Glenmary Challenge Winter 2011

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

Winter 2011

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Passing the Torch Next generation of lay leaders for two Mississippi missions

Passion for the

Faith

Father Rollie has it, and continues to share it

Glenmary Home Missioners Founded by Father William Howard Bishop in 1939, this Catholic society of priests and brothers, along with numerous coworkers, establishes the Catholic Church in smalltown and rural America. Glenmary is the only religious community devoted exclusively to serving the spiritually and materially poor in the rural U.S. home missions. Today, supported entirely through freewill offerings, it staffs over 40 missions and ministries in Appalachia, the South and the Southwest.

Glenmary missioners serve in areas where less than three percent of the population is Catholic, a significant percentage have no church affiliation and the 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 Curt Kedley, Patrick McEntee, Kathy O’Brien, Father Neil Pezzulo, Father John S. Rausch

Glenmary Home Missioners P.O. Box 465618 • Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 513-874-8900 • 800-935-0975 www.glenmary.org • info@glenmary.org

70 years

© 2011, Glenmary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.

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Mountain Madonnas FROM THE EDITOR / Jean Bach

F

or many years, Father Rollie Hautz’s Christmas cards featured images of the Mountain Madonnas commissioned—and often photographed—by longtime Glenmary Challenge editor Father Pat O’Donnell.

The first Mountain Madonna appeared on the cover of the Winter 1953 issue of Glenmary Challenge.

Later, two of her children posed for a similar 1961 photo, which we’ve used as this issue’s cover.

The mother and her 11 children 1953 Madonna converted to Catholicism in the 1950s. They lived in southwest Virginia in a tworoom mud-chinked cabin—the older boys slept in the chicken house.

When the mother reflected on her baptism, she said upon receiving the sacrament, she received “a new feeling and a new understanding of life.... I have the strongest desire to go on and do God’s will no matter how hard the task, and I know God will give me the strength to do it.”

Reaching out and sharing the gifts of the Church with folks like these has been a large part of Father Rollie’s ministry over the past 60 years—and still is today.

Glenmarians, Father Chet writes on page 4, possess a dedication to the home missions and an undying spirit. And as the cover story on page 9 illustrates, Father Rollie is no exception!

Jean Bach That spirit isn’t limited to projbach@glenmary.org fessed Glenmarians. As the feature story on page 15 shows, Glenmary’s coworkers are also committed to sharing the Good News.

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n the 1953 issue, Father Pat noted that the image of the Mountain Madonna and child were offered as a source of meditation on our faith.

“So many of us born in the Church can never appreciate what it means to be without the Star of Bethlehem,” he wrote.

May we all have the opportunity during the Advent and Christmas seasons to reflect on all we have received because the “Word was made  flesh and dwelt among us.”

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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 4 / N u m b e r 4

Cover Story

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Passion for the Faith

Father Rollie Hautz has spent 60 years evangelizing and edu­ cating those living in Glenmary mission counties in central Appalachia. And he has no plans to stop anytime soon!

Feature Story

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Passing the Torch

Two Mississippi missions are thriving as they enter into their third generation of lay leadership.

Lay Leaders, Page 15

Departments & columns

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From the President / Father Chet Artysiewicz

Father Chet’s first 100 days as Glenmary’s new presi­ dent have been a blessed learning experience.

Glenmary News & Notes

No Impact Week, raffle winners, President’s Friends, new ecumenical commission....

No Impact, Page 5

Then & Now

For decades Christmas celebrations in Glenmary mis­ sions have included annual Nativity plays.

Missioner in Action

Father Larry Goulding is a witness and inspiration in spite of his illness.

Nativity Plays, Page 12

Partner in Mission

J.J. Dauby and his wife, Ruth, set an example through their volunteerism and charitable giving.

Final Words / from our readers

Brother Tom Kelly is remembered and Glenmary’s his­ Father Larry, Page 14 tory and milestones are celebrated.

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from the president / Father Chet Artysiewicz

The first 100 days...and beyond Learning experiences fill the first months of presidency; the future is in God’s hands

M

ost of the religious orders that serve in the United States have their roots in Europe. Glenmary differs in that we were founded in this country. As a result, there are certain things about us that are very “American.” For example, I bear the title “president” and not “superior general.”

The democracy that governs our country is also reflected in Glenmary’s governance. Every four years the membership elects new leadership, and for many years, we elected representatives who met with the Executive Council (president and two vice presidents).

So given our Americana spirit, I want to offer a reflection that political commentators might refer to as “The First 100 Days.”

I am grateful for those who preceded me and have brought Glenmary to where we are today. As with so many things, we stand on the shoulders of our predecessors. The person who invented radial tires can give a tip of the cap to the one who invented the wheel!

Of course, we see the same dynamic in our families and our faith. Our immigrant ancestors sacrificed much to provide better opportunities for us. And parishes flourish today where Catholics once gathered for Mass in someone’s living room, a storefront or an Elks Club building—just as Catholics in our new missions in Tennessee are doing now.

As the season of the Nativity approaches, the members of these new missions are preparing to gather as Catholic communities for their first celebrations of Christ’s birth. I suspect the celebrations will be simple, yet beautiful. Years from now, the “founders” will recall the early, exciting days of their mission communities. Bigger buildings, more elaborate decorations and larger crowds may follow, but these first Christmas Masses will be special.

We are blessed by those who preceded us and did what they could, where they could, while they could.

My first 100 days as president of Glenmary have also been a learning experience.

I have learned that people are really interested in Glenmary and care about us. I have received many words of encouragement and appreciation for what we are doing.

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I received a letter from a man who said he derives spirit and enthusiasm from our publications and can’t wait for the next issue of Glenmary Challenge to arrive at his home. His attitude reflects that of so many of our donors who want to help us share the Good News in the mission regions of the United States.

I have learned, even more so, that our task is large. The need to establish the Catholic Church remains great in so many coun- Father Chet ties in our country. I’m sure ev- Artysiewicz ery bishop and religious superior cartysiewicz@glenmary.org feels he or she could use an additional 100 workers for the Lord’s vineyard.

Meanwhile, we continue to replicate the spirit of doing all we can wherever God places us for as long as we are able.

I have learned in a more powerful way what I knew before: Glenmary has a corps of tremendously dedicated people who are members of our home mission society. One was Father Joe Dean.

I remember asking the then 84-year-old senior member in January 2007 if he could fill in for me in June. He responded, “What year?”

Father Joe’s dedication to the home missions and undying spirit were not unique. They are represented in all Glenmarians.

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hile the first 100 days may be a marker in my presidency, they represent only the beginning of what lies ahead.

A parishioner once told me, at the conclusion of one of my mission assignments, that the best thing I ever said was: “Do not fear the future: God is already there.”

I did not originate that statement, but I believe it to be profoundly true. The future is in God’s hands. I am merely a facilitator!

May the Lord bless you and our world as we celebrate the birth of Jesus, the hope of our world. Thank you for your support and encouragement as Glenmary continues to share  the Good News!

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Glenmary

care of creation

Glenmarians spend a week measuring impact

news &notes

No Impact Week an intense period of conscious consumption [ohio] Father Neil Pez­ zulo and Father John Rausch committed themselves to examining and reducing their ecological impact during the week of Sept. 18-25 as part of YES! magazine’s No Impact Week.

The week was structured by a guide developed by the No Impact Project, a nonprofit started by Colin Beavan. Colin is the author of No Impact Man, an account of his and his family’s quest to live with no environmental impact in New York City for one year.

Areas that were examined during the week included consumption, trash, transportation, food, energy and water.

Father John wrote a daily blog about his experience of reducing his carbon footprint. He noted that during a typical year he logs 22,000 miles driving through Appalachia in his ministry.

He described ways to reduce the impact of that travel, such as carpooling, using gas-efficient w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

awareness: Environmental awareness and an ac­

ceptance of responsibility for the care of the Earth are goals of No Impact Week.

cars and combining trips.

Father Neil also travels quite a bit as first vice president of Glenmary, but his travel takes him through airports.

“One insight I gained

during the week is that air travel is nearly impossible to do in a sustainable way,” he says. “Everything you encounter is disposable and typically not recyclable.”

Father Neil stresses that it’s up to individuals to decide for themselves what action they will or won’t take.

Reducing one’s impact doesn’t mean giving up cars or shutting off power.

There are many achievable levels that can be attained by doing small things.

For Father John, spirituality is key to success.

“Without a spirituality, the quest for simplicity will not last. Without some spiritual grounding, living a simple life will get boring and dull, perhaps even spawn a spirit of despondency and envy,” he wrote.

For both priests, the week was one of reflection and contemplation on how their actions impact God’s creation and how they might reduce that impact in the future.

Read Father John’s blog by visiting www.glenmary.org/rausch.

country raffle

Annual fundraiser a success, winners announced Top prizes go to Ohio and Connecticut Glenmary donors [ o h i o ] The winning names of the 2011 Glenmary Country Raffle were drawn by Father Chet Artysiewicz on Sept.

11 in Cincinnati.

The first-place winner of $5,000 wishes to remain anonymous. Lavina Laux of Coldwater, Ohio, received the $3,000 sec-

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ond prize, and Mr. and Mrs. Owen Back Jr. of Southport, Conn., received the $1,500 third prize. An additional 10 participants received $100 prizes.

The raffle began in 1993 as a fundraiser of the Glenmary Guild.

Members of the guild raffled their hand-stitched Wi n t e r 2 0 1 1

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quilts to raise money for Glenmary missions. The guild dissolved in 2003.

Today, Glenmary’s Development Office sponsors the annual fundraiser. The proceeds of the raffle—$141,000 this year—continue to help support Glenmary’s mission and ministry.

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mission education

Planning for next year’s VBS? Glenmary has a variety of resources available to educators [ohio] Glenmary has resources to help parishes and schools plan for Vacation Bible School programs, prepare students for confirmation or mission trips and to increase awareness of the home missions among elementary and junior high students.

The resources are part of Glenmary’s Educate & Inspire series of home mission education materials. The series has a strong Catholic identity, a unique focus on home missions and inexpensive prices.

Religion Teacher’s Journal commented: “Bravo to Glenmary Home Missioners for producing these inviting and informative resources! Their goal is to make catechists, teens and children mission-minded right here at home….

All highly recommended.”

The collection includes: • Elementary and Junior High Materials—We Are All Connected poster (grades 1-4) and

Give

Light Our Land poster (grades 5-8), each with an instructional unit on the back (discussion and prayer suggestions, other activities). Companion prayer cards also available.

• Catholic Vacation Bible School Programs—Caring Close to Home and Missionaries in Our Own Land (two five-day VBS programs, ages 4-12; adaptable for schools and religious-education programs).

• Confirmation Supplement— Sacrament of Mission (five sessions).

• Mission Trip Guide—a 50-page practical and spiritual guide to enhance mission trip experiences for junior and senior high school students and chaperones.

All materials can be viewed and ordered online. Visit www. glenmary.org/mission-ed.

yourself a Gift and

Around the Missions  Glenmary’s mission in Lafayette, Tenn., Holy Family, is sponsoring English-as-a-Second-Language (ESL) classes at the church prior to Mass.

Ten teachers and almost 30 Spanishspeaking parishioners are taking part in the program.  This year, 21 young people from Holy Family mission in Metter, Ga., were confirmed and 14 made their first Communion. Sister Mary Bordelon, the mission’s pastoral coordinator, reports these were the largest classes since she arrived in 2007.  Sts. John and Elizabeth mission in Grayson, Ky., hosted a hugely successful Vacation Bible School in July for 18 children. Father Bruce Brylinski used his art and performance skills throughout the week. He helped create a 30-by-7-foot mural illustrating the VBS’s theme, “Ride with Jesus.” He was also a key character in the skits that corresponded with the daily lessons.  Deborah Holmes has been installed as the pastoral coordinator of St. Luke mission in Bruce, Miss., and Vonda Tedford-Keon has been hired as the pastoral associate. (See story beginning on page 15.)

Support the Home Missions, too !

The benefiTs of a Glenmary GifT annuiTy • • •

Guaranteed income for you or you and a loved one Partially tax-free income Immediate income tax deduction

P

lus, you have the satisfaction of knowing your generosity will help Glenmary continue its important work of establishing the Catholic Church in the U.S. home missions and reaching out to those in spiritual and material need.

For a personalized sample calculation, please contact: Susan Lambert, Planned Giving Officer • 800.935.0975 • slambert@glenmary.org

Calculations are not meant to give legal or accounting advice. A donor should seek the guidance of an estate and/or tax professional to understand the consequences of a gift. All information is strictly confidential. Glenmary gift annuities are not issued in Hawaii or Alabama.

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photo / tricia sarvak

celebrating donors: Mary Ann and Pat Kent of Utica, Ohio, talk with Glenmary’s president,

Father Chet Artysiewicz, upon arriving at Glenmary Headquarters in Cincinnati for the annual President’s Gathering on Oct. 7.

mission partners

President’s Friends gather for annual Mass, luncheon Members of Glenmary’s new Executive Council have opportunity to thank donors in person [ohio] Glenmary hosted its annual President’s Gathering for donors Oct. 7 at the Cincinnati Headquarters. Twentynine members of the President’s Friends, along with nine guests, came from around the country for a presentation, Mass and lunch.

“This is a special day that I look forward to each year,” said donor Don Lucas of Cincinnati.

“I can visit Glenmary, be with missioners, and hear firsthand about their mission experiences, accomplishments and plans.”

Joan Burke, a donor from Williamsburg, Va., added that “it’s great to be here and keep abreast of what Glenmary is doing. You cannot miss the spirit of Glenmary—the welcoming atmosphere, cheerfulness and joy.” w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

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This year’s featured speakers were Glenmary’s new Executive Council members—president Father Chet Artysiewicz, first vice president Father Neil Pezzulo, and second vice president Brother Jack Henn.

All three were elected to their positions after serving many years in the missions. During their presentations, they spoke about some of their most memorable experiences during those years and thanked those present.

“Our ministry wouldn’t be possible without your prayers and support, and we and the people we serve are deeply grateful,” Father Chet told the group.

Following Mass and lunch, he gave a progress report on the five Glenmary missioners who are establishing new missions in Wi n t e r 2 0 1 1

three East Tennessee counties.

He also made the announcement that Glenmary is planning to establish new missions in Georgia in the near future.

“The vitality and energy of the new Council are great,” said Joan.

“After listening to their stories, it’s impossible not to see the need for support. Glenmary’s mission work is such a worthwhile cause.”

Thinking back on the day, Don added that “it’s a real pleasure to be with other people who have the interest and desire to support Glenmary in its effort to bring the Church to rural America.”

To learn more about becoming a member of the President’s Friends, contact Glenmary’s Development Office at 800-935-0975 or donations@glenmary.org. 

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news & notes

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ecumenism

Task force sets course for new ecumenical outreach Glenmary Ecumenical Commission to oversee hiring of Director of Catholic-Evangelical Relations [ohio] Glenmary has had a long history of ecumenical outreach on a national level. Since 1967, a Glenmarian has served as a representative to the Southern Baptist Convention on behalf of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenism and Interreligious Dialogue.

For the past year, a special task force has examined how Glenmary might further “fulfill our commitment to ecumenism and provide leadership in this area, especially in the South and Appalachia.”

That directive was given by past Glenmary president Father Dan Dorsey to members of the task force: Father Frank Ruff, Brother Curt Kedley, Glenmary Sister Darlene Presley, seminarian Aaron Wessman, coworker

Gil Stevens and Glenmary Lay Missioner Kathy O’Brien, who served as chairperson of the task force.

As a result of the task force’s work, Glenmary’s Executive Council has created an ecumenical commission and appointed Father Frank Ruff its chairperson. Father Frank and members of the new commission will soon begin a nationwide search for a Director of Catholic-Evangelical Relations.

The person hired for this position will be responsible for working to enhance understanding, reduce alienation and foster reconciliation between Catholics and Evangelicals, focusing primarily in the southeastern United States.

The successful applicant

needs to have a background in Church history, theology and doctrine, and at least an equivalent of a master’s degree.

Over the past year, the task force was able to meet via conference calls and video conferences.

In a similar vein, it’s hoped that the new director will be able to tap into technology and use a Web site and social media to foster reconciliation between Catholics and Evangelicals.

“Much thought and prayer went into this effort,” says Kathy O’Brien. “The task force feels very hopeful that something new and creative will soon be launched.”

Interested? For more information on the director position, contact Father Frank Ruff at fruff@glenmary.org.

a community of missioners: Glenmary priests and brothers pose for a group photo with students and

lay coworkers during the society’s 15th General Chapter in June. Pictured are the oldest Glenmarian, Father Frank Schenk, 96 (seated, far left), and the youngest, Brother Levis Kuwa, 28 (seated, third from the right)— and most everyone in between!

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PASSION for the FAITH For the past six decades, Father Rollie Hautz has spent his Christmas seasons pastoring Glenmary missions in Appalachia. His commitment to evangelization, and his love for the region and its people, are what motivate him to keep teaching and changing attitudes.

By Jean Denton

christmas in the mountains: For Father

Rollie Hautz, celebrating Christmas in Ap­ palachian Mountain communities takes many forms. At times it has meant delivering food and small Christmas gifts to those living in remote areas (above, top), or, in recent years, sponsoring a Nativity fair at St. Patrick mission in Dungannon, Va., where he has served as pastor for the past 13 years.

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F

ather Rollie Hautz has served those living in Appalachian counties in Ohio, North Carolina, Virginia and West Virginia for the past 60 years as a Glenmary missioner. And for the last 13 years, he’s pastored two Virginia missions—St. Bernard in Gate City and St. Patrick in Dungannon.

Glenmary first established a presence in southwest Virginia in 1945, and Father Rollie was one of the first missioners to serve the new mission area.

He remembers cutting down some of the trees used to build the log church that still serves Dungannon!

Today, at 84, Father Rollie, the last Glenmary pastor in the Diocese of Richmond, continues his ministry of Catholic evangelization and conversion in the far reaches of southwest Virginia’s Appalachian region.

“I’ll stay as long as I’m healthy,” he says. He  Wi n t e r 2 0 1 1

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‘I wanted to go where the Church was not present and see what I could do about it.’  serves about 50 households in the two church

communities.

And most people in those parishes are Catholic only because Father Rollie brought them into the Church.

He’ll tell you it was the Holy Spirit who captured their hearts, but the enthusiastic priest who cast a wide net of conversion across the region in the last half-century certainly had a hand in setting the stage.

“I give all the credit to the Holy Spirit,” he says.

“It’s been a great ride and a real blessing for me.”

For his part, Father Rollie, who first came to southwest Virginia in 1945 as a seminarian, served in Norton, established parishes in Coeburn and Lebanon, was pastor of Glenmary’s mission in St. Paul and for a number of years traveled throughout Dickenson, Wise, Russell and Scott counties holding revival-style gatherings where he preached from the back of a trailer.

The gatherings, he explains, took the form of

in appreciation: Father Rollie served as pas­ tor of St. Francis of Assisi mission in Jefferson, N.C., for 10 years. When the mission built a larger church, they also created a memorial garden. In one section of the garden is a plaque that reads: “In Honor of Father Rollie, Our Guiding Spirit, Catholic Women’s Club, 2010.” Below, Father Rol­ lie poses with Debbie Prange (left) and Alberta Raysinger. Debbie converted to Catholicism when Father Rollie was the mission’s pastor.

a spiritual journey from Tuesday through Friday nights. “We began with the topic of faith, moved on to finding Christ in our lives, and then to finding Christ in the Catholic Church,” he says.

The result was not only an increasing number of Catholics in the region, but also a dramatic lessening of anti-Catholic sentiment that permeated the region in the 1950s and 1960s.

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ather Rollie’s own spiritual journey closely tracks the mission of Glenmary Home Missioners, a mission that has contributed greatly to the development of the Catholic Church in the Diocese of Richmond.

He was attracted to the society’s charism of bringing a Catholic presence to the rural South and, most especially, Appalachia and entered Glenmary as a 16-year-old high school graduate, five years after Father William Howard Bishop established the home mission community in 1939.

Father Rollie took the Glenmary Oath in 1951.

“I was a Cincinnati boy,” he says. “I was from a city where there were a lot of big Catholic parishes.

I wanted to go out to where the Church was not present and see what I could do about it.”

Father Rollie said he first realized he had a desire to be a priest when he was a young boy. His mother had tuberculosis and, although she survived into her 80s, long periods of separation and worry while she was in a sanitarium led to his interest in matters of life, death and faith at a young age.

While a student at St. Xavier High School in Cincinnati, he read a magazine article about Glenmary’s mission work in Norton, Va. After a subsequent interview with Father Bishop, Father Rollie committed to pursuing a vocation as a Glenmary missionary priest.

He entered seminary immediately after graduation. In 1953 his class of four priests was the first ordained from Glenmary’s then-new Our Lady of the Fields Seminary.

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hile much of the Glenmary presence in Appalachia has taken the form of social ministry and social justice efforts in impoverished mountain communities, Father Rollie has concentrated on teaching the Catholic faith and growing and cultivating the Church.

“I still do social ministry work,” he says, because the needs are so great. “But my thrust always has been teaching, conversion and changing attitudes.”

In the process, he led the building projects of

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He used John F. Kennedy’s presidential candidacy to show local people ‘they had nothing to fear.’ two churches. The first was St. Mary in Coeburn when he was only 25 years old. Two years later, while pastor of St. Therese mission in St. Paul, he led the effort to build a church for the Good Shepherd mission community in Lebanon.

He says he received help on both building projects from his father, Raymond, a retired jet aircraft inspector and “super handyman.” Also, the sociable, inventive and energetic Father Rollie employed a sizable network of resources through friends and members of the local communities.

When constructing the church in Lebanon, he and parishioners built the steeple in the basement of the church in St. Paul and hauled it to Lebanon in the back of a dump truck that had been given to him by a friend. Father Rollie talked a local crane operator into hoisting the steeple into place on the church roof between his other scheduled jobs!

As the church was being built in Lebanon, an article in a neighboring Protestant church’s bulletin described it as a “source of division” moving into the community.

A few years later, however, Father Rollie used the occasion of John F. Kennedy’s presidential candidacy to discuss Catholicism with local ministers and their congregations “to show them they had nothing to fear.”

During his traveling revivals in the summers of 1955 to 1967, he and two Glenmary sisters went door to door handing out flyers inviting children to daytime Bible school and adults to evening services. Each evening, using a foldout painted wooden screen as a backdrop, Father Rollie would deliver a sermon and show an inspirational movie.

After a week of such gatherings, many attendees would show up at his mission in St. Paul for Sunday Mass, he says.

He preached in African-American as well as in white communities. Addie Cox, an African-American woman, followed his teaching intently, he remembers.

“She told me, ‘I’d like to be Catholic but I can’t, because if I joined you’d never have another white convert.’ I said, ‘Come on in.’” She did eventually convert, as did her daughter.

An especially memorable conversion experience occurred nine years ago when Terry Mead, now an active member of the Dungannon mission, decided to enter the Catholic Church. At the time, he was a Pentecostal evangelist.

“A friend of mine who I baptized in the Clinch River was studying with Father Rollie,” Terry recalls. “One night Norm came to my house after meeting with Father Rollie and told me ‘You have to become Catholic.’” w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

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memorable conversion: In 2002 Terry Mead, right, a Pentecostal evangelist, was received into the Church by Father Rollie during the Easter Vigil at the Dungannon mission. Following the Vigil Mass, Father Rollie presided over the wedding of Terry and his fiancée, Betty.

Terry and Father Rollie began a series of discussions during which Terry sought answers for many long-held questions about Catholicism. The conversations were gratifying, Father Rollie says, because the two men share “an intense love for Scripture.” Eventually Terry entered the Church.

St. Bernard parishioner Sally Kelly says she was already a Catholic when she retired to Gate City some years ago. “But as I became more acquainted with Father Rollie and saw his passion for the faith, I began taking instructions from him.”

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ill the Church be able to sustain itself in the region when Father Rollie leaves and the last Glenmary mission in southwest Virginia is turned over to the diocese for continued pastoral care?

“That’s for sure,” Father Rollie grins. “Glenmary started it all. But the people are very active and have a missionary thrust. The task is still not completed, though. Not even one-tenth of one percent of the population in this region is Catholic, but we have made a lot of strides and there’s no longer so much antipathy toward the Catholic Church.”  This story, which has been adapted, originally appeared in The Catholic Virginian, the newspaper that serves the Diocese of Richmond, Va. It is used with permission.

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Then & NOW

Celebrating the Nativity Plays offer opportunity for involvement, evangelization

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ne way to get everyone involved in a parish activity at Christmas in a Glenmary mission is by producing a Christmas play. All ages are needed and all talents are used, from acting to designing and creating costumes to set design! And people from outside the mission community attend the performance, so the play serves as an evangelization tool, too!

Through the years, the retelling and acting out of the Nativity story in Glenmary missions has taken many forms, in various venues and with large and small casts. But no matter the year or the place, it’s certain that an angel—oftentimes bedecked in tinsel!—will proclaim to the shepherds and the audience the good news of great joy:

‘For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord.’

 1955: The children of Glenmary’s mission in

Pond Creek, Ohio, conclude their Nativity play.

 1980: Father

Larry Goulding welcomes the au­ dience to the an­ nual Christmas play in Amory, Miss., as the shepherds wait in the distance.

Father Larry wrote, directed and created the scenery for the Nativity plays in all the missions he served as pas­ tor.

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 1980: Angels in Amory, Miss., look a bit tentative as they prepare to pro­

claim the good news of Jesus’ birth!  2003: Mary,

played by Ana Rubio of Glen­ mary’s former mission in Bos­ well, Okla., waits for the play to begin.

 1986: Father

Pat O’Donnell has a mustache malfunction as he appears in the Nativity play in Elkton, Ky.

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missioner in action / by Dale Hanson

Steward of the Church, Glenmary Fighting illness, Father Larry Goulding continues to be a witness and inspiration

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fter 53 years as a Glenmarian—48 devoted to pastoring and working in the missions—a weak Father Larry Goulding came back to Glenmary’s home base of Cincinnati this year for medical care and rest.

Who knew this 81-year-old was about to take on a new ministry? His longtime friend and coworker Mike Prym wasn’t surprised. “Father Larry has always been very faithful to the mission and ministry of Glenmary.”

The senior member spent his first months in Cincinnati in a hospital and then at a rehabilitation/care facility before he felt strong enough to move to the Glenmary community residence.

Meanwhile, Mike—Glenmary’s assistant development director—was planning to ask a senior member to make phone calls to new or past donors to encourage their support of Glenmary.

And he thought Father Larry might be ideal, if he felt up to it.

As a senior Glenmarian, he had every right to say no—but he said yes.

“I once worked in development for five years,” Father Larry says. “So I see the phone calling as another way to help Glenmary. Doing God’s work on earth requires money, and I know I couldn’t have served people in the missions without the support of our generous donors.”

Mike felt Father Larry would be an inspiration to the people he called. “He’s a straight shooter who is also a faithful steward of the Church and Glenmary.”

When he started coming to the office and making calls, Father Larry decided to focus on past donors. “I tell them who I am, and I ask them if they’ll consider helping us again.” He always thanks them for their past support and reminds them about Glenmary’s important, ongoing mission.

Although he enjoys talking to the people about their Glenmary award: A former connections, his health has lim- Marine, Father Lar­ ited his work. “Sometimes I’ve ry is among Korean just needed to go home and lie War veterans who down.” have received the Mike says that “Father Larry Ambassador for has made contact with quite a Peace Medal from few Glenmary donors, and some South Korea for have begun donating again. But “sacrifices in help­ it has meant a great deal just ing us reestablish that he has reconnected with our free nation.” them for Glenmary.

“He has given when he didn’t have to and has done his work with as much energy as God gives him. That attitude has transcended his whole Glenmary ministry.”

Father Larry says his time in Cincinnati with other Glenmary members and coworkers has made him realize again how thankful he is to be a Glenmarian. “Somehow God made me part of Glenmary’s goodness, and Glenmary has been part of my goodness.”

I pitching in: In his years as a Glenmarian, Father Larry has always done “whatever needs to be done,” including mudding wallboard at a Georgia mission.

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n October Father Larry returned to the care facility. But just a couple of hours before his move, he was still thinking about his work.

“We always need new donors, and I’ve been thinking hard about ways to help develop a new contact list. Right now it doesn’t look like I’ll get  around to that, but maybe I will….”

Editor’s Note: Father Larry’s health declined rapidly in October and he died on Nov. 12. A remembrance of his life and ministry will be featured in the Spring 2012 issue.

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feature story

Passing the Torch The torch of mission leadership has been passed in Mississippi missions that are entering into their third generation of lay leadership since their founding.

By Margaret Gabriel

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photo / Mary-amanda Holmes

lenmary missions have unique histories. But the Mississippi missions in Bruce and Ripley may be the most unique: They were founded by lay professional ministers and are entering their third generation of being led and nourished by lay ministers. And the current generation—Deborah Holmes, Vonda Tedford-Keon and Sigifredo Bonilla—have been raised up from their respective communities.

St. Luke Mission, Bruce

Since July 2011, Deborah and Vonda have served as the pastoral team at St. Luke the Evangelist mission in Bruce. Deborah, the pastoral coordinator, has been a member of the mission for seven years. Pastoral associate Vonda has been a member since the mission started in 1996.

As a Catholic child, Deborah visited relatives in Calhoun County and quietly attended a Baptist church with her aunt, never asking to be taken to a Catholic church many miles away.

She eventually moved to Calhoun County 21 years ago. Because there was still no Catholic church there, she joined a parish in Oxford about 30 miles from Bruce. w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

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Past and present leaders: Sister Mary Jean Morris (center), former pastoral coordinator of St. Luke mission, poses with Vonda Tedford-Keon (left) and Deborah Holmes following Deborah’s in­ stallation as the new pastoral coordinator by Msgr. Elvin Sunds, vicar general of the Diocese of Jackson. Vonda is serving as the mission’s new pastoral associate. Both Vonda and Deborah are longtime members of the mission community.

Deborah never dreamed there would be a Catholic Church in Bruce—and there wasn’t until Glenmary hired

Amy Giorgio in 1995 and she called together the county’s first Catholic community.

Deborah had set down 

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 roots at the parish in Oxford, where her daughter

attended religious education classes. But seven years ago she decided to join St. Luke and got to know Sister Mary Jean Morris, the mission’s second pastoral coordinator.

“Finally, I had found a church home,” Deborah says. “She would assign me little things to do.” The more Sister Mary Jean asked, the more Deborah became involved. “And I loved it!”

Vonda and Deborah enrolled in and graduated from the Loyola Institute of Ministry Extension Program, a training curriculum for lay ministers. When Sister Mary Jean asked what field of ministry interested her, Deborah answered “parish administration.” Sister Mary Jean replied teasingly, “You want my job!’”

It never occurred to Deborah that Sister Mary Jean would ever retire because, she says, it’s easy to think that “someone you love will be there forever!”

When that day came in the spring of 2011, Deborah applied for the position and was later hired as the third lay minister to serve as the mission’s pastoral coordinator.

Sister Mary Jean describes Deborah’s passion for her work, saying her gift is reaching out to people who fall between the cracks. “She’s very determined and generous with her time,” according to Sister Mary Jean.

Glenmary’s lay pastoral coordinator program assures a Catholic presence in Calhoun County. “In this rural area of northeast Mississippi, several counties wouldn’t have a Catholic presence if not for Glenmary,” Deborah says. “Lay ministers help hold people together as a faith community.”

Father Tim Murphy travels 36 miles one way from Pontotoc to Bruce to celebrate two Masses each month with the members of St. Luke the Evangelist. On alternate Sundays, Deborah leads Word and Communion services, something she began easing into before Sister Mary Jean retired. “Every day I get a little more comfortable,” she says.

St. Matthew, Ripley

The lay pastoral coordinator program is also responsible for the vibrant Catholic community in Ripley.

Founded by Polly Duncan Collum in 1997, St. Matthew mission was led by pastoral coordinator Sister Kate Regan from 2000 until her retirement in April 2011. Since then, Sigifredo Bonilla, who served the parish as a multicultural worker for 11 years, has assumed leadership.

Sigi credits Sister Kate for teaching him the gift of flexibility in ministry and says he finds the quality valuable because of the diversity of his congregation.

About 20 percent of the congregation are Englishspeaking; the remaining 80 percent are Spanishspeaking, but represent a variety of nationalities and cultures. Despite the differences, Sigi uses things community members have in common to blend the community together.

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a history of service: Sigi Bonilla (center) is

now the pastoral coordinator of Glenmary’s mis­ sion in Ripley, Miss. He served the mission as a multicultural worker for the past 11 years. Here he stands with the mission’s previous lay leaders, Polly Duncan Collum (left) and Sister Kate Regan.

“If we don’t work together, we’re condemned to be alone,” Sigi says. “We share the love of God. It’s important for people to be together.” This, too, he says, he learned from Sister Kate.

Missionary Spirit Continues

Deborah, Vonda and Sigi have brought a special grace to their ministries as members of their respective missions. With membership comes a familiarity that can’t be learned easily by someone from outside a community.

“The people know me and know they can talk to me,” Deborah says. “They trust me as a fellow parishioner to help and listen, just as I’ve always done.”

There is a definite missionary spirit in the Glenmary missions in Mississippi, Sigi says. “From Glenmary we’ve learned the Church is for everyone—minorities, needy people, those who are marginalized.

Glenmary missions make the connection between sacraments and community life.”

The Bruce and Ripley missions will return to the care of the Diocese of Jackson in the coming years as part of Glenmary’s long-range plan, which will allow the society to move on to areas with no Catholic presence.

That doesn’t mean Glenmary’s influence will be gone from the area. Deborah says there are Catholic communities in this region of northeast Mississippi because of Glenmary. Catholics have been empowered and “we’ve gained charisms from Glenmary that  we will carry on.”

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Partner in mission / by Dale Hanson

Generosity is a family trait Ohio couple’s support of Glenmary’s ministry began with $1 a month 50 years ago

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ne Sunday morning in 1959, J.J. Dauby and his wife, Ruth, heard a Glenmary priest speak during Mass at their Miamisburg, Ohio, parish. “What really appealed to us,” J.J. says, “was when he talked about Glenmary’s challenge of bringing the Catholic Church to priestless and poor counties in our own country. We wanted to help Glenmary reach people in those areas.”

So these parents of four young children— with four more to come—started giving $1 a month to Glenmary, gradually increasing the monthly amount to $5 and then $10. Five decades later, J.J. is an 87-year-old widower who still believes in supporting Glenmary’s work. In addition to annual gifts, he has also established two charitable gift annuities with Glenmary.

“The biggest sacrifice my wife and I were making back then was to send our children to Catholic elementary school,” he says. “But we still wanted to help Glenmary.”

J.J. was born in Tell City, Ind., in 1924, and grew up in a devout Catholic family. “All four of us kids went to Catholic grade school,” he says. “My parents were very involved in church activities and got us involved. We ‘We were taught learned about generosity from them.” that if you can’t be During the Depression, missionaries yourJ.J. says, a beggar would periselves, you should odically come to the family’s front door, and J.J.’s father support the people would give him 50 cents each who are.’ time. After a while the children realized that gift meant the family couldn’t afford to go to the movies the next Sunday. But, J.J. says, they didn’t complain.

“My parents were also mission supporters,” J.J. says. “We were taught that if you can’t be missionaries yourselves, you should support the people who are. We passed this lesson along to our own kids.”

As a boy, J.J. contracted polio. “I eventually got better,” he says. “But I was left with a lame leg.”

In high school he decided he wanted to become a chemist. “The state paid my tuition w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g

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at Indiana University because I was a polio surviv­or,” he says, “and I worked for the rest.”

After college, work took him to Celina, Ohio, where he met and married Ruth.

The couple moved to the Dayton area in 1947, when J.J. embarked on a 35-year career as a chemist with a large company. And they and their children continued the family tradition of helping others. Ruth passed away in 1978, and J.J. finished raising the younger children on his own.

J.J. spent 19 years volunteering with Helping Hands, an interfaith service ministry that includes a food pantry, clothing shop and more.

J.J. Dauby “I liked the work because of the ecumenical cooperation and because we’d find out families’ needs and try to meet them.”

He and Ruth were also longtime auxiliary members of the Legion of Mary—“another love of mine,” he adds. Auxiliary participants pray the rosary every day. “My family prayed the rosary together when I was growing up, and then when we had our own family, we did the same.”

J.J. became an active Legion member in 1990 and continues today, visiting homebound and hospitalized parishioners. “I have a bum knee and use a cane, but I can still walk!” he says.

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e still feels very good about supporting Glenmary’s home mission ministry.

“One thing that’s very satisfying to me is when I read that Glenmary starts and builds up missions—then turns them back to their dioceses and moves on to new mission areas. I’ve always liked their ecumenical work too,” he says.

His close-knit family includes six surviving children, 11 grandchildren and 17 great-grandchildren. He’s proud of them because they’re always ready to help people and have held on to their Catholic faith.

“My wife and I tried to set an example. Supporting Glenmary is part of that,” he says. “I guess it couldn’t help but rub off!”  Wi n t e r 2 0 1 1

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final words / from our readers

Remembering and giving thanks Readers reflect on Brother Tom Kelly, Church in northeast Georgia and milestones remembering brother tom

thank you for the perceptive article remembering Brother Tom Kelly (“A Man at Home in the Missions,” Summer 2011) written

by Father Bruce Brylinski.

Brother Tom was one of the first Glenmarians who supervised my contacts with your headquarters when I ministered at the mission at Bethany House in Olive Hill, Ky., in the early 1980s.

He was so sincere and encouraging at a time when I was just beginning to learn the Glenmary spirit, and ‘Thanks to GlenI will always mary Home Misremember his patience and sioners, we have helpfulness. a thriving Catholic Later I had church in northeast the privilege of working with Georgia.’ other Glenmarians for many years. I also worked with Brother Vince Wilmes in Olive Hill.

I found them all to be inspiring, grace-filled and sincere sharers of God’s Good News.

Sister Norma Dell, OP Adrian, Mich.

Thank you!

i just wanted to thank you for your work. I am a member of St. Paul the Apostle Church in Cleveland, Ga. The Glenmary priests and brothers built our first building and staffed the church when I first went to RCIA. Without their help, the Catholic community in this county might not have a church. We now have four Masses each weekend and a resident priest.

Thanks to the Glenmary 18

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sincere and encouraging: Brother Tom Kelly (right) spent eight years living and working in Manassas, Ga. Brother Ralph Riehle and Brother Tom were part of Glenmary’s Backroads Min­ istry. Brother Tom died in February 2011 and was remembered in an article published in the Summer 2011 issue of Glenmary Challenge.

Home Missioners, we have a thriving Catholic church in northeast Georgia.

Janice Wilson Cleveland, Ga. Milestones

reading through Glenmary Challenge, I marvel at your milestones in various areas.

God be praised!

I am 84 years old and enjoy reading about your success in the missions, and I love to receive your magazine.

Phyllis Robinson Bellefonte, Del. Correction

in a letter that appeared in the Autumn 2011 issue of Glen-

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mary Challenge, Sister Mary Jean Morris identified Sister Nancy Dawson as the president of the Dubuque Franciscans.

In fact, Sister Nancy Schreck is the president of the Dubuque Franciscans. Sister Nancy Schreck also spent several years ministering at the former Glenmary mission in Okolona, Miss.

We apologize for any confusion this error may have caused.

Readers’ Views welcome! Send comments to: Editor, Glenmary Challenge, P.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246. Fax: 513874-1690, E-mail: challenge@ glenmary.org. Please include a postal address.

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O n line Co nte nts

What’s new New Planned Giving Section

New content has been added to Glenmary’s Planned Giving pages. The pages feature the latest planned giving informa­ tion and contain tools to assist donors interested in making planned gifts. search: planned giving

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Remember Glenmary and the home missions by making an end-of-year gift using our secure site. search: donate

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Read Brother Levis Kuwa’s story of his vocation and his jour­ ney through formation. search: news journey

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Discover ways U.S. parishes can become more missionary in nature and practice. search: theology review

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Help the environment and Glenmary by receiving your Glenmary Challenge via an e-mail link. search: recent issue

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Feature Story Kids ‘Get’ Missionary Message at VBS

Students at an Ohio parish’s Vacation Bible School heard what it’s like to be a missionary from a Glenmarian and co­ worker—and ‘they really got it.’ search: kids get

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photo / brother david henley

Glenmary G l i m p s e / Pilgrimage to Appalachia

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ine people learned about the issues facing the Appalachian region during an Oct. 15-18 mission trip through Eastern Kentucky and West Virginia led by Father John Rausch. One of the stops on the trip was Kayford Mountain in West Virginia, which has been ravaged by the mountaintop removal mining process. Above, Wes Harris (left), from the United Mine Workers of America, stands in front of what was a mountain and talks to (from right) Cody Craft, Father John and David Pelis. Cody is discerning a vocation to Glenmary and participated in the tour to learn about a region where Glenmary missioners minister. This was one in a series of mission trips for those exploring a missionary vocation.

Catholic Missioners to Rural America

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