In 1998 Hugh Eidt of the Church of Saint Mary and Bill Heckenkemper of Christ the King parishes introduced Dal Tobin and the Men’s Club at St. Mary to Serra USA. They were seeking new members for the Tulsa Serra organization. Dal and Marie Tobin joined the Serra Club and subsequently attended a Serra USA Region 10 Convention in Houston, Texas. Serra’s mission is “To foster and affirm vocations to the ordained priesthood and vowed religious life in the United States, and through this ministry, foster and affirm our members’ common Catholic faith.” Learn more about Serra Club of Tulsaat the Diocese of Tulsa website.

 

At the Houston convention the Tobin’s learned of a Chalice and Crucifix Vocation Prayer program sponsored in a Houston parish. We decided to discuss with Monsignor Dorney the possibility of establishing this prayer program at the Church of Saint Mary. He encouraged us and helped establish a parish Vocations Committee from individuals with St. Mary school parents and Serra parish members. The committee chose this mission statement: “To foster and affirm lay and ordained leadership in the community of the Church of Saint Mary.” 

 

 

 

Prayer is the initial focus of the vocations committee. Future activities may include affirmation of priests and vowed religious and support of our priests, sisters, deacons and seminarians.

 

Now in its sixth year St. Mary’s Vocations Committee enlists individuals and family members who agree to take either the chalice or crucifix home for a week and say daily prayers for increased vocations to the priesthood and religious communities and for the seminarians in the Tulsa Diocese. Whether you sign up for the crucifix or chalice, you will receive instructions to aid you in your participation in this ministry.

 

Participating individuals and families have found the prayers a rewarding experience. Margaret Dayer, for example, seeks the crucifix during the Christmas holidays when her children are home so they can all participate in the prayers. Many parishioners participate in the prayer program again and again.

 

Monsignor Dorney provided a prayer to include with the Traveling Chalice and Crucifix. Sharron Hanisch, St. Mary vocations committee member, enlisted help from Father Jack Gleason, Diocesan Vocation Director, to furnish a Prayer for Children. One suggestion following the Prayer for Children is to have each family member name one gift they are thankful for and ask God to help them use their gift well.

 

Participants receive a reminder call from a committee member the week before to remind them of your commitment. Whether you sign up for the crucifix or chalice, you will receive instructions to aid you in your participation in this ministry when you sign up. 

 

 

Fr. Gleason, pastor of the Church of the Madalene and diocesan Vocations director, has written this article for their prayer book which is used with their Vocation Crucifix program.  He begins, “Vocations are everyone’s business. What do I mean by that? I mean everyone has a vested interest in their own and other people’s discernment of God’s will for them in their lives. If you want to be happy, do what God is calling you to do. If you desire others’ happiness, help them do what God is calling them to do.” For the entire article click here.
  

 

 

St. Mary’s Vocations Committee also sponsors the “31 Club” and invite parishioners to join and sign a poster to commit to offer one extra Mass every month for vocation. Our late Pope John Paul II said, “The Eucharist is the source of all vocations in the Church.”

 

Church of Saint Mary traveling crucifix and chalice participants are also asked to pray for the Diocese of Tulsa’s 15 seminarians. 

 

Vocations Committee members at St. Mary who are also members of Serra Club of Tulsa are: Jackie and Sharron Bubenik, Hugh Eidt, Dal Tobin and Marie Tobin. Our members seek caring, compassionate individuals who are good listeners, articulate speakers and loving, enthusiastic Catholics who might consider becoming a priest, sister or brother, permanent deacon or lay minister.

 

 “A vocation is a call to serve. It is a profession, an urge, a predisposition to undertake a certain kind of work. It is a choice for which you are particularly suited. The question always is “how best can I serve God and others?” (from Serra for priestly and religious vocations)

For more information, go to http://www.serraus.org/ .

 

To join the St. Mary’s Vocations Committee, please contact Dal Tobin.