Welcome our new Chaplain

Toronto West Serra Club Newsletter
January 2014
-1
Board of Trustees
2013 - 2014
President
Anna/Mangione
2012
2013
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
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
Father Gerardo Bandalan
Associate Pastor: Our Lady of Peace Parish
Chaplain: Toronto West Serra Club
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
Toronto West Serra Club
Jan 2014 - 2
VOCARE
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 refurbished; 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
BOARD MEETINGS
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
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.
≥≥
Audrey
Our Favorite Hostess
at the Canadiana
Club Meetings
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
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
Jan 2014 - 3
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
Wedding
Anniversaries
JANUARY
Irene & David Bain
FEBRUARY
Mary & John Plunkett
APRIL
Mario & Frances
Cinelli
Lina & Nicola Critelli
Maria & Milan Popik
Pam & Ray Track
Irene & Joseph Urbaniak
In Your Prayers
Remember
Bill Whelton - RIP
Ambrose Lucas
Florence Smith
and all who have
requested our prayers
Toronto West Serra Club
VOCARE
Jan 2014 - 4
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
≤≤≤≤
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?
Serra Foundation Memorial Mass
celebrated by Bishop Gary Gordon
Episcopal Adviser to Serra’s Canada Council
Some Serrans at the Foundation Memorial Mass
Our Club’s Family Christmas Party
Photos byTarantino
Toronto West Serra Club
VOCARE
Jan 2014 - 6
TORONTO WEST BISHOP’S ALTAR SERVER AWARDS
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 Serra Club
VOCARE
Jan 2014 - 7
THE SERRA YEAR IN PICTURES
The great photos of these happy Serrans were taken by Vocare Team photographer Marcello Tarantino