Glenmary Challenge Winter 2021

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

G L E N M A R Y. O R G WINTER 2021

Going the Extra Mile advent reflection

Waiting Like Mary

rural healthcare

Mobile Clinic in East Tennessee holy rollers

Bowling for Christian Unity

Season’s Reason

FROM THE EDITOR / John Stegeman We are a Catholic society of priests and brothers who, along with numerous coworkers, establish the Catholic Church in small-town and rural America. Founded in 1939 by Father William Howard Bishop, 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, we staff missions and ministries throughout Appalachia and the South.

Glenmary missioners serve in areas where frequently less than one percent of the population is Catholic, a significant percentage have no church affiliation, and the poverty rate is often twice the national average.

Glenmary is known for respecting the many cultures encountered in the home missions. Our missionary activity includes building Catholic communities, fostering ecumenical cooperation, evangelizing the unchurched, social outreach and working for justice.

GLENMARY CHALLENGE Our 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.)

When you think about Christmas, how many words come into your mind before the word Jesus? For me it’s sometimes too many: Santa, Christmas trees, lights, presents, good food, ugly sweaters; we often think of Christmas’s outer dressings. We think of the wholesome things too, such as seeing relatives and engaging in family traditions.

But when it comes down to it, shouldn’t we think first of Jesus?

Is the mystery of the incarnation really not mindblowing enough for us? The omnipotent eternal creator of all existence became a part of his own creation.

He became one of us out of love for us! It’s almost too big a thing to think about.

I think Glenmarians take a page from the Lord’s book when they go out to Mission Land, USA. God didn’t descend to earth in full glory and command us around. Rather, he became one of us and walked among us. Similarly, missioners don’t arrive in mission territory considering themselves outsiders here to save. Rather, they meet the community, learn it, love it, and become part of it. They share the gift of our faith by living it, not just preaching it. This is what it means to be like Christ to others.

There’s nothing at all wrong with the dressings and traditions of Christmas in my book, as long as we use them to enhance the real reason for the season, the presence of God among us.

As we look to share our faith with others this season and in the coming year, let us follow God’s example of how to do so. We have a great gift to share, but it will be most welcomed if we share it by walking with people, side by side.

GLENMARY HOME MISSIONERS P.O. Box 465618 · Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 513-874-8900 · 800-935-0975 · challenge@glenmary.org © 2021, Glenmary Home Missioners.

Reprint permission granted upon request.

ON THE COVER: The simplest structure can become church.

In a small community near the coast, Glenmary ministers to isolated crab workers in part by celebrating Mass in this carport. Photo by John Feister.

VOLUME 84

NUMBER 4

Going the Extra Mile

Fathers Richard and José Carlos bring the Eucharist to the farthest edges of their mission. page 12

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by john feister

waiting like mary

During Advent we wait for many things. Praying with Mary, Mother of Jesus, we join our waiting to that of the poor. By Father Vic Subb

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holy rollers

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i was ill , and you cared for me

Take a walk down the alley—the bowling alley!—to see how Father Richard Toboso is reaching out in Williamston, North Carolina. By John Stegeman

In East Tennessee, healthcare can be a luxury. St. John Paul II parish in Rutledge is host twice monthly to St. Mary’s mobile clinic. By Omar Cabrera

Publisher: Father Dan Dorsey Editor: John Stegeman Asst. Editors: Omar Cabrera, John Feister Art Director: Cassie Magnotta

Planning-Review Board: Lindsay Braud, Br. Craig Digmann, Br. David Henley, Chris Phelps, Lucy Putnam, Fr. Kenn Wandera, Fr. Aaron Wessman

Photo by John Feister

Glenmary President Father Dan Dorsey blesses the solar panels that now provide energy to Glenmary’s residence, chapel and main office.

The Power of the Son FROM THE PRESIDENT / Father Dan Dorsey

Take a moment to ponder that. If we harnessed the power of the sun, the energy needs of the entire world could be solved!

Simply put, a solar panel works by allowing photons, or particles of light, to knock electrons free from atoms, generating a flow of electricity. Solar panels actually are made of many smaller units called photovoltaic cells, which convert sunlight into electricity.

Now imagine Son power is analogous to sun power as we prepare for and celebrate the birth of Jesus during this Advent and Christmas season.

The Word is made flesh and in doing so the light of Jesus Christ shines on us. His grace and the Holy Spirit are like the photons that knock sin (electrons) free from humanity (atoms) generating a flow of salvation electricity! And just as important, each of our faith communities are like the photovoltaic cells that convert Son Photo by John Feister

At Glenmary headquarters we recently had solar panels installed. On a sunny day our array will not only provide electricity for our entire campus, but we will also even be able to earn credit from our power provider if we produce more than we need.

Before continuing I would like to state that I am illiterate in science. After a bit of research, however, I learned that our sun is a nuclear reactor. It releases packets of energy called photons. Every hour, enough photons impact our planet to generate enough solar energy to satisfy global needs for an entire year.

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LEFT: Father Aaron Wessman, left, and Brother David Henley supervise the finishing touches of solar panel installation.

Glenmary has a strong commitment to caring for God’s creation.

glenmary news & notes House of Formation expands

formation / New building, chapel expansion blessed Glenmary Home Missioners’ students will have an enhanced spiritual life as

a result of two expansions at the Glenmary House of Formation in St. Meinrad, Indiana. On Oct. 17, Glenmary blessed an extension of the campus chapel, as well as a new building that includes a kitchen, dining room and guest rooms.

The chapel, named Our Lady of the Fields after Glenmary’s patroness,

remains fairly small, but can now hold up to 28 people. On a typical day Mass draws between 8 and 15.

“Our chapel is small like the churches in our Glenmary missions,” said Fa-

ther Bruce Brylinski, pre- and post-novitiate director. “Our formation echoes the smallness of communities we long to serve.”

Glenmary’s House of Formation is located adjacent to St. Meinrad Semi-

nary, where all Glenmary seminarians prepare for missionary priesthood.

Glenmary’s brother candidates also live and study at the house. At present, seven students are living in the house. The campus includes the main house, chapel, new building and a residence for Father Bruce.

Photo by Brother David Henley

power into the Light of the World!

In our post-pandemic world we are aware that Mass attendance is down. Many people profess to be spiritual, but they don’t believe in any one church or religion. In addition, we live in a polarized society.

How are we as individuals and faith communities called to respond? How do we take the light of Christ and convert it to “electricity” that will enlighten our communities?

By attending a Bible study? Yes! Supporting food banks? Yes! Active participation in Sunday Mass? Yes! Reaching out and visiting a homebound person? Yes! By living out the gospel each day we are producing light in a world of darkness.

Glenmary missioners attempt to be the solar panels in the areas they serve. They do all of the above and more. Our mission is to touch the lives of those who are on the fringes, the forgotten, the neglected.

Were you as struck as I was by the fact that in an hour, the light of the sun that reaches the earth could supply the entire world with energy?

Is it not the same with the power of the Son which reached earth 2,000 years ago in a manger in Bethlehem? Isaiah dreamed of this when he prophesied “The people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; upon those who dwelt in the land of gloom a light has shone.…

For a child is born to us!” (Isaiah 96:1) During this most blessed of seasons may we harness the light of Jesus Christ and joyfully share it with those we encounter!

ABOVE: Father Bruce Brylinski, right, blesses the assembled for the dedication of the House of Formation expansion. Glenmary added a modular building and expanded the existing chapel to accommodate a thriving formation program.

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New dialogue

ecumenism / GHM assists talks Ecumenical cooperation is one of five

core tenets of Glenmary ministry. It is a way to follow Christ’s prayer in John

17:21 that his followers “may all be one.”

In that spirit, Glenmary’s Director

of Ecumenism, Nathan Smith, par-

ticipated in a dialogue between the United States Conference of Catholic

Bishops and the Pentecostal/Charismatic Churches of North America Sept. 14-16 in Washington, D.C.

The meeting marked the first time

scholars representing the two groups met at a national level for theological

Glenmary adds two lay coworkers

dialogue.

“This first of three meetings with-

team / Staff to help Glenmary’s mission, development efforts

in our exploratory dialogues laid

Glenmary Home Missioners has hired Polly Duncan Collum as the new Di-

between the Catholic Church and

rector of its Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation Commission and has added Tony Bonomini as Major Gifts/Planned Giving Officer.

Polly returns to Glenmary after prior service establishing Glenmary’s for-

mer mission in Ripley, Mississippi (now St. Matthew Catholic Church) from 1997 to 2000. Polly has held national, diocesan, and parish positions in the

field of the Church’s social mission, including as National Director of Parish

Social Ministry for Catholic Charities, USA and Peace and Justice Coordi-

groundwork for future collaboration Pentecostal/Charismatic Christians,”

Smith said. “Energy, excitement, cu-

riosity and a genuine Christian fraternity was felt by all in attendance and

speaks well to the future of these dialogues.”

nator for the Diocese of Lexington. An adult convert to Catholicism, Polly

has personal experience with various Christian denominations and with ecumenical social action. Her work will focus on social justice and care for creation issues.

Tony joins Glenmary with 15 years of development experience at mul-

tiple levels. He served as development director for a large Catholic nursing home in Kentucky, worked in corporate and foundation relations for North-

Tony will assist Glenmary in meeting its fundraising goals to better serve the people of Glenmary’s missions.

ABOVE: Polly Duncan Collum and Tony Bonomini are the newest members of the Glenmary team. RIGHT: Glenmary’s Nathan Smith, center back, is joined by Catholic and Pentecostal representatives.

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Photo courtesy of Nathan Smith

ern Kentucky University and did commercial banking with Fifth Third Bank.

Photos courtesy of Father Kenneth Wandera

a rou n d the m issions

A different kind of ‘home mission’ mi ssi on / Missioner unable to return to U.S. still ministers

Glenmary is unique. Its missioners work exclusively in the United States.

That’s what is meant by “home missions.” For the time being, however, Father Kenn Wandera is an exception.

Father Kenn flew to his native Kenya in June to celebrate Masses of

Thanksgiving following his ordination, planning a short visit before return-

ing to begin his priestly ministry in the U.S. Because of COVID-19, the U.S. embassy in Nairobi suspended routine visa services and Father Kenn was told no appointments are available until June 2022.

• In October, parishioners at Holy Trinity mission in Martin County, N.C., carried a replica of the El Señor de los Milagros (Lord of Miracles) image in a procession around the church. Devotion to the image began in 1655 when an earthquake hit Peru, destroying many buildings. A mural of the image was unharmed and the celebration has since become a preeminent Catholic feast day in Peru. Father John Brown, pastor at Holy Trinity, reports the occasion was a moment of unity among Peruvian, Mexican and other Spanishspeaking parishioners.

• Holy Family mission in Early County, Georgia, co-sponsored a Faith and Blue weekend in October. Faith and Blue is a nationwide effort aimed at creating better relationships between law enforcement and communities through churches. In Blakely, the weekend included community dialogue, picnic and worship service.

• Brother Levis Kuwa, a native of Nairobi, Kenya, recently became a United States citizen. Brother Levis, below, is one of six fully professed Glenmarians from Africa and is the first of that group to secure U.S. citizenship. He is presently serving in Glenmary’s Georgia missions.

In the meantime Father Kenn is serving at Our Lady of Guadalupe, a par-

ish in Nairobi founded by the Guadalupe Missionaries from Mexico. Living there he is able to practice his Spanish, which will help him minister to His-

panic communities when he returns to the U.S. He is also actively involved

in serving the people of Kibera, a large nearby slum with extreme poverty, doing home visits and bringing food to the hungry.

and mystery, he sends us to interesting paths to encounter him always in a new way. I hope that I will be back soon, for I was ordained for Glenmary.”

ABOVE: Father Kenn Wandera, left, is unable to return from Kenya. In the meantime, he is continuing to live his ministry. RIGHT: Brother Levis Kuwa recently became a naturalized U.S. citizen.

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Photo courtesy of Brother Levis Kuwa

“I hope that my little time here of ‘home mission’ will be a true gift to me

and those I meet,” he said. “The world is God’s mission, and in God’s humor

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Photo courtesy of Glenmary Archives

Waiting Like Mary

Advent is a time of anticipation in joyful hope, something the Blessed Mother knows all about by father vic subb

Photo by Brother David Henley

Each of us spends many hours waiting. We wait in lines at the grocery store or at WalMart, we wait for children’s sports, we wait for someone to come home, or for someone to visit us. Advent, too, is about waiting, but it’s a dif-

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ferent kind of waiting. Advent is not impatient waiting; it’s waiting in joy, in hope, in anticipation. The Blessed Virgin Mary has much to teach us about that.

Luke’s Gospel is our key to Mary’s lessons. One important thing that Luke tells us is that Mary pondered, “And Mary kept all these things, reflecting on them in her heart.” We see time and again that she was a woman of prayer. Attentive to the Spirit moving within her, Mary went from waiting to action. Early in her pregnancy she traveled to help her cousin Elizabeth, who was with child in her old age. “During those days Mary set out and traveled to the hill country in haste to the town of Judah,” Luke tells us. That was in Elizabeth’s sixth month; Mary must have stayed with her for three months more. No doubt it was three months worth of hard work, confounded by the newly muted Zechariah in the house!

What can we learn from waiting? Perhaps we’re busy during these weeks, but people around us are waiting.

Do we ever think of them that way? In two mission counties in Middle Tennessee, Macon and Clay, I look around and see many people waiting. The Holy Spirit LEFT: Seen here with a serene countenance, Mary was a woman of waiting, but also of action. Glenmary missioners, and all who seek to follow Jesus, emulate her in this way.

ing aid. That boy’s life will be different. Our Advent readings from Isaiah tell us, “the deaf will hear.”

The Spirit has stirred within us to help make that a reality.

• Another immigrant family dreams that their children will go to school. So their parents work day in and day out, working and waiting in hope. They dream that God is providing for them a way toward a better life. So they live in the barracks out in the tobacco fields, where temporary migrant laborers must live, working and hoping. They ask for a priest to come and say Mass at their barracks. They gratefully receive the 50 gift packages of personal supplies our parishioners prepare for them. They, and we, wait and work in joy-filled hope.

The whole notion of our Advent waiting is not merely to go about our lives, happy about the coming Christmas. Yes, we wait in peace and expectation, but, as Mary shows us, we do something good. For her, it was running to the aid of her cousin who needed help. The women laughed together as their cousin sons, Jesus and John, made their presence known, Luke tells us. This Advent, how can we open our hearts to hear Jesus stirring within us? How can you and I move beyond ourselves to help the people around us?

Photo by John Feister

stirs within me, and I feel called toward action.

• In Macon County, we have been waiting five years to open some kind of shelter for people who have no home. Like what will happen to the Holy Family, pregnant and struggling as they arrive late in Bethlehem, they are looking for a place to stay, even a night where they could sleep securely. I know Joan, a woman who has been living in her truck for the last six years. She worries each night that someone might come and harm her. I know another man living in a cold shack behind an abandoned hamburger place.

He’s waiting for a better place to stay, and maybe someone to listen to him. We can give him warm covers. He is waiting. We are waiting, as we bring together local ministers to move the homeless shelter from dream to reality.

• I talked to a man who recently was in jail. He’s out now, but waiting to find a job. Even in these times of labor shortage, it seems nobody wants to hire him because he’s been in jail. He is waiting for someone to give him a chance. Will someone who can hire him be stirred to move beyond fear and prejudice?

I wait with him, in hope for a better future.

• I know Becky, one of a score of elderly people who do nothing but wait. Some wait in hope, wanting to experience newness in death and the promise of resurrection. Becky is waiting and waiting, in the hope of being with her husband in heaven. In our parishes we wait alongside them. We are people of hope to Becky and others who live in the nursing home. We know we are only scratching the surface, but each person we encounter is an opportunity for hope. I always tell them, “Your life encourages me; your life gives me hope for mine; your life is a treasure.” Our presence is like Christmas for them and for us. It is a renewal of life.

• There is a family of Mexican immigrants here, one of many temporary workers who come to do grueling work during tobacco harvest season. This family has been waiting for someone to help their hearingimpaired son. Thank God one of Glenmary’s supporters took action and provided funds for a hearRIGHT: Glenmary Father Vic Subb leads mission efforts in Clay and Macon counties in Tennessee. His devotion to the Holy Family is evident even in his vestments.

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Holy Rollers

St. Joan of Arc parishioners strike ecumenical tone through participation in multi-denominational bowling league story by john stegeman

Glenmarians have preached everywhere from circus tents to mountain tops, but Father Richard Toboso is likely the first to share God’s word from the concession counter of a bowling alley.

Father Richard and three parishioners from Glenmary’s St. Joan of Arc mission in Washington County, N.C., formed a team—called the Holy Rollers—to compete in a recently formed Church League at the Williamston Bowling Center (WBC) in Williamston, N.C. The league is about more than bowling. Each Thursday of the 10-week league begins with rotating pastors giving reflec-

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Photo courtesy of Father Richard Toboso

tions and prayer. The league included 12 teams of four representing churches of various denominations. Father Richard used his opportunity to lead prayer on opening night to talk about Christian unity.

“I gave a short reflection on Jesus’s prayer for his disciples from John 17:6-26,” he said. “I intentionally shared the call of every Christian to strive and utilize what unites us to the Body of Christ rather than to focus on those differences that destroy our unity.”

The Church League at WBC was popular years ago, and the pre-bowling preaching was a part of it then too.

When the league was restarted this year, WBC owner and operator Donald Modlin and league facilitator Addie Taylor insisted on bringing that feature back as well.

On opening night of the league, Father Richard Toboso shared a message of unity. Members of several Christian communities gather at the bowling alley for fellowship and friendly competition.

From left, St. Joan of Arc’s Dorothy Irvin, Becky Barnes, Father Richard Toboso and Chuck Barnes represented their mission parish in church league play, finishing seventh out of 12.

Photo by John Feister

“We had five preachers that took turns,” said Taylor, who also does public relations for the WBC. “All were different denominations and all were excellent speakers.

I love that we were very diverse, but in those moments we were just children of God, fellow believers. Those other titles didn’t matter, as it should be.”

The St. Joan of Arc team of Chuck Barnes, Becky Barnes, Dorothy Irvin and Father Richard finished seventh overall. As for Father Richard, his average score was 130. Winning, however, wasn’t the main goal.

St. Joan of Arc’s participation helped to build bonds between the mission and other local churches. As Catholics are few in Washington and Martin Counties, Father Richard said his parish’s inclusion was also a kickstarter for conversations about the Catholic faith.

“This may not mean anything to big towns where Catholic church is well rooted, but having conversations with young and old alike during bowling, it grants them the opportunity to ask those questions hidden in their hearts,” he said. “The opportunity [to preach] fits the Glenmary way of life and to some extent granted me a ‘church’ to share the presence of the Catholic Church in these counties.”

Photo courtesy of Father Richard Toboso

I love that we were very diverse, but in those moments we were just children of God, fellow believers.

St. Joan of Arc mission, home of the Holy Rollers, is found in eastern North Carolina not far from Albemarle Sound. The foursome makes a 45 mile drive round trip to compete in the league.

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In the August heat, amidst humble living quarters, carport becomes cathedral for an hour.

Going the Extra Mile

Fathers Richard and José Carlos bring the Eucharist to the far reaches of their mission story + photos by john feister

It’s a long drive from the heart of the Diocese of Raleigh to the tidewater region of Eastern North Carolina. That is where three Glenmary missions are, in Bertie, Washington, and Martin counties. On a Sunday afternoon, after celebrating Mass in two of those counties, there is one more stop for two Glenmary priests. An hour’s drive farther, in from the Atlantic coast, people at Mattamuskeet Seafood plant are waiting for the priests to arrive. Glenmary Fathers Richard Toboso and José Carlos Miguel López are on the way.

“We are sharing with people on the periphery,” Father Richard explains. “These people have no parish.” And the distance? “With great joy in the heart, it is not very far.” That’s the missioner spirit that drives these men.

Faraway spots, both geographic and societal, are today’s challenge from Pope Francis. “The Church is called to come out of herself and go to the peripheries,” he told the cardinals who elected him. And Mattamuskeet is far away. There are no gas stations on the way; drivers of the three cars heading out there are cautioned to fill up before they go—and to watch out for black bears.

(Father José Carlos once hit one!)

They arrive at the simple spot, between Lake Mattamuskeet and the Atlantic Ocean, a few miles from a harbor lined with shrimpers’ docks. Not too many miles out across Pamlico Sound are the tourist-rich Outer Banks, but you might as well be in another world. Behind the plant, this side of the soy fields, there is an open carport shelter amid a group of well-worn mobile homes and a few chicken coops. That’s where LEFT: It’s difficult, fast-paced, high-volume work, with very sharp knives. The workers in Matamuskeet remove crabmeat that will be sold in stores throughout the eastern U.S.

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Mass will be this afternoon.

The cars pull up near the shelter and the priests, along with a handful of parishioners who came along, get out and start setting up for Mass, under the shelter. “They’re here!” the word goes door-to-door. A car horn is sounded. Women, men, and a few children gather under the carport, maybe 30 all-told. Maria Cerino Garcia is the key organizer, as she is for most things here. “We don’t have family nearby, just coworkers,” she explains. Then, speaking of the pandemic, she adds, “and in this very difficult time we are living, it’s all the more important to have God close to us.”

Maria, originally from the state of Tabasco, Mexico, has been working at Mattamuskeet Seafood for 30 years.

crab cakes and oysters sold in grocery stores across the eastern United States. The workers head back to Mexico each November. Some stay through oyster season, then, too, return home. A handful are permanent residents of the U.S., and live nearby.

People of Faith “We come from a firm, Catholic religion. Wherever we are, it’s important for us to have a celebration. It’s an encounter with Christ when we are at Mass,” says Maria.

But there are no parishes nearby.

Many years ago, there were priests in Nags Head, across Pamlico Sound, who would make the drive every few months to celebrate Mass, maybe four times a year,

Rosario Velásquez leads music at Mass, led by Fathers Richard Toboso (center) and José Carlos Miguel López.

And she personally recruits coworkers from Tabasco to apply for work visas and come to the plant for crab season.

They work the crabs, carefully and rapidly picking meat out of crab after crab, constantly refreshed pile after pile, then discarding the shells into 32-gallon trash cans that are emptied all day long. One false move and a finger is cut. Only a skilled worker can move fast. They work for $9.22 per hour, plus piece-rate: faster work means more income. They’re only paid when there are crabs, though; a slow season means less pay for spending months far from home and family. It’s difficult work for a modest income.

The result of their work is packages of crab meat,

recalls Maria. There were religious sisters stationed about an hour in the other direction, at Plymouth, who would come to bring some clothing and personal supplies. It was one of them who told then-Glenmary pastoral associate Julian Crespo about the need in Mattamuskeet.

Six years ago, Julian coordinated with Glenmary priests, first Father Mike Kerin, then Father Aaron Wessman, to start making the two-hour trip from Windsor, in Bertie County. They would come every few months.

Then, more recently, Fathers Richard and José Carlos established a residence in Washington County, in Plymouth, an hour from Mattamuskeet. Maria proudly explains, “We now have the blessing of God that Father José is working with Father Ricardo in Plymouth, they Winter 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

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Here is real presence in Word, people and especially in bread and wine, which become body and blood.

already scheduled us twice a month.” That typically is on the first and fourth Tuesdays; and sometimes on a Sunday, like today, the Feast of the Assumption.

Father José Carlos Miguel López speaks to the workers’ community gathered for Mass. He, from Mexico, is one of their own, speaking in their native tongue, shoring up their Catholic faith.

The temporary-work visa allows workers to bring children along during the crab-processing season. Here are a few of the youngest, at Mass in the back pews—sitting for only a moment!

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‘The Lord Be With You’ Humble setting or not, people are dressed up for this festive Mass. Rosario Velásquez has brought his guitar, and an amplifier and speakers that are typically used to play upbeat music in the quick-paced processing plant.

A few folding tables are covered with a linen for a makeshift altar; an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe finds its place nearby. Folding chairs are lined up in neat rows, and, as the people gather, and Rosario tunes his guitar, Fathers Richard and José Carlos vest. Soon, Rosario and a few singers kick off the opening song and it’s the Mass all Catholics know so well.

Father Richard is the principal celebrant at this simple Mass, but today Father José Carlos preaches the homily.

He is from Mexico, and can speak to the heart of the people, in their own tongue.

He speaks of the Virgin Mary, and of the day’s Gospel announcing her joy and openness as she proclaimed the Magnificat: “My spirit rejoices in God, my savior...he has lifted up the lowly...he has filled the hungry with good things….”

It is in the joyous spirit of the Magnificat that St. Joan of Arc parishioners share their own gifts. Fathers Richard and José Carlos announce in their mission parishes when they will be coming to Mattamuskeet, and parishioners generously donate food, clothing, personal items.

It is a sign of dignity, to celebrate together. That is the key: getting directly into the lives of these humble people, says Father José Carlos.

This week Arlene Purugganan Carroll has taken the donations, added her own, and purchased goods.Then she sorted them into care packages for the workers. “I heard about this and had to help,” she says.

Today she will bring eight bags, each with some food and personal supplies, and distribute them after Mass.

“I put in canned goods, toothpaste, a bar of soap—whatever they like! They like apple cider vinegar, and honey.”

She includes those in her bags, too. “What you do for others, you do for Christ.”

The generosity of these missioner priests and their parishioners does not go unnoticed. Following each Mass, the celebration continues with a festive meal under the simple shelter. Maria and her coworkers prepare delicious homemade dishes of their homeland: gorditas, tacos dorados, pollo en mole (delicious chicken in mole sauce). It is the “widow’s mite,” that Jesus spoke of, a biblical offering from their own poverty. Sometimes the pilgrims who have driven so far stay well into the evening to share in this social time. It is a sign of respect, of dignity, to celebrate together.

That is the key here: getting directly into the lives of these humble people, says Father José Carlos: “Sometimes, over there [at the plant], there’s a strong aroma of the shells of the crabs that they throw. They live there because they don’t have an option. Pope Francis says that we have to ‘smell like the sheep.’ That’s kind of what we try to do. We have to go and look at the sheep where they are. That is our mission. It doesn’t matter how far we drive and how late at night we come back. In the end you feel, ‘OK. I did something beautiful today.’”

Assistant Editor Omar Cabrera contributed to this story, with Spanish-language interviews and translations. Omar also is Editor of El Reto Glenmary, Glenmary’s Spanishlanguage magazine.

At the Sign of Peace there is a joyful exchange among communityleader Maria Dolores Cerino Garcia and all of the people she has recruited from her home village in Mexico.

“May the blessing of Almighty God…” Father Richard Toboso concludes with sacred words that echo the feeling of the mission parishioners who have taken the journey with him today.

Mission parishioner Arlene Purugganan Carroll has collected materials and funds from fellow parishioners, gone to the store, and prepared bags of food and toiletries for the workers’ families.

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Photo by John Feister

The Gospel call to care for the sick is the driving force that propels the St. Mary mobile clinic. The ministry serves six rural communities.

I Was Ill and You Cared For Me

A mobile clinic visits the Glenmary mission in Rutledge, Tenn., to provide health services for the uninsured story by omar cabrera

Father Neil Pezzulo politely asks questions to a man in his mid 20s and fills out a form. The young man is one of several people who have come to St. John Paul II Catholic Church. But today, they are not here for Mass, but to seek healthcare.

Parked in front of the storefront church is the big white truck of the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, which provides free medical services. The mobile clinic visits this Glenmary mission once a month, as well as five other rural communities in East Tennessee.

Photo by John Feister

The patients are people who don’t have health insurance.

Here, in Rutledge, “most of them are agricultural workers; they are not making a whole lot of money and they have no other options for healthcare,” says Father Neil.

While he talks to the young patient, parishioner volunteers greet a woman who just entered the church. Sitting in front of a table, they take the patient’s name and other information before moving her on to sit and wait for her turn.

In another area of the church, separated by temporary partitions, nurses and doctors receive the patients. The clinic offers “regular medical visits, chronic medical condition management, new patient visits and patient education,” says Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, the clinic’s Director.

“We can do some procedures on board, including removing skin lesions, joint injections, pap smears, EKGs,

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LEFT: LEFT: Sister Mary Luje Feldpausch, RSM, and Father Neil Pezzulo work together to bring the St. Mary's Legacy Clinic to the Glenmary mission in Rutledge, Tenn.

An imperative need The young man whom Father Neil just talked to says that this is the first time he’s come to the clinic. He works at a nearby farm that produces tomatoes, lettuce and green chilies. Originally from Mexico, he has lived in the United States for just three months. One of his arms is hurting and he doesn’t have health insurance.

“The employers of agricultural workers simply don’t offer it and they don’t have the money for their health insurance,” says Father Neil.

The clinic is a big help, adds a 37-year-old man who has come for the fourth time. “This is very good because there are many people like me who don’t have a doctor. It helps us a lot to be aware of our health,” says this patient, in Spanish.

“This is, in fact, the mission of Glenmary,” Father Neil says. “We’re here to serve the people of God in whatever they need. They can come to the Catholic mission, receive quality health care; we treat them with respect and dignity.”

“It’s doing God’s work”, adds Edwin Zawacki Jr., one of the parish volunteers at the mobile clinic. “I like what Glenmary is about. They take that going to church and then going out into the world and taking God there for

people, and that’s what’s important.”

Edwin helps by greeting patients when they arrive for their visit. Because of the pandemic, he takes their temperature and asks them questions related to COVID-19.

If they are new patients, he hands them a form to fill out.

If they have come before, he puts them on the waitlist and asks them to sit until their turn comes in. If they speak Spanish but not English, Father Neil assists with interpretation. He also coordinates details such as food, tables and chairs.

The clinic is an outreach of the Diocese of Knoxville.

It’s origins go back to a hospital that the Religious Sisters of Mercy founded in Knoxville, Tennessee, in the 1930s. The congregation sold the hospital in 2011. Part of the funds obtained from the sale went to create the St. Mary’s Legacy Foundation, which is currently one of the sources of funding for the clinic.

“Our work would not be possible without the generous support we receive from our volunteers and donors to our organization,” sister Mary Lisa says. “We are very grateful for the work of the Glenmary Missioners and all that they do to help our patients!”

To learn more about the St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic, you can visit their website at: www.stmaryclinic.org.

BELOW: A patient attends the mobile clinic to receive medical care, which nurses, doctors and volunteers offer with great love during each visit to rural communities.

Photo by John Feister

and spirometry,” Sister Mary Lisa added. “We also provide lab services and limited medications to patients.”

To respect their privacy, personnel of the clinic asked us not to publish the patients’ names, but allowed us to talk to those willing to be interviewed.

Winter 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

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tinued support and your presence in the Diocese of Nashville, which we are a part of. My family and I liked your ’faithful chicken donor’ picture in the recent magazine issue (Summer 2021).

We have 11 of those faithful donors (some more faithful than others in terms of eggs) and one good and protective rooster. All the best,

WHAT MAKES A GOOD LETTER? We love getting your letters! We appreciate the compliments and even the critiques about the magazine. But don’t think it’s limited to that! We’d love to hear about how Glenmary has touched your life. Did a brother help you in a difficult time? Was one of our priests there for you when you needed guidance? We would love to read these stories and share them with the greater Glenmary family. Thanks and God bless!

Paul Sand • Morrison, TN

John Stegeman • Editor

letters to the editor CELEBRATING THE TEAM I want to celebrate each and everyone who made it possible for the Challenge to win six Catholic Media Association awards. The Autumn 2021 issue in its entirety already has the Challenge on the Catholic press shortlist for 2022!

I enjoyed the cover, Brother Josiah’s precious moment; Father Dan Dorsey’s reflection of the mystery of faith; Father Don Tranel’s pioneering spirit; Father Tom Charters’ mission growing during a pandemic; and ending with Father Wil Steinbacher’s words of wisdom flowing from service in his own life and the Beatitudes. Press onward!

Rosmarie Miller • Grundy, VA FAITHFUL DONORS Thank you and Glenmary for the con-

HONORING JESUS It always gives me enjoyment and inspiration to read of your activities in the missions and giving the communities you serve a sense of values and spiritual wholeness. You honor the teachings of Jesus well.

John Williams • Flushing, NY

we want your feedback !

Send to: Editor, Glenmary Challenge, P.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246.

Email: 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 with your letter.

Change Lives in Mission Land, USA You are invited to become a co-missioner: • Save on taxes with a gift from your IRA • Make a gift of stock or appreciated asset • Create a legal will at Freewill.com/Glenmary • Earn income from a Charitable Gift Annuity • Pray for Glenmary vocations

May I help you?

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Tony Bonomini tbonomini@glenmary.org 513-881-7441

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NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

Volunteer Jenna Spurlock is looking for help! Join her by serving with Glenmary Volunteers.

Find out how you can make a difference in rural Tennessee at glenmary.org

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

P.O. Box 465618 · Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618

U.S. Postage PAID Glenmary Home Missioners