GLENMARY HOME MISSIONERS A Stewardship Report for Fiscal Year 2015–16
Establishing the Catholic Church and Making a Difference in Mission Land, USA
G “God’s mercy
can make even the driest land become a garden” –Pope Francis
lenmary is the only Catholic missionary organization working exclusively in the rural United States. Our specialized ministry is establishing mission communities in areas where there is no official Catholic presence. Over the past 77 years, we have developed a unique style of mission ministry known for its creative approaches to evangelization, its ecumenical cooperation and its social outreach ministries that serve the needs of some of the poorest counties in our country. Glenmary is committed to establishing and nurturing Catholic church communities that make a difference. How does one measure and talk about this “difference”? It’s difficult—like trying to measure success. I have found the best way to “measure” has nothing to do with surveys or science. It has everything to do with hearing and seeing how our priests, brothers and coworkers are touching the lives of those we serve in quiet but heroic ways. As president of Glenmary, I catch glimpses of Glenmary’s impact through missioners’ letters, e-mails and phone calls—and through my personal visits. I hear the stories about how our presence in rural counties is making a difference. I would like to share some of the stories that have especially touched me: • A member of a former Glenmary mission wrote a note of thanks to Glenmary for establishing a mission decades ago in Cleveland, Ga. Today, that community has grown to the point of having four Masses each weekend and a resident priest who serves the county. “Thanks to Glenmary Home Missioners,” she wrote, “we have a thriving Catholic church in northeast Georgia.” • Father Steve Pawelk, pastor of St. Teresa of Kolkata in Maynardville, Tenn. so ingratiated himself with the community that he was named Union County’s 2016 Man of the Year. Union County is
less than one percent Catholic, and yet a Catholic priest was named Man of the Year by being, in Father Steve’s words, a “cheerleader,” for the county. • The prayers of a woman in Blakely, Ga. were answered when she sought out Brother Jason Muhlenkamp. Behind on her bills and worried she would not be able to provide for her children at Christmas, she encountered God’s mercy. Brother Jason, thanks to the support of Glenmary’s donors, assisted her with her bills. He’s seen her around town since, and she hasn’t needed to ask for help again. • Each of more than 400 hungry families receives 25 pounds of food monthly at the Good Shepherd Food Pantry in Windsor, N.C. Father Mike Kerin, Brother Curt Kedley, Brother Virgil Siefker and members of the Catholic Community of Bertie County are instrumental in running the ecumenical program that serves the entire county. • Father Neil Pezzulo, Glenmary’s first vice president, is using part of his time to serve three eastern Kentucky mission parishes, helping them to continue providing a Catholic presence in the region. While the parishes he serves are not Glenmary missions per se, his service there meets a real Home Mission need.
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hrough the generosity of our donors, we are able to keep Catholic churches alive and growing—and making a difference—all over Mission Land, USA. Thank you! Your brother in mission,
Father Chet Artysiewicz President Glenmary Home Missioners