Fr. Westcott is a Somerville native, and currently serves at St. Mary’s of the Nativity in Scituate. He was ordained in 2001, about 2 minutes after Fr. Dan Kennedy. As a result, Fr. Kennedy used to joke that he was the “more experienced priest.”

Fr. Westcott spoke of the “sacramental personality” of the priest: the idea that the priest’s personality acts as a bridge to Christ. The holy sacraments must be a cornerstone of the priest’s life, so that he can successfully preach the Gospel and bring others to Christ.

The priest’s personality can aid or detract from this purpose. The priest’s formation as a human being can help make him into a man that can lead others to Christ, but the priest must also love the Person of Jesus Christ and develop an authentic prayer life and sense of self-awareness. Sometimes the greatest aid to a priest’s personality can be the grace to “stay out of Christ’s way.” Fr. Westcott noted that he will sometimes pray “Don’t let me say anything harmful” and “Let me say what You want.”

Fr. Westcott gave a powerful example of speaking up for God by noting that in a homily before the presidential election, he preached on politics. Before the homily, he was anxious that he might alienate parishioners, but afterwards he received near universal thanks with only one negative response. The overwhelmingly positive response to the homily served as a reminder to Fr. Westcott that his own desires need to take second position to the needs of the people of Christ. As Fr. Westcott put it, “Nobody needs Matt Westcott, but people need Jesus Christ.”

Each priest must have a sense of purposeful self-sacrifice, and while a priest may act casually, at times he also has a responsibility to represent Christ to other people in a more solemn way. Fr. Westcott noted that some priests are like Bing Crosby in Going My Way, but the world also needs some “Barry Fitzgeralds” as well. Each priest is called to “become sacramental” by letting his personality point the way to Christ. Fr. Westcott was reminded of Fr. Dan Kennedy’s saying: “Keep Christ the Constant,” a reminder that priests come and go, but the Person of Christ remains eternal. As John the Baptist said of Christ in John 3:30: “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

Prayer for priests is also essential. The Monthly Prayer for Priests calendar apostolate offers a great means for supporting priests, since people can recognize a priest’s name, pray for him in unison with hundreds of others on the same day, and perhaps even contact him to let him know of this support and prayer. Fr. Westcott ended by thanking the Serra Club of Boston for our efforts on behalf of priests, and stating that our great work as Serrans is recognized and deeply appreciated.

Loretta Gallagher noted that Fr. Westcott’s words called for a huge amount of maturity and deflation of ego on the part of a priest, and that parents could certainly identify with the need to subjugate oneself to the formation process of those for whom you were responsible.

Q & A

After his talk, we had a brief Q&A session. Questions and Fr. Matt’s answers are provided below.

How does the seminary foster a sense of self-sacrifice and subjugation of ego in future priests?

Fr. Westcott answered that if this attitude was not already there in some way, it would not be appropriate for the man to become a priest. The seminary is a formation of the inpidual, which must be based on genuine relationship, a sense of self-awareness, and certain relational skills. People have a right to good priests, not just a lot of priests. The seminary can, and should, help weed out those who may not be called to the priesthood, despite their desires. Fr. Westcott noted that when you enter the seminary, you either leave or stay — either way, the seminary has done its job.

Did being in the military help you become a priest?

The attitude of respecting and executing orders helped prepare Fr. Westcott to take on similar responsibilities as a priest. All priests take a vow of respect and obedience to their bishop, and ‘Matt Westcott’s opinions’ are not required for the needs of the diocese. Priests are called to put themselves second, and their vows first.

When did you feel mature enough to decide to be a priest?

Life experiences helped in Fr. Westcott’s decision, such as a strong “1950′s Catholic upbringing” in 1980′s Somerville. As a child, he had known priests whose lives pointed to a life of significance, meaning, and adventure. At 26 he chose to enter the seminary and “give it a year.” In the middle of his third year, Fr. Westcott decided definitively that “it was for me.”

Fr. Westcott also received support, encouragement, and sound advice during his discernment process. He and Fr. Dan Kennedy “got each other through the seminary,” and other solid priests, such as Fr. Bill Murphy, provided support. When Fr. Westcott told another priest that he felt unworthy of the priesthood, the other priest responded: “Nobody is worthy.” Only Jesus Christ is a true Priest, and He condescends to allow His “adopted brothers” to join Him in His priestly ministry.

If a man is denied ordination to the priesthood, is he told why he was denied?

Seminarians are reviewed every year, and the reviews get more stringent as time goes on. Each man is worked with long before he is denied. Ultimately no one has a “right” to be ordained to the priesthood; the decision lies with the bishop, who speaks with more than mortal authority.

Is there low morale in the seminary?

The seminary can sometimes seem like a cocoon, since seminarians live, recreate, and take classes there without often leaving the grounds. Seminarians must ask themselves if they are “too comfortable in the cocoon,” and they are encouraged to get out of the building once a day and get off campus once a week.

The seminarian’s natural response to life at the seminary can also help him discern if he should be a diocesan priest (and serve the people of Christ in a diocese) or an order priest (and serve Christ within a communal lifestyle on a more global scale).

What is the greatest joy you have being a priest?

Celebrating Mass. Baptisms in particular offer a special joy, since they offer something “so pure” as bringing a new life into the Church.

What are the biggest challenges of being a priest?

Priests can experience a sense of pressure — not burnout, but more a sense that there aren’t enough hours in the day to do everything that needs to be done. Priests can also sometimes feel isolated, especially when they have to make an unpopular decision. Fr. Westcott noted that it can be helpful to pray that priests feel connected to other priests and to the Lord.

One of the greatest challenges of being a priest is that it sometimes seems like nothing is happening — that the priest’s efforts to preach and do well are having no effect. Fr. Westcott noted that the priest can only plant seeds which will others may tend and see grow, and that priests may not always be able to see the fruit of their labor.

The Serra Club of Boston thanks Fr. Matt Westcott for attending our November meeting, and for presenting such a unique and joyful look into the sacramental nature of priestly life. It is obvious our archdiocese has been blessed with his vocation to the priesthood.

2008 was a great year for Priesthood Sunday in the Archdiocese, and we came away with several ideas for spreading this celebration to new parishes next year.

St. Bridget’s in Framingham

St. Bridget’s Parish in Framingham had several ways of promoting this special event.

Mary and Francis Jesch created posters which were displayed in the school and the church.  Each poster had photos of the 3 priests in the parish, as well as a message for St. Bridget’s parishioners.  The posters were printed by Alpha Graphics, which can adapt these posters to specific parishes.

On the weekend of Priesthood Sunday, the organist incorporated music for priests in several of the Masses.  Special bookmarks were also placed in the bulletins, with a list of all the pastors for St. Bridget’s Parish since it was formed in 1878 and a Vocation Prayer to Mary, Mother of the Divine Shepherd.

The religious education teachers had kids in their classes write “thank-you” cards to the priests.  Parishioners were surprised by the kind cards, which had notes like “thank you for hearing my confession” and “thank you for making me more like Christ.”

As an ongoing effort in promoting vocations, the parish has a “vocations chalice” which travels from family to family every week.  The photo below shows the chalice, which the Jesches kindly brought to our meeting.  This beautiful chalice is shown below:

Holy Family in Amesbury

At Holy Family Parish in Amesbury, Loretta Gallagher made up a flyer that can be edited for specific parishes, and easily inserted into parish bulletins.  The pastor even wrote about Priesthood Sunday in the parish’s weekly bulletin, thanking his parishioners for their ongoing support and prayers:

Today, October 26, 2008, the Church has named “Priesthood Sunday”. The purpose of this day is to remember and to reflect the great gift that the priesthood has offered the Church.

I know that I speak for both Fr. Conrad and Fr. Bill as well as myself in that we do not need a day for people to be reminded of the gratitude and support that you offer us. This is experienced in many ways each day. Your thoughtfulness, your assistance, and the care you offer us each day show that in more ways than we could ever recount.

Most particularly we experience it in your prayers for us and the work that we do. Please know that you are always close to our hearts and in our prayers.

The full St. Mary’s Parish bulletin on Priesthood Sunday can be read here: October 26, 2008 – Holy Family Parish

Boston Pilot ads

The Boston Pilot had the most ads in the nation for Priesthood Sunday, with Detroit coming in second.  Priests across the archdiocese saw their name and expressed appreciation for this recognition.

The only “downside” came when priests’ parents and family called the Pilot, upset that they hadn’t heard of Priesthood Sunday and hadn’t purchased ads in time!

Next Year

Serrans are asked to promote Priesthood Sunday next year, to spread the word about this event and publicly show support for our prists.  Keep checking this site for valuable information on how you can promote Priesthood Sunday in your own parish!

Also, if you are aware of other parishes who celebrated Priesthood Sunday who are not listed here, please add a comment below.

Other news

• Serrans are asked to pray for Deacon Gabino Macias, who will be ordained this Friday, Nov 21.  Deacon Macias was assigned to a 2 month program at St. Mary’s in Waltham, is currently in Mexico, and may come to be a priest in Boston.
• The President of Serra USA has asked for prayer for Joe Donahue, of the Serra Club of NW Metro Denver.  Joe has been diagnosed with cancer of the liver and pancreas, because of which there is little hope.  Let us all pray to Blessed Junipero Serra to intercede for a cure, and to make this initiative a worldwide effort.
• During the meeting, Joe Gallagher was nominated and voted in as Treasurer for the club.  There are several other positions open – please contact information@serraboston.org or come to a meeting if you are interested in signing up!

Our next meeting will be Saturday, December 20.  We hope to see you there!

During our meeting, we discussed the following topics:

• The Vocations Boston office is researching the possibility of opening Perpetual Adoration chapels in each of the 5 regions of the Archdiocese.  The chapels’ mission would be to pray for the sanctification of priests, and to pray for an increase in vocations.

  Several Serrans suggested that Saint Patrick’s in Natick already has Perpetual Adoration, and that Tewkesbury had a “rolling retreat” format that allowed each parishioner and family to commit to 1 hour of adoration.

  Serrans are asked to pray for this initiative.

• We were blessed to have Doug McRoy, President-Elect of Serra US, attend the meeting.  Doug shared the excitement that Serra US had about Serra Boston, and encouraged us to reach out to Serra US for any help we needed.

  Doug also gave an overview of the Serra US committees (on vocations, membership, programs, and communications) and spoke about Serran activities such as the 31 Club,  the parish contact program, and the traveling chalice.

  During the meeting we referenced several PDFs available on the Serra US web site, which are available at the links below:

  • Serra Club Manuals (links to all PDFs)
  • Serra Club Vocations Manual (direct link to 6.4 MB PDF)
  • Serra Handbook for Parish Vocation Activity (direct link to 2 MB PDF)

  Thanks to Doug for attending our meeting!

• We continue to discover more about the previous Serra Club of Boston, which was active in the 1950s.  Michelle Dickson has done a great job researching the old Serra Club, though its history seems to disappear around the 1970s.

  Michelle discovered an old issue of the Serra Magazine, which had photos and articles of the Serra International conference which was held in Boston on June 25-29, 1955.  Several thousand Serrans from around the globe attended the conference, as well as Cardinal Cushing (who was very active in the club) and the mayor of Boston.  We passed around two photos from the event – one showing a packed ballroom at the Copley Hotel, and one showing the Serra International shield that appeared in the Boston Public Garden.

  The image gallery below shows several of the black and white photos from the magazine (all photos are copyright 1955 Serra International).

• Anyone with information about the older Serra Club is encouraged to contact us at information@serraboston.org.
• Mary and Francis Jesch shared their experiences attending the last meeting of Serra Colorado. The Colorado club offers a “Serra Salute,” in which over 400 people filled a ballroom to honor priests and religious in their archdiocese.

The next meeting of the Serra Club of Boston will be on Saturday, November 15 at 8:30am at St. Mary’s Parish in Waltham.

We hope to see you there!

Mr. Kennedy noted that his son exuded love for people and the Lord, a trait which resonated with people.  Fr. Kennedy was an example of how the Lord can take the weak and make them strong.  He was a timid boy who had to battle with his 3 sisters for individuality, but the Lord made him into a strong priest.  He took every opportunity he could to speak out and project joy in serving the Lord, and especially loved holding babies while celebrating the Sacrament of Baptism.

Fr. Kennedy was not perfect, and could sometimes show a temper befitting his red hair.  His father recalled seeing a young man kneeling at Eucharistic Adoration, and telling Fr. Kennedy about it afterward.  Fr. Kennedy asked his father if he had asked the young man about a possible vocation to the priesthood, and when his father said he’d remained silent, he asked “What’s wrong with you?!?” and pointed out that it was everyone’s vocation to seek vocations.

Another funny anecdote showing Fr. Kennedy’s humanity came when he wrote his thank-you cards after his ordination.  He took his time to hand-write a personal message in each card, and chose to wait until they were all complete before mailing them out.  This prevented any one person from receiving a card too early, but it also meant that the cards didn’t go out till after Thanksgiving.  A friend of the family later told Mr. Kennedy that Dan had written a very nice thank-you message, though he doubted they’d be able to play golf in the summer as indicated in the letter.

When in high school, Fr. Dan served as the Silver Knight mascot for the Catholic Memorial High School team.  For one game versus Boston College High School, he asked his father if he could have $70 to rent an eagle costume.  When asked why, he said that he wanted to stage a halftime show with the Knight and the “BC Eagle,” in which the Knight would knock down and stab the eagle.  When the game came, BC High brought their own eagle, prompting a heated discussion between the real eagle and the impostor hired by Fr. Dan.  Fr. Dan walked over to the real BC Eagle dressed in full Silver Knight costume and joined the discussion, and the real Eagle challenged the Silver Knight by knocking off his silver helmet.

Mr. Kennedy did not see the fracas that ensued, but heard afterward that fans were very impressed by the realism of the halftime fracas between the CM Silver Knight and the BC Eagle.  One friend of the family noted that it was so real, that it looked like the BC Eagle was actually bleeding after the Silver Knight had pounded the daylights out of him.

Mr. Kennedy shared several other anecdotes about Fr. Kennedy’s “human side,” but stressed that Fr. Kennedy simply loved being a priest.  During his last day on earth, Fr. Dan had an appointment in Fairfield in which he’d promised to baptize a baby.  It was also his last day at Winthrop, so the parishioners who had come to know and love him wanted to say goodbye, and had decorated the church with signs and banners that said “Goodbye Father Dan.”  Fr. Kennedy finished the baptism and stopped at his brother’s house on the way back to his parish.  He told his family how good his last day in Winthrop was, and said “I love being a priest” before collapsing on the floor.  Later, at the wake, the father of the baby he baptized approach Mr. Kennedy and told him that Fr. Kennedy had held the baby during his last spiritual act on the day he died.

Mr. Kennedy noted that he thanked the Lord for ordaining his son to the priesthood, and taking Fr. Kennedy back to Him.  Mr. Kennedy continually prays that the Lord send more priests to the Archdiocese.

For more information on Fr. Dan Kennedy’s life and legacy, you can visit the following links:

• Boston Pilot: “Meet our seminarians” Q&A with Fr. Dan
• Fr. Dan Kennedy web site (set up by his family)
• Fr. Peter-Michael Preble
• Find-a-grave entry for Fr. Dan

There are also video tributes to Fr. Kennedy available online:

• Father Daniel J Kennedy:(4:04)
• In Loving Memory of Father Daniel Kennedy:(5:35)
• Good and faithful Servant:(8:42)
• Additional Memorial videos at St. Mary’s

Upcoming events

During the meeting, our chaplain Fr. Dan Hennessey reminded us of the following upcoming events in the Archdiocese.

• On Friday October 3, the seminarians from Boston, Providence, and Philadelphia will be meeting with Cardinal Sean.  Serrans are asked to keep these seminarians in prayer.
• The Altar Server Appreciation Mass will be held on Saturday, October 4 at the Cathedral of the Holy Cross.  Altar servers and their family and friends will attend the 11am Mass, followed by a “make your own sundae” event.  Volunteers are needed for scooping, setup, and possible ice cream sundae consumption.  To volunteer, please e-mail or call Fr. Dan Hennessey.

Other news

• The September 12th issue of the Pilot had an article on Priesthood Sunday.  Since then the Pilot has received several requests for ads supporting priests, as well as inquiries on this upcoming event.  As a reminder, Priesthood Sunday will be held on October 26.
• Serrans who can’t come to the monthly meetings can still offer prayer for vocations.  As Mr. Kennedy stressed during his talk, prayers can greatly help priests in their vocations.

Our next meeting is Saturday, October 18th in St. Mary’s Parish in Waltham.  We hope to see you there!

Marian Vestments

Thanks to Diane and Michael O’Sullivan for generously donating Marian vestments to the Serra Club of Boston.  The O’Sullivans bought the vestments during a visit to Rome, and Fr. Dan wore the vestments (shown below) to celebrate Mass.

World Youth Day

Fr. Dan Hennessey told about his experiences at World Youth Day in Sydney.  Events such as youth festivals, music, and adoration offered a great opportunity for catechesis, confession, and celebration of the faith.

Fr. Dan noted that when the Holy Father led Eucharistic Adoration at Randwick, it was “stunning” to see him backed by 400,000 young people also adoring the Eucharist.  Attendees discussed other powerful visuals from World Youth Day, such as the Pope’s entrance via boat in Sydney Harbor, the Aborigines bringing up the gifts during Mass, and the Vigil with the Holy Father.

When travelling and doing the “pilgrim thing,” it can be hard to pray – there are numerous distractions, duties, and events to attend during a pilgrimage.  After the closing Mass, the Holy Father gave an address intead of the final blessing.  His address addressed the challenges of continuing to live the faith in the materialistic “real world,” after the comfortable environment of World Youth Day.

At our meeting Fr. Dan read from the pope’s address, which is reproduced in full below:

Dear Young Friends,

 

In the beautiful prayer that we are about to recite, we reflect on Mary as a young woman, receiving the Lord’s summons to dedicate her life to him in a very particular way, a way that would involve the generous gift of herself, her womanhood, her motherhood. Imagine how she must have felt. She was filled with apprehension, utterly overwhelmed at the prospect that lay before her.

 

The angel understood her anxiety and immediately sought to reassure her. “Do not be afraid, Mary …. The Holy Spirit will come upon you and the power of the Most High will overshadow you” (Lk 1:30, 35). It was the Spirit who gave her the strength and courage to respond to the Lord’s call. It was the Spirit who helped her to understand the great mystery that was to be accomplished through her. It was the Spirit who enfolded her with his love and enabled her to conceive the Son of God in her womb.

 

This scene is perhaps the pivotal moment in the history of God’s relationship with his people. During the Old Testament, God revealed himself partially, gradually, as we all do in our personal relationships. It takes time to get to know and love another person. It took time for the chosen people to develop their relationship with God. The Covenant with Israel was like a period of courtship, a long engagement. Then came the definitive moment, the moment of marriage, the establishment of a new and everlasting covenant. As Mary stood before the Lord, she represented the whole of humanity. In the angel’s message, it was as if God made a marriage proposal to the human race. And in our name, Mary said yes.

 

In fairy tales, the story ends there, and all “live happily ever after”. In real life it is not so simple. For Mary there were many struggles ahead, as she lived out the consequences of the “yes” that she had given to the Lord. Simeon prophesied that a sword would pierce her heart. When Jesus was twelve years old, she experienced every parent’s worst nightmare when, for three days, the child went missing. And after his public ministry, she suffered the agony of witnessing his crucifixion and death. Throughout her trials she remained faithful to her promise, sustained by the Spirit of fortitude. And she was gloriously rewarded.

 

Dear young people, we too must remain faithful to the “yes” that we have given to the Lord’s offer of friendship. We know that he will never abandon us. We know that he will always sustain us through the gifts of the Spirit. Mary accepted the Lord’s “proposal” in our name. So let us turn to her and ask her to guide us as we struggle to remain faithful to the life-giving relationship that God has established with each one of us. She is our example and our inspiration, she intercedes for us with her Son, and with a mother’s love she shields us from harm.

More transcripts from World Youth Day can be found at WYD2008 site (use the search box in the upper left to search).  Video, images, and other text can be found at the Pope in Australia site.

Upcoming Events and other items

We discussed other upcoming events, and various items around the Archdiocese of Boston.

• The Altar Server Appreciation Mass is coming up on October 4.  Last year, more than 500 altar servers from parishes across the archdiocese gathered together to receive certificates of appreciation and participate in a vocations fair.  This year, people can register for this event at www.altarserversunday.org.

• Priesthood Sunday will be held on October 26. Loretta Gallagher has submitted an article to the Pilot, and Serrans are asked to advertise the event in their local parishes.

• Serra Boston will be sponsoring an Adopt-a-Priest apostolate.  Check this site for more information!

• Michelle Dickson continues to research the history of the Serra Club in Boston.  The older club was very active under Cardinal Cushing, and in 1955 the annual meeting of Serra International was held in Boston.  Anyone who has more information on the old Serra Club is invited to contact us at information@serraboston.org.

Next month’s meeting will be held on Saturday, September 20.  We will have a special guest speaker: Dan Kennedy, Sr (father of Fr. Dan Kennedy) will speak on his son’s life and commitment to the priesthood.

See you in September!

The meeting was an “amazing experience,” with 180 Serrans attending the conference.  Being a Serran had clearly become a way of life for some attendees, who have been Serrans for 10-20 years.

Word of our activity is spreading, and members from several clubs expressed enthusiasm for the Serra Club of Boston.  Serra clubs from New Jersey, Michigan, Indiana, Georgia, Texas, Montana, and Maine have asked us how they can obtain the magnets for their own dioceses.

On Friday there were two sessions of workshops.  Serra Boston was listed as a “successful club” during a presentation on membership.  The outgoing president of Serra specifically commented on the Serra Club of Boston, and urged attendees to meet Loretta and ask about the Pray for our Priest magnets.

Speaker at the Serra USA conference

Michelle spoke of meeting Fr. David Lincoln, a priest ordained at the age of 71.  Fr. Lincoln had been dean of the law school at the University of Notre Dame, and was married until his wife died of cancer in 2003.  After his wife’s passing he felt a call from the Holy Spirit to become a priest, and a Serra Club member was crucial in supporting him during his vocation discernment.  Michelle passed out an article about Fr. “Link,” which you can read in full here: 71-year-old lawyer to be ordained priest, become prison chaplain

The conference ended with a rosary at the Notre Dame grotto, offering a quiet and prayerful atmosphere to finish the Serra conference.  Two photos from the Grotto can be seen below:

Rosary at the Notre Dame Grotto

Michelle Dickson in front of the Notre Dame Grotto

After Michelle’s recap, Loretta gave out a handout on “World Priest Day” distributed at the conference.  The last Sunday of October is designated annually as Priesthood Sunday (also known as World Priest Day), a one-day celebration of the priesthood organized by parish lay leaders and coordinated by the USA Council of Serra International.  Loretta is writing an article for the Pilot to publicize this event, which will occur on October 26, 2008.  More information on this national event can be found on the official World Priest Day web site.

Thanks to Michelle and Loretta for attending the conference and sharing their experiences with the rest of the Serra Boston club!

Cardinal Cláudio Hummes, prefect of the Congregation for Clergy, explained the practice of spiritual motherhood:

“Regardless of age and marital status, all women can become spiritual mothers for a priest,” he explained. He said the commitment implies praying “for a specific priest and thus accompanying him for life,” usually anonymously.

Cardinal Hummes added, “This, as history tells us, produces great spiritual fruits for priests” who “spend their whole life, even with their limits, for God and for their neighbor […] preaching and cultivating the good, helping people.”

More of Cardinal Hummes’ remarks are available at Zenit.org: Priests need prayers.

In a document published in 2007, the Congregation for Clergy wrote of spiritual motherhood, giving some historical examples:

Independent of age or social status, any woman can become a mother for priests. This type of motherhood is not only for mothers of families, but is just as possible for an unmarried girl, a widow, or for someone who is ill. It is especially pertinent for missionaries and religious sisters who have given their lives entirely to God for the sanctification of others. John Paul II even thanked a child for her motherly help: “I also express my gratitude to Bl. Jacinta for the sacrifices and prayers offered for the Holy Father, whom she saw suffering greatly.”(13 May 2000)

Every priest has a birth mother, and often she is a spiritual mother for her children as well. For example, Giuseppe Sarto, the future Pope Pius X, visited his 70-year-old mother after being ordained a bishop. She kissed her son’s ring and, suddenly pensive, pointed out her own simple silver wedding band saying, “Yes, Giuseppe, you would not be wearing that ring if I had not first worn mine.” Pope St. Pius X rightfully confirms his experience that, “Every vocation to the priesthood comes from the heart of God, but it goes through the heart of a mother!”

One sees this particulary well in the life of St. Monica. Augustine, who lost his faith at the age of 19 while studying in Carthage, later wrote in his famous “Confessions” regarding his mother:“For love of me, she cried more tears than a mother would over the bodily death of her son. Nine years passed in which I wallowed in the slime of that deep pit and the darkness of falsehood. Yet that pious widow desisted not all the hours of her supplications, to bewail my case unto Thee where her prayers entered into Thy presence.”

The full document is available for download at the Congregation for Clergy web site, or at the link below:

Congregation for Clergy: Spiritual Motherhood for Priests (PDF)

At our last meeting of Serra Boston, Fr. Dan noted that there was a groundswell of support for vocations in the archdiocese of Boston. For example, the St. John Vianney Society, a women’s prayer group which meets every 3rd Saturday for Eucharistic Adoration and prayer for vocations at St. Mary’s in Waltham. The society was started spontaneously as a way to gather women to pray for vocations to the priesthood – about a month BEFORE Our Sunday Visitor published an article on spiritual motherhood in their May 25 issue!

Attendees at the meeting shared stories about supporting priests, praying for priestly ministry, and the practical nature of spiritual motherhood. No human being is meant to be alone, and all too often the “human” side of priests is overlooked as people view them as something other than men. It greatly helps when priests can interact with their community and socialize with others.

Here are links to several publications we talked about during the meeting:

• Our Sunday Visitor
• Our Sunday Visitor: Eucharist and Motherhood article (paid subscription required)
• Congregation for Clergy
• The Pilot

Our next meeting will be Saturday, July 19 at 8:30am at St. Mary’s Parish (133 School St, Waltham, MA). We hope to see you there!

Serra USA is looking into the possibility of getting involved with the distribution of the magnets on a national level. Two of our club members, Loretta Gallagher and Michelle Dickson, will be attending the national Serra conference in South Bend, Indiana from June 19-22, meeting Serrans from all over the country and attending various Serra workshops. We have been asked to present a short report on Serra Boston to the Vocations Committee; they are impressed with all we have done in so short a time.

Serra Boston was also in the news recently in the Vocations issue of the Pilot issued the weekend of the ordinations (May 23). We took out an ad congratulating the new ordinandi, and there was an accompanying article about Serra Boston. We have received several thank you notes from the seven newly ordained priests, thanking Serra Boston for the gift of a clerical shirt and collar. We are only too happy to have provided them, thanks to the donation of a generous benefactor!

Next meeting

At our next meeting on June 21, Fr. Dan Hennessey will give a talk on the recent Vatican document describing deep prayer and Eucharistic Adoration for an increase in vocations and the sanctification of the priesthood. There will be a day of Eucharistic Adoration in St. Mary’s chapel following the Serra meeting until 7:00 PM, sponsored by the St. John Vianney society. Why not invite some friends to join and spend some time in prayer in front of the Blessed Eucharist?

That’s all for now. Thanks for all your wonderful support and encouragement — we ARE making a difference in helping to create the culture of vocations that we all desire so deeply for our beloved archdiocese.

See you Saturday, God-willing!

Fr. Dan Hennessey shared his experiences during the weekend of the Papal visit, as well as his time at the Papal Mass in Yankee Stadium. Fr. Dan even got to kiss the pope’s ring, and told how powerful it was to kiss “the ring of the Fisherman.”

You can use the slideshow below to see video stills of Fr. Dan kissing the pope’s ring. The first photo was taken by a photographer at the event; all video stills are taken from EWTN’s video footage of the event.)

As a reminder, our next meeting is this Saturday, May 17. We will begin at 8:30am with Mass, followed by our monthly meeting at 9:30am.

We hope to see you there!

Those who missed the conference (or at least the exhibit hall) can check out photos of our booth on our Flickr set.