May 2019
Glenmary Home Missioners
Prayers of Thanksgiving There’s an excitement in the air at Glenmary these days. Two men who have been in training for some years, Charles Aketch and Richard Toboso, were ordained priests April 27. Fathers Charles and Richard will be associate pastors in Glenmary parishes in For my whole life Tennessee counties: Father Charles in Macon and Father Richard in Union. Nine men in formation hope to follow them as priests or brothers. Neither of our newest priests could be where they are today without the generous support of Glenmary benefactors. “We pray for our donors every morning,” says Father Charles. “And on Fridays we dedicate a Mass to their needs. Without benefactors, I don’t think I would be this far.” As he talks, he’s thinking of the many steps along the way, each of them provided for by Glenmary supporters. “There was tuition, rent, routine medical bills, utilities—all of this we had because of our donors.” Father Richard tells a similar story: “I received formal training at St. Meinrad” (a seminary in Indiana), he says. “I went once to the finance office to see how much we pay for one year. It was a huge amount of money! Without our benefactors, I can’t imagine ever being able to pay for four years of studies in the seminary.” Alas, he has met only a handful of Glenmary benefactors personally. “I know they are doing a good job in making sure my tuition is paid, my housing, my books, all, of course, through Glenmary.” All of that ministry preparation is first perfected in short stints in Glenmary parishes, then in longer assignments, learning from Glenmarians and parishioners. Their ministries will now continue and flourish as Fathers Charles and Richard become increasingly independent in their own ministries. 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
Charles and Richard profess Final Oath to become perpetually professed Glenmary Home Missioners
SIXTY YEARS OF FAITHFUL SERVICE
Glenmary honors three jubilarians
G L E N M A R Y. O R G
BACK FROM BELGIUM
Missioner's education abroad put to good use
THE FIRST CATHOLIC I EVER MET
Remembering Father Frank Schenk
SUMMER 2018
(continued on reverse side)
Finding our Missioners In the acompanying article you can see how important you are in our men’s formation. We are grateful for your donations. We spend them carefully and effectively, some of them on finding and training a certain kind of man. Brother David Henley and his team of recruiters attend conferences of young people considering religious life, and travel widely to visit with those who have indicated interest. We hold our own “Come and See” retreats in our mission areas, to give potential Glenmarians a look at what Glenmary life is all about. It’s not for everyone, after all. We’re looking for men who love working to make something new, who are afire with energy to share faith with others, who are willing to be educated and formed into Glenmarians, who believe in teamwork. We know that no missioner works alone. We ask our men to venture into areas where no one will know them, where the nearest Glenmarians might be living a county or two away, able to meet only occasionally. Our men learn to build a community of support around them. Some of that group will grow into a permanent, Catholic faith-ommunity. All of that building takes a lot of support, some of which comes from our benefactors. So when Father Charles, in the accompanying article, says we pray for you daily, he’s not kidding. You and we are in this together! Yours in Christ,
Father Chet Artysiewicz President
“The counties we enter, sometimes we find two or three people who are Catholic, with no one to lead them.” --Father Charles Aketch, newly ordained Glenmarian
Pray with us for our Glenmarians in formation.
BAM Inspiration
Maria Betanco and Santiago Soto
Our two newly ordained priests are Father Richard Toboso (above) and Father Charles Aketch (below).
PHOTOS BY JOHN FEISTER
Says Father Richard, “I see my training as helping me to be present, to be the Face of Christ for the very many who need a Catholic presence, a Catholic minister—my job is to go out, to reach out to people.” For Father Charles, what stands out in ministry is “how many people miss the Word of God. In the counties we enter, sometimes we find 2 or 3 people who are Catholic, but they have no one to lead them. They don’t have contact with a priest. But when we go there, you see how these people become alive in their faith. They meet Christ, and each and every day they have Mass. These people have been neglected.” And, before long, they are joined by others who see their witness, their energy. Over time a new Catholic community is formed. People sometimes wonder why these men have come all the way from Africa, from Kenya, to serve in American missions. “The missionaries did it for our people. They came to Africa to spread the Word of God. Why shouldn’t we do likewise?” says Father Charles. It’s difficult to be so far from home, visiting only once every two years, “but for me, Glenmary is a family. Sometimes, when I’m with Glenmarians I don’t even think of home!” That’s the exception. Fathers Charles and Richard, though, are missioners. They are here with a God-given purpose, and they go about it cheerfully. And they think of all of the support they’ve gotten along the way. “I pray for the benefactors every day,” says Richard. “I thank God for them and pray for their needs, both for the living and for the deceased.” —John Feister
Lord Jesus Christ, who for the salvation of all people, founded your Church in the blood of sacrifice... Raise up holy and zealous apostles to bring Your words of salvation to souls now thirsting for the truth. —from the Prayer for the Home Missions
This newsletter is published monthly by Glenmary Home Missioners, P.O. Box 465618, Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 • www.glenmary.org For more information about the Boost-A-Month Club, contact Father Don Tranel, dtranel@glenmary.org, 800-935-0975