Serrans to celebrate 75th anniversary on Thursday, March 9
The monstrance to be used for the holy hours was blessed by St. Paul John Paul II. (Courtesy photo)
By Fr. Ken Schuckman
The Downtown Serra Club of Wichita will commemorate its 75th anniversary as a club of Serra International Thursday, March 9.
In preparation for the event, Serrans and other faithful Catholics of the diocese are invited to join in a novena of Eucharistic Holy Hours for Vocations to the priesthood and consecrated religious life in the Diocese of Wichita. A novena is a period of prayer lasting nine consecutive days, usually leading to a celebration of a special event.
Monstrance blessed by St. Pope John Paul II
A monstrance blessed in 2004 by St. Pope John Paul II has been provided by Serra International for holy hours for vocations. The monstrance, originally presented to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, is to be used during the Year of the Eucharist for prayer for an increase of vocations to the ordained ministry and consecrated life. The USCCB gave the monstrance to Serra with the stipulation of fulfilling the Pope’s request to ensure that the monstrance be used in local parishes so that all Catholics far and wide come together to pray for vocations.
The faithful of the Diocese of Wichita are being invited to carry on St. Pope John Paul II’s request nearly 20 years later. Beginning on Tuesday, Feb. 28, the monstrance will be enthroned in an adoration chapel of a church in our diocese. Those who come to pray before the Holy Eucharist on the day the monstrance is present in their chapel will be encouraged to offer special prayers for the increase of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Each day, except for one, the monstrance will travel to a new chapel.
Monstrance to travel
(Dates corrected from previous post.) Tuesday, Feb. 28, Sacred Heart; Wednesday, March 1, Church of the Resurrection; Thursday, March 2, St. Anne; Friday, March 3, St. Francis of Assisi; Saturday and Sunday, March 4-5, Blessed Sacrament; Monday, March 6, St. Elizabeth Ann Seton; Tuesday, March 7, Church of the Magdalen; and Wednesday, March 8, Christ the King.
On Thursday, March 9, with the novena completed, the monstrance will make its final stop at the adoration chapel at St. Catherine of Siena Church where the Serra 75th anniversary celebration will begin with Mass celebrated by Bishop Kemme at 5:30 p.m. in the main church.
Call to prayer
Hopefully many people will pray a holy hour, or at least some time during the novena before our Eucharistic Lord – preferably at one of the chapels where the Saint John Paul II Monstrance is displayed. If that is not possible, hopefully a holy hour will be prayed during the novena from Feb. 28 through March 8 at an adoration chapel or church of your choice.
The plan will be to transfer the Eucharist from the Saint John Paul II Monstrance to the parish monstrance after the morning Mass and take it immediately to the next parish with a priest of the parish receiving the monstrance transferring the Eucharist from the parish monstrance to the Saint John Paul II Monstrance for adoration until the next day. That will usually be around 8:30 to 9:30 a.m.
Parents are encouraged to take their children and youth to pray and explain the importance of their children and young people being open to God’s call to the priesthood or religious life.
Fr. Schuckman is the chaplain for the Serrans.