t h e m a g a z i n e o f C at h o l i c m i s s i o n e r s t o r u r a l A m e r i c a
Summer 2012
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Remembering Father James Patrick Kelly Reaching Out to the Imprisoned
Tennessee Catholics
Led by the Spirit Coming together to establish first-ever mission communities
Glenmary Home Missioners Founded by Father William Howard Bishop in 1939, this Catholic society of priests and brothers, along with numerous coworkers, establishes the Catholic Church in smalltown and rural America. Glenmary is the only religious community devoted exclusively to serving the spiritually and materially poor in the rural U.S. home missions. Today, supported entirely through freewill offerings, it staffs over 40 missions and ministries in Appalachia, the South and the Southwest. Glenmary missioners serve in areas where less than three percent of the population is Catholic, a significant percentage have no church affiliation and the poverty Father William rate is almost twice the national average. Glenmary is known for Howard Bishop deeply respecting the many cul- Glenmary Founder tures encountered in the home missions—Appalachian, Native American, African American and Latino among others. Its missionary activity includes building Catholic communities, fostering ecumenical cooperation, evangelizing the unchurched, social outreach and working for justice.
Glenmary Challenge This quarterly magazine has three goals: to educate Catholics about the U.S. home missions, to motivate young men to consider Glenmary priesthood or brotherhood, and to invite all Catholics to respond to their baptismal call to be missionary by partnering with Glenmary as financial contributors, prayer partners, professional coworkers and/or volunteers. Glenmary Challenge is sent to all donors, to U.S. diocesan clergy and to anyone who requests it. (To begin receiving issues, use the contact information below.) Publisher: Father Chet Artysiewicz Editor: Jean Bach Assistant Editor: Dale Hanson Art Director: Tricia Sarvak Staff Writers: Margaret Gabriel, Father John S. Rausch Planning-Review Board: Father Bob Dalton, Father Dominic Duggins, Father Gus Guppenberger, Brother Curt Kedley, Patrick McEntee, Kathy O’Brien, Father John S. Rausch Readers’ Views welcome! Send comments to: Editor, Glen-
mary Challenge, P.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246 or to challenge@ glenmary.org. Please include a postal address.
Glenmary Home Missioners P.O. Box 465618 • Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 513-874-8900 • 800-935-0975 www.glenmary.org • info@glenmary.org © 2012, Glenmary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.
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Continuing the founder’s vision FROM THE EDITOR / Jean Bach
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ather James Patrick Kelly died on March 22 at the age of 95. In the remembrance of Father Kelly found on page 14, Lucy Putnam uses a quote from Father Frank Ruff to illustrate Father Kelly’s impact on the society he loved. Upon learning of Father Kelly’s death, Father Frank simply said, “He was living history.” Father Kelly served as personal secretary to Glenmary’s founder, Father William Howard Bishop, and was involved in some of the earliest decisions about where and how Glenmary priests and brothers would serve the home missions. It’s significant that Father Kelly lived to see the beginning of the three new missions in East Tennessee—two of which are profiled in our cover story starting on page 9. Father Kelly was a fairly frequent visitor to my office. During a conversation I had with him last summer, I asked his opinion about Glenmary’s plan to establish missions in Union, Grainger and Unicoi counties. He smiled and said he was very excited. He saw these new missions as a reaffirmation of Jean Bach Glenmary’s missionary apostojbach@glenmary.org late and a rededication to Father Bishop’s vision of having a Catholic Church presence in every U.S. county. “I think Father Bishop would approve,” he said.
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think Father Bishop, who used maps to illustrate home mission need, would also approve of Glenmary’s association with the 2010 “Religious Congregations & Membership Study” (see story on page 7). As the wall map shows, there’s still much work to be done in carrying out Father Bishop’s vision. Thank goodness Glenmary had Father Kelly for all these years as a living reminder of what that vision was all about! about the cover: Brother Craig Digmann (left) visits weekly with Clyde, a resident of Grainger County. Clyde is teaching Brother Craig about East Tennessee. And Brother Craig is helping Clyde achieve a personal goal: reading the 1611 version of the King James Bible. DONATE NOW
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THE MAGAZINE OF C ATHOLI C MISSIONERS TO RURAL AMERI C A
Summer 2012
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Vo l u m e 7 5 / N u m b e r 2
Cover Story
9 photo / dale hanson
The Spirit Leads, Missions Come Together
Ten months ago, there was no Catholic Church presence in Tennessee’s Union and Grainger counties. Today, there’s not only a presence, but three missioners and two growing congregations.
Feature Story
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‘I Was in Prison...You Visited Me’
The prison ministry effort in Waldron, Ark., is impacting lives and offering the Church’s gift of forgiveness. Prison ministry, Page 15
Departments & columns
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From the President / Father Chet Artysiewicz
New missionary priests’ feet will hit the ground running as they share the Good News in the home missions.
Glenmary News & Notes
Glenmary staff attend religious education congress, adopters honored, new religion survey released.
Religion survey, Page 7
Then & Now
There are many things a new mission community needs, including a place to gather!
Remembrance
With the death of Father James Patrick Kelly, Glenmary has lost a connection with its founder, Father Bishop. Humble starts, Page 12
Partner in Mission
Ruth Crosthwait gives thanks for Glenmary and for knowing what it’s like to attend Mass every Sunday.
Online Contents
More information on RCMS 2010, blogging Glenmarians, online giving option and much more.
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Summer 2012
Father Kelly, Page 14
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from the president / Father Chet Artysiewicz
Beautiful missionary feet Times of transition enable Glenmary missioners to continue sharing the Good News
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s spring blends into summer, it’s a time when we experience transitions—not only climatically but also personally, as we celebrate graduations, weddings and maybe even ordinations. These moments represent transitions in our lives that send us in new directions. Fathers Cris Adongo and Aaron Wessman experienced such a transition on May 26, 2012, when they were ordained by Bishop William Medley to the service of the Church. Their ordinations ended a long drought for Glenmary—the last priestly ordination we celebrated was in 1999. And are we ever glad the drought is over! But our excitement is not just because the dry spell has been broken. Rather, we rejoice because, through the ministry of these young men, more people will have a chance to hear the ‘Glenmary goes Good News. St. Paul writes in Romans where it is needed 10:14-15: “But how can they call but not wanted on him in whom they have not beand stays until it lieved? And how can they believe in him of whom they have not is wanted but not heard? And how can they hear needed.’ without someone to preach? And how can people preach unless they are sent?” Paul concludes by quoting from Isaiah 52:7: “How beautiful are the feet of those who bring (the) good news!” If the Depression motto was “Brother, can you spare a dime?” today’s refrain could be “Brother, can you tell me any good news?” The mission Glenmary undertakes is precisely that—sharing the Good News, the Gospel.
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uring my first year as Glenmary’s president, I have had an opportunity to visit the areas and the people we serve. A recurring message I have heard during these visits is, “Thank you for these men and women who minister to us, who walk with us, who care about us.” One woman, knowing that her parish was ready to be returned to the care of the diocese, remarked, “We know it’s time for Glenmary to leave; we just want to thank you for sending
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us this priest.” In a different region I heard, “These women have instilled in us a ‘Yes we can!’ spirit.” In still another region, a family expressed gratitude for an access ramp that a Glenmary brother built at a local food pantry. And a woman far from her homeland was emotional as she talked about her pastor: “He has been for us the father we don’t have here.” When the feet of Father Cris and Father Aaron hit the ground, there is no question in my mind Father Chet that they will evoke similar ex- Artysiewicz pressions of appreciation as they cartysiewicz@glenmary.org join their Glenmary confreres and coworkers serving those in smalltown and rural America. Perhaps beyond the specifics of whether Glenmary priests, brothers and coworkers listen to problems, visit hospitals, celebrate baptisms, help build houses or are voices for truth and fairness—the overriding reality is simply that those we serve feel “somebody cares about us.”
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lenmary’s charism is not about staffing mission churches forever. Rather, our parochial ministry is to gather the people and form community. When a mission parish reaches maturity, it is returned to the pastoral care of the local diocesan clergy, and the Glenmary missioners and coworkers move on to the next mission areas. One of my predecessors eloquently described our missionary charism in this way: “Glenmary goes where it is needed but not wanted and stays until it is wanted but not needed.”
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his summer will, indeed, be a time of transition for numerous Glenmarians and coworkers as missions are returned to the care of their dioceses and our dedicated missioners move on to new apostolates. Your prayers for this process are appreciated. Thank you for your support as you enable our missioners’ “feet” to bring the Good News to those we serve! DONATE NOW
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Glenmary
Glenmary staff attend religious ed congress
news &notes photo / tricia sarvak
promotion
Presence brings awareness, education to wider audience [california] Six Glenmary missioners and coworkers were among the 39,000-plus people who attended the annual Los Angeles Religious Education Congress held March 23-25. The Glenmary personnel—Brother David Henley, Pat McEntee, Father Vic Subb, Father Neil Pezz ulo, Allison Barrett and Tricia Sarvak— staffed the information booth, talked with pas sersby about missionary vocations and Glenmary’s mission education materials, and answered general questions about the society’s home mission ministry. “Glenmary’s presence at the congress was very valuable,” says Father Neil, Glenmary’s first vice president. “We were able to share our home mission charism of serving the South and Appalachia with those on the West Coast. And I think we were able to help expand their understanding of mission and give them w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g
spreading the home mission message: Fa-
ther Vic Subb talks to one of the 39,000 people who attended the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress in Anaheim, Calif., March 23-25. Thousands of attendees visited the Glenmary booth staffed by six missioners and coworkers.
an awareness of mission areas in other parts of the United States.” This was the third year that Glenmary has participated in the event sponsored by the Office of Religious Education of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles. In the past, Brother David and Pat have staffed the booth as a vo-
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cation outreach. Pat says in the previous two years they were overwhelmed by the large number of people who stopped by the Glenmary booth. With representatives from the vocation, development and communications departments present, the Glenmary team was better able to share the society’s mission and Summer 2012
ministry with the diverse audience. “It worked out really well,” Pat says. “Brother David and I focused on those interested in possible vocation opportunities, while others talked about our mission education materials or answered any other questions.” The Glenmary contingent met some Glenmary donors as well as a “handful” of people who knew of Glenmary. But the majority of the visitors to the booth were unfamiliar with the society. More often than not, it was the displayed map depicting major religious congregations in the United States that drew people to the booth. “It was a great conversation starter,” says Tricia Sarvak of the communications office. A raffle gave those who visited the booth an opportunity to win a collection of miscellaneous items from Glenmary missions, including peanuts from Bertie County, N.C., and note cards featuring the art of Glenmary Father Bruce Brylinski. “Both the vocation office and the mission education office have followed up with those who entered the raffle,” says Allison Barrett, coordinator of mission education. “It’s been a great way to make connections with people we would have otherwise never met.”
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news & notes
ad o p t - a - m i s s i o n
Iowa, Michigan adopters honored Former missions deliver simple message: Thanks for loving us [mississippi] Summarizing the message conveyed on the plaques given by the members of Glenmary’s former missions in Eupora and Ackerman, Miss., to the Iowa and Michigan parishes that have adopted them for over a decade is very simple: Thank you for loving us. “We really just wanted to let them know how much it has meant to us to be connected with them,” says Sister Alies Thérèse, the former pastoral coordinator of St. John Neumann
(Eupora) and St. Mark (Ackerman). St. John was returned to the pastoral care of the Diocese of Jackson in February 2012 and St. Mark was turned back in May 2011. The parishes honored were St. Joseph the Worker in Dubuque, Iowa, and Blessed Sacrament in Midland, Mich. The parishes adopted the respective missions through Glenmary’s Adopt-A-Mission (AAM) program, which matches established parishes throughout
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year after year! Your Gift AnnuitY Benefits include:
income for you or for you and a loved one • Guaranteed (minimum age 55) • Partial tax-free payments over life expectancy • Fixed rate of return • Income tax deduction at time of gift gains tax savings for an annuity funded with • Capital appreciated securities • Membership in the Father Bishop Legacy Society
And, most of all, through your legacy gift, you will be partnering with Glenmary in our home mission ministry!
For a no-obligation, sample calculation contact: Susan Lambert, Planned Giving Officer 800.935.0975 slambert@glenmary.org
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All information is strictly confidential. This information is not legal advice. A future donor should seek the guidance of a qualified estate and/or tax professional to understand the consequences of a gift. Glenmary gift annuities are not issued in Alabama or Hawaii.
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continued
photo / sister alies therese
glenmary
thanks: Sandy Radke of St. Joseph the Worker Church received the parish’s plaque in person at the February closing Mass for St. John Neumann. Joining her are Bishop Joseph Latino of the Diocese of Jackson (left) and Glenmary Father Bob Dalton.
the country with Glenmary missions. Sister Alies says part of what she tried to do with the leaders of the two adopting churches was to show that the mission communities didn’t just want to receive. “We shared back and forth,” she says. “Their people got a sense of mission and our people got a sense of connecting with the larger Church.” In addition to helping financially, members of the adopting parishes visited Eupora and Ackerman and Sister Alies visited Iowa and Michigan, which helped the relationships grow. The Iowa parish also did “whatever was needed” to make sure the annual summer program for youth in Eupora happened for the last five years. And, once the Ackerman mission was returned last year, the Michigan parish switched its support to the Eupora mission. “That’s the great thing about this program,” Sister Alies says. “It can be anything from a basic commitment of financial assistance to as much involvement as a parish wants. “Both parishes were tremendous to us,” she says. “Their financial and prayer support helped impact lives.” DONATE NOW
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religious families map: The Glenmary Research Center (GRC) is distributing this wall map,
similar to the one produced in 2000, that depicts the major religious families in the United States. The Catholic population (shown in the dark blue) of 58.9 million is three times that of the second-largest religious body, the Southern Baptist Convention (shown in the dark pink). The 28-by-38-inch map can be obtained by contacting the GRC.
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‘Religious Congregations & Membership Study’ released Data collected on Catholics in the United States shows shift in U.S. Catholic population [chicago]According to the data collected for the 2010 “Religious Congregations & Membership Study” (RCMS), the Catholic population in the United States continues to shift from the historically Catholic Northeast to the urban areas of the West and South. The rural South, the location of the majority of Glenmary missions, continues to be the least Catholic region in the country. The 2010 RCMS, a countyby-county enumeration of religious bodies in the United States, is the latest in a series of every-10-year studies conductw w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g
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comparing the two studies because the methodology used to gather data for the 2010 study differed from the 2000 study. The data for the 2010 study was gathered directly from all U.S. parishes and missions, giving what Grammich terms “a more realistic and accurate picture of Catholics who are recognized and affiliated with specific church communities.”
ed at the same time as the U.S. census. The study was released on May 1 in Chicago. The Glenmary Research Center (GRC), which served as publisher of the previous four studies, continued to fund the collection of the Catholic data. In addition to showing a shift in the Catholic population in the Northeast, the Catholic data also indicates, on the surface, a 5 percent decrease in the overall U.S. Catholic population since the 2000 study. Cliff Grammich, who collected the Catholic data for the GRC, says it’s difficult to draw absolute conclusions when Summer 2012
More Information: Read more about the RCMS 2010 and the Catholic findings by visiting www.glenmary.org/rcms2010. Contact the GRC at 800-9350975 or grc@glenmary.org.
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ec u m e n i s m
Grass-roots initiative promotes Christian understanding Women of Glenmary’s Scottsville, Ky., mission take active role in cooperative effort Women of Faith, says the women’s missionary group at the First Baptist Church initiated the idea and invited other congregations to participate. “All the local churches have women’s missionary groups,” says Del. “The plan was to get us together to communicate because of our common Christian faith. The groups have taken turns hosting meetings, and it’s been a very good, interesting, laid-back experience.
photos / courtesy brother david henley
[kentucky] The Women of Faith initiative in Scottsville, Ky., started in 2009 as a grassroots, ecumenical effort to bring together women’s groups from local Christian churches. The goal, says Del Hall of Glenmary’s Scottsville mission, has been to gather periodically to talk and pray about their shared Christian values and ways they can act on those values. Del, an organizer of the Catholic mission’s group involved in
extended family: Brother David Henley (above) served as translator for a new mother during a checkup for her baby, Wilson, at a Beaver Dam, Ky., doctor’s office in 2006. Now Glenmary’s vocation director, he revisited the family in March 2012 and met the now five-year-old Wilson (inset). Ties Glenmarians and coworkers make with those they serve are strong, Brother David says. “We all have very large extended families!” 8
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“We talk about our basic Christian beliefs and the importance of God in our lives. We also pray and discuss how we can put our faith into action.” The host church is responsible for the program, food and publicity. And a social activity— games, for example—is often part of the meeting. Father Dennis Holly, pastor of Christ the King mission in Scottsville, says this effort is unique because “it’s not organized by the local ministers and it involves church members getting together on their own for this ecumenical purpose.” Women from Catholic, Baptist (two congregations) and Methodist churches have all participated. Del says that at one early meeting the women “created a prayer intention list for our local area. We all took the list back to our churches for continued prayer.” Later, the Catholic women sponsored Glenmary Father Frank Ruff as the speaker during the 2011 Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. The next group invited a Methodist Episcopal pastor to speak on a related theme. This group also organized a collection of shoes for the people of Haiti. In addition, the Women of Faith have assisted with local ecumenical worship services. Father Dennis thinks this effort can have a beneficial spillover effect on other community members, too. And Del adds, “I think that it’s helped bring people in our area together and has increased our understanding of one another.” DONATE NOW
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cover story
coming Together The Spirit is at work in two of Glenmary’s newest missions, bringing local folks together and leading them as they establish the first-ever Catholic communities in Union and Grainger counties in East Tennessee. Story and Photos by Dale Hanson
G multipurpose use: The storefront church
buildings serve as the gathering spaces for Masses, social events and classes. Father Steve Pawelk (top) greets members of the Maynardville mission following a Sunday Mass, and catechists lead religious education classes in the Rutledge storefront.
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od was busy here before we were,” says Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk, in reflecting on what’s happened in Union and Grainger counties in East Tennessee since Aug. 12, 2011. That day, he and Brother Craig Digmann drove into the Union County seat of Maynardville to establish the first-ever Catholic presence in these counties. Brother Joe Steen arrived in September to complete the mission team. “Brother Craig and I came with a folding table and chairs, sleeping bags, air mattresses and some personal belongings,” Father Steve says. But soon, two Glenmary storefront missions had sprouted up in these rural Appalachian counties, where fewer than 1 percent of the population are Catholic and over 18 percent live below the national poverty level. Blessed Teresa of Calcutta mission in Maynardville (Union County) and Blessed John Paul II mission in Rutledge (Grainger County) Summer 2012
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Mission team: Father Steve Pawelk, Brother Craig Digmann and Brother Joe Steen (from left) take a team approach to their ministry in Union and Grainger counties. They gather together three times a day for prayer, a practice they say has helped reap many blessings for them and their ministries.
have become gathering places for two very grate-
ful, enthusiastic, involved Catholic communities that didn’t exist 10 months ago. “Our being here was part of God’s plan,” Father Steve says. “The people like to give credit to me, Brother Craig and Brother Joe. But what’s been happening here is because of the people’s faith and the Holy Spirit working in their lives. My greatest prayer is to stay out of the way of the Spirit.” Father Steve and Brother Craig held organizational meetings for Catholics in both counties soon after they arrived. “Many said our arrival was the answer to years of prayers,” Father Steve says. “Several people were near crying tears of joy.”
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ocal folks are still learning about Catholics. Before the missions started, many didn’t know there were Catholics in the counties other than Latino Catholics in Grainger County. While some people have been less than welcoming, the majority—including some ministers and congregations in both counties as well as Union County’s mayor and Chamber of Commerce—have befriended the new Catholic communities. During the early days in Union County, the missioners held two BYOC (“Bring Your Own Chair”) Masses in their rental home’s carport. The Catholic congregation also used the worship space at the local Methodist church on several Sundays. And in Grainger County, monthly Spanish Masses were celebrated at the agricultural building. In late September, a storefront in Maynardville (a former storage shed and hot dog stand) was rented to serve as the mission’s first church home. Brother Joe, using his extensive construction experience, led the 10
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renovation with help from many mission members. Then on All Saints Day (Nov. 1), members of the Maynardville mission community celebrated the first Mass in their newly finished space and a second storefront was rented in Rutledge. A few days later, with much renovation to come, members of the Rutledge congregation cleaned their new space and gathered for the first time for weekend Masses. Janet Thrower, a lifelong Catholic and member of the Rutledge community, says she feels “more holiness in this [storefront] building than any other church.”
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oday, each growing community celebrates two weekend Masses. In Union County, about 50 people attend English Mass and 40 attend Spanish Mass; in Grainger County, about 25 people attend English Mass and 80 attend Spanish Mass. And each mission has a midweek bilingual Mass that has helped unify the people. To attend Mass in the past, these Catholics had to drive 35-75 minutes, one way, to churches in neighboring counties. Father Steve and the Rutledge mission community are also exploring how they can best serve the Spanish-speaking migrant workers employed each year, May through August, at Grainger County tomato farms. An additional mission Mass could be added during those months to accommodate the increased number of Catholics. Faith formation programs for youth and adults are also thriving in both missions. “The desire for the sacraments is overw h e l m i n g ,” Father Steve says. And the Knoxville diocese has provided “wonderful support,” including onsite teacher training to help members of the Catholic communities become catechists. Michael C a t t a f i , a helping hands: Brother Joe, usM a y n a r d - ing his construction skills, remodville mission eled the two storefront buildings member, says, and has now turned his attention to “It’s great to helping local residents in need with be a real part building projects like this deck. DONATE NOW
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storefronts: Soon after the Glenmary team arrived in the mission counties, two storefront buildings were rented to serve as the first church homes for the Catholic communities that didn’t exist 10 months ago.
of this church and help it start from nothing and flourish.”
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he Glenmarians say they take a team approach to their ministry. “We live together, pray together three times daily and discuss our experiences. Our prayer is the root of our blessings,” says Father Steve. All three have been actively involved in ministries and outreach in both mission counties. “We support one another and keep each other focused,” Brother Joe adds. With major worship-space renovations almost complete, he’s now doing more outreach in the larger community—starting with construction of a deck for a wheelchair-bound local resident. “Brother Joe has done great work, and he brings joy wherever he goes,” Father Steve says. He describes Brother Craig’s outreach as “phenomenal,”—especially his home visitations to Catholics and non-Catholics. Brother Craig also visits senior centers, nursing homes, a local high school and more. “I like to walk with people in their struggles and offer hope,” he says. “Being part of this team establishing new missions is like a dream come true for me.” The team’s ecumenical activities include praying regularly with ministers in both counties, as well as praying monthly with Union County ministers and community members to help end substance abuse and other social problems in the county. “We’re all looking at the counties and doing our best to discern what God wants us to do,” Father Steve says.
late, but Father Steve said I could take classes with him. Now I even play harmonica in the music ministry—so I feel like I’m helping the mission get going, too. I feel good about being Catholic.” For Sara Armistead, who has multiple sclerosis and is partially homebound, the Rutledge mission is an answer to her prayers. A convert, she was welcomed into the Church on Easter 2012 when she received her first Communion and confirmation. But she actually started studying the Catholic faith independently three years ago and began praying, “Please, God, send me a church.” She describes the mission community as “a loving family,” and says “the Glenmarians bring such joy. On Easter, my daughter said she’d never seen me so happy.”
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ajor goals for a mission’s first year, according to Father Steve, are for people to feel at home and needed—and to be active in ministry and fellowship. And that’s happening in both counties. “Our mission members seem genuinely happy to be here, to be involved and to take on more responsibility.” Looking to the future, the missions “need to find more ways to be yeast in the larger community,” he says. Members of the Grainger County mission currently help with quarterly government food distribution to people in need. In Union County, involved Catholics from Boy Scouts to civic event organizers are now being identified in the local newspaper as Maynardville mission members. “We’ll just keep praying and looking for ways to reach out to others.” Maira Creech, a member of the Maynardville mission, offers her own simple, heartfelt prayer about her new Catholic community: “Thank you, Lord, for Glenmary.”
to Learn more: Follow Father Steve’s blog at www.glenmary.org/blogs.
unifying: Father Steve celebrates a midweek bilingual Mass in each of the two missions. These Masses bring together the English- and Spanishspeaking Catholic communities.
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he presence of these two mission communities is impacting the lives of many local residents. For instance, during Christmas Mass at the Maynardville mission last year, 81-year-old John Stefanski received first Communion and confirmation. “I was baptized and raised Catholic, but I never received the other sacraments and hadn’t gone to church in a long time,” he says. “I thought it was too w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g
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Then & NOW
Humble beginnings Restaurants, funeral parlors and homes serve as worship spaces
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1954: A former diner in Blue Creek, Ohio, served
as the Catholic chapel in Adams County. The Glenmary priests from nearby West Union began celebrating Mass in the county in 1954, and eventually St. Joseph mission was established. The mission was returned to the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 2000.
photos / glenmary archives
hen a Glenmary missioner calls together a Catholic community in a county where none has existed before, one of the tasks involved is finding somewhere for the community to gather. In a rural county, it can be difficult to find a placethat is available, affordable and large enough to hold liturgical celebrations, religious education classes and other events. Until a permanent space can be found, a temporary space is often used, such as a community center, funeral home, hotel dining room, empty storefront or even a shelterhouse at a local park. Where a community begins isn’t important, though. What’s important is that it begins to set down roots from which to grow. In the past seven decades, Glenmary missioners have tended the roots of over 110 mission communities, some of which came from the humblest of beginnings.
1968: A trailer
with a makeshift walkway served as the first home for the members of the Catholic chapel in Hazlehurst, Ga. Soon after, in 1974, a new church was built for the growing congregation and dedicated to the Good Shepherd. The mission was returned to the Diocese of Savannah in 1991. Since then, the church has been remodeled and enlarged. (See back cover.)
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1992: The first Mass in Greene Coun-
ty, Ga., for the community that would become Christ Our King was celebrated by Father Chet Artysiewicz in George and Mildred Stiffler’s kitchen in October 1992. The first public Mass was held on Nov. 1, 1992, at a local Episcopal church. Father Chet also pastored the mission in neighboring Putnam County, where the first Mass was held the following January at a local Presbyterian church. Father Chet carried all the essentials for Mass—chalices, hosts and missalettes—in a large blue Tupperware container. Because the two missions grew rapidly, they were returned to the care of the Archdiocese of Atlanta in 1996.
2003: The members of
photo / Courtesy the Erwin record
Our Lady of Guadalupe mission in Sand Hill, Ga., began gathering in Long County in 2003. Initially, a tent served as shelter for Masses and fiestas. Eventually, an open-air shelter was built. That structure was used until 2006, when a prefab metal building was donated and assembled to serve as worship and gathering space. In 2010, the growing community added a new parish hall, built under the leadership of Brother Virgil Siefker.
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Summer 2012
2012: Since September 2011,
Father Tom Charters and the members of the newly-formed Catholic Community of Unicoi County have been meeting for Sunday Mass at the local Elks Club. The East Tennessee mission community is close to finding a permanent space for their church home in the county seat of Erwin. But until that time, they will continue to meet at the Elks Club amid the shimmering curtains, drum set and mounted elk named Elmo!
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Father James Patrick Kelly, 1917-2012
Glenmary’s ‘whiz kid’ A remembrance / Lucy Putnam
Father Kelly was dedicated to the home missions and Father Bishop’s vision
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photos / glenmary archives
first met Father James Patrick Kelly soon after I was hired as Glenmary’s archivist nine years ago. During my first week on the job, he stopped by my office and, after gesturing toward the floor littered with piles and piles of boxes filled with documents, he politely asked whether I would be able to “make any sense of this mess.” I assured him that I would. He proceeded to ask about my background, my education and what made me qualified to serve as Glenmary’s archivist. I thought to myself: “Am I being re-interviewed? Who is this guy?” After our first meeting, Father Kelly became a frequent visitor to my office. (Unlike other Glenmarians who are commonly addressed using their first name—e.g., Father Mike—Father Kelly was “Father Kelly” to everyone!) He would often check in to see how things were going and present me with questions in need of research. He always had a project or two in process and three more churning in his mind. He was meticulous. I learned very quickly to use documents from the archives to backup any answers I provided him! A missioner for 67 years, Father Kelly died on March 22, 2012, at the age of 95. Father
early history: In 1951, Father Kelly (second row, second from left) was among those who attended the First Glenmary General Chapter with Father Bishop (first row, left). 14
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Frank Ruff, upon learning of Father Kelly’s death, simply said: “He was living history.” Living history, indeed. A native of Sydney, Ohio, Father Kelly was one of the first men to join Father William Howard Bishop’s then-fledgling society in 1945. After his 1948 ordination, Father Kelly was appointed assistant pastor of Glenmary’s mission in Norton, Va. Later that year he was recalled to Cincinnati to serve as Father Bishop’s personal secretary—a temporary, sixweek assignment. Six weeks stretched Father James into five years! He served as Father Kelly: A link Bishop’s right-hand man until the to Glenmary’s founder’s death in 1953. founder. While serving as secretary, Father Kelly was elected Glenmary’s treasurer, a position he held for 20 years. Over the years, he also served as professor of missiology at Our Lady of the Fields Seminary, as well as director of the Glenmary Research Center and of the mission office. He received his first pastorate in 1975 to Sylva, N.C. Five years later he became pastor of the Gate City, Va., mission, where he remained until 1985, when he became a senior member and returned to Cincinnati. Two years later, he once again answered the call to serve as treasurer. He retired a second and final time in 1991.
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lifelong learner, Father Kelly didn’t slow down in retirement. In fact, I think he became busier than ever. His many projects focused on the home missions, on how to help further Father Bishop’s vision into reality, and on his family. The oldest of nine children, he enjoyed planning and attending family reunions for his large extended family and editing The Kelly Konnection, a family newsletter. (Father Kelly’s brother Tom eventually entered Glenmary and became a Glenmary brother.) Father Kelly also enjoyed traveling and hiking. He was in his 80s when he achieved Continued on page 18
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I was in prison... You Visited Me Glenmary priests, brothers and coworkers count those living behind bars as members of their mission counties. Through prison ministry outreach, members of this often forgotten, marginalized population are receiving spiritual guidance and the life-giving gifts of the Church. By Jean Bach
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he day after celebrating his first papal Christmas Mass in 1958, Pope John XXIII left Vatican City to visit the inmates at Rome’s notorious Regina Coeli prison. When he arrived he explained his visit to the prisoners: “You could not come to see me so I have come to see you.” Glenmary missioners and coworkers have seen the prison industry grow in mission areas over the past decade. County jails have expanded and now house more state and federal prisoners. For-profit prisons have also been built to help house the estimated 2.2 million persons who are incarcerated in the United States. But even before the prison boom, Glenmary missioners and coworkers—just like Pope John— were answering the call to minister to those cut off from society and imprisoned in local, state and federal prisons that dot the South and Appalachia. w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g
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ince last November, Kathy O’Brien and Martin Baza of Glenmary’s St. Jude mission in Waldron, Ark., have spent almost every Monday night visiting inmates at the Scott County jail. The old county jail housed only county inmates. And because the Catholic population of the county is so small, Catholics were rarely prisoners. But now that more out-of-county prisoners are housed there, that’s changing. The seed for the ministry was planted when a mission member met a Catholic prisoner at the recently opened 76-bed jail. The inmate said she’d like someone from the Catholic Church to visit her. The ministry opportunity was presented at a parish meeting, where it received approval. After getting permission from the sheriff, the ministry was born. “What’s so special about this idea is that it came from our own parishioner who saw this need Summer 2012
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‘I know God must still love me because he sent...Martin to visit me’ and followed up on it,” says
photo / courtesy st. jude mission
Kathy, who serves as administrator of St. Jude. She meets with the women prisoners and Martin meets with the men. They pray using the English and Spanish Bibles the mission provided, they discuss the Sunday Scriptures and they have a Word and Communion service. Non-Catholics are often included in the groups, too. “This ministry is for anyone who needs it,” Kathy explains. But for Catholics, reconnecting with the Church is especially powerful and meaningful be-
prison outreach: Kathy O’Brien, Martin Baza and Father François Pellissier work to ensure the prisoners in the Scott County jail have the opportunity to connect with the Church.
cause through that connection, they can often find healing in the sacraments.
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he impact Kathy and Martin’s visits have had on prisoners varies. Kristofer, 25, who is Catholic, has been in jail for nine months. He says Martin’s visits have given him hope. “I know God must still love me because he sent a man as caring and loving as Martin to visit me and to teach me God’s ways.” In prison for narcotics distribution and jumping bail, Kristofer
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says in the future he hopes “to show the community what a positive life the Church, Martin and God have put into my heart.” Kathy says she also noticed a profound change in some prisoners after Glenmary Father François Pellissier began hearing confessions at the prison a few months ago. Father François is the sacramental minister at St. Jude and administrator at St. Andrew in nearby Yell County. One woman was “visibly changed” after receiving absolution, Kathy says. This inmate has been transferred to a prison in Oklahoma, but she sent Kathy a postcard thanking her for the change the ministry made in her life. “She must have used ‘thank you’ five times on the postcard.” Johnnie, another inmate, says he was scared when he went to prison three months ago. But with Martin began visiting him, his fears eased. Though not Catholic, Johnnie attends the weekly Communion services and says it’s a time when he can “actually relax.” He also reads the Bible with Martin. It’s helping him “understand the right way to live. I now understand that I need to live for God and for God alone.” Johnnie, who is from Waldron, has also shown interest in becoming Catholic. Martin hopes to walk with him through the RCIA process, beginning while he is in prison and continuing the journey after he is released.
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hen the Waldron mission is returned to the pastoral care of the Diocese of Little Rock in June, the prison ministry will continue with Martin and two women volunteers taking the lead. “The Spirit continues to do wonderful things here in Waldron,” Kathy says.
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For-Profit Prisons
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lthough the jail in Scott County, Ark., is not a forprofit facility, private prisons and detention centers are a growing industry throughout the South, and the Catholic bishops of the South continue to call for—and work towards— ending the proliferation. Glenmar y Father Les Schmidt has been involved in this issue for over a decade. He serves as adviser and liaison to the Catholic Committee of the South, a network of bishops, church workers, Catholic laypeople and grass-roots organizations working for social change in the modern South through the use of Catholic social teaching. During the 2011 annual meeting sponsored by the committee, ending for-profit, private prisons was one of four issues that participants said demanded action in the coming year. In 2002, the bishops of the South also began the process of writing a series of eight pastoral letters on aspects of the criminal justice system. The letters were a follow-up to the U.S. bishops’ statement, “Responsibility, Rehabilitation, and Restoration: A Catholic Perspective on Crime and Criminal Justice,” adopted in November 2000. In the pastorals, the southern bishops question whether private prisons protect the rights and dignity of inmates. When “prisoners become units from which profit is derived,“ they write, “there is a tendency to see them as commodities rather than as children of God.” For more information, visit www.glenmary.org/criminal-justice and read the southern bishops’ pastoral letters or contact Father Les at lschmidt@glenmary.org. DONATE NOW
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Partner in mission / by Father Bob Dalton
A lifelong journey of faith Houston mission member reflects on experience of being Catholic in Mississippi For many years, Ruth Agnes Crosthwait, 86, and her family were the only Catholics who lived in Houston, Miss. Recently, she talked with Father Bob Dalton, who serves as sacramental minister to Glenmary’s Immaculate Heart of Mary mission in Houston, about her journey as a Catholic in northeast Mississippi and the role Glenmary has played in that journey.
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n 1926, Ruth Agnes Carty’s baptism as a five-day-old infant involved an arduous journey. The priest came by train from Columbus, Miss., to the whistle-stop crossroads community of Pheba. There, his journey continued by car over dusty dirt roads for the last dozen miles to St. Patrick Church in the “Irish Colony” in northeastern Clay County. Memories and an old cemetery are all that remain of that small wooden church built in 1895. Before the church was built, hearty immigrants with names like Murphy, O’Rourke, McNulty and Cosgrove met in homes Ruth Agnes Crosthwait for an occasional Mass when a priest happened to be traveling through the area. For almost 50 years, Mass was celebrated only on the fifth Sunday of a month. Even so, the faith was strong among these farm families. Two women from the community joined the Sisters of Mercy in Vicksburg—Sister Regina Cosgrove and Sister Mary Joseph Cosgrove.
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radually—as often happens in rural America, even today—the close-knit Catholic community began to decline as people moved away, families died out and w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g
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others drifted away from their faith. Among those who moved was Joseph Carty, Ruth Agnes’ father, who saw better schools and more opportunities for his family in the county seat of Houston, 15 miles away. No Catholics had ever lived in Houston before the Cartys arrived. Suspicious of this foreign religion, the local community gave a very chilly welcome to the family. The turning point came when a prominent citizen, Mr. Hill, who owned the hardware store on the courthouse square, made it known that any man who wanted a chance for a better future for his family was welcome in Houston.
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irst Communion preparation for young Ruth Agnes meant a lonely separation from her family for three weeks for two successive summers. She traveled 40 miles to West Point to stay with Baptist relatives while she studied with Sister Regina and Sister Mary Joseph. The two women religious gathered together Catholic children each summer to prepare them for the sacraments. During those early years in Houston, Ruth Agnes’ family had to travel 20 miles by car to St. Theresa Church in Okolona, where Mass was offered on the third Sunday of the month by a priest who traveled by train from Tupelo. The roads weren’t paved, and often deep mud made the family’s trip an adventure—or even impossible. Since fasting after midnight was part of the discipline to receive Communion, the first meal of the day for the family was eaten after they arrived home, usually about 2 p.m. After Ruth Agnes and Curtis Crosthwait married, they made their lifelong home in Houston. “As a young married woman, I lived near the back of a Baptist church,” Ruth Agnes remembers. “I would look out on Sunday morning and see everyone attending services, and I wondered what it would be like to be able to go to church every Sunday.” After a pause and a little laugh, she added: “Curtis had a car, but it was Baptist like him and didn’t go to Mass!” For the last 12 years of his life, though, Curtis did attend Mass with Ruth Agnes. He converted to Catholicism shortly before his death. Eventually, a few other Catholics moved Summer 2012
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glenmary’s ‘whiz kid’ his goal to hike to the summit of Tennessee’s Mount Leconte.
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is firsthand knowledge of Father Bishop and the early years of Glenmary were invaluable to me. I always knew where to turn for an answer—and, as he was an Irishman through and through, I always got a good story, too! He told me stories of flying in a tiny prop plane to visit donors with Father Clem Borchers as the
Continued from page 14 pilot. On one such trip, they got lost as the sun went down and had to make a blind landing in a field. He told me how he and Father Joe O’Donnell dug, by hand, the grave for Father Earl McGrath, the first Glenmarian to die. He talked about the early missioners updating Father Bishop’s No-Priest-Land map by hand, the building of the first seminary in the 1950s, the opening of new mission territory in the 1940s and the return of the first missions to the pastoral care of their respective dioceses. He excitedly told me about the start of the Glenmary Research Center and the pride he felt every time the center published a new religious census.
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invaluable resource: As archivist for Glenmary, Lucy Putnam relied on Father Kelly for answers and insights. And he never failed to deliver.
ne story Father Kelly told me focused on how he came to Glenmary. A seminarian for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, he asked Archbishop John McNicholas if he could visit Glenmary. The archbishop warned him if he left, he would “burn bridges” behind him, because the archbishop would never take back a man who left the archdiocese’s formation program. When Father Kelly left the archbishop’s office, he said he prayed. Later that week, Father Bishop accepted him on the spot, telling a fellow missioner, “We could use a whiz kid like him.” The bridges he burned lit the way for him to make an indelible mark on Glenmary’s home mission ministry and countless Glenmarians and coworkers over the decades—including me.
journey of faith
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to Houston, and Mass was offered occasion- faith. They helped me become a Eucharistic minally in the homes of local residents until a small A-frame church, consecrated to the Immaculate Heart of Mary, was built in 1954. In 1965, Glenmary took on the missions in both Houston and Okolona. Mass or Word and Communion services were celebrated each weekend, and she finally began to realize her dream of attending church every week.
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uth Agnes commented thoughtfully on Glenmary’s plan to leave Immaculate Heart of Mary mission in the summer of
2013. “I felt bad after I learned that Glenmary was leaving next year,” she says. “Then I realized that I was being selfish. What Glenmary missioners did for me, they can do for people in some other area like Houston. “They taught me everything I know about my 18
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ister, gave me the confidence to be a lector at Mass and trained me to lead Word and Communion services. I was even appointed to the Diocesan Pastoral Council in Jackson. Some of those who I served on the council with thought I was a radical, but I taught them that it is a different experience being Catholic here in rural northeast Mississippi.”
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oday, Ruth Agnes is homebound. She has limited mobility and uses a wheelchair or walker to get around her house. “I miss going to church and I miss my friends there, but I really appreciate the Eucharistic ministers who bring me weekly Communion,” she says. Her journey of faith, which began in the Irish Colony decades ago, continues today. The dream she had so many years ago became a reality. The Catholic Church is present in Houston, Miss. DONATE NOW
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What’s new Glenmary Welcomed in Unicoi County, Tenn. Father Tom Charters and Brother Tom Sheehy have been welcomed by enthusiastic residents of Unicoi County. They arrived last September to establish a Catholic Church presence in the East Tennessee county. glenmary.org/welcomed
Unicoi County
Departments How to Help
A gift of appreciated securities, including stocks or bonds, is an easy way to make a gift. glenmary.org/stocks
Vocations
Novice Jason Muhlenkamp reflects on his formation journey as he prepares to take his First Oath. glenmary.org/journey-oath
Jason Muhlenkamp
Glenmary Farm
Joe Grosek thanks spring volunteers and shares news from Vanceburg in his Vanceburg View. glenmary.org/april-view
Research Center
View additional maps based on the Catholic data collected for RCMS 2010. search: glenmary.org/rcms2010
Mapping Catholics
Feature Story Thankful Convert Inspired to Give Back
Sarah Smithwick says she’s never been happier—and she owes it all to Glenmary! She’s determined to give back some of what she has received. glenmary.org/smithwick
Sarah Smithwick
Commission on Justice
Find a variety of social justice and ecological resources as well as links to helpful Web sites. search: glenmary.org/coj Follow Blogging Glenmarians
Check out the blogs of new-mission pastor Father Steve Pawelk, vocation director Brother David Henley and senior member Father Charlie Hughes. glenmary.org/blogs w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g
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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage PAID Glenmary Home Missioners
photo / Michael J. Johnson, the Southern Cross
Glenmary G l i m p s e / Former mission grows
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lenmary’s former mission in Hazlehurst, Ga., is growing! On Feb. 11, 2012, members of Good Shepherd Church rejoiced as their newly expanded 4,500-square-foot church building was rededicated at a Mass celebrated by Bishop Gregory Hartmayer, OFM, Conv., of the Diocese of Savannah. Following the Mass, members in traditional Mexican costumes danced to the rhythms of guitar and accordion. It was standing room only at weekend liturgies before the expansion. Glenmary established the mission in 1967, and a mobile trailer (see page 12) served as the gathering space from 1968 until a new church was built in 1974. Glenmary turned the mission back to the Diocese of Savannah for continued pastoral care in 1991.
Catholic Missioners to Rural America
Glenmary Home Missioners P.O. Box 465618 Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 www.glenmary.org