Author: Jody White

The Serra Club of North Columbus has been awarded a grant by The Catholic Foundation in their recent 2024 Responsive Grants cycle.

Vocations Outreach – 2024 Vocations Luncheons

Annual vocations awareness luncheons for high school and middle school boys and girls are organized and hosted by the Serra Club of North Columbus each fall, in the Jessing Center on the campus of the Pontifical College Josephinum. These events feature speakers who usually share his or her vocation story and encourage the young men and women to consider discernment of a vocation to the priesthood or consecrated religious life.

The Girls’ Luncheon in early October was addressed by Sr. Elfie Rosario of the Salesian Sisters. Several of the various orders of sisters in the diocese presented information tables, enabling the attending girls to see the wide variety of charisms and apostolates of the sisters.

At the Boys’ Luncheon in early November, newly ordained Fr. David Johnstone, parochial vicar, St. Michael Parish and chaplain, St. Francis DeSales High School, delivered an inspiring talk on his own vocation story. Then, newly ordained Fr. Michael Haemmerle, parochial vicar of St. Paul the Apostle and Associate Vocations Director, shared the importance of young men using prayer and opportunities provided by the Diocese to discern and answer Christ’s call to the priesthood. Over 225 students, along with clergy, teachers, and members of the Serra Club, attended each event.

We thank the Catholic Foundation for the grant of $3,303 in the Vocations category of Responsive Grants for 2024 to help support these two important events.

The Catholic Foundation is a non-profit, charitable organization that receives and manages assets to provide perpetual funding for the parishes, schools and ministries within the 23-county Diocese of Columbus. The Foundation’s Board of Trustees is comprised of Church, business and civic leaders who
represent various regions of the Diocese. The Catholic Foundation inspires giving and assists donors to provide for the long-term needs of the Diocese of Columbus. For more information, to catholic-foundation.org

Information & Instructions Page for Serra Club Priestly Vocation Essay Contest

The contest has begun. All essays are due no later than Dec. 2.

What is the contest?

The Columbus Serra Club is asking each and every Catholic eighth-grade boy in the Columbus diocese to think carefully about becoming a priest. We are challenging eighth-grade boys to write an essay of five hundred words or less answering a question about whether God might be calling them to the priesthood.  Writers of the ten best essays will be awarded a $1,000 tuition assistance grant to a diocesan Catholic high school.

What are the topics for the essays?

Write an essay on one of the following three topics in five hundred words or less.

1.       I think that God might be calling me to be a priest because…

2.       I do not think that God is calling me to be a priest because  . . .

3.       A priest who has played an important role in my life is _______ because he… God might be calling me to follow him into the priesthood because ..  .

May assistance be sought in writing the essay?

This is not a take-home test. Feel free to discuss your thoughts with your family, friends, and pastor. The evaluators are interested in your thoughts and your own words about yourself in relation to the priesthood and God. They are not interested in reading generalities about the priesthood such as an AI app produces. Most importantly consult the highest intelligence. Pray that the Holy Spirit guides you in probing your heart and mind to hear His call.

When are the essays to be written?

Students have October and November to write their essays. Essays are due Dec, 2.

How are the essays to be submitted?

1. If you submit your essay by yourself, Submit it as an email attachment in Word to kielkopf.1@osu.edu. Include contact information about your name, parish, email address, text message phone # and postal address.
2. Teachers may submit their students’ essays in a bulk emailing. But for each student include contact information about the student’s name, parish, email address, text message phone # and postal address.

When will the results be announced?

Decisions will be sent to entrants in early February 2025.

What happens to the essays after they are submitted?

Submitted essays are the property of the Columbus Serra Club. The Club will try to publish some essays or, excerpts from essays, in the Catholic Times or other promotional literature for the competition.

For further information, Email: kielkopf.1@osu.edu or text 614-558-0806.

 

End of Information & Instruction page for Columbus Serra Club’s Priestly Vocation Essay competition.

Charles F. Kielkopf, Professor of Philosophy (emeritus) The Ohio State University donates this page on his Blog Site to the Serra Club of Columbus.

Columbus’s two Serra Clubs belong to the Great Lakes Region of the Serra USA Council. Our region includes Ohio, Indiana, Kentucky, and the lower peninsula of Michigan – 28 Clubs and about 1,000 members total.

On April 12 & 13, the North Columbus Club organized and hosted a Great Lakes Regional Summit. Held at the Jessing Center on the campus of the Pontifical College Josephinum, over 100 Serrans and guests heard talks from Fr. Stephen Beseau, President / Rector of the Josephinum, Sr. Chiara Francisco of the Leaven of the Immaculate Heart of Mary, Fr. Stash Dailey, Vice-Rector of the Josephinum and Vicar for Religious of the Diocese of Columbus, and Fr. Bill Hahn, Vocations Director and Vicar for Priests of the Diocese of Columbus.

From their various perspectives, their talks shed much light on the challenges for vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life in today’s secularized culture, as well as the joys to be experienced by those who follow Christ’s call.

The day included the celebration of Holy Mass by Bishop Earl Fernandes in the St. Turibius Chapel.

Brief presentations were also delivered by various Serrans on particular “best practices” and successful projects used in their Clubs.

Enjoy the talks below!