One of these monstrances, known in the United States as the “Vocations Monstrance,” was entrusted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops to Serra International for use in parishes across North America.

From September 10 through September 24, the Serra Club of Saint Petersburg will host this special monstrance during its visit to our diocese.
Celebrating Vocations Locally

Each year, the Serra Club also sponsors the St. Tarcisius Dinner, honoring each parish’s “Altar Server of the Year.” This year, the John Paul II Vocations Monstrance will be present at the dinner as altar servers, their families, and their pastors gather in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.

Throughout its visit, the monstrance will be used at several parishes during regularly scheduled Eucharistic Adoration. All are encouraged to come and pray before the Blessed Sacrament, asking the Lord to bless our diocese with holy vocations.

Schedule of the John Paul II Vocations Monstrance Tour

• Wednesday, September 10 – St. Raphael, St. Petersburg
  • 8:00 a.m. School Mass for Vocations, followed by a day of Exposition; closing with Benediction at 7:30 p.m.
• Thursday, September 11 – Our Lady of the Rosary, Land O’ Lakes
• Friday, September 12 – St. Paul, Tampa
  • 24-hour adoration following 12:15pm Mass
• Wednesday, September 17 – St. Anthony the Abbot, Brooksville
• Thursday-Friday, September 18–19 – Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, Tampa
• Sunday, September 21 – St. Timothy, Lutz
  • Parish Life Teen youth ministry event only

The tour will conclude with the Abundance Holy Hour hosted by the Serra Club on Tuesday, September 24 at 6:30 p.m. at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle in St. Petersburg.

About Serra International

Founded in 1935, Serra International is dedicated to fostering and promoting vocations to the priesthood and religious life. The organization takes its name from St. Junípero Serra, the missionary priest to the American West who was canonized by Pope Francis in 2015. Today, Serra has over 500 clubs worldwide, including one here in the Diocese of Saint Petersburg.

Established in 1997 and based at the Cathedral of St. Jude the Apostle, the Serra Club of Saint Petersburg regularly hosts an Abundance Holy Hour, typically held on the fourth Wednesday of each month at 6:30 p.m. at the Cathedral.

For more details about the visit of this monstrance, please contact the Office of Vocations at jp@dosp.org or 727-345-3452 or 

For more information about the Serra Club, please contact Cindy Shafer, membership chair at cmshafer01@gmail.com.

To learn more about vocations, visit dospvocations.org.