By Mathews Noble
On Sunday the 2nd of March, Corpus Christi College had the pleasure of welcoming members from the Serra Clubs, for their annual visit to the seminary. The Serrans – named after their patron, St Junipero Serra – are lay Catholics dedicated to the promotion of vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life. Members of the various Victorian Serra Clubs were also joined by Dr Moira McQueen, President of Serra International, and her husband Dr Matthew McQueen.
The Serrans joined the seminarians for Mass at Sacred Heart Church, with the rector Fr Cameron Forbes presiding as the main celebrant, and Fr Barry Tobin concelebrating. During the homily, Fr Forbes touched on various areas, including a brief history of Corpus Christi College and seminary formation in general. The words of the late Archbishop Eric D’Arcy were recalled that the seminary chapel is the most important space in the diocese, since this is where the seminarian heeds the voice of the Divine Master in order to be sent forth to serve the wider Church. The day was also significant for being the 25th anniversary of the dedication of the seminary chapel.
After Mass, lunch presented a great opportunity for the seminarians and Serrans to get to know each other. In between the main course and dessert, we were addressed by Mr John Short, President of the Serra Club of Melbourne. He outlined the various works of the Serrans, such as praying for vocations daily, supporting priests, and promoting vocations in parishes. Following this, Dr Moira McQueen also addressed us, highlighting the important work that the Serrans are doing, and thanking the members present for the work that they have done.
The formal events of the day wrapped up with further conversation over tea and coffee, before we bid farewell to our guests. Afterwards, the seminarians continued with their usual Sunday program including Holy Hour, Evening Prayer, and Benediction.
We thank the Serrans for taking time to visit us, for their ongoing support and friendship, and most importantly their prayers.