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
nothing is small in the eyes of god
Building a Home for a Holy Family
G L E N M A R Y. O R G
three wise missioners
Christmas Tales from the Missions
in the footsteps of a saint
Father Les Continues Saint Paul VI’s Work
W I N T E R 2 0 1 81
Lessons in Carols 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.)
“Away in a manger no crib for a bed, the little Lord Jesus laid down his sweet head. The stars in the sky looked down where he lay, the little Lord Jesus asleep on the hay.” This is one of my favorite Christmas carols, but if we stop and think about it, it is profoundly sad. Here at this important moment in history, God incarnate was left out in the cold. Christ started his journey on Earth in solidarity with the poor, forced to sleep where animals feed because there was no room at the inn. This Christmas there are so many with nowhere to lay their heads. In the Sonoran Desert near Arizona, a mother fleeing violence at home is giving the last of her water to an infant son and praying they reach safety. In downtown Atlanta, a homeless man is denied entry at a full shelter. In a Tennessee trailer park, the snow causes a makeshift roof to collapse, and the family of eight within huddles together behind a tarp. Tonight, most of us will sleep in warm beds. I don’t remind you of this to cause sadness or guilt. We rightly thank God for the blessings of our own lives during this season, but we must remember the poor. Glenmary drives this lesson home for me. Glenmarians work from sun up to sun down for the poor. Not everyone we serve is poor of course, but missioners are never far from the most vulnerable. Glenmarians don’t do this to win grace, or curry favor. They do it because 2,000 years ago, a little baby who started out with nowhere to lay his head grew up to save us from sin. Our omnipotent, magnificent God chose to become man by becoming like the poor. Let us honor that by seeing Christ in the poor around us today and all year round. From the staff of Glenmary Challenge, have a blessed Advent and a very merry Christmas.
GLENMARY HOME MISSIONERS P.O. Box 465618 · Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 513-874-8900 · 800-935-0975 · challenge@glenmary.org © 2018, Glenmary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.
ON THE COVER: Makayla Slusher and her kitten will live in a warmer house with more room thanks to Glenmary volunteers. Photo by Cassie Magnotta.
Nothing Is Small in the eyes of god PA G E 9
photo essay by cassie magnotta
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warm - hearted teer
collects
volun -
coats
Winter is here and many people don't have warm coats. Glenmary volunteer Bob Wojtkowski is doing something about it.
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three bring
wise
gifts
missioners of
faith
The Word, the Eucharist, and places of worship are gifts that Glenmary brings to mission territories in Appalachia and the South.
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in the footsteps of a saint: father les schmidt
Father Les Schmidt is compelled by the missionary spirit of St. Paul VI, teaching people to dialogue in their parishes and communities.
Publisher: Father Chet Artysiewicz Editor: John Stegeman Asst. Editor: John Feister Art Director: Cassie Magnotta Staff Writer: Father John Rausch
Planning-Review Board: Lindsay Braud, Br. Craig Digmann, Fr. Dave Glockner, Br. David Henley, Frank Lesko, Fr. Neil Pezzulo, Lucy Putnam, Fr. Don Tranel
Donor Advisory Board: Theodore Capossela, Jill Collet, Joseph DeAngelo, Ivan Doseff, William Goslee, Ken Mahle, Terry Schneeman, Albert Vondra
photo by john feister
The Greatest Gift Is That of Christ FROM THE PRESIDENT / Father Chet Artysiewicz
I once heard the saying, “Life is like Italian pastry: it’s not quite as good as it looks.” I can’t concur with whoever uttered that. I don’t think I’ve ever had a bad cannoli or tiramisu! But I wonder if that author would offer the same opinion about Christmas—that it’s not quite as good as the ads portray it to be. It begs the question: if not, then why? Perhaps the barrage of advertising—I heard my first full Christmas commercial on Oct. 4—telling us or, perhaps selling us, that this thing or that will be just the item that will make the holiday perfect creates unrealistic expectations. From matching pajamas to the newest phone to that glimmering new vehicle in the driveway, it will be the ultimate thing to brighten our day. Of course, the key word is thing. Now, things are very useful. Consider the washing machine. I’m very glad I don’t have to go to the river 4
GLENMARY CHALLENGE glenmary.org
and beat my clothes against the rocks to clean them. But here’s the—um—thing about things: other things come along and replace them. Things, for all their value, are externals and their perfection ultimately fades. So if we want to speak of the truly perfect Christmas gift, well, we can’t bestow that because it’s already been given. But lucky us, we’re the recipients! We can call the gift of the Christ to us an internal one. Regardless of our life’s circumstances, this gift with His promise is unchangingly perfect. There is no distinction about who can or cannot afford it. The things we give and receive are mere symbols of THE Gift, whether the items be costly, or of the socks-andunderwear variety. In the afterglow of Christmas, sometimes impersonating sheer exhaustion, we savor the joy of the occasion. Wasn’t it great to do something to make the kids happy? Wasn’t it satisfying to donate toys and gifts to help others? And perhaps at Christmas Mass or sometime during the quiet of the day, we realize how
glenmary news & notes Parishioners bring truckload of kindness volunt eers / Illinois group goes the extra mile
Each year parishioners at St. Paul the Apostle Parish in Peotone, Ill., gather clothing, books and other goods. Then volunteers head off to share it with
others. Mary Lou Cooper (right) and Maura Culver drove the 4-plus hours to
bring the gifts to Glenmary. From the Cincinnati headquarters, the gifts will be sent to Glenmary mission parishes. Father Don Tranel received the gifts this
year which included hand-knit items and filled two full skids, once the truck
photo by john feister
was unpacked. Glenmary thanks the people of St. Paul in Peotone!
Country Raffle winners named
Glenmary president Father Chet Artysie-
wicz drew the winners of the 2018 Country
Raffle on Sept. 7 in Cincinnati. The $5,000, $3,000 and $1,500 prizes were awarded to winners in South Carolina, New York and
Wisconsin. An additional 11 winners reOPPOSITE PAGE: Father Chet celebrates with parishioners of St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Unicoi County, Tenn., at the dedication of their new permanent worship space (see page 6 for more).
ceived $100 prizes. The proceeds from the
Country Raffle help support Glenmary’s mission and ministry.
For more info contact Glenmary at 800-
935-0975 or donorservices@glenmary.org.
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photo by john stegeman
God gifted us with Jesus and with the eternal implications He offers. Some speculate that the Magi were people of means, yet despite their comfort there was a deeper yearning that led them on their journey. I suspect after encountering Christ, all their externals paled in significance. As human beings we need signs. It takes more than words to express love. Could we ever imagine a greater sign of God’s love for us than the arrival of this infant in the manger? And regarding signs, they often speak louder than words. Their depth can reverberate long after the sounds of the words end. We spend the rest of the liturgical year and frankly the rest of our lives plumbing the depths of this Godsign to us. The best gifts are the internal ones that last, that don’t fade with time. Bottom line: How could we ever improve upon the Gift that is the biggest I LOVE YOU in the history of the world? We can’t. So, from one perspective Christmas may not be as good as the ads portray, but on a deeper level it is far better than we could ever imagine. Thank you so much for all your prayers and support. On behalf of the Glenmary Home Missioners, may you have a blessed Christmas season as we continue to unwrap the gift of Jesus daily.
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ar o un d t h e m is s ion s • In Early County, Ga., Holy Family parish hosted a community Thanksgiving dinner. The youth group there provided food to first responders working on the holiday.
• St. Teresa of Kolkata in Union County, Tenn., hosted an All Saints Day party encouraging parishioners to dress up as saints. • Glenmary Father Aaron Wessman presented “Missionary Options for a Secular Age: Remaining in the World for the Salvation of the World” as a topic for Glenmarians to consider at their annual Theological Reflection. Father Aaron is the pastor of Glenmary’s Holy Spirit Mission in Bertie County, N.C. • Glenmary and Comboni Missionaries, both based in Cincinnati, Ohio, are working together. Mike Schneider, Glenmary’s treasurer and chief administrator, has been named as a member of the Comboni Missionaries Finance Advisory Board. Comboni Missionaries senior communication specialist, Lindsay Braud, is the newest member of the Glenmary Challenge Advisory Board. • Glenmaryʼs Volunteer Program in Grainger County, Tenn., has two new mountain managers. Paul Heinzen has a long list of previous volunteer positions, mostly overseas. Maria Pangori is a graduate of John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio.
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photo by john feister
• Glenmary Brother Curt Kedley in Bertie County, N.C., delivered grocery store gift cards to blind members of the community who had "aged out" of being served by other agencies.
Glenmary mission now full parish mission / Bishop Stika makes announcement at dedication
Things keep getting better for Glenmary’s St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church in Unicoi County, Tenn.
On Sept. 29, Knoxville Bishop Richard F. Stika arrived to dedicate the
mission’s newly constructed multipurpose building—and he had a surprise. In addition to the dedication, he read a proclamation announcing St. Michael the Archangel’s elevation from mission status to parish.
This change indicates the parish's growth since Glenmary established it
in 2011, officially as a mission of St. Mary’s in Johnson City, Tenn.
“I’ve been here since the very first day,” parishioner Jo Mountford said. “I
was here at the organization meeting at the Senior Citizen’s Center.” Before that she went to St. Mary’s, about 15 miles away. There had been an attempt
to start a parish back in the 1970s, she said, “but they just couldn’t make a go of it. There just weren’t enough people.”
Since then the inviting atmosphere shepherded by Glenmary Father
Tom Charters has brought in an influx of retirees, but, more dramatically, a booming growth of Hispanic families.
After the dedication Mass, Bishop Stika was able to see just how func-
tional the new St. Michael the Archangel building can be. A curtain respectfully separated the sanctuary from the main worship area, which quickly transformed into a banquet hall for a dinner.
Standing in front of the new parish, Bishop Stika commented, “It’s truly
a blessing. The work of the Glenmary community has blessed our diocese throughout our history.”
ABOVE: Bishop Richard Stika of Knoxville smiles with a young parishioner from St. Michael the Archangel Catholic Church on Sept. 29.
glenmary.org
Changes at HQ
Since August of 2016, more than a dozen new lay employees have been hired at Glenmary headquarters. “We’ve had several employees retire after long careers,” said Mike Schneider, Glenmary’s chief administrator. “We’ve been blessed by their long service, and their successors are bringing youthful energy to the office. It’s an exciting time. We have men taking Final Oaths, and several parishes are building. We have new staff members bringing their ideas to help us develop the Church in the missions.” Rachel Thome, pictured below with Director of Development Father Don Tranel, has been named Glenmary’s Assistant Director of Development. Rachel previously worked in the Mission Education and Ministry Office. Julia Sauter has been hired as Office Projects Coordinator for the Mission Education and Ministry Office to replace Rachel. Planned Giving Officer Susan Lambert is retiring, effective Feb. 1, after 49 years faithfully serving Glenmary’s donors.
photo by brother jason muhlenkamp
support / New staff, new work
Holy Family weathers hurricane
missioners in action / Glenmarians in Georgia help community
Hurricane Michael made landfall on Oct. 10 causing major destruction across Florida, Georgia, North Carolina and other parts of the southeastern
U.S. The storm’s path cut through four counties served by Glenmary with Early County in Georgia hit the hardest. A tree fell on the roof of Glenmary’s Holy Family church, fortunately causing just minimal damage. The nearby residence where three Glenmary brothers live suffered a much harder hit from a tree, and remained damaged a full month later.
After the storm, widespread power outages and displacement of fami-
lies became key points of concern. Glenmary Brother Jason Muhlenkamp
and Novice Antonio Marchi delivered more than 1,000 meals to families at
shelters and motels in the two weeks following the storm. The missioners from Holy Family also provided short-term housing at the church for two families who had nowhere else to go.
Help came from out of town, too. A former Glenmary mission in Metter,
Ga., sent over a trailer full of supplies. Two parishioners from the Communities
of St. Paul and St. Joseph in Illinois visited Early County to help residents remove downed trees. Glenmary Father Dennis Holly, who was filling in at Holy Family, celebrated Mass that Sunday in a church with no power.
photo by john feister
“Father Dennis is a saint,” Brother Jason said. “He comes down to fill
in and has to ride out this storm with no electricity. The good thing about Catholic Mass is that you can use candles!”
ABOVE: At Glenmaryʼs Holy Family mission in Early County, Ga., trees were knocked down all around, and even on top of, the church because of Hurricane Michael. Relief efforts will continue through the new year. LEFT: Rachel Thome and Father Don Tranel are key leaders in Glenmaryʼs development office.
Winter 2018
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photo by john stegeman
Warm-hearted Volunteer Collects Coats It gets cold in the mountains. Very cold. The people of Grainger County, Tenn., know how to prepare for winter, but a lack of financial resources leaves many residents without coldweather attire such as heavy coats. This year, Glenmary long-term volunteer Bob Wojtkowski is going allout to address the problem. For years Father Steve Pawelk of Glenmary’s St. John Paul II mission and the Glenmary Group Volunteer program, led by Joe Grosek, have worked together to gather coats, deliver firewood and help shore up residences for the coming freeze. But this year, the usual coat suppliers from St. Mary’s parish in Manchester, Iowa, were unable to secure a truck driver to deliver the goods. Enter Bob. Bob has served as a long-term volunteer, called a mountain manager, with Glenmary’s volunteer program for eight months. This fit8
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and-active retiree couldn’t stand the idea of people left out in the cold when he knew there were coats to be had. “I’ve been raised to always try and help people,” Bob said. “I’ve always had good paying jobs, so my way of helping was to donate a good share, but if I see a need I participate.” Bob offered to use his own pickup truck to drive from Joppa Mountain in Tennessee to Iowa for the coats. While planning his trip, he found out another St. Mary’s, this one in Wisconsin, had coats to spare too. Even the Glenmary headquarters in Cincinnati had some to give. All told, Bob’s trip included nearly 2,000 miles of driving. Glenmary novice Erick Orandi accompanied Bob on the journey. Bob was told by staff at the respective St. Marys that his pickup truck would have insufficient space glenmary.org
for the more than 200 expected coats and other donations. With Santa’s sleigh not available, Bob planned to rent a trailer to attach. “I prayed every night that this would be a success and it’s more than I thought,” Bob said, fighting back tears. “A lot more. Jesus has my back.” The coats, hats, etc. will be distributed first to the people in need at St. John Paul II, with the extras going to nearby Glenmary mission St. Teresa of Kolkata in Union County, and Mercy House, Glenmary's ministry in Bean Station. The former plant manager may be retired, but he has no plans of slowing down. When asked how long he planned to continue serving with Glenmary he answered swiftly. “Forever,” he said. “I love my job. I really do.” —John Stegeman
Nothing Is Small in the eyes of god photo essay by cassie magnotta On a crisp October morning, a group of adult volunteers organized by former Glenmary Farm Manager Eddie Biehn (left) set off from Glenmary’s volunteer site on Joppa Mountain, Tenn., to spend the day helping a family who live in a one-room home tucked deep in the hills. After a warm welcome from Amanda Slusher and her four youngest children, including Makayla (above), work soon began insulating the home and building a porch that will be enclosed as the family’s second room. Some volunteers install insulation and construct the addition, others laugh and play with the children in a barnyard full of animals. This is all part of Glenmary’s “ministry of presence,” where there is no act too small to be done with God’s love. Winter 2018
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Eddie (above) gives careful instruction with warm and fatherly patience to the two oldest boys, Ethan and Jesse, who are eager to learn and be a part of the project.
Brothers love to help. Bradley (left) throws his weight behind a shovel, where cinder blocks will soon support the new front-door stairway. Meanwhile, Ethan (above left) and Jesse are busy digging. As volunteer director Joe Grosek says, “being with people is as important, or more important, than the work we do.� 10
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glenmary.org
photo by coral cooper
At right, things come together as Joe and Ethan work on the floor. Once the floor is in place, volunteers and family celebrate a job well done and pose for a photo. The bottom photo shows the completion of the porch, which, when enclosed, will almost double the family’s living space.
photo by coral cooper
Volunteers have already planned a return visit to Glenmary’s volunteer program in Tennessee. Join the mission! Get in touch at volunteer@ glenmary.org
photos by john feister
3 Wise Missioners Bring Gifts of Faith Glenmary’s senior members are a font of mission experience, insight and more than a few good stories. Three Glenmarians, Fathers Ed Gorny, Dennis Holly, and Gerry “Pete” Peterson, shared their wise words about the birth of Jesus, the importance of mission, and more. Father Ed Gorny Father Ed, like the others, has seen service across the southeastern United States. “Over the years I served in about 10 different missions, in six or seven different states.” Now Father Ed helps with daily Mass at Glenmary headquarters in Cincinnati, where people who live or work nearby come for spiritual nourishment. One of the missions he served along the way was in West Union, Ohio, which is where this Christmas story comes from. 12
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“Every Christmas we would have a Christmas sharing-program. A lot of the folks were living in an area called Blue Creek, which was sort of a mountainous Appalachian area. Along the back roads were low-income folks who relied on part-time work and vegetable gardens for survival,” he recalls. “We would help them and their children with food during the Christmas season, assist them with clothing, toys and things for the kids.” He remembers in particular one man, Orville, who lived in a small frame home in which there were “no rugs on the floor and in the kitchen he had newspapers nailed to the wall instead of wallpaper.” Orville’s family had a happier Christmas that year due to the generous people at the Catholic Church, Holy Trinity, in West Union. For Father Ed, it was more than glenmary.org
simply charitable giving; it’s tied to the Incarnation. “Jesus Christ came into this world not only to save us, but also to grow up and proclaim the Good News, which is the Kingdom of God. Within that Good News, there's a call for mutual help, which we tried to pursue when I was pastor in West Union.” It was a big project. “All of us have the gift of communion with God,” says Father Ed. “But that communion lays some responsibilities on us.” Christmas giving, beyond our families, to the poor, is a response that makes sense to him. Father Dennis Holly There are a good number of Glenmary’s senior members who are still active in the field, from Mississippi to North Carolina. Father Dennis is one who has returned to Glenmary headquarters but fills in at the missions
when asked. When we caught up with him, he was filling in at Blakely, Ga.— just in time for Hurricane Michael, which struck the Florida Panhandle and made its way across south Georgia and beyond. Father Dennis took a break from the Holy Family mission to share a few stories from his days as pastor. One year, “the late John Barry and I were at Christmas Eve Mass in Franklin, N.C.,” he recalls. “We introduced ourselves before Mass began. “Some Protestants in the area were interested in celebrating with us at the church.” One of them made a friendly, joking comment after Mass: “At the reception, after the liturgy in the parish hall, one of the visitors came up to me and said, ‘Barry and Holly? What do you call yourselves at Easter?’ My mind was not quick enough, or sharp enough, to come up with a response that was as clever as the question. Waters and Powers? Cross and Victor? Wheat and Grapes?” Too late, Father Dennis! He recalls a story about another missioner from days back, Father Gus Guppenberger. Father Gus was sta-
tioned in Kentucky one Christmas. At the end of Christmas Eve Mass, which had an overflow crowd, he made an announcement from the pulpit: “’I want to thank our Protestant guests for adding to this celebration by your presence. I also want to thank you for bringing your Catholic friends.’” Father Dennis observes, “Most parishes have their CEO’s (Christmas and Easter Only Catholics). If you want to needle them when they do come, it is better to do it with humor!” Father Gerry “Pete” Peterson Before the wintry weather set in this year, you could often find Father Pete, just before sunrise, praying the rosary while walking the drive leading to the Glenmary residence. This once-farmer from Loretto, Ky., is slowing down a bit. But ask him for his favorite Christmas story from the missions, and he’s got one ready. It comes from his first mission Christmas in the coal town of Appalachia, Va. Full of a missioner’s fervor, he set out to Keokee, a nearby coal camp, to celebrate Midnight Mass. He personally had visited 100 homes
of area coal miners, inviting them to come for Christmas. On Christmas Eve the stage was set. He had a phonograph and speakers outside to play Christmas music. “I envisioned our little mission chapel being filled to overflowing!” he says. The snow started at 11 p.m. It didn’t let up, but the roads were still clear. He started the phonograph at 11:45, and turned up the volume, imploring “O Come, All Ye Faithful” into the hills. But, as he says, “the faithful weren’t coming!” Literally at the stroke of 12, one parishioner walked in. “As we began our service, ‘Silent Night’ was not as loud as I had anticipated!” But, then, the Holy Family’s stable was a pretty quiet place, too. For Father Pete, Christmas is all about John 3:16, “‘For God so loved the world that he gave his only son…’ Jesus became flesh to begin our salvation, and we try to bring that enfleshment of the Gospel to our missions… By the way,” he adds, laughing, “I had a lot of Christmases with far more coming than one person!” —John Feister
OPPOSITE PAGE: Our three wise missioners hold symbols of the gifts we carry to our missions: (l to r) God's Word (Father Dennis
Holly), bread symbolizing Eucharist (Father “Pete” Peterson), and prayers of the faithful rising to heaven in worship (Father Ed Gorny). Winter 2018
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In the Footsteps of a saint story + pho t o g raphs b y john f e ist e r Glenmary Father Les Schmidt and newly canonized St. Paul VI have one important thing in common: a true missionary spirit. Decades ago Pope Paul VI was devoted to evangelization and mission as key elements in the reform of the Catholic Church. He had chosen the name Paul, after all, because St. Paul of the New Testament tirelessly spread the Good News far and wide. The saintly pope even gave strong encouragement to Glenmary’s work (see box on opposite page). Father Les picked up on St. Paul VI’s missionary insight early in his own priesthood, and has carried it to this day, now adding the wisdom of Pope Francis. “For St. Paul VI,” Father Les says, “dialogue is the way forward,
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The Listening Parish The starting point for all missionary work is dialogue, or “encounter,” as Pope Francis famously calls it. We listen to people. We interact with them. We discover needs and opportunities to serve. With that in mind, Father Les and Adrian Dominican Sister Mary Priniski, with communications expert Leslye Colvin, have started a mission-education program, whose full name is “Gathering for Mission: Open to Transformation.” The goal is to teach diocesan leaders how to move forward in nurturing local mission. The impetus came from the 2017 Convocation of Catholic Leaders entitled “Joy of the Gospel” in Orlando, Fla. There the bishops took up how best to respond to Pope Francis’s request that the entire Church learn dialogue and missionary activity better. Gathering for Mission has an ambitious goal, the type Father Les relishes. “The bishops tell us that they’ve never been trained in dialogue,” he says. “It’s been debates, defending the faith.” That’s not to say that bishops don’t dialogue, of course. But a systematic approach to dialogue is a new thing for most. With the pope nudging the Church in this direction, the time is ripe. Here’s how it works, says Father Les, as he turns the car onto Route 247, heading into Adams County: “We set up a day of training with a local diocese.” Typically, an assistant to the local bishop calls the meeting, for pastors and other diocesan leaders. “We have practical exercises in dialogue. We actually do dialogue with them.” For many, the topic most in need of dialogue is the abuse scandals in the Church, so much in the news. At a bishop’s request, some groups dialogue about that, says Father Les.
g l enmary i n r ome
Meeting Saint Paul VI
The late Glenmary president Father Robert Berson
(d. 2003) had a question in the mid-1960s. In the
wake of Vatican II, especially after the game-changing Decree on Ecumenism, would Glenmary’s mis-
sion be modified in some way? The Roman Catholic
Church was proclaiming a new attitude toward other Christians, after all. Father Berson, accompanied by Brother Vincent Wilmes, went to Rome in 1966 seeking an answer to his question.
He left a note for us of what St. Paul VI told him,
during “15-20” minutes of conversation. The “pope
assured me that missionary work in our predomi-
glenmary archives
and that will lead to the sharing of wisdom.” St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI amplified this, and now Pope Francis has added new emphasis. Father Les and coworkers have launched a program to bring that wisdom to parishes. Today he zips along Highway 32 in southern Ohio, heading towards Adams County, home to one of Glenmary’s first parishes. His family moved there when he was a teen in the 1950s. As he drives, this octogenarian talks, emphatically, about parishes and the mission of the Church. Restless at heart, Les, as his friends call him, has lost little steam over the decades. We’re on our way to see his family's farm, and to learn about mission.
nantly Protestant areas was most appropriate, and that our apostolate was valuable to the whole
Church.” In fact, after seeing the Glenmary maps, and hearing how Glenmary develops parishes and
then returns them to the care of local dioceses, St. Paul VI told him, “This is truly heroic work!”
The Pope was being more than polite. The next
day, word got back to Father Berson that, after the
meeting, the pope told one of his aides of his interest in Glenmary. St. Paul VI, you see, was a great
promoter of the missionary work of the Church. Glenmary, he knew, was helping to fulfill his dream.
ABOVE: Glenmary Father Robert Berson (left) and Brother Vincent Wilmes pose with St. Paul VI. Winter 2018
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“It’s the way education can draw out of their lived experience of sharing the faith,” he says. With a group of pastors, we start with a simple question, “What’s happening in your parish? How are the people?” The participants respond, in turn, as the others practice listening. “Number two, we ask, how must the Church respond out of that lived experience in the parish?” That’s usually enough to get everyone talking and listening. And that’s the point, says Father Les: “Listening, listening, listening, listening!—so one guy just doesn’t get up and dominate everybody.” It seems simple enough, “But it’s amazing that everybody gets engaged. It’s not just about information; it’s about transformation.” The idea is to take that style of encounter, of listening and hearing people’s experience, back home. “In that way, it’s all about gathering for mission,” says Father Les. Now he’s talking not only about his program, but also about the nature of the Church itself. “Our purpose to come together at Eucharist is to first gather, to worship together, what happens next is the going, to the periphery, to the excluded, to the suffering. What we really do at Eucharist is to gather for mission. What Pope Francis emphasizes, what he really wants, is for the parish to be completely mission-oriented.”
photo: glenmary archives
LEFT: Father Les strikes a pose in his childhood home, a log cabin, now renovated—except for this corner. BELOW: In 1953, at the dedication of Glenmaryʼs Holy Trinity Church in West Union, Ohio, Glenmarians process into the new church. Young Les leads the procession as cross-bearer.
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photo by leslye colvin
People who truly are open to dialogue begin to realize that we truly, all, are one in Christ, says Father Les, now showing a preacher’s excitement. “St. Paul VI, and then, more recently, St. John Paul II, called it solidarity. When you see that, it changes everything. You might start off thinking, ‘It’s all about me.’ With a deeper listening you realize, ‘It’s all about the Kingdom! The Body of Christ, the other people who are in need.” What follows, he says, is obvious: “Love one another. Reach out, beyond the church walls, in faith. Fulfill the Church’s mission.” The scope of this project, as was Glenmary founder Father William Howard Bishop’s, is bigger than Appalachia and the South. Father Bishop saw Glenmary leading mission education for the entire United States, in addition to the society’s on-the-ground work in Southern mission parishes. Father Les and his team hope to provide training in dialogue to any diocese that will host them. Gathering for Mission is a bit of a capstone project for a man who heard his call to priesthood in a Glenmary parish, who has dedicated a long life to Catholic mission. “This is a powerful moment,” says Father Les. As his car passes the red barn, he turns off Route 247 toward the gravel road that leads back to the family farm. Not missing a beat, he finishes his thought, “It’s what St. Paul VI planted so many years ago, now bearing fruit in North America.” ABOVE: Teaching leaders how to dialogue effectively is the goal of Father Les’s mission training program. Leaders from the Archdiocese of Atlanta, including Archbishop Wilton Gregory (center, in blue), practice in one of Father Les’s sessions. RIGHT: At the family farm, Father Les waves a whimsical farewell. Winter 2018
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letters to the editor John Stegemanʼs column in the Autumn Glenmary Challenge was especially meaningful to me because my home Diocese of Pittsburgh figured prominently in the Pennsylvania grand jury abuse investigation and report. Therefore, I am extremely thankful to have been part of the annual Glenmary Mission tour in September. Witnessing firsthand the faith and good works of my fellow pilgrims and of the staff and parishioners of the churches that we visited was, in-
deed, a much-needed blessing at this sad time. Thanks be to God for the grace-filled experience! Rita Madak · Pittsburgh, Pa. keep up the good work
Back in July I was very pleased that Father William Howard Bishop was featured in Give Us This Day which is put out by Liturgical Press. Keep up the good work Glenmary, and we hope to see you someday soon.
photo by rachel thome
meaningful moment
Beverly Okey · Newburgh, Ind. ABOVE: Every fall Glenmary leads a mission tour for donors. This yearʼs trip was to Holy Family mission in Lafayette, Tenn., led by Glenmary Father Vic Subb. While touring the area, the group visited Our Lady of the Angels Chapel, a secluded worship space in the hills of Macon County. Join us next year by emailing Rachel Thome at rthome@ glenmary.org.
correction
This Christmas, Give a Gift to Glenmary!
Please prayerfully consider partnering with us this Christmas: • • • • •
Make a gift of cash or appreciated assets Join Glenmary’s Monthly Giving Program Make a gift from your IRA Establish a Glenmary Gift Annuity Join us in prayer for Glenmary vocations Susan Lambert, Planned Giving Officer slambert@glenmary.org 800-935-0975
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GLENMARY CHALLENGE
glenmary.org
In the Autumn Glenmary Challenge, our cover story contained some errors. The spot where Brother Tom serves as a Trail Angel is Indian Grave Gap, not Iron Mountain. Also, Brother Tom volunteered with the Holston chapter of Habitat for Humanity, which awarded him, in Johnson City, Tenn. In addition, Janet Hensley is a volunteer, not an employee of the Appalachian Trail Conservancy.
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.
T H E W E B S I T E O F C AT H O L I C MISSIONERS TO RURAL AMERICA
glenmary.org
Christians knowing Christians Glenmary's Frank Lesko blogs about ecumenical relations between Christians and getting to know one another without agendas.
tinyurl.com/christianstogether Join a Come and See Trip
Moving to a new mission
If Glenmary stirs your heart, come and see the missions, meet the missioners, and see if this is where God is calling you to make a difference.
Father John Brown, Glenmary missioner: “You go to the next place because you are called.”
glenmary.org/come-and-see
glenmary.org/nextplace
Follow us on Facebook! Learn more about our missions and get to know our priests, brothers, and coworkers. One thingʼs for sure, life at Glenmary is never boring!
facebook.com/glenmary.org Glenmary in the News
Shop on Amazon? Support Glenmary!
Glenmary’s faithful service causes others to take note. Check out a monthly roundup by visiting our website and searching for “in the news.”
Simply designate that your charity of choice is Glenmary Home Missioners, and Amazon donates a portion of each purchase!
glenmary.org Sounds of the Season
glenmary.org/amazon-smile
Glenmary hosted its annual Christmas Concert Dec. 2. Check out photos from the event featuring Cincinnati Brass Band!
glenmary.org/concert2018 #GivingTuesday Update
Our Missions in Photos
Thanks to all of you who donated on Giving Tuesday in November. We met our goal of $10,000! See how your gifts will be used in the missions at:
Follow us on Instagram for a peek into the life of serving in the home missions ministry.
instagram.com/glenmarymissioners
glenmary.org/gt2018
Winter 2018
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Heat or Hunger?
families are often forced to make hard choices . glenmary home missioners connects people with the resources and services they need most . glenmary.org/ways-to-give
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
NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION U.S. Postage PAID Glenmary Home Missioners
