Before forming the Serra Club of Singapore, the group was known as the Vocation Promotion Team based at the Church of the Holy Cross. The Vocation Promotion Team was formed on Holy Saturday of 2002 and its mission was to promote vocations to the Diocesan priesthood and to instil love for the priesthood in our catholic community. It was a mission that was very similar to that of Serra International.
In the four years, the team spearheaded awareness programmes on the need for more priestly vocations and gave insights into the Diocesan priesthood through many activities such as:
- Organise bi-monthly prayers for vocations to the priesthood which a priest will be invited to share his vocation story, including an annual overnight vigil for vocations
- Assist St Francis Xavier Major Seminary to organise the annual vocation camp and retreat, and Days of Recollection for young men who are discerning their vocation
- Produce a bi-monthly newsletter called 1Life4Christ – An insight into the Diocesan Priesthood
- Organise activities on Good Shepherd Sunday to get parishioners to affirm our priests and to pray for them daily
- Produced a video on the life of a diocesan priest to give a better insight into a typical day in the life of a priest
- Published vocation stories of various diocesan priests who have shared their vocation stories at the Evening of Prayers
- Put up an exhibition highlighting the importance of our priests’ role in giving us the sacraments and a glimpse of life in the major seminary
- Dissemination of prayer cards on vocation discernment and prayers for priests
Following the 63rd Serra International Convention in Thailand in June 2005, Father William Goh, Rector of the St. Francis Xavier Major Seminary invited the team to consider forming a Serra Club in Singapore. The team did a nine-day Novena to the Holy Spirit to discern and prayed for the Lord’s guidance on the decision to set up a Serra Club in Singapore. The team also had the privilege of attending a workshop by the immediate past President of Serra International, Mr Chainarong Monthienvichienchai to understand the workings of the club.
With the Lord’s grace, the team was able to set up the very first Serra Club of Singapore to continue its mission to foster and promote more priestly vocations in the Catholic Church.
Fostering Vocations is Every Catholic’s Responsibility
Our beloved late Holy Father, Pope John Paul II has so aptly put it.
If the Church is lacking in priests, Jesus is lacking.
A community poor in vocations impoverishes the church
A community rich in vocations enriches the whole Church
As such, we need all Catholics to rally together to pray for more vocations or do whatever we can to help this cause. The promotion of vocations should not just be the responsibility of a few or left to the priests but really, each Catholic has a role to play and the whole community needs to be involved.
We hope that by knowing Serra Club’s mission and the needs of the Catholic Church, you can help us spread this awareness among your family members and friends regarding future activities organised by the Serra Club of Singapore. We also welcome any ideas, expertise, resources and especially prayers if you feel called to contribute more to this cause. We invite you to pray and discern if God is calling you to join the Serra Club of Singapore. Click here to contact us.
