Toronto West Serra Club Newsletter January 2014 - 1

Board of Trustees

2013 - 2014

2012 / 2013

President

Anna Mangione

V.P. Program Joseph Gennaro

V.P. Membership

Mario Cinelli

V.P. Vocations David Bain

VP Communications

John Plunkett

Treasurer Anthony Mangione

Secretary

Irene Skinner Bain

Trustees Vince Citrinity

Gary MacDonald Caroline Smith

David Smith

Past President Patrick Hearn

Chaplain

Fr. Gerardo Bandalan

Vocare Team Irene Skinner Bain

Anna Mangione John Plunkett

Caroline Smith Marcello Tarantino

Irene Urbaniak

Contact us 416 245 2223

Father Gerardo Bandalan

Associate Pastor: Our Lady of Peace Parish

Chaplain: Toronto West Serra Club

Welcome our new Chaplain

On behalf of the Board and all members of the Toronto West Serra family, it is my pleasure to introduce and welcome our new Chaplain Father Gerardo Bandalan.

Father is the associate Pastor of Our Lady of Peace Parish. He brings to us almost thirty years of priesthood, having been ordained July 15, 1984 in the Philippines.

Father Bandalan, your pastoral and shepherding presence, especially at our Club meetings, is much appreciated. We thank you too for your “Yes” to God. Your vocation to the priesthood is near to all our hearts and we pray for you every day as we do for all priests and religious.

On a more personal note we wish to join ourselves to you at this difficult time as your family and so many others in the Philippines deal with the aftermath of Typhoon Haiyan. We pray for their health and safety and that the Lord in His

mercy will sustain and comfort all the suffering.

The New Year brings to all Serrans a renewed commitment to Vocations. We look forward to working with you as we endeavour to

accomplish Serra’s mission. With fervent participation and prayerful hearts we move forward together.

Anna Mangione President

SERRA’S HONOURED GUESTS

Our Honoured Guest on August 26 was Fr. Antonio Curto who hails from Southern Italy and presides at Our Lady of Sorrows each year during August. He was ordained in October 1977 to the Passionist Order, and has served with this order in a number of prominent positions, travelling a lot, but mainly based in Rome and occupied in the formation of seminarians. As part of the Year of Faith we were encouraged to share reflections on faith, as we are called as Serrans to “share our faith, share the Gospel”, despite our different origins, languages, family, group, club, or workplace. Jesus began the task by doing good and proclaiming salvation; we must see this now as our main task as a Christian community. We do not know the final destination of our lives, but faith gives our life a different meaning.

≥≥ Our Honoured Guest on September 9th, was Fr. Joseph Alozie, C.C.E. a distinguished academic who was raised in Nigeria in a family of eight children. Since his ordination on November 19, 2011 he has served in Italy, the US, and now Canada. He knew from a very young age that he wanted to join the priesthood, and was able to be educated at a junior seminary. He sees deciding to take Holy Orders as a very difficult thing to do, given the corruption that exists in our society. His chosen topic was “The New Face of the Church and Its Challenges”, with Pope Francis presenting a new face, following the Church in crisis that emerged during the papacy of Benedict XVI. The church is no longer the ‘pyramid’ shaped hierarchy that began with the Council of Trent. The People of God “in communion” is now emphasized, and Fr. Joseph made special mention of John Paul II’s encyclical, “The Joy of Salvation in Suffering”.

≥≥

Our Honoured Guest on September 23 was Bro. Paul Koscielelniak, OSA from Marylake whose topic was “What can lay people do for vocations.”. He thanked Serrans for three quarters of a century of service to the Church; he recalls receiving brochures about Serra when discerning for the priesthood in the 1950s. >>>

The current vocations crisis has to be taken in perspective according to the media, especially the press.

In 1935, vocations were flourishing; in the 60s seminaries and convents were being built and re-furbished; lay people were providing prayer and encouragement. Why is there no regular petition for vocations today? There is no encouragement for children to consider religious life; church bashing is common, but the churches need to stay informed; marriages have a fifty percent failure rate –what do we model for our young people about keeping a contract?

≥≥

Our Honoured Guest on October 28th was Deacon John Perdue, a graduate of Trent University, who is to be ordained for the Peterborough diocese. He reports having fallen away from the Church during his teenage years, although he managed to do alright at school. He gives credit for his vocational direction to his parents and their devotion to St. Augustine and St. Monica, as well as one sister who entered religious life. He was impressed by her commitment to a life of sacrifice compared to his self centered life; he took time to weigh his options, while dating, but had a sense that he was being called. While fishing, the silence aided contemplation, and the youth events at church were inspiring, especially “The Way of the Cross.” Still undecided after university, while on a retreat he saw the “Fishers of Men” movie. He spent eight months at a house of discernment with three other men, then entered the seminary. He was ordained a deacon in May, 2013.

≥≥

Our Honoured Guest on November 11th, 2013 was Fr. Robert Gendreau from Montreal, who was ordained at age thirty four and has now served almost thirty years as a priest. His background is French Canadian, his family profoundly Catholic; family and religion were important in those days. He felt called to the priesthood early on, serving as an altar boy. What does it mean to be a Catholic priest in today’s Quebec? Religion has lost most of its importance with the passing of the years, and the priesthood is regarded as part of the ancient world; since 1965 people go to church mostly from habit. > > > 3

Toronto West Serra Club Jan 2014 - 2 VOCARE

Toronto West Serra Club Jan 2014 - 3 VOCARE

Honoured Guests

continued from page 2 - Fr. Consolata Earlier in his life he spent some time as a professional actor, but it did not make for a decent living, and the scripts were superficial and often immoral. Through reflection, the Lord showed him his sacred heart. He began going to Mass again and rediscovered his vocation through the Grace of prayers. Now, after thirty years of priesthood, what is his perspective? Our new Pope has inspired the way forward; and they have a new Archbishop in Montreal. He sees the focus of the new evangelism as being education for children and adults. Our religion is a religion of love, and God is an educator who is giving liberty an elevated place.

≥≥

Our Honoured Guest on November 25th was our new club chaplain, Fr. Geraldo Bandalan, who comes from the area of the Philippines, Tacloban, most affected by the recent typhoon. After an anxious few days he has learned that his family survived the disaster. He credits his grandmother with having planted the seeds of vocation in him; he served as an altar boy, and was trained by the Irish Redemptorist Fathers. He initially came on a visit to Canada to study pastoral trends in the Archdiocese of Toronto, and has now been here fifteen years.

As we reflect on the Year of Faith on the feast of Christ the King, we need to ask, “Who will rule in our lives?” Faith is not the opposite of atheism, it is the opposite of idolatry. Faith has to be the bedrock of our existence; new idols keep calling us. Fr. Bandalan continued, “I need faith, and so do you.” As Advent approaches, it is a time of physical darkness, a longing for light – we can approach the light of faith. We can also look to Mary’s example of faith as she prepared to bring forth the Son of God.

≥≥ Honoured Guest Reports

Irene Skinner Bain Secretary

Club Meetings are held at the Canadiana Restaurant

5230 Dundas Street West unless otherwise noted

Jan 13 Club Meeting #1121 Guest Fr. Anthony Akpannesien

Jan 27 Club Meeting #1122 Guest: Teresa DeFrenza

Feb 10 Club Meeting #1123 Guest: Fr. David Roche

Feb 24 Club Meeting #1124 Mar 10 Club Meeting #1125 Mar 24 Club Meeting #1126 Apr 14 Club Meeting #1127 Apr 28 Club Meeting #1128

THE BOARD OF TRUSTEES meets on the 3rd Monday of each month for planning and other Club business.

Jan 20. BOARD Meeting #561 C & D Smith Residence

Feb 17 BOARD Meeting #562 Cancelled Family Day

Mar 17 BOARD Meeting #563

BOARD MEETINGS Celebrating Birthdays

JANUARY Irene Bain

Nicola Critelli

FEBRUARY Maria Ceresna Helen Husar Maria Popik

MARCH Fr. Gerardo Bandalan

Bernard Smith APRIL

Pat Hearn David Smith

Maria Tolomei

In Your Prayers Remember

Bill Whelton - RIP Ambrose Lucas Florence Smith and all who have

requested our prayers

JANUARY Irene & David Bain

FEBRUARY Mary & John Plunkett

APRIL Mario & Frances

Cinelli

Lina & Nicola Critelli

Maria & Milan Popik

Pam & Ray Track

Irene & Joseph Urbaniak

Wedding Anniversaries

Audrey Our Favorite Hostess

at the Canadiana

Club Meetings Club Meetings are held at the

Toronto West Serra Club Jan 2014 - 4 VOCARE

Board of Trustees Installation and Club Family Barbeque

MARYLAKE SHRINE

Following Mass in the beautiful Shrine Chapel some of the Augustinian Priests and Brothers (and a friendly three-legged resident cat) joined us for a hearty lunch in the grassy park-like

setting at the foot of the Shrine tower. Serrans and their guests enjoyed lots of bright sunshine and warm fellowship. If you weren’t there you missed a great Serra party.

The Board of Officers and Trustees for 2013/2014

Barbecue photos by Tony Mangione

Toronto West Serra Club Jan 2014 - 5 VOCARE

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YOUR SERRA YEAR IN REVIEW

Vocation Prayers Ordinandi Dinner

Catholic Fellowship Altar Server Awards Club Family Barbeque Priest Portrait Program

Club Board of Trustees Foundation Memorial Mass

Club Family Christmas Party Serra International Convention

Spring Leadership Conference University of Christian Principles

What was your level of participation?

Photos byTarantino Our Club’s Family Christmas Party

Serra Foundation Memorial Mass celebrated by Bishop Gary Gordon

Episcopal Adviser to Serra’s Canada Council

Some Serrans at the Foundation Memorial Mass

Toronto West Serra Club Jan 2014 - 6 VOCARE

On Saturday October 19, 2013 the 28th Annual Bishop’s Altar Server Awards, sponsored by the Serra Club of Toronto West, was hosted by Our Lady of the Airways Parish in Mississauga. Most Reverend John A. Boissonneau, Auxillary Bishop of Toronto with responsibility for the Western Region, which includes Western Toronto and the Regional Municipalities of Peel (Mississauga, Brampton, Caledon) and Dufferin, presided at the Awards Ceremony and Mass. Reverend Father Lorenzo Salandanan, Pastor, Our Lady of the Airways Parish, and Reverend Father Jimmy Joseph, Associate Pastor, kindly welcomed us and hosted this large event in their parish church.

As Serrans we undertake these Altar Server Awards Ceremonies because we believe that recognizing the service of dedicated boys and girls at the Altar will encourage and promote vocations to many different religious callings, including but not limited to the following: priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated religious life.

Altar Servers from 46 Parishes and Communities from throughout the Region were nominated by their Pastors, and 215 Altar Servers received their Bishop’s Award for Service at this meaningful ceremony. The event was organized by Serrans from the Toronto West Club. We also appreciate the assistance, of the parish Musical Director, the Choral Group, and members of Knights of Columbus who provided refreshments.

David Bain, V.P. for Vocations

TORONTO WEST BISHOP’S ALTAR SERVER AWARDS

Toronto West Serra Club Jan 2014 - 7 VOCARE

The great photos of these happy Serrans were taken by Vocare Team photographer Marcello Tarantino

T H E S E R R A Y E A R I N P I C T U R E S