Serra Ministry
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Serra exists to serve the Bishop and Vocation Director and to encourage a culture of vocations within a diocese. Serra is a world-wide ministry and is the only lay apostolate aggregated to the Vatican; we have a cardinal who oversees our work. We strive to foster and affirm priestly and religious vocations, and in doing so, to grow in our own faith. The Serra Ministry of the Diocese of Crookston was officially chartered on April 29, 2023 (coinciding with the 60th anniversary of World Day of Prayer for Vocations).
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We are looking for people who have a heart for vocations to join us. We would like every parish in the diocese to be represented within Serra.
Serra meets monthly via Zoom. You are welcome to join a meeting with no expectation of continuing if you would like to learn more or see if this would be a good fit for you.
Contact Shawn Erickson for the latest Zoom meeting information.
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Contact Us
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mareycrookston.orgVocation Director -
Carol Gwincgwincrookston.orgExecutive Assistant
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Priorities for Serrans
- Pray for Vocations
- Encourage Others to Pray for Vocations
- Invite a Young Person to Consider a Vocation
- Be an Ambassador for Vocations in your Parish
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Serrans are intentional to pray for vocations. Ideas include:
- Prayer of Apostolate of Suffering Brochure
- Monthly Clergy Prayer Calendar
- A weekly holy hour in adoration of the Blessed Sacrament for vocations
- Rosary for vocations
- Praying as a family for vocations
- The Harvest is Abundant: Prayers for Vocations
- Intercessions for Vocations: Holy Hour
- Litany for Vocations
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Serrans encourage others in their parishes to pray for vocations and help facilitate prayer opportunities. Ideas include:
- Traveling Vocations Crucifix program
- Holy Hour for Vocations
- The 31 Club: Gather 31 people so that someone is praying for vocations every day of the month
- Organize groups to pray Intercessions for Vocations and the Litany for Vocations
- Encourage people to sign up for Invisible Monastery.
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Serrans invite and help others invite, in a fruitful way, a young person in whom they sense a priestly or religious vocation to consider it.
- Have a discerning heart rather than taking a shotgun approach. Prayerfully consider who might be a good candidate.
- A Sacred Moment: How to Speak to a Man about Priesthood
- Art of Accompaniment: Mentoring Discerners
- Invite a young man to attend the Esto Vir vocation camp or a Melchizedek Project discernment group
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Serrans are ambassadors for vocations in their parishes.
- Keep an eye out for vocations resources in parishes. Make sure that the posters and promotional materials for diocesan vocation events are posted.
- Personally invite young people to attend vocation events.
- Pass along names of potential candidates to the Vocation Director.
- Discerning Priesthood
Immensely helpful booklet introduces teens and young men to the priesthood and helps them to discern their vocations. Used with teens at all Steubenville Conferences. - Is This a Call?
Teen girls and young women will find a wealth of wisdom in this 16-page booklet. It’s prayerfully written for young women who are exploring religious life and need guidance in their discernment. Used with teens at all Steubenville Conferences. - Is Jesus Calling You to Be a Catholic Priest?
A discernment guide with ten important spiritual lessons when discerning a vocation to the priesthood.
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February 2: World Day of Prayer for Consecrated Life
Celebrated in parishes the weekend following February 2- February 2 is the Feast of the Presentation, when Jesus was presented by his parents in the temple. Formerly called "Candlemas", candles are often blessed at this Mass since Jesus is the light of the world. This is a day to hold up vocations to the religious life.
- Resources from Vianney Vocations
- Resources from the National Religious Vocation Conference
- Resources from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Fourth Sunday of Easter (Good Shepherd Sunday): World Day of Prayer for Vocations
- The purpose of World Day of Prayer for Vocations is to publicly fulfill the Lord's instruction to, "Pray the Lord of the harvest to send laborers into his harvest" (Mt 9:38; Lk 10:2).
- Resources from Vianney Vocations
- Resources from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
Last Sunday in September: Priesthood Sunday
- Priesthood Sunday is a special day set aside to honor priesthood in the United States. It is a day to reflect upon and affirm the role of the priesthood in the life of the Church as a central one. This nationwide event is coordinated and sponsored by the US Council of Serra International.
- US Serra Council Resources
- Serra SPARK Resource
First Full Week in November (Sunday - Saturday): National Vocation Awareness Week
Celebrated in parishes on the Saturday/Sunday at the beginning of the week- National Vocation Awareness Week is an annual week-long celebration of the Catholic Church in the United States dedicated to promoting vocations to the priesthood, diaconate, and consecrated life through prayer and education, and to renew our prayers and support for those who are considering one of these particular vocations.
- Resources from Vianney Vocations
- Resources from the USCCB (United States Conference of Catholic Bishops)
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Serra SPARK. Serra Promotion And Resource Kit (SPARK!) SPARK is a free online collection of best-practices tools in religious vocations ministry—as curated from parishes, dioceses, and religious orders around North America.
Serra Meets. Serra Meets is a monthly series of virtual lectures from leading clergy and experts on the topic of Catholic vocations. Recordings are available. This series would be good for your own formation in vocation promotions ministry.
Vianney Vocations. High quality print resources to promote vocations.
- Booklets
- Brochures
- Serra Resources
- Intercessions for Vocations: Holy Hour
Holy Hour for Vocations booklet includes powerful prayers and meditations for those who wish to pray for vocations. - Litany for Vocations
Intercede for more priests and religious with a powerful Litany for Vocations. - The Harvest is Abundant: Vocations Prayer Booklet
Small, well-designed booklet with 40 powerful prayers for vocations. A rich devotional for those who wish to ‘beg the harvest master to send out laborers for his harvest” (Mt 9:38). - A Sacred Moment: How to Speak to a Man about Priesthood
There’s a young man you’ve noticed around the parish. He’s fairly devout, seems friendly, and has an obvious love for the Faith. “Perhaps he could be a priest someday,” you think to yourself. But what should you do? - Art of Accompianment
An inspired 36-page booklet on how to mentor young people who are discerning their vocations.
- Booklets
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Ada St. Joseph Bemidji St. Philip Brooks St. Joseph Crookston Cathedral Detroit Lakes Holy Rosary East Grand Forks Sacred Heart Frazee Sacred Heart Greenbush Blessed Sacrament Grygla St. Clement Halstad Holy Family Hawley St. Andrew Mentor St. Lawrence Moorhead St. Joseph Park Rapids St. Peter Thief River Falls St. Bernard
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Do you know someone from one of these parishes with a heart for vocations? Invite them to join Serra!
Argyle St. Rose of Lima Badger St. Mary Bagley St. Joseph Barnesville Assumption Baudette Sacred Heart Beaulieu St. Joseph Big Elbow Lake St. Frances Cabrini Blackduck St. Ann Callaway Assumption Detroit Lakes St. Mary of the Lakes Dilworth St. Elizabeth Falun St. Philip Fertile St. Joseph Fisher St. Francis of Assisi Florian Assumption Fosston St. Mary Gentilly St. Peter Georgetown St. John Goodridge St. Ann Hallock St. Patrick Kelliher St. Patrick Lancaster Holy Rosary Laporte St. Theodore of Tarsus Mahnomen St. Michael Middle River St. Joseph Moorhead St. Francis de Sales Naytahwaush St. Anne Nebish St. John Nevis Our Lady of the Pines Ogema Most Holy Redeemer Oklee St. Francis Xavier Oslo St. Joseph Pennington St. Charles Ponsford St. Theodore Red Lake St. Mary Red Lake Falls St. Joseph Roseau Sacred Heart Sabin St. Cecilia Stephen St. Stephen Tabor Holy Trinity Twin Valley St. William Two Inlets St. Mary's Warren Sts. Peter & Paul Warroad St. Mary Waubun St. Ann White Earth St. Benedict Williams St. Joseph Wilton Sacred Heart
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