• Is it Serra or Sierra?

    It's Serra, not Sierra! Sierra is an organization devoted to environmental issues, we are a Catholic lay vocation organization. When Serra was formed in 1934, the organizers chose Father, now Saint Junipero Serra as their patron. Father Serra was a Franciscan missionary from Majorca, Spain, who came to the new world. He brought salvation to many of the Native Americans he encountered in Mexico, promoted their education and taught them how to support themselves in farming. Later, he traveled to California, where he established 9 Missions between San Diego and San Francisco. He accomplished all of this while suffering great physical hardship. His acts of charity and compassion for others, as well as his determination to spread the Gospel, inspire Serrans in their work to promote vocations.

  • What is the mission of Serra?

    Serra is a holy ministry of the Catholic Church and the Vatican-recognized lay vocation arm of the Catholic Church. Specifically, Serra has a threefold mission: to encourage, support and affirm vocations to the priesthood and permanent diaconate; to encourage, support and affirm vocations to the consecrated religious life; and to help its members become ever more faithful disciples of Christ.

  • What are the requirements for joining Serra?

    Interested individuals should be Catholic in good standing with their parish, have a commitment to pray for vocations and have a sponsor who is a current member of Serra KCK. To make application, prospective members are asked to complete a USA Council of Serra International New Member Form. The Form requires signatures from the applicant, the sponsor and the Parish Pastor. The application fee is $25.00.

  • How often does Serra KCK meet?

    Serra KCK meets over lunch at noon on the second and fourth Wednesdays at the St. Joseph Catholic Church, Shawnee, KS. The meetings begin and end with prayer and include a short business meeting and a "spiritual dessert" given by the Club chaplain. A religious or lay speaker is invited to discuss issues important to member's faith formation and member's work in encouraging, supporting and affirming vocations to the priesthood and religious life.  The cost for the 'free' lunch is covered by the members' dues.

  • How much time should I expect to commit to Serra KCK activities?

    At a minimum we ask members to attend the bi-monthly membership meetings which usually last 1.5 to 2 hours. Serra KCK has numerous activities that members can choose to participate in which are addressed below. Most activities are unique to a specific time of year so the time commitment is cyclical. Members report that by becoming involved in activities they have realized the joy of supporting the Serra Mission and enjoyed the companionship of a very dynamic group of gentlemen.

  • How can I promote and support vocations to the priesthood and religious life?

    Members promote and support vocations by praying vocations prayers daily and before the Blessed Sacrament daily or weekly. By supporting the financial requests to contribute to the Seminary Fund and activity participating in Serra KCK members support vocations. Make a concerted effort to support the Parish Pastor and his assistant, recognizing the efforts of the Religious life by praying for our Religious, contributing to their requests for support and being a good friend to all our priests, seminarians and religious.

  • What are some of the activities of Serra KCK?

    Here is the current listing of Serra KCK activities. You are not expected to participate in all of these events. Your sponsor can assist you in becoming involved with one or more of these events.

    * Golf and Steak Dinner for Priests, Deacons and Seminarians
    * "Adopt a Seminarian Program". Members choose a seminarian, pray for him, and contact him regularly (Birthdays, Christmas, and other special occasions) letting him know the Serran is praying for his vocation.
    * Memorial Mass and Dinner Remembering our deceased Serrans. Spouses are invited to attend
    * Financial support for the Seminarians and Religious Sisters in formation
    * Annual visit to seminarians on Serra sponsored trips
    * Participation in September Send-Off Mass and Dinner for seminarians and their parents
    * Attendance at ordinations of priest, and transitional and permanent deacons
    * Supporting the Archdiocesan Master's Cup Golf Day for Priests, Seminarians, and young men
    * Sponsorship of 6th grade essay contest on "Why Think About My Vocation."
    * Sponsorship of the "Runnin' with the Revs" at all Catholic High Schools in Johnson County and Topeka
    * Trivia Night with the Seminarians
    * Religious Sisters' Appreciation Day for all sisters in the Kansas City metro area
    * Pitching for Priests softball game Kansas Priests vs. Missouri Priests
    * C.O.R.E. - Celebrating Our Religious Enthusiastically - Golf Outing and Dinner with gifts for our Priests, Deacons, and Seminarians.
    * Support Que Vadis Retreat for young men and Women Discernment Retreat for women

    …

  • What is Serra's relationship to the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas?

    The relationship of Serra KCK with the Archdiocese of Kansas City in Kansas is typical of all Serra Clubs in the USA. Serra KCK was formed in 1970 at the request of the then-Archbishop, Archbishop Strecker, and continues to function in close relationship with the current Archbishop, Archbishop McKnight, and the Archdiocesan Vocation Office. The 4 Serra Clubs in this Archdiocese meet at least once a year with the Archbishop. Funding of Serra KCK activities and of the broader organizational structure of Serra (Clubs organized by Districts and Regions under the umbrella of the USA Council and Serra International) is independent of the Archdiocese.

  • Are women accepted as members?

    Yes, women can become members of Serra. The organization was men only at the start, but in recent years most clubs have both sexes. Our club, however, remains, for now, one of the few with men only. Our club evolved from a group of Catholic men who were members of the Catholic Lay Association who served the Archbishop at his request. We have continued to honor our tradition and history of men only, and now have over 110 members, one of the largest clubs in the entire Serra organization.
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