August 18, 2016 | Issue 52
Serra International Members Portal is Now Live!

 

We are thrilled to announce that the long-awaited Serra International Members Portal is now live!
 
Being an active part of our unique apostolate is a joy-filled experience, but it's time to bring the nuts-and-bolts housekeeping aspects of club maintenance into the 21st century. The new Web-based portal is designed to make communicating with your club and headquarters in Chicago smoother and more enjoyable than ever before.
 
With the new portal, you will be able to:
  • Post photos, news and articles. Choose to share with just your club, your district, or with Serrans worldwide.
  • Update, organize and maintain rosters. Share directly with the Chicago office so you never miss important communications or need to adjust your dues invoice.
  • Pay dues securely online.
  • Maintain and share a club calendar, and let members know instantly whenever there's a change.
  • ... and much more!
We will be rolling this out over the next few weeks, opening it up to one part of the Serra world at a time. This will allow us to test how the portal functions with smaller samples of Serrans and catch glitches in the early stages.
 
This means not everyone will have immediate access to the portal. In the coming weeks, watch your email for a message from us with instructions on how to create a password and log in. If you do not receive a message from us by August 31, please contact us at [email protected] or call us at 800.488.4008.
 
We are very excited about this new development in the world of Serra and look forward to better and increased communications with Serrans around the globe!
Serra International at World Youth Day 2016
NCDVD Executive Director Rose Sullivan and Serra International Foundation Executive Director John Liston (pair at far left) pose for a photo with two seminarians from the Diocese of Hartford, CT, Archbishop Andrew K. Sample, Archbishop of Portland, OR, and Pádraig O'Sullivan, Rose's son.

The Serra International Foundation partnered with the National Conference of Diocesan Vocation Directors (NCDVD) to present an exhibit on Diocesan Priesthood at World Youth Day.  This wonderful exhibit was visited by over 30,000 pilgrims, who took home prayer cards and a deeper appreciation for the priesthood.  

One of the most encouraging parts of this exhibit was the "Thank a Priest" wall (pictured below), where pilgrims left notes of gratitude for bishops, priests, and seminarians that have made an impact in their lives.



In His Steps: Serra Member Recommitment Program
Every year, Serrans are encouraged to revisit our unique mission and breathe new energy into our promises to foster and affirm vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. September 1 is the traditional date for Serra member recommitment ceremonies, as outlined in the Program Manual's "In His Steps" program. Click here to download the program.

If your club does not have such a recommitment ceremony planned for your first September meeting, consider making it a point to do so early this Fall, especially as we near the one year anniversary of Saint Junipero Serra (Sept. 23). The "In His Steps" program restores focus to our vocations apostolate and reminds Serrans why they joined in the first place. Don't miss this opportunity to unite and strengthen your membership.

Upcoming Events / Faith-full Funnies
UPCOMING EVENTS:

Oct. 30, 2016:

Nov. 6-12, 2016:
National Vocations Awareness Week

Feb. 5, 2017:
World Day for Consecrated Life

Feb. 16-19, 2017:
Serra Rally, Phoenix, AZ
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Serra International
1 (312) 419-7411 | [email protected] | http://www.serrainternational.org