Members pledge to foster vocations to priesthood, religious life

ALTON — A new Serra Club of Madison County has received its charter, and its membership of 38 men and women have been installed as charter members of Serra International. The installation took place at St. Ambrose Church, Alton, Sept. 12, during Mass celebrated by Msgr. Carl Kemme. Msgr. Kemme, the diocese’s vicar general, is the club’s chaplain.

“This Serra Club has been in the planning stage for about five years,” said Deacon William Kessler from St. Ambrose. “It was begun by Bob Walters and his wife, Jeannie, from St. Mary in Alton. Jeannie is now in heaven, but through collaboration between the Walters, Saint Anthony’s Hospital and Father John Titus, who at the time was chaplain at Saint Anthony’s, a group came together which now totals 41 people.”

The focus of Serra Club members is to pray, invite and encourage new vocations to the priesthood, diaconate and religious life and to pray for and affirm those who are already priests, deacons, brothers and sisters, especially those in the Madison County area.

The Madison County Serra Club has been working together for over two years as a loosely formed vocations support group. Activities have included attending Mass together, attending a monthly Mass for vocations, and holding an annual priests’ appreciation dinner for local clergy.

Their biggest endeavor to date was a “Vocations Awareness Day” held last February at Marquette Catholic High School in Alton. There, 17 priests, seminarians and sisters spoke individually to small groups of students about their own call to a life dedicated solely to God and service to his people.

“God has never stopped calling people to the religious life; it’s just that in our present-day busy society, it’s hard to take the time to listen. That’s what Serra is here to do, to say, ‘Take a moment and listen; consider, is God calling you to this life?’” said Dan Perkhiser, vice president of vocations, and a member of Our Lady Queen of Peace.

Membership in the Serra Club is open to any practicing Catholic interested in praying for and promoting vocations.

“Do you have a great love and respect for your parish priest or the sisters who taught you in school? Then this is the club for you!” says Larry Greenwell, Serra Club president.

For more information or to join the Serra Club, contact Emert Wyss, vice president of membership, (618) 401-8888.

Serra International was founded in 1934 in Seattle, Wash., by four men concerned about priestly vocations, It has grown to a worldwide Catholic organization of some 20,000 members, and is recognized by the Vatican. Today, it boasts of more than 700 clubs on five continents. It’s mission is: “To affirm current priests, deacons and consecrated men and women; to foster an environment that is conducive to vocations to the ordained and consecrated life; and for its own members to grow in holiness and in their own Catholic faith.”