Glenmary Challenge Autumn 2013

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

Autumn 2013

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Open to God’s Spirit Celebrating First Oath, Oath Renewals

Growing and Planning Mississippi mission looks to the future

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 missions and ministries throughout Appalachia and the South.

Glenmary missioners serve in areas where less than three percent of the population is Catholic, a significant percentage have no church affiliation and the Father William poverty rate is almost twice the national average. Glenmary is Howard Bishop known for deeply respecting the Glenmary Founder many cultures 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 Jack Henn, Brother Curt Kedley, Patrick McEntee, Kathy O’Brien, Susan Sweet

Glenmary Home Missioners P.O. Box 465618 • Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 513-874-8900 • 800-935-0975 www.glenmary.org • info@glenmary.org © 2013, Glenmary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.

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Inspired by home mission ministry FROM THE EDITOR / Jean Bach

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ecently the August issue of the Catholic Telegraph, the newspaper for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, came across my desk. As I paged through the issue, I noticed the column called “What Keeps Me Catholic?” The local high school religion teacher who writes this monthly feature answered the question this time with one word: Glenmary.

Mike Daley wrote the column upon returning from chaperoning a student mission trip to the Glenmary Farm in Lewis County, Ky. He saw the impact Glenmary’s ministry and the Catholic Church have had on the area and was inspired. Part of the column contrasted practicing Catholicism in highly Catholic Cincinnati and in a mission area where less than 1 percent of the population is Catholic. It’s much easier, he concluded, in Cincinnati!

For almost 75 years Glenmary priests, brothers and lay coworkers have helped the Catholic minority living in over 100 mission areas like Lewis County to connect more deeply with their faith—and to put their faith into action serving those in spiritual and material need. That ministry continues today in our current missions, such as the one in Bruce, Miss., profiled on page 9.

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lenmary Challenge received third place for general excellence in the mission magazine category at the 2013 Catholic Press Jean Bach Association Awards. The judges jbach@glenmary.org commented that the magazine “is a well-designed, large-format magazine that brings to life (Glenmary’s) work... where Catholics are a tiny minority.”

I hope as you read Glenmary Challenge, the home missions come to life for you, too! Please let me know what you think of this issue or of the magazine as a whole. Enjoy!  about the cover: Members of St. Luke the Evangelist mission gather in front of the former county health department building that has served as their church since 1998. The Mississippi congregation has outgrown the space and is working to find ways to raise the funds they need to relocate.

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THE MAGAZINE OF C ATHOLI C MISSIONERS TO RURAL AMERI C A

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Vo l u m e 7 6 / N u m b e r 3

Cover Story

9 photo / dale hanson

Growing and Planning

The membership of St. Luke the Evangelist mission in Bruce, Miss., is growing. And so are the challenges mission members face as they address the issues raised by the rapid growth.

Feature Story

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Open to God’s Spirit

After taking First Oath, Ambrose Wanyonyi says as a member of the Glenmary family he looks forward to his future as a missioner.

First Oath, Page 15

Departments & columns

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From the President / Father Chet Artysiewicz

Father Chet challenges us to look beyond “disguises.”

When we do, we’ll discover more than meets the eye.

Glenmary News & Notes

Missioner passes on the faith; Glenmary receives accreditation; tithing program generates support.

Passing the faith, Page 5

Then & Now

Glenmary’s former mission in Hayesville, N.C., is a growing, thriving parish today.

2013 Golden Jubilarian

Fifty years after taking First Oath, Father Dominic Duggins reflects on his ministry and vocation.

Golden jubilee, Page 14

Partner in Mission

Mildred Stiffler is helping pay forward what she and other Georgia Catholics received from Glenmary.

Final Words / from our readers

Readers give thumbs-up to articles in Summer 2013 issue, share memories of South Georgia missions.

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Georgia Catholics, Page 17

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from the president / Father Chet Artysiewicz

More than meets the eye External appearances don’t tell the whole story; we need to look beyond the ‘disguises’

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s a man picked up aluminum cans in the parking lot of a restaurant, the owner of the establishment yelled to him: “Hey buddy, if you ever need a meal you come see me.” The can collector explained he was just gathering the cans for recycling. But the restaurateur replied, “That’s fine, but if you ever need a meal, come see me.”

I know the recycler was surprised by the offer because, well, I was that man! Now, I freely admit that when I go walking (keeping an eye out for stray aluminum cans), I scarcely resemble someone fresh out of Gentleman’s Quarterly. But after my encounter with the restaurant owner, I concluded that my appearance must have conveyed that I was down on my luck or even homeless and was trying to scrape together enough pennies to buy food.

I facetiously thought to myself: Doesn’t he realize I’m the president of a vibrant group of dedicated missioners?!

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his encounter raises several issues.

Homelessness is certainly a problem, especially in many of our larger cities.

Hunger, too, is an issue in a world where political factors can prevent the distribution of food and the feeding of people. And, of course, care of God’s creation certainly qualifies as an issue that cries for a Gospel response. Recycling, to me, represents one small aspect of treating God’s creation with respect.

In addition to all these issues my encounter raised, another struck me: how common it is for us to judge others by mere appearances. I think it is safe to say that God looks beyond the surface—and so should we.

We have all heard stories of people who lived very simply and gave no impression of wealth—until their millions were left to some groups or charities. Sam Walton, the founder of Walmart, used to drop by his stores unexpectedly, dressed casually and wearing a ball cap. He wanted to observe how an average customer was treated, though his own economic status was anything but average.

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta did not originate the concept of recognizing Christ in others, but she did bring the principle to our atten4

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tion when she dramatically described the poor and suffering to whom she ministered as “Christ in hideous disguises.”

What a better Christian—what a better priest—I am when I can look beyond “disguises” and not judge others by external appearances. Would there not be less abuse of one another, less exploitation and fewer wars if we recognized the “others” as brothers and sisters?

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he same is true regarding our Glenmary missions. To some, the small mission church buildings and congregations may appear in- Father Chet significant at first glance. Closer Artysiewicz examination inside our simple cartysiewicz@glenmary.org churches—some of which are storefronts and houses—reveals that the members of these communities are quite dynamic, exhibiting a palpable spirit.

Our missions may lack huge numbers of parishioners, but each day we Glenmarians witness mission members’ energy and commitment to worship, service to the poor and efforts to share the faith. One of our members once remarked that “just because these places are small does not mean the people are not worthy of our efforts. Everyone deserves the opportunity to have a church.”

And so we continue to follow the vision of our founder, aided by the generosity of many. Certainly the locations of our Glenmary missions might easily be overlooked, since they lack the bold print and asterisks on maps that larger places merit. But helping the members of these small communities live their faith is a tremendously rewarding experience for us as missioners. We are privileged to witness the growth of that “mustard seed” which we plant upon arriving in a county without an effective Church presence.

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hank you for your support that enables us to serve in these missions and plant the seeds of the faith. I invite you to visit our mission churches and see for yourself that there  is so much more than meets the eye!

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Glenmary

Passing on faith and call to service

news &notes photo / father dennis holly

Vocations

‘Spiritual’ father meets ‘spiritual’ grandson [oklahoma] In June 2013, Glenmary Father Frank Schenk, 97, attended the silver jubilee celebration for Father Joe Townsend of the Diocese of Tulsa. Father Frank was an honored guest at the celebration held at St. Benedict Church in Broken Arrow, Okla., where Father Joe serves as pastor.

If it weren’t for Father Frank, Father Joe may not have become Catholic, let alone become a priest!

As a mission pastor in the early 1970s in Idabel, Okla., Father Frank met Joe, then a high school stu-

mentor and mentee: Father Frank Schenk (left) has served as a “spiritual” father to Father Joe Townsend since the two met in the early 1970s.

Today, Father Joe is paying forward the gift of faith and call to become a priest that Father Frank helped him find.

dent living in nearby Valiant. Joe expressed an interest in Catholicism, and eventually he was received

into the Church. Later, through Father Frank’s mentoring, he chose to become a priest.

While in Broken Arrow, Father Frank met Robert Duck, a diocesan seminarian from St. Benedict.

Robert was happy to meet Father Frank since he had heard much about him from his parish pastor.

Robert knew it was through Father Frank’s efforts and mentorship that Father Joe had discovered his call to priesthood. And now, through Father Joe’s mentoring, Robert—who is one of eight current seminarians from St. Benedict—has found his own call to priesthood.

“If I think of Father Joe as my spiritual father and Father Joe thinks of you as his spiritual father,” Robert told Father Frank, “then I guess that makes you my spiritual grandfather!”

Father Frank says he experienced the greatest expression of gratitude in seeing that a gift received

by Father Joe is now being passed on to others.

ev a n g el i z a t i o n

Missioner’s participation in cardiac health fair serves multiple purposes Father Mike Kerin promotes the local Catholic church, holistic wellness, spirituality institute [north carolina] One of the ways missioners and coworkers evangelize is by being visible in the counties they serve.

For Father Mike Kerin, pastor of the Catholic Community of Bertie County in Windsor, that means being involved in a variety of outreach efforts, including serving as chaplain at Vidant Bertie Hospital. w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

Recently, Father Mike was one of two speakers at a Men’s Cardiac Health Fair sponsored by the hospital. He addressed 200 people, one of whom was Catholic—and that was Brother Virgil Siefker, who also serves the mission county!

Father Mike focused on taking a holistic approach to preventing heart disease. He presented some

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contemporary models and strategies to increase wellness, help reduce stress and keep a positive attitude.

Promoting wellness is one of the goals of the Christian Spirituality Institute Father Mike began two years ago. Through the institute, programs are offered to residents of both Bertie and nearby Washington counties.

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through the spirituallybased program themes, participants’ spirituality will be enriched and they will learn new, effective coping skills.

“I believe Jesus wants us to have an abundant life so I am basing the institute’s programs on John 10:10: ‘I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.’ That’s the goal for all of us!”

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news & notes

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et h i c a l m i n i st r y

Glenmary receives accreditation Abuse prevention practices and response recognized [ohio] Glenmary Home Missioners has been awarded Praesidium AccreditationTM by Praesidium, the national leader in abuse risk management. Accreditation confirms that an individual order or congregation has been found by an independent team of specialists to meet or exceed all abuse prevention and response standards.

Glenmary was first accredited

by Praesidium in 2006 and was reaccredited in July 2013 for five additional years.

To attain accreditation, Glen-

mary underwent an educational process and a rigorous assessment to clarify responsibilities, identify best practices, and evaluate the extent to which the defined standards are being met.

“I am very happy that we have received accreditation,” says Father Chet Artysiewicz, president of Glenmary. “It illustrates our strong commitment to upholding these standards and to helping ensure that our missions and ministries are safe environments for young people and vulnerable adults.”

Help Shape the Future of Mission Make a Bequest to Glenmary Today!

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f you are searching for a meaningful way to make a difference, remembering Glenmary in your will or trust may be the answer. Making a provision for Glenmary is easy and will have a profound effect on those served in our missions in the future.

If you have already remembered Glenmary in this way, please let us know, so we can have the pleasure of thanking you now. If you are considering a bequest to Glenmary and have questions, please contact: Susan Lambert Planned Giving Officer 800-935-0975 • slambert@glenmary.org

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Around the Missions  Father John Rausch has been elected to the Pax Christi USA National Council. Father John, director of the Catholic Committee of Appalachia, received the Teacher of Peace Award in 2007 from this organization, which strives to create a world that reflects the peace of Christ by exploring, articulating and witnessing to the call of Christian nonviolence. He will serve a three-year term on the council.  Father Rollie Hautz marks two milestones this year: the 60th anniversary of his ordination to priesthood and 58 consecutive years as a mission pastor.

Currently Father Rollie serves as pastor of Glenmary’s missions in Gate City and Dungannon, Va.  Father John Brown and the members of Holy Family mission in Blakely, Ga., hosted the mission’s first-ever Vacation Bible School in June. Both children and adults attended the weeklong event that was based on “Caring Close to Home,” a Catholic Vacation Bible School program developed by Glenmary to raise mission awareness. For more information on the various mission education resources Glenmary has available, please visit www.glenmary.org/mission-ed.  Father Cris Adongo, associate pastor of missions in Lafayette, Tenn., and Scottsville, Ky., will be the guest speaker at the Oct. 4, 2013, President’s Gathering at Glenmary Headquarters in Cincinnati.

Attention Farm Alums!

As Glenmary prepares to celebrate its 75th anniversary in 2014, we are searching for former volunteers at the Glenmary Farm. If you or someone you know spent time at the Farm over the past 40 years, please contact Jodi Mott at jmott@glenmary.org or 800-9350975. We look forward to reconnecting with you!

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photo / jean bach

Legacy society members: Susan Lambert, planned giving officer, talks with Mark Baltes

(left) and George Agricola at the Father Bishop Legacy Society luncheon on June 14. A Mass and luncheon are held at the Glenmary Headquarters each year to honor those who have established planned gifts to help support Glenmary’s mission and ministry.

f a t h e r b i s h o p le g a c y s o c i et y

Thanks, appreciation expressed at annual gathering Event celebrates those who are helping ensure future missionary challenges can be met [ohio] Each year, Glenmary’s Development Office hosts an event for donors who have made lifetime or testamentary gift commitments to Glenmary.

Such a gathering was held in Cincinnati on June 14. Over 50 members of the Father Bishop Legacy Society filled Our Lady of the Fields Chapel for a Mass of Thanksgiving celebrated by Father Chet Artysiewicz, Glenmary’s president. The Mass was followed by lunch and a short presentation by Father Chet.

“We look forward to this gathering of donors each year,” says Susan Lambert, planned giving officer for Glenmary. “In addition to our having the opportunity to meet and socialize w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

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with this group of supporters, the attendees get to see our base of operations here at Glenmary Headquarters, meet many of the Glenmarians, and renew friendships with other members.”

The Legacy Society was begun 10 years ago and is named for Glenmary’s founder, Father William Howard Bishop. Today, more than 640 individuals are members.

“The commitments made by the members of the Legacy Society help ensure Glenmary’s future home mission ministry,” Susan says, adding that their gifts—made to Glenmary from wills or trusts or through gift annuities or other means—account for over 20 percent of Autumn 2013

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Glenmary’s operating income in a typical year.

An attendee said she looks forward to attending the event.

“I feel blessed to be a part of the Glenmary family. And when I come here, I truly do feel like family.”

Father Chet challenged those in attendance to look around them and give thanks to God each day for all the blessings they have received, most especially the gift of their faith.

“You are truly people of faith,” Father Chet told those gathered.

“Through your support, we are able to share that gift of faith with those we serve in the missions. We are so grateful and appreciative!”

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p a r t n e r s i n m i ss i o n

Tithing program helps support missionary outreach Michigan parish uses ‘grass roots’ way of helping people in need, shares concept with others [ohio] Some parishes that help support Glenmary and other charitable causes use an approach that’s not very common among Catholic congregations: a tithing program.

“But tithing is a type of stewardship that an increasing number of Catholic parishes are embracing,” says Joe Soncrant, pastoral minister at St. Andrew Church in Rochester, Mich. “It’s a grass roots way of helping people in need.” Joe serves the parish as Christian service coordinator and also tithing committee chairperson.

St. Andrew launched its tithing program more than 30 years ago. At the same time, it eliminated all other special parish collections and fundraisers— such as bingo, raffles, festivals and chocolate sales—and instead focused only on weekend Mass collections.

Ten percent of these weekend collections—the parish tithe— goes to charitable agencies. And every month, 70 percent of this

tithe goes to charitable groups serving in the United States and 30 percent for causes outside this country. St. Andrew helps support about 300 beneficiaries including Glenmary.

“As long as their ministries are consistent with Catholic social justice teaching,” says Joe, “we want to help them.”

Through the years, St. Andrew members have had a strong commitment to the program. “Parishioners tell us they give more because they know this is their primary way to support both the parish and charitable groups helping people in Michigan, the United States and the world,” Joe says.

Mary Coyle, a member of the tithing committee since it began, says members meet monthly to prayerfully discern how to disburse the funds. And Glenmary has been a consensus choice since the program’s early days. “We know about Glenmary and the good work they do.”

Joe adds that the committee

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the leader in home mission ministry Glenmary Home Missioners

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values Glenmary’s outreach to those in need—in areas where there is usually no Catholic presence until Glenmary missioners arrive.

St. Andrew’s approach allows for differences in parishioners’ financial means. “People can give time and talent back to the Lord as well as treasure,” says Joe. “If their money is limited, they can do more volunteer work. There are many ways to give, and the parish doesn’t try to measure their giving. We trust our parishioners to figure it out.”

The tithing committee sends out 15-20 checks monthly. “We list the charitable-agency names and donation amounts on our Web site,” Joe says. “And we post thank-you notes on our church bulletin boards. These notes really bring home for parishioners how they’ve helped people in need.”

Even during tough economic times, he says, “Our parish members haven’t wanted to change the way they give and tithe. They really believe in this kind of stewardship.”

Once other parishes in the Archdiocese of Detroit found out about St. Andrew’s tithing, they began asking for information. Today, more than 25 parishes in the archdiocese tithe from their weekend collections, many influenced by St. Andrew’s successful efforts.

In his many talks about how to set up a tithing program, Joe tells parishes they can start “at 1 or 2 percent—or whatever level lets them cover all their parish operating costs while also supporting charitable causes.”

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GROWING and PLANNING

photo / courtesy st. luke mission

As the congregation of St. Luke the Evangelist mission in Bruce, Miss., celebrates its growth, they are struggling with how to best plan for and meet the challenges posed by the rapid increase in numbers.

Photos and story by Dale Hanson

a welcoming church: The welcoming atmosphere of St. Luke the Evangelist mission is what attracts local people to the Catholic Church. Deborah Holmes, the mission’s pastoral coordinator, serves mission members and county residents in many ways, including helping immigrants complete the paperwork needed to further their efforts in obtaining permanent residency in the United States (top photo). This past Easter, the mission community welcomed two adults into the Church.

They also celebrated with Father Tim Murphy (bottom photo) the baptism of one of the youngest members.

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he Glenmary mission community in Calhoun County, Miss., is struggling with a good problem: how to accommodate a recent increase in membership. In the last two years, says pastoral coordinator Deborah Holmes, the average number of people attending St. Luke the Evangelist mission has ballooned from 20 to 75, filling the building to its absolute limit.

And Deborah doesn’t see an end in sight for the growth. “I think we’ve just scratched the surface in growing our church,” she says.

Since its founding in 1995, the Bruce mission has been shepherded by three generations of lay professional ministers. Today, it’s recognized by both members and county residents as a welcoming church that serves and reaches out to its parishioners and anyone in need. Members are determined to continue maintaining that identity while facing the challenges caused by the unprecedented growth.

“Our greatest strengths,” Deborah says, “are our love for God and one another, our church and other people. We’re all in this together, and many people give their time and talents. We’re strong in every other way but financially.”  Autumn 2013

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 The mission is looking at options for a larger building, First, though, they have to raise the needed funds. Since most St. Luke members are themselves economically challenged, it’s a daunting task. “Our parish has very limited monetary resources,” she says, “but we’re not giving up.”

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eborah has deep roots in Calhoun County: She spent her childhood summers visiting Mississippi relatives in the place she now calls home. She has lived in the county with husband Kenny and daughter Mary Amanda since 1991. And they joined the mission in 2004, long before she became its leader in 2011.

She was raised Catholic in Michigan and Kentucky, but as a child Deborah attended a Baptist church with her aunt during those trips to Mississippi. “I never dreamed there would be a Catholic church here,” she says.

The mission’s founding pastoral coordinator, Amy Giorgio, established the Catholic Community of Calhoun County—with Glenmary Father Tim Murphy serving in the same sacramental minister role he has today. After renting space in a funeral home and the Bruce Community Building, the members of the mission renovated and moved into their small present home—the former county health department building—in 1998.

According to Amy’s successor, Sister Mary Jean Morris, this mission community developed one of its outstanding traits during the year between Amy’s departure in 2000 and Sister Mary Jean’s arrival in 2001. Without a visible leader, “they took on a real sense of ownership for the mission’s future,” said Sister Mary Jean—a trait that’s still obvious in the mission community, Deborah says.

In thinking back on becoming a parishioner in 2004, Deborah says she “had finally found a church home.

Sister Mary crowded worship: Musician Jettie Pettit has little room because Jean started chairs are placed as close together assigning me things to do as possible to accommodate those for the mission gathered for Sunday services. and I loved it!”

She soon felt called to pastoral ministry and later graduated from the Loyola Institute of Ministry Extension Program.

When Sister Mary Jean retired in 2011, 10

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vacation bible school: Children from

throughout the county attended the mission’s Vacation Bible School program in July. The mission’s van was used to transport a number of the participants.

Deborah was hired to replace her mentor and friend.

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nder Sister Mary Jean’s leadership, attitudes toward Catholics in the county improved a great deal. A key example of her community work was her six years of service on the board of Bruce’s Chamber of Commerce—the first Catholic ever in that role.

The mission’s greatest example of community outreach has been the Our Daily Bread Food Pantry, established by the St. Luke community in 2000 and built up during Sister Mary Jean’s and Deborah’s tenures. As the county’s only pantry, it continues to serve any resident living below the national poverty level—a description that fits over 21 percent of the population.

In a county where fewer than 1 percent of the overall population are Catholic, this ministry has been an ecumenical success. Volunteers represent a range of denominations and civic groups, and the nearby Methodist church has always provided key assistance.

Deborah has joined in other interfaith activities with local ministers, too, including prayer services.

Through all these outreach efforts, Catholics have become known as caring neighbors and friends.

With Deborah’s leadership, St. Luke has not only continued its community outreach but has also increased its evangelization efforts to invite the county’s Catholics—both practicing and nonpracticing—to the mission, which has helped DONATE NOW

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‘We’ve been blessed with wonderful, supportive people.…We’re all willing to do whatever is needed.’ contribute to its rapid growth.

The diverse congregation is made up primarily of Latino and Anglo members. The majority are Latino families who came to Calhoun County to work in the sweet potato fields and have made the county their permanent home. But they struggle financially because field work is seasonal and additional jobs are hard to find.

The mission gathers each Sunday for one bilingual worship service. Father Tim celebrates Mass twice a month, and Deborah leads a Word and Communion service on other Sundays.

In 2011, Deborah says she started to “significantly increase the Spanish in all the services so that now the majority of parts (in the services) are in both English and Spanish.” Word soon spread about this change and the mission’s friendliness.

And more local Latino Catholics and others started to attend on Sundays.

Efforts were also stepped up to invite people with no church home to Sunday services. As parishioner Leticia Labra says, “Everybody is accepted here, and we all take care of one another.

Deborah and our parishioners make people feel welcome and at home.” Parish council president Mike Talbert agrees. “It’s like a big, welcoming family. I really feel the Spirit working in this parish.”

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after hearing many good things. I’m very happy the girls are learning about their Catholic faith.”

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nother dimension of the mission’s outreach is Deborah’s one-on-one ministries. “I love this work. I believe I was called to take care of people and help lead them to God. And I think love and kindness bring God into their lives.”

Some Latino mission members respectfully call her la madre (mother) because she’s always ready to help, listen to, or counsel individuals in need, regardless of their religion or race or background.

One of her most satisfying ministries has been helping immigrants work towards permanent residency. Her free help on application paperwork and preparation means they don’t have to pay for assistance.

“A parishioner I helped just became a new U.S. citizen, and I’m helping his wife next,” says Deborah. She’s also assisting several young Latinos complete paperwork needed to apply for two-year deferrals. If their applications are approved, each of them will be eligible for work authorization and may obtain a Social Security number and a driver’s license.

“Deborah helps people quietly,” says longtime parishioner Jettie Pettit. “She’s humble and doesn’t seek out credit.”

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he mission began its first full-fledged religious education program in 2011. By 2013, enrolls the Bruce mission’s only pastoral staff perment had grown to 65, and 23 children reson, Deborah relies on a core team of faithful ceived first Communion. About 250 people volunteers including her own family. “We’ve attended this year’s baptism and first Combeen blessed with wonderful, supportive munion celebration held at the Bruce Museum. people,” she says. “This mission and our outA turning point reach ministries for the program just couldn’t funccame when the mistion without them. sion obtained a used We’re all willing van. This vehicle and to do whatever is a parishioner’s car needed. They know are used to transport they can count on children who live in me and I can count other parts of the on them. We still county to and from feel that same sense weekly classes when of ownership.” their parents can’t.

She believes Noemi Espirithat—with God’s cueta, whose two guidance and the daughters use the mission members’ van for transportastrong committion and received ment to and love first Communion outreach: Members of St. Luke join volunteers for each other— last year, says “our from other area churches and civic groups to staff “we’ll find the best whole family started the mission’s food pantry. In a county of 15,000, over paths to take in the going to the mission 21 percent live below the national poverty level. future.”  w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

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Then & NOW

Celebrating Hayesville Former mission one of 18 founded in Western North Carolina

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rom 1954 to 2002, Glenmary’s mission efforts spread through the westernmost North Carolina counties—an area that was once considered one of the least Catholic in the nation.

In those 48 years, 18 mission sites were established and nurtured by Glenmary priests and brothers, including Immaculate Heart of Mary in Hayesville.

Father Bob Bond was the last Glenmary priest to actively serve in the region.

At the 50th anniversary of the Hayesville mission’s founding in 2006, he recalled that one of the means missioners used to reach out to local people was to “set up a tent in a field and invite people to hear us sing and preach. (The people) would never come into a Catholic church, but they would come into a tent.” Some, though, stayed in their cars and listened.

The prejudice toward and fear of Catholics has all but been erased from the region today as the missions founded by Glenmary—and outreach efforts founded and initially staffed by several women’s religious orders—continue to serve those living in places like Hayesville.

 1956: The first Mass in the Hayesville area was cel-

photos / Glenmary archives

ebrated in a tobacco barn. Later, James “Doc” Lance, a Methodist deacon, offered his home for Mass and invited family and friends to the service. His home in Lance Cove served as the first permanent dwelling for the newly established mission community. Standing with members of the Lance family in front of the house are Father Joe O’Donnell (back row, far left) and Father Jim Wilmes (back row, fourth from right).

 1956: Members of the Sisters of Providence from

Holyoke, Mass., founded Providence Hospital in nearby Murphy. In its 22-year history, the now-closed hospital and the nuns who served as nurses helped elevate the level of medical care in the entire region—and helped build trust between Catholics and other local residents.  1959: The Glenmary Sisters also ministered in the

Hayesville area. A former motel/restaurant served as their home, office, Good Shepherd Home Health and Hospice Agency, and chapel. The chapel was the first permanent home for Immaculate Heart of Mary mission until a new church was built in 1985. Today, the building houses a community services center named for Sister of Charity Loretto John Meehan, who ministered in the area as a nurse for several decades.

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 1967: Initially, “Grandma”

Marie Hansbauer moved to Hayesville to volunteer with Glenmary and run the mission’s rummage store. But in the next two decades, she became well known in the community for her willingness to help the poor and give shelter to those in need. By partnering with Catholic high schools and parishes in Cincinnati and Louisville, she made sure each poverty-stricken child living in Clay and Cherokee counties received a personal, wrapped Christmas gift each year.

 1985: Members of the mission parish gather

for the dedication of their new church, built on five acres of donated land. It was hoped that the new church, which seated 300 people, would relieve the overcrowding caused by a growing membership and general population increase.

 2006: Father Bob Bond and Father Joe Dean

joined with parishioners to celebrate Immaculate Heart of Mary’s 50th anniversary. The Glenmarians led attendees in several rounds of Gospel singing, paying tribute to the tent meetings of the 1950s.  2013: Today, the mem-

bership of Immaculate Heart of Mary stands at about 250 families, with more being added every week. Because of the continued growth, the parish has bought and is renovating a new building. When completed, the space will accommodate 450 people in the sanctuary. As the church sign indicates (inset), Catholic outreach efforts continue in Hayesville.

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Golden jubilarian / by Margaret Gabriel

Following the path intended Father Dominic Duggins reflects on 50 years of ministry, service to the home missions “At present we see indistinctly, as in a mirror, but then face to face. At present I know partially; then I shall know fully, as I am fully known.”

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his verse from the 13th chapter of 1 Corinthians comes to Father Dominic Duggins’ mind as he reflects on his 50 years as a home missioner. Since his First Oath, he has traveled many paths—some familiar, some not so familiar. But he says he believes that, ultimately, he has followed the path God intended.

Father Dominic began discerning a religious vocation as a teenager. The senior at Elder High School in Cincinnati attended a retreat that took him to Sunfish, Ky., the site of Glenmary’s first mission.

“When I was growing up, I heard about foreign missions, but the retreat was the first time I had ever heard about home misFather dominic sions,” says Father Dominic. He duggins: Mark­learned more about Glenmary ing 50 years when Glenmary Sister Martin since First Oath. arrived to serve at his parish. He eventually entered Glenmary to pursue religious brotherhood.

He took his First Oath in 1963 and remembers the challenge of his first mission assignment at the New Bloomfield, Penn., mission in 1969.

“It’s one thing to study and prepare and another to actually begin serving people in the missions,” Father Dominic says. During that assignment, he learned a great deal as he gained firsthand experience ministering to those living in the mission area.

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n 1971, Father Dominic was asked by a priest friend if he had ever considered priesthood.

“I hadn’t really thought about it,” he says. But the seed was planted. A year later he asked permission to begin theology studies.

After ordination, he pastored Georgia and Oklahoma missions and served as associate director and director of the Washington, D.C., House of Studies.

In 1993, he returned to Cincinnati to work in Glenmary’s Mission Office. Seven years later, he 14

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became the director of development and eventually was elected to Glenmary’s leadership team, spending one four-year term as second vice president (2003-2007) and an additional term as first vice president (2007-2011)—all the while continuing as development director.

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lthough Father Dominic has missed serving in mission settings over the last 20 years, he says he has enjoyed his development work, especially getting to know Glenmary donors. “We have such wonderful supporters,” he says. “It’s been a blessing to have the opportunity to thank them personally for the support they give to Glenmary.

“Through my ministry here in Cincinnati, I serve all our missions by helping raise the money needed to keep missioners in the field and the doors of our missions open.”

The words from Corinthians continue to give him comfort and hope. “So many things require faith because we don’t understand them now,” he says. And it’s only faith that provides “confident assurance concerning what we hope for and conviction about things we do not see.” 

mission pastor: Father Dominic oversaw the building of a new mission church in Hugo, Okla., in 1992. Cardinal Joseph Bernardin (second from left), then chancellor of the Catholic Church Extension Society, blessed the new church. He was joined

by Bishop Eusebius Beltran (far left), then of the Diocese of Tulsa, and Father Edward Slattery (far right), then president of Extension. The dedication marked the 10,000th church built with financial assistance from Extension.

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Photos / Brother David Henley

Subhead

newest glenmarian: As he prepares to take the Glenmary Oath, Ambrose Wanyonyi stands before Glenmary’s president, Father Chet Artysiewicz. The Mass celebrating Ambrose’s First Oath took place on June 6 during the Glenmary Assembly in Charleston, W.Va.

Open to god’s Spirit As Ambrose Wanyonyi journeys toward missionary priesthood, he remembers ‘God doesn’t necessarily call the perfect, but he perfects the called.’

By Jean Bach

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hroughout his Glenmary formation, Ambrose Wanyonyi, 30, has tried to live in a way that is open to the Spirit of God.“I have to humbly acknowledge that the Lord calls whomever he wants in his own way,” Ambrose says. “God doesn’t necessarily call the perfect, but he perfects the called and shapes and molds them into his own instruments.”

The missionary priesthood candidate celebrated a milestone in his vocation formation on June 6 when he made his First Oath and became a member of Glenmary.

“Making my First Oath feels good,” he says.

“I’m no longer on the outside but am now part of the family of Glenmary as I continue my discernment to priesthood.”

In the year preceding his Oath, Ambrose par-

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ticipated in a three-part Glenmary novitiate, an experience he says was very important to him.

“I had the opportunity to spend a great deal of time on the spiritual exercises of prayer and meditation and learn more about Glenmary’s tradition through reading and firsthand experience,” he says.

He took classes on spirituality, prayer and discernment; spent time in meditative reading of Scripture; read the documents of Vatican II; and immersed himself in Glenmary history.

He also spent six months living and ministering in the Catholic Community of Bertie County in Windsor, N.C. The final months of his novitiate were spent at Glenmary’s Headquarters in Cincinnati, where he focused on Glenmary’s constitution and charism and  Autumn 2013

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Glenmary Oath: When he took the Glenmary Oath, Ambrose committed himself to the missionary apostolate in the rural areas and small towns of the United States; to the Glenmary way of life; and to the special practice of poverty, chastity, obedience and prayer.

 prepared for Oath. He also volunteered with the Society of St. Vincent de Paul.

He calls the pastoral experience he gained in North Carolina “invaluable,” as was the opportunity to interview and talk with his fellow missioners.

“It was good to hear their living testimonies and to get to know them better. Everything I experienced in my novitiate helped me get to know Glenmary and myself better.”

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native of Bungoma, Kenya, Ambrose is a student at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology in St. Meinrad, Ind. He will return to school this fall and begin the third of four years of theology classes. After four years of theology studies and three years under Oath, he’ll be eligible for ordination.

“For me the call to priesthood has been gradual,” he says. After completing minor seminary in 2000, he spent six years with a missionary religious order in Africa but was searching for more.

The answer to that search came through the Internet when a friend in Rome told him about Glenmary.

Ambrose learned more about the society through Glenmary’s Web site. He contacted a vocation counselor and eventually began the interview process to join Glenmary.

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he newest member of Glenmary spent this summer working and serving at missions in Union and Grainger counties in East Tennessee. Among other things, he helped coordinate an ecumenical Vacation Bible School program with the local Methodist church, and 16

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worked with high school volunteer groups taking part in the Glenmary Group Volunteer Program.

“It was a really amazing summer,” he says. “I especially enjoyed working with the volunteers at a day camp for children of migrant workers during the day and doing home repair for county residents in the evenings. It felt good to offer my time and energy to help those in need and get to know the local people better.”

In thinking about the future, he’s excited by the prospect of becoming a missionary priest with Glenmary. “I look forward continuing to work with the marginalized and bringing the Word of God to them.

“When I first came to Glenmary I didn’t have the full knowledge of who they were. But now I have learned and my personal experience has shown me so much more. It’s more than I could have ever imagined and I’m so grateful.”

Ambrose says he still has a number of questions. “But,” he says, “finding the answers takes time. It’s all about having faith in God, trusting in his providence, and being reassured by the feeling  of having the call to serve.”

Two Renew Glenmary Oath

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rother Levis Kuwa and Brother Jason Muhlenkamp renewed their Glenmary Oaths this summer and continue to progress towards making Final Oath.

Brother Levis renewed his Oath for the second time on May 24, prior to leaving for a clinical pastoral education placement at a Boston-area hospital. This fall he’ll resume his studies to-

Brother Levis

wards a bachelor of nursing degree at the University of Cincinnati.

Brother Jason renewed his Oath for the first time on June 5 at the Glenmary Assembly. Following the assembly, he spent the summer ministering in Glenmary’s mission in Lafayette, Tenn.

He will return to the GlenBrother Jason mary House of Studies in  St. Meinrad, Ind., this fall to resume his studies at nearby Brescia College in Owensboro, w. g l e n m a r y. o r g DONATE NOW w wKy.

Partner in mission / by Jean Bach

‘We owe them so much’ Remembering humble parish beginnings and paying forward what’s been received

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he Church has been the center of Mildred Stiffler’s life from the time she was a child.

She grew up in an Irish-Catholic neighborhood on Long Island, N.Y., and attended a small parish where her entire family was involved almost on a daily basis.

As a wife and mother, she continued to be an active member of the parishes that she, her husband George and their children attended in New Jersey and southwest Virginia.

Parish involvement became harder when the couple retired to Lake Oconee located outside Greensboro, Ga., which is southeast of Atlanta.

“We made the move 23 years ago to be closer to two of our four children,” Mildred says. “The area was pretty isolated then, and there were virtually no other Catholics living here. We thought traveling 27 miles one way to the nearest church was doable a few times a week.” But it wasn’t.

The couple attended weekly Mass but found it difficult to make multiple trips during the week to attend events and meetings. She kept asking herself “What am I doing here?’”

Her answer came in 1991 when she learned that a mission team from Glenmary was coming to Hancock, Putnam and Greene counties to establish Catholic churches. She knew she wanted to be part of helping the Church come to Greene County.

“I immediately called Glenmary and talked to Brother Dennis Craig, one of the mission team members. I invited him to visit Greensboro.”

The Lake Oconee area has grown and is now a popular golf and resort area—and the church has grown with it. The two Glenmary missions were combined in 1996 to form Christ Our King and Savior Church in Greensboro. The mission was turned back to the pastoral care of the Archdiocese of Atlanta that same year.

Today, the parish numbers nearly 300 families. Three Masses are celebrated each weekend, and the community has built a second church building, a new hall and a parish life center.

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lenmary’s charism of outreach remains “alive and well” in the community, Mildred says. For example, an annual golf tournament is held to support area outreach efforts. This year the event raised $36,000.

“We ‘old-timers’ continue to tell our new members about Glenmary,” Mildred says. “We help people appreciate what we have now.

“This parish is a result of many people—parishioners and Glenmarians—working together.

We are all so grateful that Glenmary came here all those years ago. We owe them so much.”

Mildred says she’s very aware that there are still many areas where the Church isn’t established. “That’s why I help support Glenmary’s missionary efforts. We wouldn’t have had a church without Glenmary, and it’s important that they are able to continue doing what they do so others can benefit as we have.” 

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n 1992, Brother Dennis, Father Chet Artysiewicz and Brother Curt Kedley moved to the area and began the work of establishing a Catholic presence in the three counties. The Glenmarians lived with the Stifflers until suitable housing was found.

The first Mass in Greene County was held in 1992 in George and Mildred’s home. Soon Christ the King mission was established in Greene County, and Christ Our Savior was founded in Putnam County.

“Those were wonderful years,” Mildred remembers. “I can still see Father Chet packing up his Tupperware tub filled with items he needed mission partners: Father Chet Artysiewicz celfor Mass and traveling from church to church ebrated Greene County’s first Mass in the kitchen of George and Mildred (above) Stiffler in 1992. each weekend.” w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

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final words / from our readers

Readers react to Summer issue Brotherhood article well-received, memories of former mission shared, kudos given memories of claxton

the return of the Claxton, Ga., parish to the Diocese of Savannah (“Then & Now,” Summer 2013) reminded me of the challenges 50 years ago in the first years of its existence.

I became the first assistant pastor (1962) to help Father George Mathis because the parish was approximately the size of Rhode Island, three counties big!

One of the towns, Vidalia, had a population of 9,000 and only one Catholic.

The Georgia state prison at ‘As I recall my 50 Reidsville had 3,000 inmates years as a Franciswith only 30 can brother, I see Catholics. Afyour community as ter one year being needed more there, I calculated that I today than in those had spent 10 pre-Vatican II days.’ percent of my time in an automobile just trying to cover such an immense area!

Thank God for the generous Glenmary donors who made all this possible!

Paul Ackerman Columbus, Miss. delighted and inspired

the wonderful article in the recent Glenmary Challenge, “The Changing Face of Religious Brotherhood” (Summer 2013), was most gratefully received.

This year I celebrate my golden jubilee as a Franciscan Brother of Brooklyn, and your topic delighted and inspired me.

When I was a high school senior, the Franciscan broth18

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ers often spoke of the respected vocations of Glenmary religious brothers and priests, and strongly recommended that we consider the crucial and essential mission of a Glenmary vocation to the home mission apostolate.

As I recall my 50 years as a Franciscan brother, I see your community as being needed more today than in those preVatican II days.

I send my fraternal regards and prayerful remembrances to all the Glenmary community, and give thanks for the great works of Brother David Henley and Brother Jack Henn, our distinguished president of the Religious Brothers Conference.

Brother Joseph Gallagher, OSF South Huntington, N.Y. An Inspiration

thank you for the wonderful article, “Father Rollie Celebrates 60 Years as a Priest” (Glenmary Web site), about my friend, Father Rollie Hautz. I have known him for almost my entire priesthood. He is truly an inspiration!

Father Morris Boyd Asheville, N.C. needed apostolate

i always read Glenmary Challenge carefully because I truly support your apostolate in my prayers. I met a couple of your priests several years ago during Holy Week in Dangerfield, Texas.

I saw firsthand the parish hall that the Glenmary brothers had built years before in that parish and read a biography of Father Bishop and about the Glenmary way of life. I recognized the wisdom that Father Bishop had

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when he founded Glenmary, based on his own pastoral experiences.

I can see the necessary and integral component of the brotherhood in the work and community life of Glenmary in the rural home missions.

I hope that eventually Glenmary will consider other locations in the United States for their needed apostolate.

Loretta Matulich Oregon City, Ore. keep us informed

thank you for your article (“The Changing Face of Religious Brotherhood”) in the Summer 2013 Glenmary Challenge.

The article highlighted the appointment of Brother Jack Henn to the presidency of the Religious Brothers Conference and then went on to describe the overall brotherhood ministry. You did a great job organizing the subjects within this topic and grouping the quotations from the three interviews.

Please keep us informed in future articles how Brother Levis Kuwa will use his ministry in health care as an opportunity to witness to the Catholic faith.

Anne Burton Glen Ellyn, Ill. Readers’ Views welcome! Send comments to: Editor, Glenmary Challenge, P.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246; 513-874-1690; challenge@ glenmary.org. Comments are printed at the discretion of the editor and may be edited for clarity and space. Please include a postal address.

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w w w.glenmary.org t h e w e b s i t 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

O n line Co nte nts

What’s new New Pastoral Coordinator Learns on the Job Julian Crespo is learning about and meeting the needs of mission members in Plymouth, N.C. His firsthand experiences serving the community have taught him a lot about pastoral ministry in a short time. glenmary.org/crespo-leader

Departments

Julian Crespo

The Glenmary Missions and Ministries Endowment

Ways to Give

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The Glenmary endowment fund offers opportunities to support future home mission ministry. glenmary.org/endowment

Vocations

Read Brother David Henley’s blogs about his trip to Africa and the future home missioners he met. glenmary.org/blogs

Commitment TO Mission

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ake a gift today to help ensure Glenmary missioners can continue serving the spiritual and material needs in home mission counties in the United States.

Plan for the future

Volunteers

Are you a former Glenmary Farm volunteer? If so, we want to reconnect with you. glenmary.org/addressupdate

Planned Giving

Use Glenmary’s Web-based calculator to explore the benefits of a gift annuity. glenmary.org/calculator

Charitable giving is like a drop of water added to the ocean. All the drops contribute to the

Farm volunteers whole and grow the whole. It’s the combined efforts of everyone that creates results.

Feature Story 60 Years a Priest, 60 Years in the Missions

Father Rollie Hautz, 85, pastors two Virginia missions. This year he’s celebrating two milestone anniversaries—and he couldn’t be happier. glenmary.org/hautz-milestones

Father Rollie

All Souls Day Mass

A special Mass will be held Nov. 2 at Our Lady of the Fields Chapel on the Feast of All Souls for deceased family members and friends of Glenmary donors. glenmary.org/allsouls Remembering Father Bishop

Father Dan Dorsey calls Father Bishop an “unlikely missioner” in an article written to observe the 50th anniversary of Father Bishop’s death. glenmary.org/bishop-anniversary 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 / Tricia Sarvak

Glenmary G l i m p s e / Happy retirement!

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ary Weitzel spent over 47 years getting to know Glenmary donors and furthering Glenmary’s home mission ministry through her work in the society’s Donor Services Department. Mary’s retirement on May 31 was celebrated with a Mass at Our Lady of the Fields Chapel at Glenmary Headquarters in Cincinnati, followed by a luncheon attended by coworkers, Glenmarians, friends and family. Above, Mary stands with Glenmary’s president, Father Chet Artysiewicz (left), and first vice president, Father Neil Pezzulo. While she says she will miss the day-today contact with donors, she hopes to stay in touch—because to her, they are like extended family!

Catholic Missioners to Rural America

Glenmary Home Missioners P.O. Box 465618 Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618