Melbourne News

International award for outstanding Serran

Friday 20 July 2012

By Frank McCulloch

PHILLIP Connors, Vice President Communications of Serra Council of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific (SCANZSPAC), has been awarded the Harry J O'Haire Award for Outstanding Serran, in recognition of his outstanding service over 40 years.

The 70th Serra International Convention was held in Providence, Rhode Island (USA), last month. Serra is the Global Lay Apostolate for Vocations in the Catholic Church.

Phillip has been a member of the Club for almost 40 years and, over that time, has held a number of Board positions within both the Club and SCANZSPAC, and has just retired as President of the Serra Club of Melbourne. He is currently Vice-President Communications for SCANZSPAC. 

Phillip has also been involved with the Parents' and Friends' Committee of Corpus Christi College for many years.  

Sean Yeo, the President-Elect of Serra International will present Phillip with his award at the 9th Convention of the Serra Council of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific (SCANZSPAC) at Wagga Wagga in October.


Phillip Thomas Connors
As a child, Phillip was an altar server at the Cathedral in Bendigo

1956 - Phillip was among the many volunteers who dug trenches for the foundations of the original St Catherine Labourė Church in Moorabbin.

Member of the Transition Leadership Committee (a committee formed when three parishes, under the leadership of Fr Michael Sierakowski, to guide and form one parish with three individual communities)

Member of a Counting Team
Minister of the Word
Minister of the Eucharist
Computer Operator
Chairman of the Parish Council
Chairman of the Parish Finance Committee
Chairman of the Memorial Garden Committee
Member of the Social Committee
1981-1982 President Melbourne Serra Club
1995-1996 President Melbourne Serra Club
2009-2012 President Melbourne Serra Club
2002-2003 President SERRA COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND and the SOUTH PACIFIC
V.P. Communications SERRA COUNCIL OF AUSTRALIA NEW ZEALAND and the SOUTH PACIFIC
V.P. Communications for the Melbourne Serra Club for many years.

When Geelong, Sale and Wagga Wagga Clubs commenced, Phillip along with other members of the Melbourne Club travelled to these Clubs to enlighten and encourage new members.

Trustee of the Serra Australia Foundation
Member of Knights of the Southern Cross for 57 years.

Phillip reflects on his forty years as a member of SERRA International.
Along with several others, I was invited to attend a Mass and Dinner in July 1972, to hear about an organisation called Serra International.

The aims and objectives of Serra were explained to the gathering, and I immediately felt that this was not only a very worthy, but necessary organisation, as I often thought that too much was expected from our priests and religious. A large number of Catholics seemed to feel that priests should be available, 24/7, and that they had to be perfect in every way. To me, this was unfair and expecting too much. Ordination to the priesthood does not remove their human failings, and they, like everyone else, can experience pain, doubt, anger, and depression.

One of the great joys of Serra has been the wonderful friendships that my wife and I have made over the forty years that I have been a member. The dedication and example of so many great Serrans has been an inspiration to me.
Serra is not an elitist club, but it is certainly a privilege to belong to it. Someone asked me to join, and we as Serrans should return this favour and offer the privilege of belonging to Serra to others.

It is important that our meetings are educational. They can also be entertaining, there is nothing wrong with that, but we must leave a meeting with more knowledge than when we arrived, and with the desire to return for more. This is how we will keep members.
One of the greatest privileges of the Serra Club of Melbourne is that we always commence our meetings with the celebration of Mass. Over the years this has enabled me to develop friendships with not only our Chaplains, but other priests and religious, and also our bishops, who have all been very supportive of Serra.

The congratulatory cards that the club sends to all priests and religious on the occasion of significant jubilees was established at the very first meeting in 1968, and has continued ever since. Each year the club sends several hundred cards, and the warm response that we get is very wonderful. This alone is reason to be a Serran.

I have been honoured to have served as the President of the Serra Club of Melbourne on three separate occasions, from 1981 to 1982, 1995-1996, and 1999 to 2000.

Governor of District 89 in 1985-85 1999-2000.
President of SCANZSPAC 2002-2003

Vice President Communications for the Melbourne Club from approximately 1978 to today with a break when District Governor in 1984-85 and when President in 1981-82 and 1995-96.

I have been V.P. Communications for SCANZSPAC since joining the Board in approximately 1999 or 2000.

Photo courtesy of Serra Council of Australia, New Zealand and the South Pacific.