Year in Review 2024 Catholic Diocese of Sandhurst 53 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. 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. “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”. 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. 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. Sandhurst Diocese Serrans Visit Seminary The seminarians are all so full of joy; it’s evident in the way they treat others.
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