On Sunday 10 March, members of Victorian Serra Clubs were warmly welcomed to Corpus Christi College, Carlton for a day of prayer and hospitality. The day provided Serrans and seminarians with a rare opportunity to pray together in gratitude for the support each affords the other.

Wilma McCormack, president of the Bendigo Serra Club, says she always finds the Serrans’ annual visit to Corpus Christi College, Carlton incredibly uplifting. “The seminarians are all so full of joy; it’s evident in the way they treat others. There is a certain charisma about them, I’m not sure exactly what it is, but it is there,” she says.

Given that Wilma is the grandmother of two fourth-year seminarians for the Archdiocese of Melbourne she is hardly unbiased, yet her care extends to all the Corpus Christi seminarians, especially those from Sandhurst. “The Sandhurst seminarians are so personable that you could easily embrace them as your grandsons; so friendly, so full of joy; and they will bring that joy and their gifts to others,” she said.

The Serra Club is a global lay apostolate for vocations within the Catholic Church which supports vocations to the priesthood. For Wilma, who has been a member for many years, it has become a place to grow in faith with like-minded people, just as much as it is about supporting vocations to the priesthood.

Wilma and her later husband, John, joined the Serrans because they wanted to support priests, seminarians and people discerning vocations not only with practical efforts, but also with prayer. In doing so, Wilma has found that it enriches her own faith because Serrans also look for ways to recognise and respond to God’s call to holiness in their own lives. “Spiritual growth in Christ is one of the main elements of the Serra Club,” says Wilma. “Serrans encourage church vocations; we pray for priests, raise awareness of vocations and we also facilitate religious education for the laity — because we all need continuous learning, and we also focus on our own relationship with God and our calling in our own lives. We hope that will rub off on others,” laughs Wilma.

As well as prayers and in-kind support, the Serra Club also assists vocations in practical ways with funds raised through the Serra Foundation. Tens of thousands of dollars have been donated and distributed through the Serra Foundation since it was established in 1982. Some examples of the ways the Serra Foundation supports vocations include: support for diocesan seminars and retreats for people discerning a vocation; study scholarships for seminarians; and financial assistance for seminarians and young men and women to attend World Youth Day.

For Wilma, being a Serran has had a very personal impact on her life. “It’s been so unusual. We’ve been praying in earnest for priests everywhere and, all of a sudden, two grandsons (cousins) both chose to enter the seminary in the same year. I keep praying that all will be well. I know their journey will have its challenges and I pray for God to guide and protect them. I pray that the sense of fun and laughter they had in their childhoods will remain with them throughout their priesthoods.”

There is no doubt that our parishes are deeply indebted to the men and women who commit to lives of prayer, service and ministry in the priesthood. The Serra Clubs provide a means to pray for them, and the Serra Foundation a means for financial and practical assistance.

Membership of Serra Clubs is open to all practising Catholic laity and permanent deacons. The Bendigo Serrans meet on the second Thursday of the month at St Kilian’s Church. Meetings begin with adoration at 11:00 a.m. followed by Mass at 12:10 p.m. Everyone brings a plate for lunch which is shared in the nexus of the Church before the meeting. For more information, please contact the Chancery on Tel: 5445 3600.

The Serra Australia Foundation welcomes donations from all people, whether they are members of a local Serra Club or not.

Photograph Above:  Sandhurst seminarians Jhunel Mendez and Ryerson De Lai with members of the Bendigo Serra Club.

Photograph courtesy of Chris McCormack.