Serra Connects

Message from SI

Leadership

Serra Connects

What an honor it is for me as the current President of Serra International to introduce a new international newsletter – SERRA CONNECTS! When I was SI Vice President of Communications, my goal was to better connect the Serra World by bringing us all closer together through improved communication. Some of my initiatives are still in the developmental stage. However, the current SI Communications Committee, chaired by SI Vice President Emanuele Costa of the Serra Council of Italy, has worked very hard to contribute to improving Serra communications through the creation of this newsletter.

Its goal is to periodically gather meaningful Serra ideas, activities and best practices, from all around the Serra World, condense them and then share them with all Serrans. The Committee has developed a list of local Serran contacts from all Serran countries who will send us news in English, and receive the newsletter back translated into their native language, before disseminating it locally.

I can’t thank enough the Communications Committee and the Serran contact and translator volunteers for all their work in making this possible. Good communication will allow us to be more and more effective in our mission.

President of Serra International ,

Kurt Metyko

SERRA INTERNATIONAL UPDATE

Why a new newsletter?

As already said so well by our President in his message: to reach out to all Serrans around the world, in their own language, and make them feel part of the big family of Serra International.

Communication is about news, ideas and content that will help us get to know each other better and help us be united in our mission. We hope that SERRA CONNECTS can help achieve these goals by creating a two-way flow of news and ideas: from individual Serra Clubs scattered around the world to the Leadership of Serra International and its headquarters in Chicago, and vice versa.

So what will you find in the newsletter? different sections, to include:

- A Messagge from SI Leadership, either from the President of Serra International, or the President of the Foundation, or the Board of Trustees, all serving the Serra community scattered around the world.

- Serra International Update. This section is intended to include news and subjects that SI leadership and the Chicago office, with its executive directors John Liston and his staff, determine are meaningful to the International Serra community.

- Serra Spotlight. We will publish one feature article from one Serra Country or Region per edition. The article should present the reality, story, and activities of Serra in its geographical area and or promote a best practice or event that would be meaningful to the entire Serra community.

- Serra News from Around the World. We will publish one short article from each Serra Region or District per edition. This can include a significant event, a successful vocation activity, a best practice to share with all Clubs around the world.

- Pray for Vocations. Let's not forget that prayer is at the first place when it comes to Vocations. Each issue will present a different prayer for vocations. All Serra Clubs around the world are invited to share their preferred one

SERRA CONNECTS will start with a quarterly distribution, then move to every other month. We need all of you to provide great stories that will make Serra Connects a success for all of us.

Enjoy the reading!

The Communications Committee of Serra International

SERRA SPOTLIGHT

Canada 2024

The 34th Annual Ordinandi Dinner was held on Tuesday, March 19, 2024 at the Pearson Convention Center and once again we continued with the tradition of honoring the Ordinandi of St. Augustine's Seminary and Redemptoris Missionary Seminary in Toronto.

The Ordinandi Class of 2024 consisted of eight men, all graduates of St. Augustine Seminary and all about to dedicate their lives to the service of our Church, choosing as their theme, "Fiat mihi secundum verbuum tuum" which translates to "Let it be done to me according to Your word" (Luke 1:38) Serve the Lord with joy, come before him singing for joy." These powerful words of commitment to service were proclaimed loudly, under the prayerful gaze of St. Junipero Serra, to the 1,831 supporters from the Archdiocese of Toronto and surrounding areas who gathered to celebrate the amazing messages of the vocational journey of these committed servants of our Good Lord.

St. Augustine's Seminary has assumed sponsorship of the event, which continues to be hosted under the auspices of the Toronto Central Serra Club with the full support of the other five Serra Clubs of the Archdiocese of Toronto, the Vocations Office, the Catholic Youth Office and our Catholic educators.

The Pastoral Plan of the Archdiocese of Toronto urges all of us to adopt, support and encourage a "culture of vocations" in our community. The Ordinandi Dinner has become an important component in instilling and encouraging this culture of vocations in our Archdiocese. In addition, this event allows the faithful to demonstratively show their support and affection for men embarking on a life of service to God's Church and His people. The vocational stories of the Ordinands are the highlight of the evening, informing and inspiring the gathered faithful.

This year we welcomed His Grace Francis Leo, Archbishop of Toronto, who gave a wonderful and inspiring welcome address to the 1831 dinner attendees.

The Ordinandi Dinner is recognized internationally as an incredible demonstration of support and encouragement from a grateful Catholic community for those about to embark on a life of consecrated service to our Lord and neighbor. On two previous occasions (1994 and 2012) the Ordinandi Dinner has been recognized by Serra International with the Junipero Serra Award for incredible commitment to promoting vocation awareness and support.

The day also marks the 12th^the annual Young Ordinandi event, held on the morning of the Ordinandi Dinner and attended by 828 students from 66 Catholic high schools in the Archdiocese of Toronto. We are grateful to our Catholic teachers, chaplains and educators for their efforts in helping us bring together 828 high school students to hear the vocation stories of one of our Ordinandi and that of a consecrated religious. Students from the school districts of Toronto, Dufferin-Peel, Durham, Simcoe, French Catholic and York Catholic, as well as independent Catholic schools participated, accompanied by teachers, chaplains and staff from their respective districts and schools. Our hope and prayer is that some of these students will be inspired by the surprising messages about the vocational journey of Ordinands and a consecrated religious and be motivated to take steps to discern a possible vocation to religious life.

Also noteworthy is the participation of 260 college-age young adults as a result of our vocation outreach program, including those associated with Serra House, the Catholic Youth Office and the Office of Vocations of our Archdiocese. We are grateful to the teams of chaplains who accompanied these young adults, including representatives from the Catholic Youth Office, the Newman Centre and the Vocation Office of the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Diocese of Peterborough.

There are many who should be thanked for this outstanding show of support for vocations. In addition to the unwavering support of the Serrans, it would have been impossible to host this event without the help and encouragement of the Knights of Columbus and the League of Catholic Women. The organizing team is very grateful to them. In addition, we are very grateful for the incredible support of a record number of parishes that.

Finally, the support of our two main sponsors was greatly appreciated. Novalis, the largest Catholic publishing house in Canada, and Catholic Cemeteries & Funeral Services - Archdiocese of Toronto, who both provided much appreciated support for the evening event.

The Ordinandi Dinner continues to receive the support and encouragement of Serra International and each year we have the honor of hosting the President of Serra International. This year the President of Serra International, Kurt Metyko of Houston, Texas attended. We had the pleasure of welcoming Serra International's Past Presidents, Michael Bragg from Toledo, Ohio, John Gennaro (Toronto, Ontario) and Mario Biscardi (Toronto, Ontario), who honored us with their presence.

The Ordinandi Dinner is an event intended to raise awareness and not necessarily to raise funds; however, thanks to the generosity of patrons and sponsors who donated about $35,000, a net surplus of $53,000 was achieved, which was distributed to St. Augustine's Seminary, Redemptoris Mater Seminary, the Catholic Youth Office and the Archdiocese of Toronto's Office of Vocations.

We are grateful for the support and encouragement received from Archbishop Francis Leo, Cardinal Collins, our auxiliary bishops Boissonneau, Nguyen, Kasun and Camilleri, and all members of the archdiocese. We extend our appreciation to St. Augustine's Seminary, the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary, Serra House, the Catholic Youth Office, the Vocations Office of the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Diocese of Peterborough, the 8 Campus Ministry Catholic chaplaincy teams who participated, the Newman Centre, and the many faithful, young and old, who show their support and encouragement for vocations to religious life each year.

We look forward to March 18, 2025 when we will host 35^the Annual Ordinands Dinner and 13th^the Annual Ordinandi Youth Event under the continuous guidance and protection of our patron, San Junipero Serra and our Blessed Mother.

SERRA NEWS FROM AROUND THE WORLD

BRAZIL

Procession of Corpus Christi

On May 30, 2024, Serra Clubs from all over Brazil actively participated in the works related to the Corpus Christi day.

From the first hours of the morning, the Serrans started organizing and preparing the colorful carpet and the altar for the celebration of the mass followed by the procession along the decorated streets, in honor of the eucharistic Christ.

It is an important celebration that invites us to deepener faith in the real presence of Christ in the eucharist and to publicly demonstrate our reverence and love for the most holy sacrament. In today's world, where the sacred is often forgotten, the procession of Corpus Christi is a powerful testimony of the catholic faith and a call to live in accordance with the teachings of Christ.

MACAU S.A.R.

The 61st World Day of Prayers for Vocations

The Diocese of Macau celebrates the 61st World Day of Prayers for Vocations on Shepherd Sunday, 21st April 2024 at the Igreja da Se Catedral Macau, a Thanks giving Eucharistic Mass, presided over by Bishop Stephen Lee in three different languages, Chinese, English and Portuguese respectively. The Mass was concelebrated by 13 priests from different churches. During the ceremony warm congratulations and applauds were specially extended to two priests, one brother and seven sisters, who acquired Platinum,Diamond, Golden, Silver Jubilee of Ordination or Taking Vows. A designated Certificate of Appreciation and souvenirs were offered to them by the bishop. 400 people attended Mass. It was solemn yet with merriment mixed with fun. After Mass there were refreshments provided for all the guests. It was a really warm and friendly gathering.

As usual, Serra Club of Macau was appointed to assist with the celebration which included gathering information on the jubilarians, publishing them in church newspaper, photo and video shooting and getting printed matter for distribution. Arranging the post Mass reception and refreshment was also part of the work.

Heartfelt thanks to our Bishop, Most Rev. Stephen Lee and our Chaplain, Rev Fr Domingos Un, for their valuable guidance and support. Everything is for the glory of God.

Serra Club of Thailand

Serra Family Day Chanthaburi

1-3 June 2024 at

Chanthaburi Province, Thailand

The Serra Thailand Council recently held a Serra Family Day 2024, an annual meeting and fellowship in Chanthaburi, a diocese and a charming city in the eastern region of Thailand. The event brought together members from Serra Clubs across the country to foster solidarity, share experiences, and reaffirm their commitment to promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

The gathering commenced with a warm welcome from the host Serra Club of Chanthaburi. Following an opening mass and visit the Sisters of Carmelite at Carmelite Monastery. Then, visit and have lunch at Monastery of the Lovers of the Cross of Chanthaburi, the first indigenous congregation of religious sisters in Thailand, founded in 1849. At night, the participants engaged in lively discussions and presentations, exploring various aspects of Serra work and its impact on vocations.

On Sunday, the participants celebrated the Corpus Christi Mass at Immaculate Conception Cathedral, the Cathedral of Chanthaburi Diocese.

Serra Family Day is the event for Serra Thailand Members to gather to socialize, share work for vocations experiences, and some bring their family members to meet each other.

Number of Participants is 146 including Serrans and family members from 14 Serra Clubs and 4 Serra Club Chaplains.

Great Britain

Vigils for Vocations

Traditionally our Vigils for Vocations take place in Great Britain and indeed the Serra world on the Thursday or Friday preceding Vocations Sunday. The vigils, while centering around that date, are ongoing throughout the year and National Vocations weeks in the various dioceses.

Every year Serra Glasgow hold their Vigil for Vocations particularly around that time when our Holy Father sends his message for Vocations Sunday, the fourth Sunday of Easter, encouraging vocations to the priesthood and religious life.

The Vigil having started in Glasgow in 1989 became a Serra International vocations programme in the year 2000 and is now celebrated throughout our country and the world at the same time thus praying and promoting vocations continually for some 24 hours. We know from various surveys that the number of parishes participating around the world is in the many thousands but started in our city of Glasgow.

Serra Club Sydney Australia – Serra Council of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific

Christmas in The Diocese of Broken Bay – North Shore

On the 17^th of November 2023 our Annual “Celebration of Your Vocation” Christmas party was held at Magpies Club Waitara to which we invited our Bishop, all priests, deacons, consecrated men and women, seminarians, residents of the Joseph House discernment centre and members of the Good Shepherd Seminary staff.

There were 82 attendees made up of 36 clergy, deacons, sisters, brothers, seminarians and members of the Joseph House discernment centre and 46 Serrans and their guests. We provided a banquet dinner, which included all the usual Christmas fare. Our guests were provided with special name tags which showed their names in red which meant when they present themselves at the bar for a drink it was provided free.

The Diocesan Vocations Team of Father Sam French, Father Stephen Wayoyi and Michelle Chahine were our guest speakers after dinner, providing a Diocesan Vocations update. They are a very active team achieving very good results. Currently we have 9 young men in training for the priesthood.

Michelle, the Vocations Officer, is also a Serran and we have a wonderful relationship with the Team and with our Bishop Anthony Randazzo.

Hong Kong S.A.R.

A Friend to the Foreign Missionaries

It was a sunny Saturday morning in October 2022. Standing outside the lecture theatre of the Hong Kong Holy Spirit Seminary, 40 some people of different nationalities were busy looking for their “partner(s)” on the assigned list while waiting to attend a course organised by The Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong. The newly arrived foreign missionaries were given a helicopter view of the social, cultural and religious realities of Hong Kong as backdrop for their forthcoming duties here. This course which ran from October 2022 to February 2023 not only offered lectures on the history of the Catholic Church in Hong Kong, it also included visits to Buddhism and Taoism temples.

Mirrored from his own experience in Africa, Vicar General, The Reverend Paul Kam who was in-charge of this program invited Serrans to join as “companion and local contact” to the missionaries. Serrans were honoured to take up this task as this is part of the club’s mission to assist and support the clergy and the religious. Serrans and spouses were assigned in pairs to “look after” each missionary. This pairing was beneficial to both groups as they learnt from each other. This newly formed friendship continues outside the classroom long after the completion of the program…. our bond to the Church and to God is enhanced.

Serra USA

The Serra Promotion and Resource Kit

SPARK – was built by the US Council of Serra International and is a valuable resource for anyone involved in vocation work. It contains thirty tools that help in promoting vocations to the priesthood and vowed religious life. Tool #4 is the Traveling Chalice. This tool is a simple, effective way to get parishioners involved in the vocations effort.

On Sunday, a priest presents the chalice at the end of Mass to a parishioner. The parishioner then takes the chalice home with them, puts it in a prominent place, and prays every day for vocations during the week. After a week the parishioner returns the chalice to the parish, and it is given to another parishioner that weekend.

Several Serra Clubs in the United States use this SPARK tool or a variation. The St. Serra Club in Des Moines, IA has promoted the use of a Traveling Our Lady of Guadalupe statue and some clubs are using a Traveling St. Junipero Serra Statue. The Serra Club of Oklahoma City, OK designed a Traveling Blessed Stanley Rother picture with a prayer for vocations on the reverse side. They are offering the picture to parishes in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma to encourage both prayers for vocations and prayers for the canonization of Blessed Stanley.

Serra Club of The Philippines

The Serra Club of Tagum believe that we are just instrument of God in spreading His love to mankind. Just an ordinary Christians doing what God wants us to do to the least of our brethren. A great opportunity to serve Him by serving others.

Some of the latest highlights for year 2024,

FUNDRAISING.. raffle draw that generate One million pesos given to Queen of Apostles College Seminary.

Buy a Parole (Star)Campaign which raised P500,000 to augment school obligation to seminarians with unpaid tuition fees due to pandemic.

Serenading during LOVE month to families with benevolent hearts that generates P470,000 to buy state of the art sound system to be used in the seminary.

LENTEN SEASON.. .to strengthen and deepend our observance of Holy week (14) Serrans had their Lenten Pilgrimage and bring back the old tradition of Visita Iglesia .

VOCATION campaign visited public and private schools to promote priestly vocation. Praise God ( 50 )young men answered the call and admitted to propaedeutic year.

HOLY HOUR.. Serrans gathered every Friday with the exposed Blessed Sacrament and prayed the Novena for the priest .

CENACLE..every two weeks the image of the Blessed Virgin Mary is brought to members and pray the Rosary.

VISIT PRISONERS distribution of personal needs , food packs and held a Holy Mass in their place.

Serra Italy

Festival of the Spirit - organized by the Serra Club of Arezzo - dedicated to the proclamation of the Word

In March 2024, the Serra Club of Arezzo organized the first edition of the Festival of the Spirit together with the Diocese of Arezzo-Cortona-Sansepolcro and the cultural association Almasen, marked by an intense calendar of events dedicated to the proclamation of the Word. This project of great synodality - with the participatory involvement of citizens and schools - made it possible to re-discover ways and changes in the transmission of the faith over the centuries through various forms of expression.

The pre-Festival involved all 52 Italian Serra Clubs, which read entirely - each club for its assigned part - the Old Testament independently, while for the start of the Festival in the S.Michele church in Arezzo, 250 authorities (including the mayor of Arezzo), associations and ordinary citizens took turns in a 24-hour non-stop relay reading of the entire New Testament. Another highlight was the great musical concert in Arezzo Cathedral, with nearly 300 choristers from all over the diocese. A very large audience participated in the tour among the masterpieces of medieval and Renaissance painting in Arezzo and watched the musical about Jesus performed in the cathedral, as well as the film Song of Songs.

Closing in St. Francis church, a debate was held on the ways of transmitting the faith in the age of social media. Participants included journalists, the bishop, the deputy mayor and the director of the vocational youth ministry. The debate was followed by a Holy Mass celebrated by H.Em. Cardinal Beniamino Stella, Episcopal Adviser to Serra Italia.

The numbers for the first Festival of the Spirit can be summed up as nearly 1,500 participants and more than 160,000 feedbacksfrom social channels.

Serra Mexico

The Vocational Cross.

The Vocational Cross has been updated for the present time. The main objective is to generate awareness in all the baptized laity to pray for vocations. The design is made of wood and has the image of the Virgin of Guadalupe with the apostolate logo on the front and the universal vocational prayer on the back. The Vocational Cross has been handed out so that each family can take it home and pray for vocations with their family and neighbors. We have extended the reach of the cross by giving it to altar boys, seminarians, Catholic schools and catechists, who are committed to carry out the activity. Similarly, it has been given to engaged couples who are in catholic workshops. For this activity, in social media, we use the hashtag #cruzadaporlaoracionvocacional to give more diffusion and strength to this activity. We know and have faith that this cross is aimed at new groups, and through prayer it will help us to increase vocations.

This activity is a success story. So far, we have delivered more than 500 crosses in a short time.

Always forward, never backward.

Club Serra México Centroamérica.

Serra India

REPORT FROM SERRA BANGALORE, INDIA

The year 2024 began on a very happy note for us, as 12 members were inducted on 6^th January (feast of The Epiphany) at St. Francis Xavier Cathedral, Bangalore. The Mass was celebrated by Most. Rev. Peter Machado, Archbishop of Bangalore and concelebrated with Rev. Fr. Arokia Swamy, Parish Priest, St. Francis Xavier Cathedral and Rev. Fr. Sandeep Menezes, C.Ss.R. Asst. Chaplain, Serra Bangalore.

This spring saw a lot of activities and programs conducted by the Serrans.

On 6^th April the Serrans addressed 20 Vocation Promoters from the congregation of Jesus Mary and Joseph. The video presentation of LEAVE YOUR BOATS AND FOLLOW ME was made, followed by a small quiz session.

On 20^th April the Serrans presented the clergy of the parishes they belong to, with a cake, in lieu of Vocation Sunday which was on 21^st of April. This was to thank and appreciate our priests for their sincere work and dedication. The Archbishop, The Archdiocese Vocation promoter, The All India Vocation promoter at the CCBI, the priests in-charge of the Major and Minor Seminaries and the Rector of the Provincial House of Don Bosco, Bangalore, too were given a cake each and thanked for all that they do for the laity.

On 24^th April a presentation was made to over 120 participants from the age groups 11 to 16 at the Catholic Bible Camp held at Ascension Church. The need to pray for vocations was explained, besides showing them the video on LEAVE YOUR BOATS AND FOLLOW ME. This was followed by a quiz session. Fr. Anthony Almeida, Asst. Parish Priest shared his testimony on how he decided to become a priest.

On 27^th April we assisted the Archdiocese at the Altar Servers camp conducted at the Francis Xavier Cathedral for 150 participants from the Cathedral and Basilica deanery. The Serrans spoke to the students about the Patron Saints of Altar Servers and the need for vocations.

On 28^th April a 1M Mass [1 mass a month] was celebrated at Holy Ghost Church. The Serrans spoke to as many people after each mass, explaining in brief the various activities and handing out prayer cards for vocations and urging the faithful to offer “One Mass a Month” to pray for vocations.

On 30^th April, the Serrans addressed the Bible Camp conducted by the Redemptorist Congregation at the Holy Ghost Church for around 300 participants. The activities of Serra were explained and a quiz was conducted.

On 17^th May, we met on Zoom and recited the Holy Rosary online.

The Core group worked during the entire month of May on the STRATEGIC PLAN 2024 – 2027, which was then sent to Serra International for inclusion at the conference in August.

Serra Nigeria

10th District Convention

It was a colorful day as Serrans from District 130C showed up in their white and color asoke attire for their 10th District Convention and the installation of their 6th District Governor, Serran Chukwuemeka Amagwu.

This year's convention themed, ‘And for their sake, I consecrated myself that they also may be consecrated in the truth' started with the holy mass at the Holy Family Catholic Church, Festac Town, officiated by Rev. Fr. Melvis Mayaki.

During the convention reception, Serran Tessy Etok, the outgoing DG and the first female DG in Nigeria and Africa thanked the Almighty God for the opportunity to serve the District and also expressed her thanks to members of the District for their generous support during her period as the DG and also acknowledged the leadership in District 130-C to have considered gender equality in the governance process to strengthen women representation in Serra Nigeria. She prayed that the District in collaboration with Serra International will continue to add value to the objectives of Serra by supporting Serra International projects in Nigeria, helping men and women to gear towards Sacred vocations and for quality members across the regions in Nigeria to join this Apostolate.

Serran Sylvester Amgwu, the newly installed DG during his acceptance speech, thanked all Serran leaders and the entire District for their support towards the growth and the District and Serra Apostolate and promised to work hard with his team to lift the District higher.

PRAY FOR VOCATIONS

"Lord Jesus, High Priest and Good Shepherd, we pray that you send workers for your harvest. Inspire many to follow you in a life of service as priests, brothers, and sisters. May they be guided by the Holy Spirit and find support in their discernment through the prayers and encouragement of the Serra Club. We ask this in your holy name. Amen."

St. Serra Feast Day

July 1st marks the annual feast day of Saint Junípero Serra, a Franciscan friar and missionary who played a pivotal role in the colonization and evangelization of the western United States in the late 18th century.

Born in Majorca, Spain in 1713, Serra joined the Franciscan order as a young man and later traveled to Mexico, where he worked as a missionary for many years. In 1769, he founded the first of 21 Catholic missions that would eventually stretch along the coast of California, from San Diego to San Francisco.

Through his tireless efforts, Serra is credited with converting thousands of indigenous people to Catholicism, as well as establishing a network of settlements, roads, and agricultural systems that laid the foundation for much of modern-day California. He is venerated by the Catholic Church as the "Apostle of California" for his devotion to spreading the faith.

Serra's feast day continues to be observed each July 1st by Catholic communities across California and beyond, honoring his remarkable spiritual and administrative accomplishments as a pioneering missionary in the American West.

Prayer: Saint Junípero Serra, though you had a wonderful life in Spain, God spoke to your heart, calling you to leave everything behind and to bring the saving love of Christ to those who had never heard the Gospel. You responded with generosity and selfless courage. Please pray for me, that I will be open to all that God asks of me and will respond to God’s will with the same generosity and resolve as you did. Saint Junípero Serra, pray for me. Jesus, I trust in You.

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