Responding to the Bishop’s Call for Vocations
Back in 2005, I was living in Lincoln, Nebraska, and was a parishioner at St. Mary’s Catholic Church downtown. One day, I got a phone call from Barry, the Membership Vice-President of the Serra Club of Lincoln, saying that I had been recommended to him for membership in the Serra Club and could I please attend the next meeting of this organization. It sounded legit, so I said I would attend. It was a lunch meeting that included Holy Mass. I went to the meeting and, after Mass, was welcomed by Barry and a room filled with men whose Catholic faith was on full display. It was soon very clear to me that these were men filled to the brim with holiness and love of God. I immediately felt right at home and wanted to learn more.
A Serra Club is a local Catholic organization dedicated to prayer and activities in support of priests and religious in their local area. Members especially seek out and encourage young faith-filled Catholic men and women and pray for them that they may consider a religious vocation. What a noble cause! I quickly asked “Where do I sign?” and became a member. I learned from Barry that I had been “nominated” by the mother of our pastor at St. Mary’s whom I met at a pro-life dinner the night before the infamous phone call. Barry and the others were excited to learn that I was the parent of a religious sister, Sister Emily, of the Schoenstatt Sisters of Mary. Yes, I fit right in. Before I could say thank you, I became an at-large member of their Board of Governors, then, Membership Vice-President, then Newsletter Editor, then Vice President and President of this club! After that, my wife, Lois, and I retired and moved to Rochester and became members of St. John the Evangelist parish and, soon after, members of the Serra Club of Rochester.
Okay let’s stop and breathe. I’m sure you are aware that Bishop Barron has made it a priority in the Winona-Rochester Diocese to increase vocations to the religious life, especially the priesthood. This has meant an increase in the number of seminarians. While the seminarian count has increased since this goal was made known (currently 24 seminarians), many more are the goal because there is such a serious shortage of priests. Our priests are spread thin and are in need of our continuous prayers. The problem exists worldwide. Bishop Barron has asked the Serra Clubs in our diocese for their prayers. There are four Serra Clubs in our diocese: the Serra Club of Rochester, the Serra Club of Winona, the Serra Club of Owatonna, and the Serra Club of Wabasha County. Why are they called “Serra” Clubs? They are named after St. Junipero Serra, the famed founder of a string of California missions back in the 18th century. St. Junipero Serra was chosen as the patron by the founding members about a century ago. The growth has been phenomenal. Serra is now an international organization and has been designated by the Vatican as the official worldwide lay apostolate for vocations. The Serra ministry includes between 13,000 and 20,000 lay men and women in more than 40 countries. These faith-filled individuals, called Serrans, work locally and globally to support priests, encourage young people to consider religious vocations, and experience growth in their own faith journeys. Serrans are members of the local Serra “clubs,” and these members serve as “special friends” to priests, seminarians, and religious sisters, providing support and understanding.
Like all Serra clubs, our primary mission is to pray. Each month, we meet as a group for Mass, a rosary, and a Holy Hour. The Mass and rosary take place at Resurrection Church on the first Friday beginning with the rosary at 8:10am. This is followed by Mass at 8:30am, a social time/light breakfast at 9:00am, and ends with a program, which most often includes a guest speaker, at 9:30am. We adjourn around 10:00am. In addition to prayer, we sponsor activities centered mostly around priests and seminarians. Each summer, with our spouses, we sponsor a golf outing and dinner for the bishop, priests, deacons, and seminarians. In the fall, we sponsor another dinner for them. Most summers, we are invited to the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary in Winona for a picnic. In the spring, we sponsor a “Great Promise Award” honoring sixth graders for their demonstrated great promise for a future of prayer and strong faith. During the school year, we meet in the Lourdes High School Chapel for a Holy Hour of prayer, Serrans choosing when to take their personal hour. Rochester Serrans often become personal friends and prayer partners with seminarians.
Becoming a member of the Serra Club of Rochester involves an application. You may obtain an application form by attending a First Friday meeting in person or by contacting me (jkenkel@aol.com) or our Membership Vice-President, Mike Sheehan of Pius X Parish (mdsheehan@charter.net). Other Serrans at St. John’s that you may know include Gabe and Mary Sciallis, John Roemer, Wendy Shepherd, and my wife, Lois Kenkel. So … with this brief introduction to Serra, if becoming a Serran appeals to you, we would love to hear from you so that we can pray and work together to help Bishop Barron achieve his goals.
Thank you.
John Kenkel