Story by Nikki Rajala
“In 2007, when our son Evan entered seminary, I became a member of Serra Club,” said Debbie Koop. “I wanted to be part of an organization that prays for men in religious life and they discern vocations. Evan was ordained in 2012 and is now teaching at the St. Paul Seminary.”
(Photo by Dianne Towalski)
Debbie Koop and her husband Deacon Steven Koop, parishioners at Harvest of Hope Area Catholic Community, are two of the new faces in the St. Cloud Serra Club. Debbie brings some unique perspectives — she’s also Serra’s district governor for the region that encompasses the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and the dioceses of Duluth, St. Cloud and Crookston.
She said, “When I joined the St. Paul Serra Club, one of about seven in the archdiocese, I actively spent time praying for more vocations. Early on I memorized the Serran Prayer for Vocations, which we pray at every meeting where we gather for special Masses and speakers once or twice a month. Those speakers and prayer ministries help us grow in holiness ourselves.”
Pope Francis has said: “Behind and before every vocation to the priesthood and consecrated life there is always strong and intense prayer from someone: a grandmother or grandfather, a mother or father, a community … Vocations are born in prayer and only in prayer can they persevere and bear fruit.”
The Serra Club, Debbie said, is mostly a lay organization whose focus is to foster and affirm vocations to the priesthood and to consecrated religious life in the Catholic Church. Founded in 1935 in Seattle, Washington, by businessmen who wanted to live out their Catholic values in their professional lives, they chose vocations as their cause. As their patron, they selected St. Junipero Serra, a Spanish evangelist missionary in California who established about 21 mission churches, especially with native Americans.
Serra has grown to more than 800 clubs in 36 countries, including one in St. Cloud, where Joanne and Bob Benson have been members for 15 years. Currently, Bob serves as president and Joanne as membership vice president.
Joanne said, “Having Debbie, the newly installed governor of our region, in our club is a great blessing. Debbie and Deacon Steve have been active Serrans for a long time. As parents of a priest, they bring personal knowledge of the needs of our priests and religious. They have great ideas for continuing the work of our club.”
The St. Cloud Serra Club meets monthly at noon for about an hour on the second Thursday of the month at St. Anthony’s Hall. They host a retired priests’ luncheon with the bishop, assist the Vocation Office in ordination and at other Masses and events and publish the “Pray for Priests” calendar in The Central Minnesota Catholic magazine and a monthly calendar for members. A long-term goal is to enroll members from each parish in the St. Cloud area and then expand to the entire diocese.
Other activities are added as the membership desires, but always the group emphasizes prayer, Joanne said.
Debbie said, “Priesthood Sunday was Sept. 24, so members made sure the priests in their ACC knew how much we appreciate them. That Sunday, we shared bookmarks with the names of our priests and a reminder to pray for them.”
The group contributes to the bishop’s fund to provide financial assistance to seminarians. In addition, each Serra member “adopts” a seminarian to be a prayer partner and the club sends a birthday card and monetary gift to each one. At ordination, the Serra Club gives them a gift.
“It’s important to learn who the new seminarians are, to pray for them and send them encouragement,” Debbie said. “We keep track of them over the years, through ordination. The benefit is that we get to know the priests once they are assigned to parishes, as well as the consecrated religious, and become friends.”
Deacon Kevin Soenneker, a seminarian studying for the priesthood, is in his fourth and final year at Saint Paul Seminary in St. Paul. He has been the recipient of Serran prayers and support.
“The Serra Club has welcomed me with open arms since I entered St. Paul Seminary. Not only have they invited me to their meetings, but they have encouraged me through the years. They’re so intentional on being there for the seminarians,” Deacon Soenneker said.
“Last year around 20 members came down to visit and pray with us and to spend time getting to know us personally. Most importantly, they continue to pray for us. They will always have a special place in my heart.”
Deacon Soenneker is from St. Paul Parish in Sauk Centre; his teaching parish is with Father Gregory Mastey in the Two Rivers ACC.
“It is so important for every parish to pray for vocations, whether before Mass or in the prayers of the faithful,” Debbie said. As a spiritual director and retreat leader, she also personally journeys with people who want to grow in holiness.
“God is alive and hears our prayers,” she said. “The more we pray, especially in presence of the Eucharist, the more we know he’s calling men and women to religious life and we pray that they are open to that call.”
CLOUD SERRA CLUB MEETINGS
When: noon to 1:15 p.m. the second Thursday of a month
Where: St. Anthony Hall, across from the church at 2405 1st St. N., St. Cloud
The meeting includes lunch, speaker and prayers for vocations.
For more information call Joanne Benson at 651-447-0002 or visit www.Serraspark.com or www.Serraus.org