March/April 2008
Prayer Intention: For an increase in vocations to the Priesthood and Religious life.
For an end to abortion and a respect for all life from birth to natural death
For our military personnel and their families.
Fr. Szybka: Father said that all the priests took part in the Chrism Mass in Holy Week at which time they renewed their vows and comittment to the priesthood. He said the Easter blessing continues throughout the year. Calls us to a new life and new hope. On May 6 the Bishop will be here for the Diocesan celebration of all the priests. He will celebrate the 4:30 mass and all Serrans are invited to the mass. He asked that we all keep Fr. Murd in our prayers and to remember that priests are human and make mistakes. The church is suffering, the church will heal and the church will move on.
President’s messages: Denny Behm, Pat Englehart and Fr. Szybka inducted Jennifer Zoeller and Pauline Reinhart into the Club. Guests for the past meetings were Becky Griffin, Jan Lampson, Dominic and Rita Ranieri, Donald and Edna Nye, Millie Lee, Laura Haines, Jeffery Smith and Elaine Smith. John Miller will be ordained June 1. Joanne Shook will make a stole for him. Tiffin will again do the Spring Leadership
Committee reports were given. Denny has several newsletters from other Serra Clubs available. Tom Welter mentioned care package contents should be in by the first week of April. He also passed out the new list of priests’ ordination dates. Jim Ewald reported on the upcoming Regional Conference being held June 19-22 at Notre Dame. He also read a grateful letter signed by the Sisters of St. Francis for the newspaper ad in February for World Day of Consecrated Life.
Deacon Floyd gave a brief report on New Riegel All Saints Junior High famine experience. He explained how 72 young students participated in a Friday to Saturday famine filled with Stations of the Cross, group talks, confession, service projects and a potluck dinner.
Speakers: Pat Englehart introduced Lynn Mileski as the guest speaker for
the March 18th meeting. She opened and closed with Psalm 46: God is our refuge and strength…. Lynn was baptized Lutheran, raised Methodist. Her father was literally a “rocket scientist” and her mother gave up her Home Ec. teaching career to become a home maker and mother. Her parents instilled in her “whatever you do, do right with God”, a message she never forgot to practice. They taught her to discern when scripture was used out of context. At 16 she was involved with a teen church group. Her first college roommate was Catholic and she met her husband, Dave, in a college class over a dead body they were studying. Dave’s parents planned for their son to marry a Polish Catholic, but it was not God’s plan. Lynn attended catechesis classes at OSU Neuman Center to learn about the faith. She delved into the “why” of all the Catholic practices and has continued to learn and draw closer to the faith. She gave several reasons why she loved the faith, and her talk was full of life and pride of her conversion. Lynn is being blessed by having her son become a seminarian.
Fr. Ron Schock spoke at the April 1 meeting. Fr. is the Vocation Director for the Toledo Diocese. He talked about the vows of a priest - Prayer, Celibacy and Obedience. He then related how young man and women prepare to be accepted in the priesthood or religious life.. Their first contact is with their own parish and parishioners. The young man is usually recommended by his pastor to the Vocation Director. Then a interview is made by the Mission Formation Board and a search into his past is made to see if he is qualified to be accepted. His name is then submitted to the Bishop. During their time in the seminary theie studies are geared into four categories: Spiritual, Humor, Pastoral and Intellectual. They spend time outside the seminary doing work at parishes twice a year. Fr. was asked what he felt was the greatest joy of his priesthood and he said “Mass and the Sacraments”. He said that each Order of Sisters have their own vocation director and their process is different than for the priesthood.
Paul Wetzel, regional governor, spoke at the April 15 meeting. EWTN Mansfield is a catholic radio station that we should try a listen too. He said that Serra International and USAC are on the mend. They had a meeting in Omaha and have agreed to work through the reorganization. The Serra All-American Conference will be held at Notre Dame College on June 19-22, 2008. The Serra Super Regional Convention will take place at the Oglebay Resort in Wheeling, WV on October 10-12.The college collection of information has been very successful and 55 clubs have participated. Serra International is looking into making the project world wide. Serra will again manage the reception after ordination. Each Club will be assessed $6.00 per person. Spring Leadership conference is attentively scheduled for May 17 in Tiffin. He then spoke on “ Why do we need Serra” He gave statistics on the number of catholics, parishes in the US and how many priests and sisters were available to serve the parishes. The decline and been great in the past 20 years. That is why we need Serra- to promote vocations to the priesthood and religious life.
Announcements: Holy hour April 28
May 6 - Group meetings. Please review job descriptions and make recommendations
Mass at 4:30 P.M.
May 20 - Janet Dell Freeman - speaker
June 19 - Msgr. Edward Dunn’s 65th anniversary of ordination.
Did you know…:
…Pentecost Sunday is considered the day the Church was born?
…In the United States Mother’s Day was first suggested in 1872 by Julia Ward Howe (who wrote the words to the Battle Hymn of the Republic) as a day dedicated to peace.
…That although many people began celebrating Father’s Day in the early 1900’s it wasn’t until 1966 that President Lyndon Johnson signed a presidential proclamation declaring the 3rd Sunday of June as Father’s Day.
…The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul commemorates the martyrdom at Rome of two great Apostles and is a time to remember all missionaries in your prayers.