March 2019
Glenmary Home Missioners
Chasing out the Snakes
Our Time of Awareness
It’s not exactly the St. Patrick story, but Anna Breeding remembers when there were snakes in the rafters at Holy Family church. There was a dirt floor, too. Anna is one of the founding members of Holy Family, a Glenmary parish in Lafayette, Tenn. Just as St. Patrick drove the snakes out of Ireland, so, too, the Tennessee parishioners prevailed. And now, finally, they can move out of temporary quarters. Construction is nearing completion for the first permanent Catholic church ever to be built in Macon County. The parish hopes to celebrate Mass in the new space midsummer, God willing. Anna tells the story of how Holy Family mission parish came to be. She remembers moving to the area some 40 years ago with her husband, who had grown up nearby (they met in California, once Anna’s home, when he was in the military). “In 1982 a Glenmary priest lived in Franklin, Ky. about 40 miles from Lafayette,” recalls Anna. “The priest wanted a church in Lafayette because we didn’t have one. We had to go to Scottsville, Ky. [about 30 miles]. It was hard, but we did it.” In Glenmary fashion, the community came together. If a priest would come to Lafayette, they would find a place to have Mass. With Glenmary’s help, “We bought this little brown Church, no windows,” says Anna. “I think it was a Church of God. (It actually had been abandoned during construction.) “We had the first Mass September 11, 1982. Eventually, in 2003, Glenmary assigned a full-time priest to Macon County. Father Dennis Holly was the first pastor. The old church, in such rough condition, was a temporary building, they knew, back in the 1980s. They gradually made improvements. “But about 12 years ago, we really got serious about building a new Church.” They started a long process of planning a building project. Two years ago, they started a capital campaign to get construction rolling. Architectural blueprints were completed; Holy Family got the go-ahead from the Diocese of Nashville to start construction toward the end of last year. What will it be like to be in a new Church? “I really can’t say because we’re so used to what we’re in.” Then she chokes up a bit: “It’s just going to be unbelievable.”
I hope your Lent is off to a good start! Did you know that Ash Wednesday, March 6 this year, is one of the busiest days of the Church year? And it’s not even a holy day of obligation! In many cities you’ll see people wearing ashes on their foreheads, all day. It’s not quite the same in our Glenmary missions. Yes, the faithful will come to church and celebrate the beginning of Lent, our time of renewal in preparation for Easter. Some members of other Christian denominations will receive ashes, too. But in areas where Catholics are a tiny minority, pointing out that you’re Catholic can be awkward. We Glenmarians, of course, strive always to build awareness and understanding of Catholicism in the areas we serve. And we encourage our parishioners to share their faith. But still, that’s easier for Catholics in areas where Catholics are plentiful. One of the more frequent comments I hear from people who visit or move into our Glenmary parishes is how much they took for granted elsewhere. In the missions, Catholics sometimes see their faith in a new light. Things stand out that they never noticed before. Isn’t that what Lent’s all about, for all of us? Let’s dedicate ourselves in the coming weeks to seeing our faith in a new light. Let’s appreciate our faith more this Lent. It’s a lesson that the missions bring to Catholics everywhere.
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Yours in Christ,
Father Chet Artysiewicz President