photo / brother david henley
mission regions: Father Neil Pezzulo uses the “U.S. Religious Families” map to show students at Tipton (Kan.) Catholic Junior-Senior High School the areas of the United States with high and low Catholic populations.
mission education
Sharing Glenmary’s home mission ministry with students Kansas teens learn about mission needs, Glenmary’s ministry and are challenged to respond [kansas] For the second consecutive year, Glenmary participated in the Salina (Kan.) diocese’s mission education program for schools during the week before the Oct. 21 observance of World Mission Sunday. The theme for both events was “Missionaries of Faith.” Glenmary first vice president Father Neil Pezzulo and vocation director Brother David Henley led sessions at the diocese’s five high schools over five days. “We were honored and grateful to be invited again,” says Father Neil. “It was a chance to raise students’ awareness about mission needs and Glenmary’s ministry in the South and Appalachia. The students didn’t know missionaries worked in w w w. g l e n m a r y. o r g
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places that close to them, so we definitely had their attention.” Brother David adds that “we also shared our own stories as missioners and talked with them about how we’re all called to respond to mission needs in the best ways possible, including prayer and possibly missionary vocations.” Father Steve Heina, director of the diocesan Propagation of the Faith office, says he thinks “we’re the only home mission diocese that offers such a comprehensive mission education program for schools. So Glenmary’s experience working in rural home mission areas is a very valuable resource for us.” As in other home mission dioceses, he says, support from outside sources is needed. “But our Wi n t e r 2 0 1 2
(mission education) program helps students become more aware of U.S. and world mission needs and what they themselves have to give, as opposed to seeing themselves as just recipients of assistance. And it helps them understand they have the opportunity and responsibility to share with other people and the Church in any ways they can.” This past summer, Father Neil and Father Aaron Wessman also gave appeal presentations at four parishes in the Salina diocese. TO LEARN MORE: For information on Glenmary mission education programs for dioceses, schools and parishes, contact Allison Barrett at 800-935-0975 or abarrett@glenmary.org.
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