The District Governor, Serra International District 130B, Serran Remigius Nwadike has called on Catholics to use the endowments that God has bestowed on them, to serve him effectively, by fostering vocation to the religious life, and enhancing Catholic education. Nwadike gave the charge at a press conference organized by Serra International District 130B Nigeria, held recently at St. Agnes Catholic Church, Maryland to announce the activities lined up for the club’s eight convention, which holds from April 30 to May 1, 2021. According to Nwadike Serra Club, which started in Chicago in 1935, is strictly for practicing Catholics, whose main objective is to foster vocation to the priestly and religious life, and enhance Catholic education. He said: “If you are not a practicing Catholic, you will not be inducted as a Serra. Serra is Catholic in content in everything. Serra is service oriented, where you spend your money, spend your time.
We take care of seminarians, we assist priests, we have some vocations that have one problem or the other; we try to allay that fear, if we have those who are hampered by poverty, we try to provide funds, if we have those hampered or encumbered by family issues, we wage in to take care of those issues. We go to seminaries, we build structures for them. Speaking on the activities lined for the eight convention of Serra International District 130B Nigeria, the DG disclosed that the theme of the celebration to be, “Domestication of Matthew 9:37: Echoes from the Church in Nigeria, and the topic, “Managing our rich harvest of vocation in an economically depressed and morally depraved society.” He further disclosed that Serra is a community based, and not a parish based society, as the club has chaplains approved by the Archbishop, for the different districts in the Archdiocese of Lagos. “Serra cannot exist in any Diocese or Archdiocese without the permission of the Archbishop or the Bishop.
Even if you want to create a club, you must write to the Bishop or Archbishop, then they will write to Chicago that yes, this club can exist in your Diocese or Archdiocese. Here in Nigeria, we have three districts. Nwadike also disclosed that a non-inducted member of the club cannot be addressed by the title Serran, until they are inducted into the Serra Club. “What makes you a Serran, is that you have been inducted into the Serra Club”, he said. The DG said It is the responsibility of members of the club to carry out activities of the Serra Club in full ecclesiastical province in Nigeria. “Here in our own district, we have Serra Club of Ikaja, domiciled in St. Leo, Ikeja. Why we use the word domiciles is because it’s not a parish based; it’s where we hold our meetings to give our members a sense of belonging. We have Serra Club of Maryland domiciled in St. Agnes.
Then, we have Serra Club of Ipaja, which is the oldest club in our district; it has been in existence before any other club in 130B came to be. We have Serra Club of Agege. We have Serra Club of satellite. We have Serra Club of Ketu. We have Serra Club of Somolu, and we have Serra Club of Ikorodu. So, all these clubs have their Chaplains appointed by the Archbishop. According to the DG, activities lined-up for the convention include, an inaugural visitation lecture, panel of discussion, among other activities to mark the eight convention. He also disclosed that some persons who have impacted and supported the works of the club will be recognized on the occasion of the convention, as friends of Serra.
Those expected to grace the occasion include, Bishop Francis Adesina, Bishop of Ijebu-Ode Diocese, Rev. Fr. Opogah, Parish Priest, Catholic Church of Presentation, GRA, Ikeja, Prince Soji Robert Olagunju, CEO, Lumen Christi Television, Bishop Felix Alaba Job, Archbishop Emeritus of Ibadan Archdiocese, Rev. Fr. Patrick Alumoko, Priest of the Archdiocese of Abuja, and Director of Communications, His eminence Anthony Cardinal Olubunmi Okogie, who brought Serra to Nigeria, among other eminent Catholics. The club named after Saint Junipero Serra was started by four people in Chicago in 1935.
