Glenmary Challenge Spring 2013

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

Sp r i n g 2013 www.g l e nma r y. o r g

Progress of new Tennessee mission fueled by faith, enthusiasm, hope

Starting from Scratch

Out of the ShadowsYoung immigrants make voices heard

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FROM THE EDITOR / Jean Bach

Dedication, hope and new life

Jean [email protected]

Publisher: Father Chet ArtysiewiczEditor: Jean Bach

Assistant Editor: Dale HansonArt 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

GlEnMaRy HOME MIssIOnERs

GlEnMaRy CHallEnGEThis 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.)

Father William Howard Bishop Glenmary Founder

Founded by Father William Howard Bishop in 1939, this Catholic society of priests and brothers, along with numerous coworkers, establishes the Catholic Church in small-town 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 en-tirely through freewill offerings, it staffs missions and ministries throughout Appalachia and the South.

Glenmary missioners serve in areas where less than three per-cent of the population is Catho-lic, a significant percentage have no church affiliation and the poverty rate is almost twice the national average. Glenmary is known for deeply respecting the many cultures encountered in the home missions—Ap-palachian, Native American, African American and Latino among others. Its missionary activity includes building Catholic communities, fostering ecumenical cooperation, evangelizing the unchurched, social outreach and work-ing for justice.

GlEnmARy HOmE miSSiOnERSP.O. Box 465618 • Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618513-874-8900 • 800-935-0975www.glenmary.org • [email protected]

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© 2013, Glenmary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.

T he word “dedication” keeps coming to mind as I read through this issue of Glenmary

Challenge. It is illustrated in the articles about missioners and coworkers starting and staffing new missions and Glenmarians continuing their ministries as senior members. And it’s what also came to mind after I interviewed Lidia Mon-dragon and Humberto Marquez for a story that starts on page 15.

They are two of the most inspiring, dedicated, well-spoken young people I have had the privi-lege to encounter. As I listened to their stories and tried to condense the abundance of infor-mation they gave me for the article, I found my-self wondering what I would do if I were in their positions. Would I choose to speak out and be-come as active as they have? That’s a hard ques-tion to answer as a U.S. citizen. But I challenge

you, as you read the article, to put yourself in their shoes and try to imagine what it must feel like to live in the limbo Lidia describes.

last year, three Glenmarians celebrated the 50th anniver-

sary of their First Oath. Because of editorial issues, it wasn’t possi-ble to include them in the Winter 2012 edition as planned.

Although notoriety is not some-thing most Glenmarians crave, the page-14 article pays tribute

to the dedication these men have shown—and continue to show—as they serve the missionary apostolate of the home missions.

I join Father Chet (page 4) in praying that the hope found in the resurrection may infuse us

all with new life this Easter. May we be inspired to find a way to dedicate our lives to making a difference in the lives of others.

abOuT THE COvER: Father Tom Charters celebrates weekday Mass in the home of Jack and Terry Holiwski, members of St. Michael the Archangel mission in Erwin, Tenn. Over the past 18 months, Father Tom, as pastor of this new mis-sion community without a permanent worship space, has become adept at packing Mass kits and celebrating liturgy in a variety of spaces.

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starting From scratch Father Tom Charters, Brother Tom Sheehy and lay missioner Kathy O’Brien wear many hats as they work to help the new mission community in Unicoi County, Tenn., lay its foundation.

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Out of the shadowsImmigrant youth take local and national action to help promote the cause of U.S. immigration reform.

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141718 Final Words / from our readers

Recent articles stir memories of mission experiences; reader expresses gratitude for profile in Winter issue.

Partner in MissionThrough their volunteer service, Pat and Mary Ann Kent have experienced “mission” up close.

2012 JubilariansTribute is paid to three Glenmarians who took their First Oath 50 years ago.

Then & nowAs spring approaches, mission children look toward first Communion.

Glenmary news & notesPastoral team begins work; two new missions staffed in Georgia; young converts prepare in Tennessee.

From the President / Father Chet ArtysiewiczNational tragedy and personal loss call us to cling to the promise of hope found in the resurrection.

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volunteers, Page 17

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Vo l u m e 7 6 / N u m b e r 1

COvER Story

FEaTuRE Story

DEPaRTMEnTs & columNSyouth, Page 15

new Catholics, Page 7

First Communion, Page 12

pHoTo / dALe HANSoN

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The Easter message of hope in the midst of loss is needed now more than ever

FROM THE PREsIDEnT / Father Chet Artysiewicz

Every tear will be wiped away

Father Chet Artysiewicz [email protected]

Here lies an oddity: I am composing this Easter message a week before Christ-mas. Now, that is quite understandable,

given that Glenmary Challenge is a quarterly publication and deadlines for printing deter-mine the timing of articles. But as I write this column, it seems to me that the hope of Easter is needed now for our grieving world.

Last Thanksgiving the city of Newtown, Conn., was unfamiliar to most people. But the Dec. 14 killing of 20 children and six adults at Sandy Hook Elementary School changed that.

The horror that struck Newtown defies un-derstanding. Can a mind twisted by illness or evil begin to explain such incongruity—the deaths of innocent children and adults as the world prepares to welcome the birth of inno-cence, Emmanuel? Perhaps the tragedy reso-nated so strongly with us because of our real-ization that it could have been my community, my school, my children….

arkansas is quite a distance from Con-necticut, yet another experience of loss this past Christmas linked the two

for me. Danny Phillips was 19 and had just completed his first semester of college as a seminarian for the Diocese of Little Rock. He died in a car accident en route to his home in Booneville, Ark., on Dec. 18. While his death was solitary and the result of an accident, it is as tragic for his family and loved ones as the losses experienced in Newtown.

Danny was special, not only to his family and friends, but also to Glenmary. He was a member of our Booneville mission, which was returned to the pastoral care of the diocese last summer. He attended the ordination of two Glenmary priests last May and made us proud when he said he wanted “to bring some Glenmary spirit” to his future diocesan priestly ministry.

Perhaps you are grieving the death of a spouse, parent, lifelong friend—or a child, which psychologists describe as the worst pain humans can experience. Was it a sudden onset of a dreaded disease, or perhaps a protracted process that afforded you many opportunities to say goodbye?

As we sift through all the emotions involved

when loved ones die, no matter what the cir-cumstances, we are left with a common expe-rience of a void in our lives that we grieve.

“Lord, for your faithful peo-ple life is changed, not ended.” These words from the preface of the funeral Mass have profound meaning for me and have been a comfort during times of person-al grief. They are also the words the Church has given me to pro-claim—as Easter asserts—that because Christ rose from the dead, we can have confidence that, indeed, life is not ended.

Once again this year, a new fire will be lit at the Easter Vigil, taking us from darkness to light, from death to life. From that fire Catholics will light the Easter candle, the light of which is a reminder that Christ has conquered death and nothing will ever be the same.

The congregants will then share that Easter flame, lighting their own candles as reminders of the candles they received at their baptisms, recalling St. Paul’s words that if we are bap-tized in Christ’s death, we are baptized into his resurrection.

as springtime renews the earth and we approach Easter, may this core feast of our faith once again sustain us with

hope in the midst of loss. A truth taught by many great minds is that

“grace builds on nature.” God gave us hearts with which to love, and it is only natural to suf-fer pain and endure grief in the face of death. Tears shed over our loved ones’ deaths do not bespeak a lack of faith in God’s promise that “every tear will be wiped away,” but only the pain of losing the gifts God gave us in the per-sons who have died.

May the profound truth of the resurrection fortify us during these passages. Thank you for all you do to assist our missioners and co-workers in proclaiming this message of hope. On behalf of all of them, I wish you a blessed Easter season.



C A T H O l i C n u r T u r E

Looking to the future of Ky. and Tenn. missionsPastoral team in place to expand on potential for growth

TakInG THE lEaD: Father Vic Subb pastors two Kentucky missions and one Tennessee mission. He, members of the pastoral team and congrega-tion members like MaryAnn Federico, above, are working together to help local Catholics continue building faith communities that reach out to others.

[kentucky] On Sept. 1, 2012, Father Vic Subb, Father Crispine Adongo and Brother Larry John-son became the new pas-toral team serving two existing Glenmary mis-sions in Lafayette, Tenn. (Macon County), and Scottsville, Ky. (Allen County), as well as a new mission in Celina, Tenn. (Clay County).

Recently ordained Fa-ther Crispine and Father Vic, the mission’s pastor, provide the sacramental ministry at the three mis-

n E w M i S S i O n S

Missioners assume responsibility for two missions in southwest Ga.Priest and pastoral coordinator begin outreach by meeting people and discovering needs [georgia] On the week-end of Jan. 12-13, 2013, Glenmary assumed re-sponsibility for two mis-sion parishes in south-west Georgia.

Father John Brown is serving those living in Early County as pastor of Holy Family mission in Blakely. Susan Sweet is ministering to those liv-ing in Randolph County

Glenmary news & notes

as the pastoral coordina-tor of St. Luke mission in Cuthbert. Father John also serves this mission as a sacramental minister.

“These two counties are very much ‘Glenmary territory,’” according to Father Chet Artysiewicz, Glenmary’s president.

He cites that both counties have high pov-erty levels, 36 percent and

25 percent, respectively. The percentage of per-sons who claim no church home ranges from 63 per-cent in Early County to 59 percent in Randolph County.

These two missions are exceptions in that they were already estab-lished church commu-nities when Glenmary missioners arrived. Trini-

tarian priests served the two mission churches in the past.

“We’re happy to have two additional missions in the Diocese of Savannah,” Father Chet adds. “Our missioners look forward to settling in and discov-ering the needs of the counties. And most espe-cially, they look forward to meeting the people.”

sions and are active in the community. For example,

Father Cris visits the hospitalized and home-

bound, celebrates week-ly Mass with local jail inmates and works with mission youth. Brother Larry is involved with various social outreach ministries such as serv-ing the counties’ young people.

If the three missions have one overriding need, says Father Vic, it’s to keep building them-selves up as strong faith communities that reach out to others. He says he’s excited about the poten-tial for growth.

As the new year un-folds, Father Vic, his fel-low Glenmarians, and their mission members will be focusing on “why we come together in our mission communities, why we care for others in need, and why we wel-come the stranger,” he says. “We need to remem-ber all these things as we look towards the future.”

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glenmary news& notes c o n t i n u e d d O n O r S E r v i C E S

Order your Easter cards today!Send greetings to family, friends using one-of-a-kind cards

around the Missions Working with the pastors of the local episcopal and Methodist churches in Bertie County, N.C., Father Mike Kerin, the pastor of the Catholic Community of Bertie County, helped organize the coun-ty’s first countywide Thanksgiving service last November. In prior years, members of the Catholic, episcopal and Method-ist churches gathered for a celebration. Father Mike is happy to report that “we had a fantastic turnout” at the first an-nual event, which brought together those of different denominations and racial backgrounds.

The Diocese of Owensboro held a celebration on Saturday, dec. 8, 2012, in observance of the diocese’s 75th an-niversary. during a Mass attended by an estimated 4,500 people, Bishop William Medley spoke of those who have contrib-uted to the diocese’s history, mentioning especially Glenmary Home Missioners. “...the Glenmary Missioners have been our coworkers in this vineyard since their founding and are still here today. Without their missionary zeal, it is doubtful that we could boast that there is a Catholic church in every one of our 32 counties.” Glenmary’s first mission at Sunfish, Ky., was established in the diocese.

A food bank has been established in Grainger County, Tenn., through the ef-forts of Father Steve Pawelk and the ministers of the local Baptist and Meth-odist congregations. Father Steve says the Hands of Christ Food Bank opened in February 2013. Unlike a food pantry, the food bank is not a direct-service entity. In-stead, local agencies will contact the food bank when needs arise and the food bank will respond to the agencies. Father Steve is the pastor of Blessed John Paul II mis-sion located in Grainger County.

[ohio] As the Easter season approaches, Glenmary is once

again making available greeting cards featuring an original work by California art-ist Jennifer Smith Greene.

Those who re-ceive the cards will be remem-bered in Glen-mary’s annual Easter novena.

Cards, in packs of five, are

free upon request, although a donation of $5 will help cover printing and mailing costs.

“We’re happy to make these beautiful cards available to all those who want to share the joy and new life of Easter with friends and family,” says Father Dominic Duggins, Glenmary’s development director.

FOR MORE InFORMaTIOn: Contact Jennifer Snedigar, Glenmary’s annual giving coordinator, at 800-935-0975 or [email protected].

Donor GatheringGlenmary donors in the Chicago area are invited to a special event on April 21. For more information, contact Mike prym at 800-935-0975 or [email protected].

If you have included Glenmary in your will or trust, please tell us so we have the pleasure of thanking

you now—and including you as a member of the Father Bishop Legacy Society.

These legacy gifts will help ensure that the needs of those we serve in the home missions will continue to be met in the decades to come!

Have You Included Glenmary In Your Will?

Don’t Keep It a Secret!

To request information on how to include Glenmary

in your will or trust or to notify us that you have already done so,

please contact:

Susan Lambert Planned Giving Officer

[email protected]


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M i S S i O n O u T r E A C H

Tennessee missions to welcome new Catholics at EasterYouth, adults and families take first step on a journey toward reception of the sacraments

[tennessee] On the Feast of Christ the King, five young peo-ple, ages 12-17, pledged to pre-pare for initiation into the Cath-olic Church at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta and Blessed John Paul II missions in Maynardville and Rutledge, respectively.

And three children were bap-tized on the First Sunday of Ad-vent.

“We closed the liturgical year and began a new one with signs of new life,” says Father Steve Pawelk, pastor of both missions.

The two mission communi-ties were called together in the late summer of 2011. Since then, both have grown in member-ship and outreach. As Easter approaches, these five young people join with two adults and one family preparing to enter the Church.

While the stories of how

a JOuRnEy bEGIns: Father Steve Pawelk anoints one of the many catechumens and can-didates who are preparing to enter the Church in Glenmary’s Maynardville and Rutledge, Tenn., missions. Father Aaron Wessman, the associate pastor, is to Father Steve’s left.

these individuals found their way to the Catholic Church are inspiring, McKenzie’s story is, in Father Steve’s words, “unique and amazing.”

McKenzie, 17, and her grand-mother drove past the storefront that houses Blessed John Paul II mission last Lent and were surprised to see that there was a Catholic presence in Grainger County. They stopped to inves-tigate because her grandmother was Catholic but hadn’t been to church in a number of years.

“As I talked to her grand-mother, McKenzie sat in on the youth retreat going on that day and ended up staying for the whole day,” Father Steve says. “At the end of the day, she asked about becoming Catholic.”

Since then, she has been bringing friends to church and to RCIA classes. Two of those

friends are entering the Church with her this Easter.

“All these people journey-ing towards membership in the Church are wonderful blessings to our missions,” Father Steve says. “What great gifts of faith we are receiving here in our small missions!”

Another blessing to both mis-sion communities has been the addition of Father Aaron Wess-man to the pastoral team. Fa-ther Aaron serves as youth min-ister as well as director of faith formation.

The two priests and Brothers Joe Steen and Craig Digmann are eager to welcome the new Catholics to the Church and the local mission communities.

“The Holy Spirit is working here through us,” Father Steve says. “And we are so humbled and thankful!”

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glenmary news& notes c o n t i n u e d A d O p T - A - M i S S i O n p r O G r A M

Two Wisconsin parishes reach out ‘beyond themselves’ Parish director challenges parishioners to see what more they can do for others through ‘adoption’

[wisconsin] When Sister Pam Biehl, OSF, became parish direc-tor of St. Mary Church in Omro, Wis., and St. Mary Church in Winneconne, Wis., in 2007, her first priority was “to get our own house in order,” she says.

She and church members worked together to build up the parishes as vibrant, active com-munities and to refurbish physi-cal facilities.

After three years, she gave parishioners a new challenge. “I asked them to look at what more we could do for others, to reach out in some way be-

yond ourselves and our own lo-cal communities.” Based on her own past experiences, she rec-ommended that they look into “adopting” a Glenmary mission in the South or Appalachia.

“I served as director of liturgy and pastoral director for many years at St. Raphael Church in Oshkosh, Wis., where we adopt-ed two of Glenmary’s Arkansas missions,” she says. “I know how much those relationships meant to St. Raphael and Glenmary parishioners, and I wanted our St. Mary parishes to have the same kind of experience.”

Through Glenmary’s Adopt-A-Mission Program, an able parish and an economically struggling Glenmary mission enter into a covenant based on mutual prayer, financial assis-tance and encouragement.

In January 2012, the two St. Mary parishes joined forces to adopt Glenmary’s new St. Mi-chael the Archangel mission in Erwin, Tenn., pastored by Fa-ther Tom Charters. (See article on following page.)

Since then, the congregations have steadily built their relation-ship. They include one another in their weekly Mass intentions, and the parishes have provided financial and material support to the mission. Sister Pam and Father Tom talk by phone regu-larly and share parish updates.

Three Erwin mission mem-bers have visited the St. Mary parishes. And one family from the Wisconsin parishes has vis-ited Erwin and delivered needed items.

“The St. Mary parishes have generously assisted us,” Father Tom says. “And it’s beautiful knowing there are two par-ishes out there that care about us, are in prayer for us, and are ready to help. It’s also good for our mission members to realize they really are part of the larger Church. In turn, we are reaching out to them in prayer and other ways.”

FOR MORE InFORMaTIOn: To learn more about Glenmary’s Adopt-A-Mission or Adopt-A-Missioner programs, contact the development Office at 800-935-0975 or [email protected].

Come&Seeif home mission ministry is for you!

Glenmary invites men ages 18-46 to attend an upcoming Come & See event in our home mission counties.

Is God calling you to a religious vocation?

Can you see yourself as a missioner?Have you considered Glenmary

priesthood or brotherhood?

Contact Glenmary’s Vocation Office for more information: [email protected] • www.glenmary.org/vocationinfo

It’s a joyful—and joy-filled—life to live.



Faith, dedication, enthusiasm and hope for the future are not in short supply in Unicoi County, Tenn., home to one of Glenmary’s newest mission communities. The experi-ence of establishing this mission has been ‘life-giving’ to both the missioners and local Catholics.

Photos and story by Dale Hanson

FuTuRE anD PREsEnT: (Top) Members of the pastoral team (Brother Tom Sheehy, center; Father Tom Charters, standing at right; Kathy O’Brien, standing to Father Tom’s right) serv-ing St. Michael mission join parishioners on the almost 15 acres that will someday be home to the mission’s church building. For now, the community gathers for Mass each Sunday at the local Elks Club (bottom).

SCRATCHSTARTINGfrom

Father Tom Charters and his fellow pastoral team members at Glenmary’s new Unicoi County mission in East Tennessee have served many mission communities. How-ever, they are especially impressed by the members of St. Michael the Archangel mis-

sion and their response in helping build a mis-sion community from scratch.

“It’s been very life-giving and amazing,” says Father Tom. “And I believe everything happen-ing here is because of the movement and grace of the Spirit.”

When he and Brother Tom Sheehy arrived in the county seat of Erwin in summer 2011, their goal was to establish a permanent Catholic pres-ence and serve residents’ spiritual and material needs in this rural Appalachian county—where fewer than 1 percent are Catholic and over 18 percent live below the national poverty level. A



year later, Glenmary Lay Missioner Kathy O’Brien joined the team as pastoral associate.

In addition to the Spirit’s presence, other things stood out right away: “Neither Brother Tom nor I have ever felt so welcomed by residents and other minis-ters,” says Father Tom. “And the members of this new mission community have been very enthusiastic, open and welcoming, eager to evangelize, and willing to take initiative.”

Before moving to Erwin, Father Tom sent introduc-tory letters to some local Catholics and parishes in neighboring counties, telling them Glenmary had been invited by the Knoxville diocese to es-tablish a Catholic church in Unicoi County. He also placed ads in area newspapers.

The missioners’ early, providential encounters with local Catholics, ministers and area residents were just one way they’ve experienced the Spirit’s workings. The newspapers also published well-timed, positive articles. “Things just seemed to fall into place for us,” he says.

For example, during his second week in Erwin he

met future mission members Jack and Terry Holi-wski—who introduced him to many local people and places. “We were ecstatic when we heard about Glen-mary,” says Terry. Jack adds that “Father Tom has a gift for drawing people in.” From the mission’s start, week-day Masses were celebrated in the Holiwskis’ home.

Beginning in September 2011, the fledgling mission had a series of organizational meetings attended by local Catholics, many of whom had joined churches in other counties over the years. “We were really happy to meet other Catholics in Unicoi County,” says mission member Roger Georgia.

The pastor planted some seeds for the future at those meetings. “We talked about what it means to be a Glenmary mission,” he says, “including our call to reach out to others. We discussed having one bilingual (English and Spanish) Sunday Mass to foster a strong community. And we talked about the need to share our gifts and talents. From the start, people had good ideas and were ready to make this commitment.”

Parishioner Joe McGuiness says that “the Glenmary team’s enthusiasm for what they do, combined with their openness to people’s ideas and enthusiasm, have really helped this community thrive.”

One good idea was to participate in the county’s weekend Apple Festival in early October 2011. Mission members and Father Tom used the event as a means to spread the word about their new Catholic community. The festival effort was greatly expanded in 2012.

“That 2011 event was one of the first examples of pa-rishioners’ desire to evangelize and invite people,” says Father Tom. “I planted the original idea to evangelize, but it has taken off here in a way I’ve never experienced before. Our parishioners have been doing this since the mission started.”

To prepare for the mission’s first Sunday Mass on Oct. 23, 2011, Father Tom arranged for a weekly Sun-day rental of the local Elks Club. Since then, the con-gregation of Anglo and Latino members has grown from about 40 to near 90.

Every Sunday, members arrive early to set up the room and carry in everything needed for Mass and their gathering afterwards. “The people really like be-ing together,” says parishioner Art Campbell. “And I thoroughly enjoy being part of it and helping it grow.”

Mission members are also glad the entire com-munity celebrates a bilingual Sunday Mass. Kim Stroud says it has made the mission stron-ger. Fellow parishioner Irma Padilla agrees: “Our family feels very welcomed. Being part of this mission has been exciting and amazing.”

The Catholic community has used various locations for services and activities, including a senior center, a Methodist church, an armory and Kathy O’Brien’s home.

RElIGIOus EDuCaTIOn: When the faith forma-tion program was established in October 2012, St. Michael held classes at the local armory build-ing. Above, young children work on a project as a volunteer teaching assistant looks on. The new parish house now provides needed space for this program.

‘I planted the idea to evangelize, but it has taken off here in a way I’ve never experienced before.’



In addition, Kathy leads the high school youth ministry, and teenager Laura Leon says she really en-joys and learns from the faith formation classes and field trips. “I ask a lot of questions, and Miss Kathy does her best to answer them.”

Fluent in Spanish, Kathy is connecting with and ministering to Latino mission members and county residents. The number of Latinos attending Sunday Mass has increased significantly since she began out-reach efforts in the community.

In response to numerous requests, Kathy has also begun teaching Spanish and English classes, “which will further improve our parishioners’ ability to com-municate and evangelize.” In May, she’ll begin min-istering to seasonal migrant workers at local farms. And she continues to explore other community out-reach opportunities.

“The people here work together so well,” says Kathy. “For example, the mission’s first Our Lady of Guadalupe celebration this past December was awe-some. Parishioners organized it all, and about 140 people participated—both Latinos and Anglos.”

Since 2011, the Glenmary team and Unicoi County Catholics have all been contributing their God-given talents to St. Michael mission. “My great-est joy,” Father Tom says, “has been to watch them develop into a close-knit, loving mission community and to see them get so excited about

sharing their faith with others.” His vision for the future is that this Spirit-filled

community will continue to thrive and grow to its full potential.

Local ministers have invited Father Tom (and later Kathy) to join the min-isterial association, have offered assis-tance and prayers, and have welcomed the mission to join in ecumenical out-reach efforts—including prayer services, distribution of Thanksgiving food bas-kets, and the Witness Walk on Good Friday.

Parishioners have been performing a wide range of other mission and out-reach work, too.

For instance, a new Knights of Colum-bus roundtable—organized by parishio-ners and Brother Tom—has coordinated food drives, a firewood drive, a fund drive for people with physical and mental chal-lenges, and more. The Lively Lilies wom-en’s group supports causes such as a local shelter for abused women.

Brother Tom has volunteered with community nonprofit organizations and serves the mission in many ways—such as cochairing the social concerns com-mittee, which “responds to requests the mission receives from local people in need.”

Some recent, exciting developments have impacted all the mission members’ ministries and futures: In September 2012, the Knoxville diocese announced it had purchased 14.5 acres for use by the newly named St. Michael the Archangel mission. In January 2013, a house was rented to be used for parish offices; most weekday Masses and religious services; faith forma-tion classes; meetings; and the pastor’s residence.

“The new property is part of our future,” says Father Tom. “And the parish house gives us roots.”

One of Brother Tom’s newer ministries is chairing the property-site development committee and do-ing related planning and hands-on work. Committee members already completed a preliminary project on the property. “I love using my construction skills to help the mission,” he says.

The Knights of Columbus members have also com-mitted to funding and constructing a pavilion and de-veloping a soccer field on the property in the immedi-ate future, as well as maintaining the grounds, with help from other parishioners. The pavilion will be used for outdoor Masses and gatherings, while the field will be used by parishioners, friends and area residents. A multipurpose building, church and rectory are in the mission’s future plans.

I n August 2012, Kathy O’Brien began work as the mission’s pastoral associate. Since her arrival, she has established a faith formation program and serves as its coordinator. The growing program serves about 50 young people. “We had a great re-sponse to our call for volunteer teachers,” she says.

FOOD anD FaITH: Father Tom initiated a weekly “Food and Faith” restaurant gathering for adults, which began as an infor-mal question-and-answer session on faith-related topics and evolved into an adult religious education program. “It’s been a tremendous success,” he says.



Foundation of faith laid for children through sacramental preparation

THEn & NoW

Celebrating first Communion

a s spring approaches, children in Glenmary missions are preparing to receive their first Communion.

Mission religious education programs help prepare children to receive the sac-raments of initiation (baptism, Eucharist, confirmation) and further their under-standing of the Catholic faith—both of which will help sustain them throughout their lives.

1950: Children from Appalachia, Va., attended a summer religious Vacation Bible School to pre-pare for their first Communion, which was celebrated at the end of the program. In Glenmary’s early years—when travel between counties was not easy—children preparing to receive the sacraments sometimes had to leave their homes for several weeks during the summer to attend regional sacra-mental preparation classes/programs led by women religious serving the area. Father Francis Wuest is pictured above, as are Glenmary Sisters Bernadette and Gerald.

1950s: Members of a first Communion class at St. Anthony mission in Norton, Va., pose following Mass.

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2012: Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk listens as a member of Blessed John Paul II mission in Rut-ledge, Tenn., reads during the mission’s first-ever Mass celebrating first Communion. Students in religious education classes at this mission, as well as at Blessed Teresa of Calcutta in nearby May-nardville, are looking forward to celebrating their first Communions in the near future. Father Steve pastors both missions.

2008: On Easter Sunday, Mykaela Abbott of Holy Redeemer mission in Vanceburg, Ky., receives her first Communion from Glenmary Father Larry Gould-ing as her father, Jerod, looks on. Mykaela was the only child in the mission’s first Communion class that year. Because of the small percentage of Catho-lics in Glenmary mission counties, it’s not uncom-mon to have small first Communion classes.

1974: Glenmary Father John Garvey poses with students from Jesus Our Savior mission in Morehead, Ky.



Missioners continue to dedicate lives to Glenmary, the U.S. missionary apostolate

Milestones: 50 years since Oath2012 JubIlaRIans / by Jean Bach

Father David Glockner says he feels like he grew up with Glenmary. As a young person, the Portsmouth, Ohio, native

attended a Christian Living Camp hosted by Glenmary in a nearby town. “That’s what start-ed my vocation journey to Glenmary,” he says.

When talking about his 50 years as a mis-sioner, Father David uses the word “wonder-ful” quite often. He uses it when describing his assignments as pastor of missions in West Virginia, Oklahoma, Virginia and Ohio and as novitiate director; when speaking of his fellow

missioners and coworkers; and when speaking of those who live in Glenmary mission counties.

“When I entered Glenmary, I didn’t have any idea the next de-cades would be filled with such di-verse ministry,” he says. “But that’s what makes Glenmary’s work—al-though challenging—so exciting.”

As a senior member, he continues taking part in that diverse ministry

as sacramental minister to Glenmary’s missions in Vanceburg and Grayson, Ky., and reaching out to those in the area, especially prisoners in nearby Elliott County, whom he visits weekly.

“I was away from the missions for a while and I began to miss the small-parish life,” he says. “The opportunity arose to return to the missions and I felt I could use my years of experience as a pastor to help out. It’s been a good decision!”

Father Ed Gorny took senior membership in 2002 and chose to keep living and working in a Glenmary mission. The de-

cision, he says, was an easy one. “I wanted to keep serving people in the mis-

sions and sharing the Lord with others without being responsible for the administrative side, as a pastor is.”

Realizing the shortage of priests in Glenmary’s South Georgia missions, he offered to help. At the time, the pastor of Glenmary’s St. Christo-pher mission in Claxton was also responsible for serving two other missions. So, Father Ed moved to Claxton to “serve however I could.”

The Detroit, Mich., native says he contin-ues to do what he tried to do as a pastor: nur-

ture Catholics, build relationships with other churches, help those in need, and make Christ known to people who don’t know him or have fallen away from their faith.

In the past five decades, Father Ed has pastored missions in Geor-gia, Kentucky, Texas and Ohio and served as Glenmary’s treasurer for four years. During three of those years, he also served as a pastor.

“It’s been a good life,” he says when reflecting on his 50 years as a Glen-marian. “It’s been very fulfilling to be Christ’s representative to those I’ve met and ministered to. I’d highly recommend it as a career choice!”

brother Bernie Stern’s interest in cooking began when he was a young man helping his dad in the kitchen. Brother Bernie’s

father was a well-known chef in the Greater Cincinnati area who worked at local restaurants.

“When I joined Glenmary, they needed some-one to help in the kitchen at the Headquarters in Cincinnati,” the Dayton, Ky., native remem-bers. “So I jumped in.”

As a result, Brother Bernie spent many years as Glenmary’s chef, using his culinary skills at

the Cincinnati residence and at the Glenmary novitiate house when it was located in Aurora, Ind.

Brother Bernie is also an accomplished accordion player who shared his talents with those in the missions. While serving missions in North Carolina, Ohio, Vir-ginia and Kentucky, he pro-

vided music at social events. But, most impor-tantly, he was able to play at Mass.

“Often in our small missions there isn’t music to accompany the singing,” he says. “So it was a blessing to have my accordion be the organ!”

A senior member since 1995, Brother Bernie’s health limits his activity but he spends his days in prayer, remembering Glenmary benefactors, missions and missioners. “I’m happy to be able to serve the missions in this way,” he says.



ouT oF THe SHAdowSYoung Arkansas immigrants choose to risk exposure by lending their voices to a nationwide effort to advance immigration reform with a path to citizenship

By Jean Bach

Lidia Mondragon and Humberto Marquez excelled as students at

Waldron (Ark.) High School. They had many friends and were active mem-bers of the parish and youth group at St. Jude, the former Glenmary mission in Waldron. And they had dreams of at-tending college.

But when they were each offered scholarships based on their academic performance, they couldn’t apply. “It was bittersweet,” says Humberto, 18. “I was excited about my fu-ture, but I felt doors closing on me.”

Those doors have closed on Humberto, Lidia and thousands like them because they lacked one thing: a Social Security number.

over a decade ago, Lidia’s parents and Humberto’s parents left Mexico in search of work when their children were very young. Today, the children have few memories of life in Mexico. But since

their parents are not U.S. citizens, these young people are in what Lidia describes as “immigration limbo.”

“The United States is my country. It’s the country that I pledged allegiance to throughout grade school and high school,” says Lidia, 20. “I don’t know any-thing about Mexico or the way of life there. I want to become an official U.S. citizen more than anything,

but there is no way to make that happen.”

She explains that currently there is at least a 10-year wait to get a visa to the United States, and there is no guaran-tee that a visa will be granted even after the wait. For those estimated 11 million undocumented im-migrants living in the United States, there is no process for ap-plying for citizenship without returning to Mexico and being put on the visa wait-ing list.

This limbo makes it difficult for stu-dents like Lidia and

Humberto who have lived in the United States most of their lives to plan for their futures and attend col-lege. But thanks to benefactors and the encourage-ment of many, they are both attending the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith.

Lidia, who was the salutatorian of her high school class, is a junior majoring in pre-med and biology. Humberto is a freshman (although academically he’s a sophomore thanks to the credits he received for ad-vanced placement classes he took in high school) and is majoring in business administration/international studies.

Both pay out-of-state tuition of $10,000 a semes-ter and are not eligible for any type of financial as-sistance. Lidia’s parents work seven days a week, 12 hours a day to help pay her tuition. Humberto

TEllInG THEIR sTORIEs: Lidia Mondragon (front row, left) and Humberto Marquez (back row, right) join with their peers to tape an episode of El Latino. The show, a monthly roundtable discussion shown on a Little Rock PBS station, focuses on issues of interest to the Latino commu-nity. The young immigrants are using a variety of media to promote the reform of current U.S. immigration policies.

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received private scholarships to pay for his first semester; he hopes that he’ll be able to continue his education using money he has saved from part-time jobs since he was a child.

“We don’t want things given to us,” Lidia says. “We want to work for our futures. And the only way our plans can have some stability is if there is a way for us to become citizens.”

In early 2012, under the guidance of Kathy O’Brien—a Glenmary Lay Missioner who served St. Jude as pastoral associate—Lidia, Humberto and their friends were inspired to add their voices to a na-

tional movement to pass the DREAM (Development, Relief and Education for Alien Minors) Act by form-ing the Waldron DREAMers, a group supporting the legislation. Early last year, members began educat-ing themselves, their families, friends and neighbors about what can be done to further the cause.

First introduced in the U.S. Congress in 2001, the DREAM Act would provide immigration benefits to those who arrived in the United States as children and would provide a formal path to citizenship af-ter they meet specific criteria. It’s expected that new DREAM Act legislation will be reintroduced to Con-gress in early 2013.

“Our eyes were opened after attending a 2012 meet-ing sponsored by the Arkansas Coalition for DREAM,” Humberto says. The statewide, youth-led immigrant organization advocates, among other things, state and national passage of the DREAM Act. “We saw the broader issue and met others like us.” Most important-ly, they learned what they could do locally.

“These kids are amazing,” Kathy says. “They have taken ownership of the cause, and as a result, they are impacting legislative efforts locally and nationally.”

Last year, Humberto joined more than 600 lead-ers from 30 states at the United We Dream Con-gress in Kansas City, Mo. After that meeting, the immigration network expanded its platform from

focusing solely on the passage of the DREAM Act to working for comprehensive immigration reform with a path to citizenship. Humberto explains delegates felt that “even if the DREAM Act is passed, our hard-working family members would still be in danger of being deported. We couldn’t live with that.”

As Lidia and Humberto became more involved with grassroots leadership, they each had to make a decision to “come out of the shadows” and begin tell-ing their stories publicly, hopeful that by putting faces on the facts of the sometimes hotly contested issue, people’s minds and hearts might be changed.

Humberto explains that before the Waldron DREAMers, “No one except my very closest friends knew of my status or knew my story. I was very fear-

ful to tell anyone. But I realized that, as history has shown, without risk there is no gain, so I started tell-ing my story and working for change.”

The hope, Lidia says, “is that by telling our stories and answering people’s questions, eyes will be opened to the reality of the immigration issue and informa-tion can be shared. Understanding is key. This is not an issue that can be easily solved, but we have to start somewhere.”

Lidia and Humberto both credit Kathy and Father Neil Pezzulo, former pastor of St. Jude, with helping them realize their potential. “Knowing Father Neil and Kathy is a blessing for us all,” Humberto says. “It’s so important to have someone tell you that

‘you can do it,’ believe in you and help you do more than you ever thought you could. My faith is so much stronger today because of them. I am so grateful to Glenmary for sending them to us.

“Although neither of them is present in Waldron today (the mission was turned back to the Diocese of Little Rock for continued pastoral care in 2012), I feel their presence with me every day.”

In 2012, the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) policy was enacted, giving two-year defer-rals to those who qualify. But it does not give legal status. While this is a start, Lidia says it’s not what

is wanted or needed. “There’s no indication of what happens after the two years,” she says. Some gover-nors have stated that, despite DACA, deferred stu-dents will continue to be charged out-of-state tuition.

“I want so much for my future,” she says. “I want to go to medical school and become a doctor. I want to give back to my community and this wonderful coun-try. And those goals become more difficult to achieve if I don’t know from year to year what my status is.”

Humberto says he knows staying in college and working for immigration reform will be a struggle. But he remains optimistic about his future and that of others like him throughout the United States.

“I have my faith and I’m getting an education. To me, those are the things that a successful life is based on,” he says. “I’m looking forward to having a career, having a family and living without fear. I want to some-day see my mother and father own their own home.”

It will happen, he says. “This is America. All things are possible here.”

FOR MORE InFORMaTIOn: learn more about the Catholic Church’s position on migration and immi-gration by visiting www.justiceforimmigrants.org. The web site, sponsored by the united States Confer-ence of Catholic Bishops, also contains recent news, statements from u.S. bishops and parish resources for education and action.

‘Our hope is that by telling our stories...eyes will be opened to the reality of the immigration issue….’



Time spent in Glenmary missions has given Ohio couple new perspective

Volunteers see ‘mission’ close upPaRTnER In MIssIOn / by Margaret Gabriel

vOlunTEERs: Pat Kent, left, Ed Burt and Mark Schmalz stand in front of a deck they built while in South Georgia.

In 2006, following Hurricane Katrina, Pat Kent and his best friend, Jim Snyder, felt a call to help with the devastation caused by the

storm. Although they were eager to help, they felt some anxiety on the 14-hour road trip from Ohio to Biloxi. “We had a lot of time to question how we would respond,” says Pat, a longtime Glen-mary donor.

They found some of the answers as they worked to meet the needs they encountered in Mississippi. With anxiety put to rest, the two de-cided they wanted to go on future trips. But that raised another question: “Where should we go?”

Pat’s days as a Glenmary seminarian, and over 10 years as a member of Glenmary’s Boost-A-Month Club, made him knowledgeable about the need for volunteers in the home missions. After contacting Glenmary’s Headquarters in Cincin-nati, he was matched with Father John Brown, then pastor of the Glenmary mission in Swains-boro, Ga. (The mission was returned to the pas-toral care of the Diocese of Savannah in 2012.)

since 2007, Pat has made a mission trip near-ly every year, working at Glenmary missions in Swainsboro and in Ripley and Bruce,

Miss. For five springs, he and Jim and a group of volunteers who called themselves the I-70 Catho-lics drove to South Georgia to volunteer.

Pat says the work accomplished by Glenmary missioners is “phenomenal,” a feeling confirmed by his wife, Mary Ann, who has accompanied him on mission trips since they married five years ago. Before meeting Pat, she had never heard of Glenmary. But during their courtship, Pat told her about his “spring break” trips and asked if she would like to go along.

“It’s one thing to read about the work of some-one like Father John in Glenmary Challenge, but it’s another to live it for a week!” says Pat, who assembles a group of five to eight people for each trip. Much of the groups’ work in Swainsboro was oriented to home repair or small construction projects like building an access ramp for a person who uses a wheelchair.

Mary Ann and other volunteers not skilled in construction picked up supplies, and “Father John always had a list of services that needed to be done for the people, like taking them to doc-

tors’ appointments,” she says.Pat and Mary Ann say they were astounded at

the amount of activity that took place at the mis-sion—and at the extent of Father John’s involve-ment. Pat says the greatest lesson he has learned while spending time in the missions is that “it’s all about the people. That makes mission trips even more meaningful: meeting and working with the people.”

Mary Ann believes they and all the volunteers were welcomed so warmly into the Swainsboro community because of Glenmary’s presence. “These are people who, at one time in their lives, had probably never met a Catholic—you can see the impact that Glenmary’s presence has had on the community.”

The mission environment has expanded the Kents’ view of the world and the Church. They say, for example, that they view im-

migration issues differently because of their experience working with Latinos in Glenmary missions. “We never would have gotten to expe-rience that anywhere else,” says Mary Ann.

The anxiety Pat felt before his first mission trip in 2006 is long gone. He and Mary Ann eagerly look forward to their 2013 trip to Maynardville, Tenn., a small town in East Tennessee where Glenmary began calling the Catholic community together in 2011. They feel confident that their mission experience there will be as fulfilling as their experiences in Georgia and Mississippi.

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rewarding experiencethank you for the ar-ticle [“Era Ends in Ohio County,” Winter 2012]. I en-joyed reading and reminisc-ing about Beaver Dam and Fordsville, Ky. Three other seminarians and I were as-signed to work with Father Joe O’Donnell and Father Bob Dalton at Fordsville for the summer of 1966.

While there we introduced ourselves to every resident we could meet. Also, we aided a fam-ily whose house burned down in

early July. We went to Bea-ver Dam and raided the do-nated-clothes closet there. It seemed funny that we were picking clothes for the family members and we didn’t even know what size clothing they wore!

Fordsville residents Rex and Enzie Denton were instrumen-tal in getting the town school open for the first Mass to be of-fered there in July 1966.

Being there was a rewarding and memorable experience.

Joe LefebvreFleetwood, Pa.

a witness to changethe article on the death of Father George Mathis [“Missioner, Craftsman, Art-ist,” Winter 2012] rightfully complimented him for hav-ing “integrated Glenmary’s mission in Claxton, Ga., in

the 1960s, making it the first such parish in the Savannah diocese.”

I recall so well conducting the funeral of our black pa-rishioner, Miss Ada Toomer, in 1962 when the local laundromat still said “White Only” on the front window and the drinking fountains/restrooms at the lo-cal Dairy Queen were labeled “White” and “Colored,” lest po-tential users were uncertain as to the appropriate facility.

As the assistant pastor, I bur-ied Miss Toomer in the black cemetery of Claxton but I had a white Evans County sheriff escort—a first in the segregated South of 50 years ago.

Yes, the times, they are a- changin’.

George, rest in peace.Paul AckermanColumbus, Miss.

ohio county memoriesyour article [“Era Ends in Ohio County,” Winter 2012] brought back a lot of memories for me. I started in Glenmary’s candidacy program at the Hart-ford House in 1988. It was nice to see the photo of Father Joe O’Donnell and the chapel where we began our day in prayer.

It was in Ohio County, Ky., that I learned the basics of pastoral care and ministry and where my vocation to Holy Or-ders was solidified. That was a formative year for me, and I still keep up with a couple of fami-lies from that period of my life.

As a parish priest in Char-lotte, N.C., I greatly appreci-ate the experiences that I had among the kind and welcom-ing people of Ohio and Butler

counties. They have inspired more than a few homilies over the years.

I still remember the sign en-tering into Hartford: “Welcome to Hartford, Ky.—Home of 2,000 happy people and a few soreheads.”

Father Mark LawlorCharlotte, N.C.

touching tributethe beautiful cover of your Winter 2012 publication caught our attention immediately. And yes, we were right. The art-ist was Charley Campbell, the brother of my wife, Suzy. His art has graced your magazine in the past.

Then we were delighted to discover “Legacy of Beauty” by Jean Bach—the marvelous trib-ute to Charley that captured not only the beauty of his work but his inner beauty, too.

Certainly his love of God, family, fellow man and all of God’s creation was apparent to those who were blessed to know him.

Thank you for the tribute to Charley in your magazine that does such a great job of sharing the important ministry of Glen-mary Home Missioners.

Deacon Wally GieringerHot Springs Village, Ark.

Readers reflect on experiences in mission counties, express gratitude for tribute

Memories stirred by articlesFInal WORDs / from our readers

‘As a parish priest in Charlotte, N.C., I greatly appreciate the experiences that I had among the kind and welcoming people of ohio and Butler counties.’

REaDERs’ vIEWs WElCOME! Send comments to: Editor, Glenmary Challenge, p.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246. Fax: 513-874-1690, E-mail: 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.



DEPaRTMEnTs

t h e w e b s i t 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

online contents

WHaT’s nEW

Diverse n.C. Mission Celebrates FeastFilipino members of the Catholic Community of Bertie Coun-ty share their traditions with fellow members and the larger community each January. glenmary.org/santonino

Ways to GiveBecome a member of the Father Bishop Legacy Society by making a planned gift with Glenmary. glenmary.org/fbls

volunteer OpportunitiesThere are many ways to serve the home missions as a volun-teer. Find one that works for you! glenmary.org/volopps

Research Center Order a copy of Black and Catholic in the Jim Crow South to-day. glenmary.org/grc-catalog

vacation bible school ProgramsNeed help planning this year’s Vacation Bible School? Glen-mary offers parishes a choice of two Catholic programs. glenmary.org/mission-ed

Feast celebration

Fbls

FEaTuRE sTORy

Praying For and supporting GlenmarySisters Helen Gusching and Joan Boltz have many things in common, including a strong commitment to helping further Glenmary’s home mission ministry. glenmary.org/sisters Ministry supporters

GRC catalog

vocationsGlenmary priesthood candidate Paul Nyabuto cooks up quite a unique view of formation. glenmary.org/cooks

w w w.glenmary.org

visit this page online

Connect using social MediaKeep up with news from the home missions by liking Glen-mary Home Missioners on Facebook (search Glenmary Home Missioners) and following on Twitter at @GlenmaryMission.


Catholic M

issioners to Rural A

merica

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

NoNproFIT orGANIZATIoN

U.S. postage pAId

Glenmary Home Missioners

The members of Sts. John and Elizabeth mission in Grayson, Ky., cel-ebrated the 40th anniversary of the mission’s founding in Novem-ber 2012. Many Glenmary priests and brothers who had served the

mission attended the Mass, celebrated by Glenmary’s first vice president, Father Neil Pezzulo. Father David Glockner, the mission’s current sacra-mental minister, had the privilege of dedicating and blessing the newest additions to the church interior: two new stained-glass windows depicting St. John and St. Elizabeth. The windows were the last stained-glass project completed by artist Charley Campbell before his death in July 2012.

GlEnMaRy GlimpSe / Marking a milestone

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Glenmary Challenge Spring 2013

Documents

Transcript of Glenmary Challenge Spring 2013