Serra USA celebrates National Vocation Awareness Week November 1-7.
Since there is a great need for more vocations to the priesthood and religious life, Serrans, lay Catholic men and women of all walks of life, are dedicated to promoting and fostering vocations.
The name Serra comes from the organization’s patron, Father Junipero Serra, who was canonized a saint in 2015. St. Junipero Serra was a Franciscan priest who spread the work of the Catholic Church by founding a system of missions in what is now the state of California.
In addition to fostering and promoting vocations to the ministerial priesthood and religious life of the Church, other objectives of Serra are to support and encourage seminarians and women in formation. One way this is done is through their “Adopt a Seminarian” program. Serrans correspond with seminarians and offer prayerful support. An annual luncheon during the seminarian Christmas break also offers a chance to meet and visit with seminarians. Serrans also try to attend the ordinations of deacons and priests and present gifts to the ordinands from the club.
The Serra Club supports seminarians by contributing to a diocesan Serra Endowment fund for seminarian education. The majority of funds are usually raised from a waffle breakfast and sponsorships.
Another program the Serra Club sponsors is College Connection, which encourages high school graduates to stay involved with their faith while away at college through Newman Centers or FOCUS (Fellowship of Catholic University Students).
In addition to the support of seminarians, our priests are remembered with cards and prayers on Priesthood Sunday in September, and priests, deacons and religious sisters are honored at a luncheon in December.
Serrans ordinarily meet twice a month following a Mass or rosary. There is a program at each meeting which may be about a person’s journey to becoming a priest, deacon or religious sister or about an educational Catholic topic.
The Sioux Falls Serra Club meets the second Saturday morning of each month for 8:30 a.m. Mass at St. Lambert Parish followed by a business meeting and program. After the first of the year they will consider resuming meeting on the fourth Saturday morning as well.
The Serra USA Clubs in the diocese always welcome guests and new members. If you live in the Watertown area and would like to know more about Serra, contact Kathy Roggenbuck at 605-467-1085. For more information about the Sioux Falls group, contact Jeanne Ranek at 605-339-2492.
