ALWAYS TO GO FORWARD NEVER TURN BACK Serra Club of Lake-Geauga Counties April June 2009 Calendar of Events Apr 1 Board Meeting Apr 3 1 st Friday Mass & Rosary for Vocations Apr 15 Mass & Program, Fr. Jared Orendorf will celebrate Mass and Rich Clark, Principal St. Martin deporres H.S. will be our speaker. Apr 18 Seminarians Nite Out, 7 11PM at Painesville Knights of Columbus. May 1 1 st Friday Mass & Rosary for Vocations May 6 Board Meeting May 10 Religious Appreciation Day at Notre Dame Convent. Mass celebrated by Bishop Pevec at 10:30AM, followed by dinner and entertainment by Sweet Adeline s at 2:00PM. May 20 Mass & Program, Fr. John Pfeifer, Parochial Vicar, St Gabriel s will celebrate Mass, talk TBD. Jun 3 Board Meeting Jun 5 1 st Friday Mass & Rosary for Vocations Jun 8 Ordinanti Dinner 6:00PM at CPL. Jun 17 - Installation Mass & Dinner for new officers at CPL. Member News: Mr. Phil Kraynik is expected to be ordained to the Permanent Deaconate on May 2, 2009 at St. John s Cathedral by Bishop Lennon. Phil is completing four years of study for the ordained ministry of Deacon and there are nine men in his class. Phil and Betty have been married for 37 years and have three children and three grandchildren. He is a member of St. Patrick s in Thompson and his pastor is Fr. Paul Smith. Please keep Phil in your prayers. Chaplain s Notes: "You hear people complaining about this present day and age because things were so much better in former times." Guess who said that? Surprise! Would you believe it was St. Augustine way back in the fifth century? How often we hear the same complaint today. Let's thank God for putting us into this day and age when we can so readily accept the fact that Jesus rose from the dead after that horrendous Good Friday, ascended into heaven, and now sits at the right hand of the Father. Had we lived in those "former times" of the first Easter, for example, the resurrection of Jesus might have pushed us into the mentality of St. Thomas and we may not have believed until we actually saw and touched the wounds of Jesus. Or we may have not believed at all. In those "former times," there was perhaps even greater need for faith and trust than there is in this present day and age. CHRIST HAS DIED! More importantly, CHRIST IS RISEN! And yes, most importantly, CHRIST WILL COME AGAIN. We are blessed to profess this with so much assurance. Truly, this is a Happy Easter! President s Message: Bishop Pevec Happy Easter to You and Your Family In the last newsletter I forgot to thank all that helped make our Christmas party such a huge success. A special thank you to Bishop Pevec for celebrating mass, Jackie and Bill Pevec for organizing the evening, Rod Becker and Joe Dietrich for providing fine wine, Tom Lipps for leading our 12 Days of Christmas and Maryann and Jim McCann for the beautiful table poinsettias. Four of our committees have been busy. The Seminarians Continued on page 2
Presidents Message continued from page 1 Nite Out is scheduled for Saturday April 18 th (See included flyer). The membership committee will hold a membership drive in September 2009. This summer each Serran will be asked to provide names of 2 possible new members. We prefer that you submit their names without telling them. Also, we would like one of your names to be less than 50 years of age. You will not be limited to two names so start looking for possible candidates now. The Ordinanti committee has established June 8, 2009 as the evening when all Cleveland Diocese Serrans will honor our newly ordained and their families. Mark Your Calendars P.S. I saw Janet Urbanski at mass today and she said she is doing well. I also received a note from Jim Duffy. He and Kay have finally purchased a home in Plano Texas. Both Janet and Jim send their best to all Lake-Geauga Serrans and wish us a Happy Easter. God Bless, Bob Rossley George Matejka, Ph.D. Page 2 May 16 Ordination at St. John Cathedral (Open to All) June 8 Ordinanti Mass and Dinner (Center for Pastorial Leadership CPL) May 10 The Nuns committee has set May 10 th as Lake- Geaugas day to honor the Sisters of Notre Dame at their mother house in Chardon. Bishop Pevec will celebrate mass at 10:30 in the chapel and we are all invited to join him. Try hard to attend this mass. Later that day our committee will present the Sweet Adelines as entertainment to be followed by a sweets time for the sisters. We are expecting about 160 sisters. Side Notes: 1. 2009-10 Serra board is almost complete. We are still in need of a president for one year. 2. The Bishops Brunch was a huge success with almost 1000 people attending. 3. Serra International Convention is in Omaha, Neb. On August 27-30. 4. Vince Moreale has Fathers Day Cards for your parish priest or any priest you want to acknowledge. The cards are $5 each and the money goes to District 85 Foundation. 5. To-date 7 applications for acceptance have been received at Borromeo for next year. Seven of the nine Borromeo graduates are going on to St. Mary s Seminary in the fall. One for sure and possibly 3 more men are enrolling in pre-theology. The pretheology program is for men who already have their bachelors degree but need theology classes before they enter St. Marys Seminary. Our speaker in March was Dr. George Matejka and his topic was the Pearls and Perils of St. Paul. This insightful talk was very helpful in understanding the unique facets of St. Paul s teachings relating to the early church and his impact on the church today. Dr. Matejka is Chair of the Philosophy Department at Ursuline College and holds a Ph.D. in Philosophy from Duquesne Univ. and a Licentiate in Sacred Theology with a Specialization in Biblical Studies from the Gregorian University, Rome Italy.
Newsletter FIVE NEW DEACONS ORDAINED Page 3 Rev. Mr. Kevin Estabrook, Rev. Mr. Matthew Pfeiffer, Rev. Mr. Sean Ralph, Rev. Mr. Anthony Suso, Rev. Mr. Christopher Trenta Bishop Richard G. Lennon ordained five Saint Mary seminarians to the Order of Deacon for service in the Diocese of Cleveland on Saturday, October 25, 2008. It is with great anticipation that these same men will be ordained priests on Saturday, May 16, 2009. About Saint Mary Seminary Saint Mary Seminary is the Graduate School of Theology for the Diocese of Cleveland. For 160 years the primary mission of Saint Mary Seminary has been to educate and form men who aspire to serve the Church as diocesan priests. By ordination, priests are called to espouse themselves to the Church by celebrating the sacraments and providing pastoral leadership. Saint Mary Seminary and Graduate School of Theology provides seminarians with an integrated program of priestly formation: human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral. Grounded in the scriptures, tradition and teachings of the Church, the seminarian also engages in field education experiences in parishes and institutions which develop the necessary qualities for service in today s Church. About Borromeo Seminary Borromeo Seminary has assisted men in discerning God s call to diocesan priesthood or religious life for over 55 years. This sacred place embodies a commitment to human, spiritual, intellectual, and pastoral formation in a communal context. These pillars of our seminary program are strongly rooted in the Roman Catholic tradition are implemented according to the directives of the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops and the Holy See. Each of these pillars are designed so as to help each man clearly discern the direction to which the Lord is calling him. The faculty and staff are dedicated to assisting with this process. Our college seminarians are full-time students at John Carroll University and other colleges in the Cleveland area. clevelandcatholicvocations.com
Newsletter What is the 31 Club? The 31 Club, began in New Zealand, is a prayer program in which a Serran chooses one date of the month when he or she will go to Mass and pray for all priests, sisters, brothers, deacons and lay ministers who have served or are serving his or her parish, and that future church vocations will be forthcoming from the parish. At St. John Vianney, Bill Pevec, has taken this program to a higher level. Working with his pastor Fr. Tom Johns they opened this up to the whole parish and have encouraged everyone, especially daily mass goers, to sign up for one day. Fr. Johns mentioned the 31 Club several times in his weekly bulletin letter and Bill provided a form in the bulletin for people to sign up. The response has been great with over 50 people signing up. If each Serran in every parish in Lake and Geauga county would work with their parish pastors in a similar manner we could build a strong 31 Club network throughout the county. The form on page 6 of this newsletter will give you an example of the bulletin announcement. Thoughts for the day Anger is a condition in which the tongue works faster than the mind. Love and you shall be loved. All people smile in the same language. Laughter is God s sunshine. Take care and be earnestly on your guard not to forget the things which your own eyes have seen, nor let them slip from your memory as long as you live, but... Teach them to your children and to your children s children. - Deuteronomy 4:9 Dear God, Grandparent Vocation Prayer You bless me through my family and entrust me with a special purpose as a grandparent. May the spirit of Saints Ann and Joachim, the grandparents of Jesus, be with me as I seek to teach my grandchildren Christian values by the way I live. Help me be a source of unconditional love and wisdom in our changing world. Grace each of my grandchildren... with a listening heart to hear your call and a generous spirit to answer. May I nurture in them a desire to serve you and encourage them to consider a vocation to priesthood and religious life as well as to marriage and the single life. May they live happy and holy lives. In Jesus name I pray. Amen Prayer: Robert G. Johnson, Grandparent Page 4 You are richer today if you have laughed, given, or forgiven. Thank God for what you have. Trust God for what you need.
Newsletter Page 5 Seminarians "Nite Out" April 18, 2009 Invitees: All seminarians at St. Mary Seminary and Borromeo Seminary Sponsored By: Club / Painesville Knights of Columbus Council #947 Who is Serra: is part of Serra International. Serra International is an organization of Catholic laypersons from all walks of life who share a deep faith and want to incorporate the teaching of Christ into their lives. Serra's mission is fostering vocations to the priesthood and religious life; and their Christian vocations to service; and faithfulness to their own state of life. Blessed Junipero Serra O.F.M. (1713-1784) The patron of Serra International may one day be recognized as a saint for his fearless, untiring missionary and apostolic work in California. He is regarded as California's first citizen and pioneer and is called the Apostle of California. His statue stands in the U.S. Capital's Hall of Fame in Washington, D.C. Where: Knights of Columbus Hall, 987 Mentor Ave. Painesville, OH 44077, (440)-352-4600 What: Time: Transportation, Dinner, Entertainment 7:00 P.M. -11:00 P.M. Sign In By: April 16, 2009 Games: Corn Hole Throw (Weather permitting), Texas Hold-em, Pool Table Challenge Movie will be shown: "Slum Dog Millionaire" clevelandcatholicvocations.com
Page 6 THIRTH-ONE CLUB IS UNDERWAY IN LAKE & GEAUGA COUNTIES: A unique club with no rules, no fees, no meetings, and no newsletters. Each member chooses one date in the month and offers Mass on that day for Church vocations. At this Mass, the members pray for all priests, sisters, brothers, and deacons, who have served the parish in the past, for those who are now serving, and that future vocations will be forthcoming from the parish. Anyone can join, Just pick a date. Then, each month for the next year, offer your Mass or rosary (if you cannot make Mass) on that date. The 31 Club is sponsored by Serra International, dedicated to developing lay men and women who fulfill their own Christian vocations to service, and to promote vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and religious life. SIGN UP BY COMPLETING THE FORM BELOW AND DROP IN THE COLLECTION BASKET OR AT THE PARISH OFFICE. -------------------------------------------------------------- NAME: Circle the date when you will attend Mass each month for the next year to pray for vocations, e.g. the 16 th of each month. 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 clevelandcatholicvocations.com