By Cindy Bell, Serra International Foundation President
As Serra members, we are all grateful to those four men who began meeting 90 years ago with the desire to serve the Church, through vocations efforts. They, and those who have joined Serra over the years, have had an impact beyond what they imagined. Serra has spread throughout the world and in 1951 was aggregated to the Vatican’s “Pontifical Work for Priestly Vocations.” The Serra International Foundation was then founded to financially sustain Serra International and support its efforts as the “Vocation Arm of the Church” (as St. Pope John Paul II called Serra). We are grateful to all those who, over the years, contributed to Serra with their time and treasure.
Now, in 2025, we continue to look forward. We are grateful for our current Serra International Foundation board. Members represent a variety of backgrounds, knowledge, and expertise. They are dedicated and eager to serve. SIF investments are managed according to USCCB and IRS guidelines. Each fall we review the applications and prayerfully discuss and vote on which applications we are able to grant.
There are always more requests than funds available. But we strive to be good stewards of the funds entrusted to us, and to be open to the Holy Spirit in deciding grant disbursements.
As we reflect on our personal history, each of us are members of Serra at least in part because we experienced positive interactions with a priest or a member of a religious order. We are grateful for their influence on our faith development, and our understanding of “vocation.”
This Lent, or maybe for World Day of Prayer for Vocations (Sunday, May 11), we may want to express that gratitude. Consider calling or sending a note to a priest or religious. Invite one to share a meal. Or make a donation in their honor or in their memory. If you make a memorial donation to the SIF before the convention, they can be added to the list of names remembered at the Memorial Mass in Kansas City.
In closing, here is a portion of a prayer from St. Ignatius Loyala:
“Dearest Lord, teach me to be generous; teach me to serve You as You deserve; to give and not count the cost, . . . to labor & not to ask for reward save that of knowing I am doing Your Will. May those words inspire each of us to consider how we can be part of God’s Plan for vocations—and for Serra.”
Your friend in Serra,
Cindy Bell, President
Our Founders
Harold E. Haberle
Known as “Mr. Spirituality,” Mr. Haberle served for three years as the president of the first Serra Club in Seattle in 1935.
P. Daniel Rooney
Known as “Mr. Administration,” Mr. Rooney was the second Seattle president and was responsible for chartering 12 Serra Clubs.
Leo F. Sharkey
Known as “Mr. Joviality,” Mr. Sharkey was responsible for producing the first Serra Club Weekly Newsletter.
Richard M. Ward
Known as “Mr. Humility,” Mr. Ward wrote the original constitution and by-laws, which have remained largly unchanged.
