Stewards of God's Mysteries

Transcription

1 ORDINANDI DINNER 2009 Serran Prayer for Vocations O God, Who wills not the death of a sinner but rather that he be converted and live grant we beseech You through the intercession of the Blessed Mary ever Virgin, St. Joseph her spouse Blessed Junipero Serra and all the saints an increase of labourers for your Church fellow labourers with Christ to spend and consume themselves for souls through the same Jesus Christ Your Son Who lives and reigns with You in the unity of the Holy Spirit God forever and ever. Amen. Stewards of God's Mysteries Platinum Sponsor: Gold Sponsors: Benefactors: Sponsors Catholic Cemeteries. Ralph and Rose Chiodo, Active Green + Ross (sponsor of the Breviaries) Cilento Wines (sponsor of the Table Wine) Marcel Haber, Haber Church Envelopes Inc. Bev David in memory of Howard David John and Rose Gennaro Frances and S.K. Garry Beach Serrans, Durham Region Serra Club Luisa and S.K. Mario Biscardi Msgr. Gerard Breen Brian Broughton, Broughton's Church Supplies Donna and S.K. Frank Canzi Frank & Jennie Ciccolini Louise Ciccolini George Comisso (sponsor of Table Flowers) Patricia Cross, CWL George & Vicki Damiani Leo Di Carlo, Di Carlo Religious Supply Centre Glen Day, Heritage Funeral Centre Sr. Evanne Hunter, Loreto Abbey Celeste and Mary Iacobelli S.K. Cliff and Pat Kearns, Serrans, Durham Region Serra Club Knights of Columbus, Collingwood Council #5793 Knights of Columbus, Toronto Council #1388 Knights of Columbus, Pine Grove Council #11273, St. Margaret Mary Church, Woodbridge Veronica Lanzarotta in memory of Gus Lanzarotta Msgr. Marco Laurencic Ambrose and Anne Lucas Fr. Pat McAuley, Spiritans Nativity of Our Lord CWL Our Lady of the Miraculous Medal CWL Fausto & Silvana Palombo S.K. Arthur Peters Vince and Pina Primucci Connie Sanita Serra Club of Toronto Downtown

2 Tonight's Menu Celebration Program Master of Ceremonies: Jerry Hayes YOUTH RALLY July 17-19, 2009 Carrot, Pickle, Olive and Celery Tray Penne alla Napoletana with Basil Grilled Chicken alla Piccata Veal Scaloppine with Marsala Stir Fried Vegetables and Roasted Wedge Potatoes Assorted Pastries Coffee / Tea / Espresso 6:45 p.m. Please be seated 6:50 p.m. Welcome 7:00 p.m. Blessing by His Grace, Archbishop Thomas Collins Archbishop of Toronto Introduction of Honoured Guests th th Priests celebrating 50 and 60 Anniversary of Ordination Presentation of Spiritual Bouquet Carole Pitcher, President, Archdiocesan Catholic Women's League CELEBRATING. CONNECTING. COMMISSIONING. For your dining pleasure a bottle of Red Wine and White Wine has been provided to your table compliments of Cilento Wines. Additional wine may be purchased at the bar. Farewell Prayer and Blessing CLASS OF 2009 The Ordinandi from: St. Augustine s Seminary Redemptoris Mater Seminary

3 Serra International is a volunteer organization of 22,000 Catholic men and women of all ages, races, occupations and backgrounds with over 700 clubs in 37 different countries. The late Pope John Paul II called Serrans to be The Lay Vocations Arm of the Church. The Serra Mission: To foster and promote vocations to the ministerial priesthood in the Catholic Church as a particular vocation to service, and to support priests in their sacred ministry; To encourage and affirm vocations to consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church; and To assist its members to recognize and respond in their own lives to God' s call to holiness in Jesus Christ and through the Holy Spirit. What Serrans Do: Pray: Serrans respond to a directive from Jesus himself whose words to us are Pray to the Lord of the Harvest to send labourers into His harvest. Prayer takes the form of personal prayer, Mass attendance and Eucharistic Adoration. Vocations Awareness Programs: Serrans assist in promoting a vocations culture in their communities through such events as Altar Server Awards, Priest Appreciation Dinner, Ordinandi Dinner, Retired Priest Luncheon and Prayer Partnering with Seminarians and Priests. For more information on Serra, please call Mario Biscardi, District Governor, Ontario, Serra Canada Council, Tel: , or visit our website at The 2009 Ordinandi Dinner Committee Chair: Celeste Iacobelli Finance Chair: Mario Biscardi Members: Fr. Liborio Amaral, Fr. Dominic Barber, Garry Beach, Bruce Burry, Peter Calzavara, Frank Canzi, George Damiani, Mario De Marchi, John Gennaro, Jerry Hayes, Monique and Jim Kelly, Dane MacCarthy, Anthony Mangione, John Plunkett, Vince Primucci, Imelda Santos

4 Message to all Serrans by Pope John Paul II Your first commitment is to prayer On December 7, 2000, at a Serra Convention celebrating the Jubilee Year, the Holy Father told Serra International that promoting vocations is more than a matter of programs. Here are selected excerpts from his speech to about 5,000 Serrans that attended: Dear Serrans, you are committed in a special way to promoting vocations. Never forget that yours must be above all a commitment to prayer, prayer which is constant, unwavering and full of trust. Prayer moves the heart of God. It is the powerful key to resolving the vocations question. But at the same time prayer for vocations is also a school of life, as I had occasion recently to point out: "By praying for vocations we learn to look with Gospel wisdom at the world and at each person's need for life and salvation; it is a way of sharing in Christ's love and compassion for all mankind..." (Message for the 38th World Day of Prayer for Vocations, 14 September 2000, n. 6). Along with prayer, the work of fostering vocations also requires a constant effort to bring the need to people's attention through personal witness, so that God's call may encounter a ready hearing and generous response in those to whom it is directed. This is the aim of your efforts to spread an authentic culture of vocations. The Christian community urgently needs to realize that promoting vocations is more than simply a matter of "programmes". It is something that touches the very mystery of the Church. Vocations in fact are relative to the very meaning of the Church as the Body of Christ, formed and enlivened by the Holy Spirit with all the wealth of his gifts. The Second Vatican Council reminded us of this: "In the building up of Christ's body there is a variety of members and functions. There is only one Spirit who, according to his own richness and the needs of the ministries, distributes his different gifts for the welfare of the Church" (Lumen gentium, n. 7). Within the People of God, there is a specific mission awaiting each one. Because the needs of the "harvest" are so great, all the members of God's People must grow in the awareness of "being called". Significant are the gifts and tasks associated with the involvement of Christians in the temporal order. These are above all the responsibility of the laity. Your commitment to fostering vocations, dear Serrans, fits into this ecclesial framework. Your dedication to it ensures that the problem of vocations does not remain a concern for pastors alone, but is brought to the attention of all, involving families and teachers in particular. And this is vitally important. Continue to make your contribution to this goal, in full harmony with your Bishops. Be people of communion, supporting your priests with active affection. With your characteristic charity, reach out to the needs of vocations among the poor. The good that flows from this to the Church will be a pledge of abundant heavenly gifts, which I willingly invoke upon each one of you and upon your movement through the motherly intercession of Mary, the Immaculate Virgin. With these sentiments, I cordially bless you all. - Pope John Paul II, December 7, 2000

5 "Prayer itself, born in Catholic families, nurtured by programs of Christian formation, strengthened by the grace of the sacraments, is the first means by which we come to know the Lord s will for our lives. To the extent that we teach young people to pray, and to pray well, we will be cooperating with God s call. Programs, plans and projects have their place; but the discernment of a vocation is above all the fruit of an intimate dialogue between the Lord and his disciples. Young people, if they know how to pray, can be trusted to know what to do with God s call." Pope Benedict XVI

6 2009 Ordinandi Rev. Mr. Jonathan Blake, 33; He heard the call to the priesthood in grade two but it would be almost twenty years before he'd respond. After graduating from UNB with a Bachelors of Science in Biology, he did a year program which began his 5-year Information Technology career as a computer programmer. Running from job to job, God opened his heart to the call that He had placed there from the very beginning. He entered St. Augustine's Seminary in 2003 and is now looking forward to beginning his ministry for the Archdiocese of Ottawa. Rev. Mr. Craig Cruikshank, 28; After serving at the altar of his home parish for many years, Deacon Craig decided to explore the possibility of the priesthood and entered Wadhams Hall Seminary in Ogdensburg, NY right after high school. He later left formation as the seminary closed its doors. Two years later, after a trip to Rome, an experience of the roots of our Church and our faith, he entered formation again in 2003 and spent a year at Serra House before entering St. Augustine's Seminary. Deacon Craig looks forward to serving the people of the Diocese of Peterborough. Rev. Mr. Steven Dickson, 29; was baptized, and received into the Church at the Easter Vigil in 1997 at the age of 17. He began to feel the Lord calling in his early 20's while at York University. It was a providential meeting of a Seminary faculty member at a youth rally at Martyrs Shrine in Midland that gave Steve the final push he needed to answer the Lord's call. After spending some time in discernment at Serra House while studying philosophy, Steve entered St. Augustine's Seminary in He looks forward to serving the Lord and the people of the Archdiocese of Toronto in his future ministry. Rev. Mr. Thomas Lim, 40; born in Indonesia and came to Canada at the age of four, with his other seven siblings and parents. He graduated from the University of Toronto with a Bachelor of Commerce degree and spent his entire professional career in the financial industry in downtown Toronto. After experiencing a profound call to conversion in his late twenties, Thomas gradually discerned his call to the priesthood and entered St. Augustine's Seminary in 2003.

7 Stewards of God's Mysteries Rev. Mr. Paul Magyar, 27; born in Slovakia and came to Toronto when he was nine years old. Paul graduated from the University of Toronto studying East Asian religions and Western Philosophy. His interesting and active life never overshadowed his initial calling and desire to become a priest. Paul entered Saint Augustine's Seminary in 2004 and during the first two summers he worked as a chaplain for air cadets in Greenwood Nova Scotia. Paul has found and is ready to fulfill his destiny. Rev. Mr. Frank Portelli, 33; born and raised in Toronto, and was much more interested in clubbing and having a good time than becoming a priest. I believed priesthood was only for the naive and the wholesome. Once I graduated and began working I started to wonder what the purpose of my life was. I began to pray and to sincerely seek God and saw that God wanted something from me that I wasn't willing to give: my entire heart and life. After much struggle, prayer and discernment, I see that fulfillment is seeking God and loving sacrificially every day. Rev. Mr. Ricardo Quiñones, 40; was born and raised in Paraguay. His life changed when he experienced the love of God in a community of the Neocatechumenal Way in his home Parish in Asunción, Paraguay. He decided to announce the Gospel with his life when he was working as a teacher in a Catholic high school in Asunción. He arrived to enter the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary ten years ago in the midst of a snow storm (January, 1999). He is looking forward to serving the Archdiocese of Toronto and the universal Church as a diocesan priest. Reverend Mr. Jacques Rigaud, 43; was born and grew up in France. Following his military service, he felt the call to religious life and joined a community for 15 years. He moved to Canada over 7 years ago to help the community in Quebec. From there, he decided with his spiritual director to think about the priesthood. A priest told him that the Maritimes would be a good place for him and God opened the way. He discovered recently that he had a cousin in the Yukon, Fr. Pierre Rigaud who had come from the same place in France. Jacques is looking forward to serving the people and Church in Charlottetown as a diocesan priest.

8 Stewards of God's Mysteries Rev. Mr. Eric Rodrigues, 32; was born and raised in Toronto and had dreams of becoming a doctor, getting married and raising a family. He studied biochemistry at the University of Waterloo and completed a master s degree in epidemiology at McGill University. He returned to Toronto and worked for a year with a pharmaceutical company. He credits Our Lady with deepening his relationship with Jesus, and this led him to enter St. Augustine's Seminary in Eric looks forward to giving glory to God by serving His people in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Rev. Mr. Carlos Troya, 31; was born and raised in Colombia. He experienced the love of God in a community of the NeoCatechumenal Way in his home parish in Colombia. While attending a weekend retreat, he felt called to the priesthood. He entered the Redemptoris Mater Missionary Seminary of Toronto in May He is looking forward to serving the Archdiocese of Toronto and the Universal Church.

9 Serra House: A Place of Discernment The Archdiocese of Toronto established Serra House in 1983 as a place of reflection and discernment for men considering a vocation to the priesthood. Serra House offers a unique preseminary experience which fosters human and spiritual growth, in the company of other men who are likewise considering a vocation. Over the years, the archdiocese has been blessed with many vocations which have flourished with the assistance of Serra House. The formation program at Serra House encourages study and companionship, prayer and parish ministry, and the time for reflection and discernment, as you undergo the spiritual development that will help you answer your very personal question: "Is God calling me to the priesthood? If it is to the Priesthood that Christ is calling you, it is because He wishes to exercise His Priesthood through your dedication and Priestly mission. He wants to speak to the people of today through your voice; He wants to consecrate the Eucharist and forgive sins through you. He wants to live within your heart. He wants to help with your hands. He wants to save through your efforts. POPE JOHN PAUL II Perhaps, like many Catholic men, your answer is "yes". Similarly, like others, you may need additional time and support in order to reflect and discern your vocation more carefully. If so, Serra House may be an ideal place for you. Serra House will provide the spiritual atmosphere you need to discern whether or not you are ready to commit yourself to answer Christ's call to the priesthood. If you would like more information about Serra House, please visit our website at or call

10 Serra House Associates 1 When Fr. Sean O'Sullivan was named full-time Vocation Director for the Archdiocese of Toronto, one of his first initiatives was to gather together young men who were thinking of diocesan priesthood this initiative came to be known as the Associates. They would gather for spiritual retreats and social outings, for one-day conferences and Come and See weekends at St. Augustine's Seminary. When Serra house opened its doors in September of 1983, it became the central location for all future Associate gatherings. Throughout these 25 years countless men have gathered together to share their discernment stories with one another these men have ranged from 18 to 50 years of age. They have come from all walks of life. They have been students and workers, professionals and general labourers. They have been recent immigrants and Canadians by birth. The Associates group has fluctuated year to year, as men enter and exit the group's experience. Currently, the number of Associates that wish to remain in contact with the Vocations Office is well over 75. The Associates program has been such a success throughout the years, because it has allowed men of similar thought to find in this group a place of commonality and support. The People of Serra House Over the past 25 years, Serra House has opened its heart and doors to over 250 men while they discerned their calling to the priesthood. During this time, we have welcomed a variety of men who included doctors, students, lawyers, carpenters, educators, engineers and in the first year there was even a hockey player. All have brought with them their own unique story. Approximately 75 of these men continued their journey and have been ordained; many serve the people of God within the Archdiocese of Toronto today. Others have discerned different callings as married or single men, teachers, doctors, fathers, deacons, etc. - still each fulfilling their service to God. Serra House has been enriched by the gifts brought by the many men who have passed through its doors.

11 As we gather this evening, we recognize there are a number of men present in the Archdiocese of Toronto who have dedicated themselves to God and us. In th th this 50 and 60 anniversary of your ordination to the priesthood, we congratulate you and thank you. Your dedication to others, your example of faith and your guidance as spiritual and community leaders has made us better people and has made the Church a stronger body. By your example, we have been provided a clearer path toward eternal life. Through your work, we have received compassion, care and companionship. With your help, our Church has th been a guiding beacon of hope and courage in the world today. In this, your 50 and 60 th anniversary year, we extend heart-felt appreciation and warm wishes for a glorious year filled with happiness and peace. Celebrating Fifty Years of Priesthood Fr. J. Bernard Canning Fr. Edward P. Ewczynski Fr. Joseph Fenech Fr. Michael Perrella Fr. Charles H. Vanitem Celebrating Sixty Years of Priesthood Fr. Antero De Melo Fr. Alexander Takacs

12 "Well done my good and faithful servant, come and share your Master's happiness! Lord God, you chose our brothers to serve Your people as priests and to share the joys and burdens of their lives. Look with mercy on them and give them the reward of their labours, the fullness of life promised to those who preach Your Holy Gospel. In loving memory of our beloved priests who have gone to their eternal home. Rev. Francis Corless Rev. Msgr. Paul Healy Rev. Hugh Manley Rev. Msgr. William O'Brien CATHOLIC CEMETERIES ARCHDIOCESE OF TORONTO A CATHOLIC TRADITION

13 SERVING YOUTH MINISTERS YOUTH YOUNG ADULTS SCHOOLS PARISHES LAY ASSOCIATIONS OFFICE OF CATHOLIC YOUTH HISTORY ABOUT THE OFFICE OF CATHOLIC YOUTH The Office of Catholic Youth (OCY) has a long tradition of serving the young people and youth ministers in the Archdiocese of Toronto. Over the years we have developed simple guiding principles to help us in our work. We have come to refer to them as the 3 C's : Celebrating life, faith and the many diverse gifts of young people. The Office of Catholic Youth (OCY) is a Sharelife funded agency and curial office within the Archdiocese of Toronto that began in 1994 under the leadership of then Archbishop Ambrozic. Throughout its 15 year history the OCY has been blessed with many gifted directors, staff members and volunteers that have always worked tirelessly to meet the ever changing needs of young people. For more information about programs, volunteering, events and the OCY, visit Connecting them more deeply to God and to one another, becoming the Church of tomorrow while being the Church of today. Commissioning them to go make a difference by putting their faith into action and making Jesus Christ's mission their own. TO KNOW, TO LOVE AND TO SERVE. The Office of Catholic Youth encourages young people to find opportunities to faithfully serve the Church and the community at large. We make every opportunity to provide potential service placements in the community or volunteer opportunities within our office. A Funded Agency

14 SCHEDULE Friday, July 17, :00 PM Arrival & Registration 9:00 PM Official opening 10:15 PM Way of the Cross 2009 ARCHDIOCESAN YOUTH RALLY July 17-19, 2009 Martyrs' Shrine, Midland, ON Every summer the Office of Catholic Youth holds a celebration that, in the spirit of World Youth Day, is meant to bring together young people between the ages of Anyone interested in joining us for this weekend devoted to building community through fellowship, reflection, music and catechesis is asked to contact the OCY for details and registration. Cost: $50.00 (plus additional $10.00 if transportation is required) Saturday, July 18, :00 AM Wake up 7:30 AM Breakfast 9:00 AM Kick-off 10:00 AM Catechesis 11:00 AM Mass 12:30 PM Lunch 1:30 PM Free time Vocations expo Reconciliation available 5:30 PM Dinner 7:00 PM Vocations vigil 9:15 PM Break 9:30 PM Evening event 1:00 AM Lights out Sunday, July 19, :00 AM Wake up 7:30 AM Breakfast 8:30 AM Prepare for Mass 9:00 AM Mass 10:30 AM Departure