ROCKFORD—Servi Christi is a newly-formed organization for Catholic business and professional leaders in the Rockford area and now the Fox Valley.

 

It is inspired by the international organization Legatus begun by Thomas Monaghan, founder of Domino’s Pizza. A chapter of Legatus was established in the Rockford area in 2001. It was reactivated and rechartered in Rockford in 2015, and in 2016 a chapter was chartered in the Fox Valley.

 

When Rockford-area leaders realized about three years ago that Legatus was not meeting their needs, they decided to create something new.

 

“We had difficulties in the Rockford market,” says Bill Derry, a Servi Christi organizer who names both the Legatus dues structure and membership criteria as problematic. “Our economy couldn’t attract and retain members” for the Rockford Legatus chapter, he says.

 

With Servi Christi, organizers continue to have distinct qualifications for members while opening membership to a larger group of business leaders.

 

Because they “loved the concept” of Legatus, organizers incorporated many of the same elements in Servi Christi meetings. Monthly meetings begin with confession and a rosary, and continue with Mass, a cocktail hour, a nice dinner and a keynote speaker. 

 

At least 90 percent of members of the Rockford Legatus chapter decided to participate in Servi Christi, Derry says.

 

Organizers created bylaws and a dues structure, formed a board, recruited a chaplain, gained the authorization of the bishop and began the search for speakers. Then all of that was complicated by COVID-19.

 

The virus “clearly got in the way,” Derry says. “Now we are doing much more to actively promote” Servi Christi. He notes the October meeting was chosen to be a membership drive of sorts, with invited guests being encouraged to join the around 16 couples who comprise the current membership.

 

The potential candidates being recruited, he says, are “great Catholic couples with responsible positions, (and they) certainly will add to the Servi Christi membership.” 

 

Meetings, Derry concludes, are “a great way to strengthen our faith (and have) a night out with our spouses.” Derry’s experience of the group includes his wife, Liza, but Catholic business and community leaders who are single are, of course, welcome also.

 

For more information about the Rockford chapter of Servi Christi, contact board president Joseph Altenhoff at jraltenhoff@gmail.com; or membership chairman Michael LaLoggia at 815-222-9444; or Bill Derry at billd@fieldfastener.