THE BELLRINGERS

NEWS AND INFORMATION FOR SERRA LEADERS

11 October 2009

2009 Convention Report

Members from 12 of the 46 Serra countries attended Serra’s 67th

international convention held

in Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A. from 27-30 August 2009. Based on all the positive feedback

received, this convention can only be regarded as an outstanding success!

The Winners of the 2009 Awards are:

1. Past Presidents’ Award Most Reverend Elden Francis Curtiss, Archbishop Emeritus of Omaha, U.S.A.

2. The Archbishop William E. Cousins Award Reverend Richard Mauthe, Chaplain, Serra Club of Green Bay East, Wisconsin, U.S.A.

3. Harry J. O’Haire Award William E. Ramsey, Serra Club of Omaha, Nebraska, U.S.A.

4. Father Junipero Serra Award for Promoting Vocations The Serra Club of Tiffin, Ohio, U.S.A.

A VERY SPECIAL SERRAN - A VERY SPECIAL AWARD For the first time in its 74-year history, Serra presented a special award designed to honor two

men who played a vital role in shaping Serra into what it is today – the global lay apostolate for

vocations in the Catholic Church.

Presented on Friday 28 August 2009 in Omaha, this new award was created to recognize inspired

apostleship and unwavering support of Serra’s global lay apostolate for vocations. It is named

“The Samuel Cardinal Stritch Award” in honor of Serra’s first Episcopal Adviser, His Eminence

Samuel Alphonsus Cardinal Stritch, who as Archbishop of Chicago convinced Serra to locate its

world headquarters in Chicago in 1947.

In 1951, Cardinal Stritch put his vision into action by successfully petitioning His Holiness Pope

Pius XII to attach Serra to the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and Universities. The

Cardinal’s enthusiastic encouragement of Serra’s work for vocations on this earth was only

brought to an end by his untimely death in May 1958.

The recipient of this new award is Ralph W. Hauenstein who joined Serra in 1948 as a founding

member of the Serra Club of Grand Rapids in Michigan. During World War II, he rose to the

rank of Colonel and served under General Dwight Eisenhower as Chief of the Intelligence

Branch in the U.S. Army’s European theater of operations. In 1945, Colonel Hauenstein was

among the first U.S. forces to enter liberated Paris, war-torn Germany and Nazi concentration

camps. After the war, he made frequent visits to many parts of devastated Europe on

humanitarian and economic development projects.

During this time, Ralph Hauenstein was appointed District Governor-at-Large for extension and

became the driving force behind Serra’s successful outreach across the Atlantic, firstly in

England and later in Italy. During his visits to The Vatican in the early 1950’s, Ralph worked

closely with Cardinal Stritch in support of his request that the Holy See formally recognize

Serra’s apostolic work of promoting priestly vocations. These efforts culminated in the signing

on 04 November 1951 of a formal document attaching the fledgling lay organization to the

Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations, part of the Sacred Congregation for Seminaries and

Universities.

Even with that recognition, getting Serra’s formal approval to charter the first Serra Club in Italy

was no easy task. At that time, there was strong opposition from some to taking Serra into

foreign-language countries. However, with Cardinal Stritch as a key supporter, Ralph finally

prevailed. The Serra Club of Genoa was chartered in April 1959, thereby establishing an

important bridgehead that has since led to the chartering of more than 100 Serra Clubs in Italy

and the former-Communist countries of Eastern Europe.

In 1960, Ralph was elected to serve as Serra’s 17th

international president. He has attended over

fifty international conventions. Still very active in his 98th

year, Ralph serves as Dean and

senior member of the college of Serra’s past international presidents.

In presenting the Samuel Cardinal Stritch Award to Serran Ralph W. Hauenstein, Serra is proud

to pay tribute to the fruitful collaboration of two faithful disciples of Jesus Christ and outstanding

promoters of Serra’s global lay apostolate for vocations. Deo gratias!

CONVENTION ACTIONS Amendments to Serra’s Constitution and Bylaws

Delegates to the Omaha 2009 convention voted to approve an amendment to Article III of the Constitution and amendments to six Articles of the Bylaws of Serra International as promulgated in the 25 May 2009 edition of THE BELLRINGERS. Recommendation to increase the international dues base

Delegates to the Omaha 2009 convention also voted to approve the following amendment to the proposal approved by Serra’s Board of Trustees at its meeting on 14 March 2009 in Chicago that the present international dues base of US$32.00 be increased to US$45.00 effective 15 January 2010:

“That the present international dues base of US$32.00 be increased incrementally by US$5.00 for three years.”

Save the date for Anchorage 2010

Serra’s 68th international convention will be held in Anchorage, Alaska, U.S.A. commencing

with the Opening Mass celebrated by the Most Reverend Roger L. Schwietz, O.M.I., Archbishop

of Anchorage, at 6:00 p.m. on Thursday 02 September 2010 and closing with the Annual

Banquet on Sunday 05 September 2010. The theme of the 2010 convention is Bringing the Bread of Life – True Manna in the Wilderness. Invited speakers for Anchorage 2010 are:

His Eminence Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I., Archbishop of Chicago, Illinois, U.S.A.

His Eminence George Cardinal Pell, Archbishop of Sydney, Australia.

Most Reverend Thomas Tobin, Bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, U.S.A.

The 2010 convention sessions will be held in the magnificent new Dena’ina Civic and

Convention Center located right in the downtown area of Anchorage within a short walk of both

convention hotels. Serra has contracted convention sleeping room blocks at the luxurious

Captain Cook Hotel, the convention headquarters hotel and venue for all convention Masses, and

at the highly-rated Hilton Anchorage. Each of those convention locations boasts it own glimpses

of Alaska’s incomparable scenic grandeur.

Look for more information at www.serra.org.

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