is a road we have not traveled alone.Thanks to Serra International, we havebeen able to support the seminarian pro-gram, which is now beginning to bear fruit.”

These words of gratitude written by Joan Mar-tin, a missionary in the Diocese of Port-de-Paix, Haiti, were part of a final report

expressing thanks for a grant from the Serra Interna-tional Foundation in 2009. This diocese is just one of138 grantees awarded a total of $1.8 million by theSerra International Foundation in the last decade.The Diocese of Port-de-Paix is a particuarly strikingexample of how a gift can go far beyond its originalintent. Here are a few more amazing recent examplesof your donation dollars at work in the field of voca-tions through the Serra International Foundation:

$3160.00 to the Jesuit Society of Jamshedpur inIndia to build wells necessary for the health of itsseminarians and staff

$25,000.00 to the Pontifical College of NorthAmerica in Rome applied to the sponsorship of theirannual class retreat

$12,000.00 to provide education and financial sup-port for two seminarians at the Holy Spirit Seminaryof L’viv, Ukraine

$25,000.00 for the Diocese of San Bernardino’s Of-fices of Vocations and Mission Advancement to

help young Christians understands what in means tobe called to a vocation in the Church; this grant wasmatched by San Bernardino Serran Bill Lemann, andthe California Serra clubs of Palm Springs, Hemet,Riverside and San Bernardino, bringing the fund totalto $100,000.00!

$20,000.00 for the purchase, shipment, delivery andassociated fees of a Toyota Tacoma vehicle to aid theDirector of Formation of the National MissionarySociety of St. Paul in Nigeria in his travels

As you can see, when you give to the Serra Interna-tional Foundation, you support vocations worldwidein very real ways. You support vocations threatenedby poverty or disaster. You support the awareness of,and nurturing of, vocations in young people. You helpsecure the peace of mind, heart and body needed forvocations to flourish!

By giving to the Foundation, you help SerraInternational to fulfill its mission far beyond the reachof local clubs, beyond the borders of dioceses and na-tions. You make possible the work, life and vitality ofour Church -- and thus, its very precious future -- asthe earthly hands and hearts of the body of Christ.

Introducing: The Saint Serra SocietyThe Serra International Foundation wishes to honorand acknowledge patrons who donate $10,000.00 ormore within a single year to the Foundation. Those whomake such a generous gift will become part of “TheSaint Serra Society” and receive special perks, especiallyduring Serra International’s annual convention. Staytuned for more details on this exciting development.

How to GiveThe Serra International Foundation welcomes giftsin any amount, at any time of year. You may use oursecure online form at http://www.serrainterna-tional.org/foundationsupport, or send your checks di-rectly to the Foundation at 333 W. Wacker Drive,Suite 500, Chicago, IL, 60606. To donate using acredit card by phone, please call (312) 419-7411. %

The Serra International FoundationExtending the work of Serra beyond all borders and expectations

http://www.serrainternational.org/foundationsupport

http://www.serrainternational.org/foundationsupport


My father, Santa Clara Serran Greg Lynch,and I were just returning from dinner atthe Capitol Grill in Washington, D.C., to

find reporters standing in front of the Hyatt Regencyhotel where we were staying. NBC10 from Philadel-phia had sent Rosemary Connors to Washington toreport on visitors’ thoughts about the Pope’s visit.

She beckoned us both over when she heardwe had come for Junípero Serra’s canonization Mass.I demurred and let my father do the interview by him-self. As I stood to the side filming the interview withmy cell phone, I realized that none of it would everreach the air. Connors’ mission was to get storiesabout the sense of excitement people felt during thePope’s visit to Washington. Several times she askedmy father directly about his excitement.

That wasn’t going to happen. My father is astoic Yankee from Massachusetts. He is not going tostand on the corner and trumpet his emotions. Hetalked about St. Serra and Serra International: both

important subjects, but not ones that fit into the tem-plate Connors was building her story around.

After my father finished his interview andConnors moved on, all I could think was that if shehad seen what my father had gone through to gethere, and what he would have to do to actually get toWednesday’s Mass, he would be the lead story.

In January, when Pope Francis announcedhis plans to canonize Blessed Serra, my father imme-diately made his intentions clear that he would be at-tending the Mass. By June it was announced that theMass would be at the Basilica of the National Shrineof the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.Cduring the pope’s visit in September. My father im-mediately went online and made hotel reservations.At this point, Serra International didn’t even haveconfirmation that they would be given any tickets tothe ceremony.

To be honest, my father shouldn’t travel byair. A wound and back pain make it painful for himto sit for any length of time. Furthermore, he carries

One Serran’s Journey to the BasilicaA son discovers his father’s true devotion to Serra in Washington

Past USA Council President Greg Lynch takes a break on his way toJunípero Serra’s canonization. His destination, the Basilica of theNational Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, rises in the distance.

by Greg Lynch, Jr.


an oxygen concentrator so he can breathe. Carryingthe concentrator requires an extra round of securitythat the ticket agents don’t fully understand. And yet,still without tickets to the mass, my father was makingairline reservations. There wasn’t a doubt in his mindhe would be going.

As if it were pre-ordained or simply my fa-ther’s faith paying off, he obtained his ticket to theMass. On Wednesday, Sept. 23 at 1 o’clock, weboarded the bus for the National Shrine. If you werethinking that it would be smooth sailing from here onin, you would be mistaken.

Washington seemed to be pretty much onlockdown. If you were out wandering the streets, thepolice presence was constant. Everywhere, there werepolice cars, secret service men patrolling on bicycles,and soldiers standing on street corners. Barricadeswere going up around every monument. The mainmall and the grounds of the Capitol Building hadbeen completely fenced off. Locals said this was anunprecedented level of security.

It was about a three-mile journey from theHyatt Regency to the Basilica. In normal times, thejourney shouldn’t take more than 15 minutes. Fortyminutes later we were still at the barricade waiting togo on to the Basilica grounds. The bus driver in-formed us that he would not get beyond the barricade.We would have to walk the rest of the way.

My father can’t walk long distances. He’sgood for about 100 feet on his best health day. Theplace where we disembarked from the bus lay three-

quarters of a mile from the Basilica. Renting a wheelchair would have been excellent idea, but at the time,we didn’t realize we would be this far away.

My father must have been in agony as wewalked up the hill toward the security line. He tookmultiple breaks along the way. We passed an emptyparking lot that could have conveniently held our busand was only a hundred yards from the Mass site.

On one side, a man constantly harangued uswith his bullhorn about what was wrong with theChurch and in particular the priesthood. He yelled in-sults despite the fact that the priests he besmirchedwalked only a few feet in front of us. Signs on the hillon the other side of the line questioned whether PopeFrancis was the antichrist. Despite this negativity,people in the line continued to cheer for Il Papa, attimes overwhelming the obnoxious man.

The line to actually get through the metal de-tectors seemed interminable. Either they were under-staffed or they didn’t have enough people to do thesearches. And yet, everywhere you looked there werepeople in uniform. Even the TSA was there. A pass-ing volunteer pushing a wheelchair through the crowdallowed my father to follow behind him through thecheck-point. What a relief to see my father finally getthat much closer to his seat.

By the time I caught up to my father in hisseat, the oppressive mood of the security line hadlightened considerably. Anticipation for Pope Fran-cis’s arrival was rising. Security started to block offthe seated area from the standing area to create a

“When it came time for Communion, my father roseand smiled... All the work hehad done in the name of St.Serra had come to fruition.”


small road between the two groups. Peo-ple jammed both sides of this aisle in anattempt to catch a glimpse of the Holy Fa-ther.

Before you knew it, Pope Francisdrove by in his custom-made Jeep Pope-mobile. The crowds cheered. Everyonejockeyed to get their camera up to snap apicture of the Pope. Pope Francis wavedand smiled as he drove by. When hereached the end of the drive, he turnedaround and came back again. More pho-tos were taken. The cheers grew louder.

When it came time for Commun-ion, my father rose and smiled. I haven’tseen a smile that big on his face in quitesome time. All the work he had done inthe name of St. Serra had come to fruitionand he was overjoyed to be a party to thiscelebration.

An hour later as we tried to findour bus, which was blocked to us by secu-rity, my father still wore his smile. Longafter the tribulations of getting to andfrom the Basilica have faded, I’m sure thememory of Pope Francis canonizing St.Serra will burn bright in his mind.

Certainly my father’s struggleswere no walk from Vera Cruz to MexicoCity, but they showed his devotion to seehis dream come true. If Rosemary Con-nors wanted to talk about excitement, shewould have reported on this Serran’s per-sonal journey. %

FROM TOP:

Greg Lynch receives communion at the canonization Mass;

A scene of the crowd’s departure after Mass;

The “holy Fiat” carrying Pope Francis away from the Basilica.


With solemn Mass and a banquet, the SerraInternational Convention in Melbourneconcluded Sunday evening at St. John the

Evangelist Church in East Melbourne, where Arch-bishop Denis Hart concelebrated Mass and thenpresided over a banquet celebrating the 73rd Serraconvention. It’s only the second time Australia hasbeen the venue, and it was Melbourne’s first hostingof the event.

‘Vocation – the light of Christ’ was the topic ofone of the keynote addresses by Father Morgan Batt,who spoke to delegates from 10 countries aboutSerra’s role, and indeed the calling of all Catholics, inpromoting the glories and the beauty of the Catholicfaith.

Evangelisation of the people is the essential mis-sion of the Church,’ stated Father Batt, who is Voca-tions Director for the Archdiocese of Brisbane.Quoting Pope Paul VI, Fr Batt said, ‘that’s our deep-est identity. Pope Saint John Paul II also clearly af-firmed that we are to devote ALL of our energies toproclaiming Christ. That’s who we are, said St John

Paul. That’s our vocational call.’ Father Batt also quoted Pope Francis. ‘Get out

there and get amongst the people. Get the smell ofsheep on you!’

‘Evangelising is our baptismal vocation,’ Fr Battreminded his audience. ‘There are 5½ millionCatholics in Australia, a quarter of the population,and only 10% of them go to Mass! And over 50% ofCatholic kids don’t even go to Catholic schools!’

Father Batt urged those present to win hearts bypresenting the beauty of the Church and the beautyof the faith. ‘Our saints, our social justice policies, ourhospitals, our schools…we are the 2nd largest em-ployer in Australia. We are beautiful!’ he declared.

The audience was also reminded of the most dis-tressing statistic. Said Fr Batt, ‘our lack of fervour andour lack of joy and our lack of community are drivingsomething like 8,000 Catholics a day into other Chris-tian churches.’ He reminded his listeners that we be-long to the oldest intellectual tradition in the West.‘Let’s proclaim it with ardour,’ he declared. ‘Let’s tellthe GREAT story…Jesus is risen from the dead, we

Very Rev. BrandonLane, Rector of Corpus

Christi Seminary withseminarians from Aus-

tralia, New Zealand,Myanmar (Burma),India, and Nigeria.

These seminarians, allstudying at Corpus

Christi Seminary,opened the convention

by sharing their voca-tions stories, discussing

everything from thedifficulties of being

away from home to thejoy of the "interna-

tional kitchen" at theseminary where the

students share recipesfrom their native lands.

Christ’s Light in the Great South LandSerrans travel to Melbourne for our 73rd international convention

17the Serran | Vol. 62 No. 417 the Serran | Vol. 62 No. 3

Meet us in Saint LouisJUNE 30 - JULY 3, 2016

SERRA’S 74TH INTERNATIONAL CONVENTION

CALENDARS

are people of joy and of life, we are community.’After Holy Mass, concelebrated by Archbishop

Hart with another eight or more priests, Mel-bourne’s Archbishop addressed the closing banquetdinner and praised and congratulated Serra, its newPresident Tim O’Neill from Omaha and all thosepresent for their work across the globe promotingvocations, and imparted his blessing upon all pres-ent.

Delegates from across the world, including theUSA, Canada, Brazil, Italy, Thailand, Nigeria,Hong Kong, the Philippines and New Zealand,praised the Melbourne organisers of the event, andinvited all Serrans, and all those interested in work-ing to promote vocations to Catholic religious life,to gather next year in St. Louis, Missouri, for thenext Serra International Convention. %

From the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne Media andCommunications Office

Ready to celebrate Junípero Serra’s first Feast Day as a saintwith the BIGGEST Serra club in the world?

The Serra Club of Saint Louis isproud to welcome Serrans from allover the world as hosts of Serra’s74th international convention. Jointhem for a world class conventionincluding:

St. Louis Cardinals vs. Kansas•City Royals game

5K run with the National Life Run-•ners

Amazing speakers including au-•thors Rhonda Gruenewald, Fr. BrettBrannan and Sam Alzheimer

and much, much more!•

Keep up to date on our Facebook:www.facebook.com/serrastl

Registration details coming soonto www.serrainternational.org

MARK YOUR

Serra International Trustee Michael Bragg, Most Rev. GeraldHart, Bishop of Wagga Wagga, Australia, and John Listonpose for a photo during afternoon tea at the convention.

Behind John, you can see Convention Committee Chair FrankMcCulloch enjoying a "cuppa" and scone.

http://www.cam.org.au/News-and-Events/News-and-Events/Melbourne-News/Article/19604/Serra-s-International-Convention-spends-3-days-in-Melbourne#.VkoHznarSM-


(Read the Opening Prayer and Scripture out loud.)

Opening PrayerO God, You consecrated Your only-begotten Son, supremeand eternal Priest, for the glory of Your majesty, and thesalvation of Humanity: grant that those whom He has cho-sen to be priests will be faithful in fulfilling the ministry theyhave received. In Jesus name we pray. Amen.

Scripture“Every high priest is taken from among men and made theirrepresentative before God, to offer gifts and sacrifices forsins.... No one takes this honor upon himself, but only whencalled by God.” (Hebrews 5: 1-4)

(Take time for silent reflection, then read the Introduction out loud.)

IntroductionA priest is a mediator presenting an offering of love and sur-render to God in the name of the community of believers.At the same time, the priest is chosen by God to communi-cate the Lord’s gifts of grace, love and forgiveness to thecommunity. Priesthood has experienced significant changesthroughout history. Current expectations of the priesthoodare so diverse that false hopes are often placed on them bythe community in which they serve. This program providesthe opportunity to communicate the varied responsibilitiesand roles of the priest.

(Introduce a speaker or the facilitator can read the following para-graphs with pauses in between.)

Documentary TraditionThe priesthood draws its meaning from the life of Jesus, andfrom this foundation the Church views itself as the Body ofChrist sharing in the very nature and activities of Christ.This includes sharing in his priesthood, which expresseswhat God has done for all humanity.

Over the course of history, the Church developeddifferences between the common and ministerial priest-hood. This is most notably seen in the celebration of theEucharist. Here the ordained priest acts in the person of

As Serrans, we seek every opportunity to saythank you to priests for their selfless love in

faithful service. Whether we organize a formal re-ception or by mail special thank you cards, don’tforget the sacred way to thank our shepherds.

Offering a prayer for the spiritual renewal ofpriests is an excellent way to say, “Thank you.”For this, the Program Committee has carefully se-lected the Emmaus Prayer for Priests and the Mis-sion and Ministry of Priesthood program locatedin Program Manual II to feature in this issue of TheSerran.

Emmaus Prayer for PriestsLord Jesus, hear our prayer for the spiritual re-

newal of priests. We praise you for giving their ministry to the

Church. In these days renew them with the gifts of yourspirit.You once opened the Scriptures to the discipleson the road to Emmaus.Now renew your ordained ministers with the

truth and power of your Word.In Eucharist you gave the Emmaus disciples re-newed life and hope.Nourish priests with your own Body and Blood. Help them imitate in their lives the death and res-urrection they celebrate at your altar. Give priests enthusiasm for the Gospel, zeal forthe salvation of all people,courage in leadership, humility in service, frater-nity with one another,and with all their brothers and sisters in you. Foryou love them, Lord Jesus,and we love and pray for them in your name.

Amen.

Emmaus Year, 1983-84, Diocese of Kansas City-St.Joseph, MO

Mission and Ministry of Priesthood


Christ and offers the sacrifice of the Mass to God in thename of the people, and the people join with the priestin that offering. Through the sacrament of ordinationpriests are empowered to act in the person of Christ,which unites them in a sacramental bond with one an-other as they participate in the mission and ministry ofJesus.

The nature of priesthood has gained a consid-erable amount of attention since the Second VaticanCouncil. The Church is struggling to understand thepriesthood of the faithful and to generate a deeper un-derstanding of the unique call to serve in the ordainedpriesthood. While there are references to priesthood inthe old and new testaments and church history the fol-lowing quotes express our contemporary understandingof this special call from God.

“The priest has a special relationship with JesusChrist. “By the Sacrament of Orders priests are config-ured to Christ, the Priest, so that as minister of the headand coworkers of the episcopal order they can build upand establish His Whole Body which is Christ.” (Decreeon the Ministry and Life of Priests, #12)

“The basic elements of the priestly ministry are:a) to proclaim the Gospel; b) to preside over the sacra-ments and liturgy, and c) to build up and serve the com-munity which in turn serves the world.” (The Report ofthe Bishops Ad Hoc Committee for Priestly Life andMinistry, p. 25)

“The ministerial or hierarchical priesthood ofbishops and priests, and the common priesthood of allthe faithful participate, each in its own proper way, inthe one priesthood of Christ. While being ‘ordered oneto another,’ they differ essentially.... While the commonpriesthood of the faithful is exercised by the faithful bythe unfolding of baptismal grace — a life of faith, hope,and charity, a life according to the Spirit, the ministerialpriesthood is at the service of the common priesthood.It is directed at the unfolding of the baptismal grace ofall Christians. The ministerial priesthood is a means bywhich Christ unceasingly builds up and leads hisChurch. For this reason, it is transmitted by its ownsacrament, the sacrament of Holy Orders.” (Catechismof the Catholic Church, #1547)

(The facilitator can read the Discussion Questions out loud forgeneral or small group discussion.)

Discussion Questions1. What is the main conclusion that we can draw fromthe doctrine of the common priesthood?2. How will this challenge the priesthood in the 21st cen-tury?3. As Serrans how can we help the common and or-dained priesthood minister to each other?

(If time permits invite the small groups to share with the largegroup any insights that they gain from the group discussion,then read the Closing Reflection.)

Closing ReflectionIn light of shifting perceptions of ministry within theChurch, the distinctiveness of the priest has beenblurred. Specifically, the Sacrament of Orders is consid-ered to be a sacrament of service to the community. Re-ception of this sacrament gives those who receive it aparticular role in the building up of the Church by en-gaging in the threefold ministry of preaching, celebrat-ing the Eucharist and providing guidance for thefaithful.%

BibliographyOsborne, Kenan B. O.F.M. Priesthood: A History of the Or-dained Ministry in the Roman CatholicChurch.New York: Paulist Press, 1988.Roman Catholic Church. Catechism of the CatholicChurch.New Jersey: Paulist Press, 1992 English1994.Smith, Karen Sue. Priesthood In The Modern World. Wis-consin : Sheed & Ward, 1999.The Second Vatican Council. “Degree on the Ministryand Life of Priests (Presbyterorum Ordinis),”The Documents of Vatican II, Walter M. Abbott, S.J., ed.Piscataway: Association Press, 1966


After being inducted as President atour International Convention inAustralia in July, one of the high-

lights of my year as President was the long-awaited canonization of our patron,

Junípero Serra, in Washington, D.C. As Serrans, wehave been praying for this elevation of Fr. Serra foryears, and to see it come to fruition was an experienceI shall never forget.

Attending the canonization Mass for St. JuníperoSerra was a joyful and emotional experience. Amongthe thousands gathered on Sept. 23 outside the Basil-ica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Con-ception, Serrans were seated behind the bishops andpriests as Pope Fran-cis celebrated Massand the first canon-ization ceremony inthe United States.Under sun-drenchedskies, the crowd was in great spirits as we waited forthe arrival of Pope Francis and to witness history. Itwas just a great day to celebrate.

About 250 Serrans from around the world trav-eled to Washington, including 90 Serrans who hadtickets for the Mass and about 150 people whowatched on video from the hotel ballroom.

As president of this organization, and as a mem-ber for 28 years, it was emotional during this historicMass to think of Serra members throughout the apos-tolate’s 80 year history who have dedicated them-selves to this wonderful mission.

Opportunities to share the faith at the celebrationwere abundant, especially in the number of peoplewho asked questions about St. Serra and Serra Inter-national and took home pamphlets and prayer cardsfrom our display table at the hotel. These opportuni-ties should continue. As president I am encouragingall clubs everywhere to publically celebrate the can-onization in your area. Please share your celebrationof the canonization with the Serra International of-

fice so other clubs can benefit from the various exam-ples.

This is our time to become missionary disciples.As Pope Francis calls on all Catholics to spread thegood news of the Gospel, so shall we spread the goodnews of Serra International. This is our time to uniteas one organization and family under the care of ourpatron St. Junípero Serra.

How do we build on this? How do we take thismoment that we just experienced, and build on it toreach out to others? As Serrans we all have this re-sponsibility to do something. As we share the goodnews of Serra, this is a wonderful opportunity for therecruitment of new members and for revitalizing and

enriching our clubs.This needs to be oneof our goals as wemove forward fromthis historical mo-ment.

Our International Prayer of the Rosary for Voca-tions, which was initiated this past August, is oneform of uniting Serrans worldwide in celebration ofFather Serra’s canonization. Close to 100 Serranshave participated each month since the inception ofthis monthly Rosary (see p. 25 for details).

During his homily at the canonization Mass,Pope Francis spoke about Fr. Serra and the motto weas Serrans follow, the motto that inspired our patron’slife and work, a saying by which he lived his life:“Siempre Adelante! Keep moving forward! For him,this was the way to continue delighting in the joy ofthe Gospel, to keep his heart from growing numb,from becoming anesthetized. He kept moving for-ward because the Lord was waiting. He kept going,because his brothers and sisters were waiting. He keptgoing forward to the end of his life. Today, like him,may we be able to say, ‘Forward! Let’s keep movingforward!’ %

Tim O’NeillPresident,

Serra International

Our Time to Become Missionary Disciples

It is time to unite as one organization and family under the care of our patron,

St. Junípero Serra.


The following is an excerpt from a homily de-livered by Grand Rapids Serra Club Moderator,Msgr. Edward Hankiewicz’s homily at a Massof Thanksgiving for the canonization of SaintJunípero Serra. This Mass was part of ourlocal recognition of the long prayed-for canon-

ization of our patron, Junípero Serra—the first saint ever tobe canonized on American soil. Msgr. Hankiewicz’s homilyprovides us with a context in which to follow Saint JuníperoSerra’s example to advance in our own holiness and to fosterand support vocations to the the priesthood and to the conse-crated religious life—our stated purposes as Serrans. Let uspray that we may apply Saint Junípero Serra’s example ofcommitment in our own lives and to our mission in his name.

He was a Franciscan priest; also a philosopher,a teacher, and a mentor of young men whowished to become followers, first of Jesus

Christ, and then of St. Francis of Assisi. But PadreJunípero decided to leave it all behind. The year was1749 and he set sail on the ship La Señora deGuadalupe heading towards New Spain (Mexico). Theship itself may have been less than 100 ft. long – that’spause for thought right there! He left behind parents,homeland, security and all that was familiar...

…What would possess Padre Junípero , or anyoneelse for that matter, to abandon hearth, home and theordered life of academia, for some forsaken part of theunknown world? God only knows. And He’s beeninviting priests, consecrated religious (like Fr. Serra) andlaymen and laywomen to do just that for a long time:not just to go overseas but also to evangelize in theirown countries. Which finally brings me to the readingsof this special celebration.

The first reading, from the Acts of the Apostles,called the “Gospel of the Holy Spirit”, cited what pro-pelled Paul and Barnabas to journey around AsiaMinor and into Europe. They were apostles; they weremissionaries; but the Word of the Lord called them tobe a light to the gentiles, an instrument of salvation.

They were to be that “light and instrument” not be-

cause of their own expertise or human talents, althoughthat would have been integrated into how they spreadthe message. It was what Jesus did, just before He as-cended back to the Father, as given in St. Matthew’sGospel. He gave His disciples His power. With thatauthority, they were to go and make disciples of the na-tions, through baptism AND (this is critical) on-goinginstruction in the Faith. That instruction was and stillis important, so the baptized can observe and live out,what has been taught.

Instruction in the faith is not catechism classes orBible study (good as they are) but first, drawing close tothe Lord Jesus in prayer and reflection. As importantas the “community of faith” is (as emphasized sostrongly by the Second Vatican Council), it is still indi-vidual and frequent communion between each one ofus and the Lord Jesus that is important. By “commu-nion” I mean an exchange between God and ourselves.We speak to Him from our hearts, God listens; Godspeaks to our hearts, we listen. I’m not saying that’seasy, but it has to be done.

I believe that is achieved in three ways. The firsttwo of course are frequent reception of the Most HolyEucharist and the regular reception of Reconciliationin which Jesus Himself touches us at the very core ofour being. Again, we need to be listening to Him.

The third way, I suggest, as part of a Serran spiri-tual regimen, is time spent before our Lord in the MostBlessed Sacrament. Whether He is exposed in a mon-strance or a closed tabernacle, it doesn’t matter. Thatspiritual intimacy is indispensable for any Catholic, allthe more so for a Serran. If all else fails, then one sim-ply hunkers down in a quiet place at home for a fewprecious minutes, no books, no rosary, just listening.However you do it, Jesus will maintain His promisedintimate presence with us. He said it; He meant it, andHe will do it.

Fr. Ken Laverone, OFM, Vice Postulator for thecause of St. Junípero wrote: [St. Junípero ] challengesSerrans to re-imagine the role of Serrans in the world

John OsterhartPresident,

Serra’s Council forthe United States

Finding Meaning in the Example of St. Serra

Continued on page 25


The Serran Time Capsule 1959: Vintage Serra Vocation Posters

Straight from the January-February 1959 issue of The Serran, these vo-cation posters reflect the design sensibilities and social values of yes-teryear. And check out that price point: $2.25 plus shipping for a

set of 24 large posters!Does your club use posters to raise vocation awareness in schools

and churches today? These days, quick printing and user-friendly homepublishing programs make almost anything possible under anybudget. How can these vintage examples inspire your own design?What would young people respond to today? %


Discover First-Class Promotional Materials Online at the Serra Store!

What does your Serra Club need to take it to the next level forawareness, membership recruitment, publicity or spirtual de-velopment? Chances are we’ve got what you need.

Shop online at www.serrastore.org for personalized businesscards, lapel pins, books, name badges, banners (as pictured atleft), prayer cards, certificates and more!

https://www.serrastore.org/store/catalog


It is often said that “modernity breedsplurality,” and a reading of almost anynewspaper will confirm that state-

ment. Every conceivable ideology hasfound a voice on the Internet. Tragically,some perverse, unholy and extreme ide-

ologies have found not only a voice but also a follow-ing, and have carried out several recent atrocities,namely the terrorist attacks in Lebanon and Paris. Aswe pray for the victims of these senseless acts of vio-lence, we also pray for peace and justice in our world.

The plurality created by our modern world hasbecome synonymous withdivision and divisiveness.Yet, the Church has livedwith forms of pluralismsince its inception. We cel-ebrate those differences, es-pecially during this Year ofConsecrated Life. The dif-ference between pluralism in modern secular societyand our Church comes from the principal teachingsof our faith. Our shared faith allows the charisms ofmany religious orders to flourish and help bring theGospel to all the world.

In his book On Leadership, American statesmanJohn W. Gardner wrote, “A society in which plural-ism is not undergirded by some shared values andheld together by some measure of mutual trust simplycannot survive. Pluralism that reflects no commit-ments whatever to the common good is pluralismgone berserk... Leaders unwilling to seek mutuallyworkable arrangements within systems external totheir own are not surviving the long-term interest oftheir constituents.” In many respects, we are livingin an “age of pluralism gone berserk” as described byMr. Gardner. Contemporary society allows anyonewith Internet access to shout his or her views withoutregard for the common good, without oversight, andoften without any supporting facts.

We are blessed to be part of the Catholic Church,where every parish, every religious order, everybishop, every priest, every sister, every brother, every

deacon, and every member of the laity is called toserve a common goal: to be a part of the Body ofChrist. In the Apostolic Letter of His Holiness PopeFrancis to All Consecrated People on the occasion ofthe Year of Consecrated Life, our Holy Father said:“The creativity of the Spirit has generated ways of lifeand activities so diverse that they cannot be easily cat-egorized or fit into ready-made templates. So I cannotaddress each and every charismatic configuration. Yetduring this Year no one can feel excused from seri-ously examining his or her presence in the Church’slife and from responding to the new demands con-

stantly being made on us,to the cry of the poor.”This examination of pres-ence is not just limited toconsecrated. It applies to allCatholics, including, if notespecially, Serrans.

As Serrans, we existin the Church to pray for, support, encourage, and af-firm vocations to religious life and the priesthood.The vocations we nurture and the priests and reli-gious supported by Serrans will help to answer thecries of the poor. Just as the Holy Father was unableto categorize all of the ways of life and activities ofconsecrated religious, I cannot name all of the thingsSerra clubs, districts, and councils do to fulfill our mis-sion. All of your work as a Serran, from prayer (par-ticularly in Eucharistic Adoration) to organizingawareness and appreciation events, to bearing witnessof the faith, makes our apostolate stronger and morevibrant. While all Serra clubs work under the samebasic principles and within the same organizationalstructure, each club finds a unique way to fulfill ourobjectives and purposes, just as each religious orderoperates within the Church while expressing its ownparticular charism.

In life of Serra, just as in the life of the Church,there have been times when conflicting opinions havetested the viability of certain entities. While resolvingthese conflicts can be difficult, resolution is necessaryto allow the vital work we perform to continue.

John ListonExecutive Director,Serra International

Examining Our Presence in the Church

Each club finds a unique way to fulfillour objectives and purposes,

just as each religious order operateswithin the Church while expressing

its own particular charism.


Thankfully, Serra and the Church have governingbodies to resolve disputes: the Serra International andSerra Council Boards, and the Roman Curia respec-tively. The Serra International and Serra CouncilBoards provide guidance and support to Serra clubs,encourage the positive unique facets of Serra clubs,and stand ready to resolve issues as they arise.

St. Pope John Paul II reminded consecrated reli-gious in Post-Synodal Apostolic Exhortation VitaConsecrata: “You have not only a glorious history toremember and to recount, but also a great history stillto be accomplished! Look to the future, where theSpirit is sending you in order to do even greaterthings” (No. 110). This statement is true for religiousorders, just as it is true for Serra. Let us go forward,under the patronage of the recently canonized Fr.Junípero Serra and continue to glorious work of ourapostolate for vocations.

Mary, Mother of Vocations, pray for us! %

and Church today. Where does the compassion andmercy of God need to be proclaimed? How do Serranstoday, who admire and follow in the footsteps of JesusChrist and …. St. Junípero , proclaim this Good News?On the foundation of those three personal encounterswith the Lord, Serrans are to simply follow what hasalready been set down for them: to foster and affirm vo-cations to the priesthood and consecrated religious lifeand to engage in ongoing spiritual and practical faithformation.

Encouraged by Jesus and inspired by the HolySpirit, we will honor the words of St. Paul: “to build upthe household of God and grow into a temple, sacredto the Lord.” %

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS:“The Blessed Wanderings of St. Junípero Serra”, Fr.Robert Barbato, OFM Cap., The Word Among Us, Aug.2015, p. 53ff“Going Forward, Anew,” Fr. Ken Laverone, OFM, TheSerran, Vol. 62, No. 3, p. 3

OsterhartContinued from page 21

Pray the Rosary for Vocations, via Conference Call!

As one of Serra International's objectives is "toassist its members to recognize and respondto God's call to holiness," we invite you to joinus in a monthly international prayer of theRosary, via conference call.

This initiative, launched by Serra InternationalPresident Tim O'Neill, takes place at 8:00 a.m.Central Time (-6:00GST) on the last Saturdayof every month, when Serrans worldwidegather to recite the Rosary with special voca-tions intentions.

The next four Rosary dates are:Nov. 28, 2015 Dec. 26, 2015Jan. 30, 2016 Feb. 27, 2016

To join our rosary from your computer, tabletor smartphone, go to:https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/31431598

We send out an email with time, internationalnumbers, and access code about one week be-fore the Rosary. If you are not already receiv-ing these notices, please contact us to sign upon our mailing list.

Let us use today's technology to unite us inour Serran mission through prayer. Humbleprayer plants the seed of all great things, in-cluding awareness, affirmation, support andawakening to the call of vocations.

mailto:[email protected]

mailto:[email protected]

https://global.gotomeeting.com/join/31431598

Cincinnati, Ohio, USAA crowd of nearly 50 people assembled to watch theCanonization. We served a meal with wine and sodaand had a talk at the end of the event to explain moreabout Serra and gave people the opportunity to jointhe club. We held our event inside the New Evange-lization Center at Ruah Woods (a Theology of theBody educational center) and we occupied the St.John Paul II Room, the Pope Benedict Room and thePope Francis Room! Since our event, I’ve heard a fewpeople tell me that this was the first time they had everheard of St. Junípero Serra and the Serra Club and Ithink that’s a great thing!— Wayne Topp, Associate Vo-cation Director, Archdiocese of Cincinnati

Youngstown, Ohio, USAThe Serra Club of Youngstown celebrated the canon-ization of Father Junípero Serra on Sept. 23 by view-ing the canonization Mass from the Basilica of theNational Shrine of the Immaculate Conception inWashington, D.C. Approximately 50 members andguests continued the celebration at a dinner held atSt. Charles Parish in Boardman, OH. Centerpieceswere prayer cards bearing the image of the newly can-onized Father Serra. Serra Club president, Joe Nudo,led the group in a prayer of thanksgiving for this joy-

ous event!— Rosey Wilson, Director of Communications,Serra Club of Youngstown

Bangalore, IndiaWith the caption : "Offered by the Serra Club of Ban-galore on the occasion of the Canonization of theirpatron Bl. Junípero Serra by Pope Francis", Thanks-giving Mass was offered in various churches, chapelsand convents across Bangalore on 23rd September.

An article on Bl. Junípero Serra and theSerra Club was given to the Archbishop who gra-ciously printed it in the diocesan circular. A printedcopy of the article, plus a letter, was personally deliv-ered to parish priests with a request that they speakabout our patron not only on the 23rd, but also onSunday, 20th September, so as to reach a wider audi-ence.

Serrans met parishioners after Mass on Sun-day and on the 23rd, to distribute leaflets, speak aboutSt. Junípero Serra, the Serra Club, our mission andto ask them to pray for vocations.

Most of the Serrans stayed awake to watchthe Canonization on EWTN, and rejoiced in the factthat our President, Jeanette D'Souza, was present inWashington, DC, to witness the event live. — EvelynCoutto, VP Communications, Serra Club of Bangalore


Serra Clubs Celebrate!A glimpse of local canonization events from clubs around the world

Serra’s National Council for the PhilippinesBlessida Diwa (third from left), President of Serra’s National Council ofthe Philippines, poses with Most Rev.Archbishop Emeritus Diosdado Talamayan,D.D., Serra Club of Tuguegarao City Presi-dent Adilynne Urbina (fifth from left) andfriends aroud a tarpaulin created espe-cially to raise awareness of JuníperoSerra’s canonization. This tarpaulin wasplaced in churches all over the Philippines.


South Bend, Indiana, USAOn Wednesday, Sept. 23, the Serra Club of SouthBend gathered around a wide screen and watchedwith hearts full of joy as Pope Francis said Mass andcanonized, our patron, Father Junípero Serra.

It truly was an occasion to celebrate and sowe did. Following the Mass and canonization weplayed Mexican music in the background to enhancethe theme of our party while we enjoyed a smorgas-bord of food including tacos, a seven-layer-taco dipand a guacamole dip. Included in the desserts was anauthentic tres leches cake. Opening a piñata was thehighlight of the evening for the three young childrenof a couple who recently joined our club. The eveningended with everyone enjoying a raffle of small reli-gious articles.

Now, with thanksgiving for our patron beinglisted among the saints, we will strive more earnestlyto imitate him, always going forward in the work ofour mission. -- Frances Sain, President, Serra Club ofSouth Bend

Kitchener-Waterloo and Toronto, Ontario, CanadaWe celebrated by joining in the celebration at St. Do-minic church in Mississauga. It was organized by theToronto West Club and gave us an opportunity to jointogether and watch the live coverage from Salt andLight via a cable hookup and large screen TV.

We shared a lovely meal following and ittruly was a celebration. Seven members from ourclub, along with our chaplain, Father Toby Collins,attended. Two of our distinguished Serrans, Lee andNoreen Hishon, travelled to Washington and we wereanxious to hear their story of being there in person.Click here to view a short video Father Toby madeof the events of the day. — Mary Helen Stroeder, SerraClub of Kitchener-Waterloo

Kokomo, Indiana, USAThe Kokomo Serra Club organized a special Mass atSt. Patrick Church on Sept. 23, just hours after PopeFrancis canonized Junípero Serra in Washington.

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ABOVE: A placemat gracing the tables and delighting diners at the Serra Club of South Bend’s Mexican feast.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bXM85g9AXA

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9bXM85g9AXA

The following day, Bishop Emeritus William L. Higi celebratedMass at the Cathedral of St. Mary of the Immaculate Conception.Father Paul Graf, club chaplain, was concelebrant and homilist.Later, the 75 people who attended were invited to dinner. Thesame readings and music used during the Mass in Washingtonwere used in Lafayette.

Edmonds, Washington, USAAbout 135 folks from area clubs held individual candles to signifythat we, the Church, are the light of the world. We plan to in-crease our membership and fill the room with lights! — Patty JaneMaritzen, V.P. of Membership, Edmonds, Washington

Owatonna, Minnesota, USAThe Serra Club of the Owatonna Area in Minnesota held a pan-cake breakfast fundraiser on Sept. 20 sponsored by the OwatonnaKnights of Columbus. To raise awareness of St. Serra and also ofthe Serra Club, members Tom and JoAnn Eichten went on thelocal TV station and talked (click here to view the interview whichstarts at 16:10). I'll send you the link. We also went on the localradio station, and wrote articles for the local newspapers. JoAnnspoke at the Owatonna Catholic Daughters of America Clubmeeting, and presented at the Owatonna KC Club in November.— JoAnn Eichten, President of the Serra Club of the Owatonna Area

Pueblo, Colorado, USAThe Serra group of Pueblo CO and friends were fortunate to beable to watch the Canonization of Saint Junípero Serra togetherat Chateau Nursing Home conference room followed by refresh-ments after Mass and fellowship. Each person received a beautifulpostcard remembrance of Saint Serra. — JoAnn Tapia, Serra Clubof Pueblo

Kansas City and Johnson County, Kansas, USAThe Serra Club of Kansas City in KS and the Johnson CountySerra Club celebrated Mass at St. James Academy with about 800high school students. The chaplain Fr. Dan Moore of St Jamesand Vocation Director Fr. Scott Wallisch of the Archdiocese ofKansas City in KS said Mass. The members of the clubs then hada luncheon with speeches about vocations and St. Serra. — GeneSchreiner, Treasurer, Serra Club of Kansas City, Kansas

Hong Kong, People’s Republic of ChinaThe Serra Club of Hong Kong enjoyed a special Mass at theCathedral of Immaculate Conception on Sept. 26. Mass was cel-ebrated by His Eminence Cardinal John Tong Hon, Bishop ofHong Kong. A tea reception was held in the cathedral communitycenter after Mass. %


The Serra Clubs of Sriracha, Bangsaen, St. John’s andPitsanuloke, Bangkok, and Banpong, Thailand, pro-duced attractive displays, prayer cards, brochures andother paper goodies bearing the likeness of St.Junípero Serra to honor his sainthood.

https://youtu.be/Ra9O_53f9A4


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