Glenmary Challenge Summer 2021 by Glenmary Communications

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

G L E N M A R Y. O R G SUMMER 2021

When You See Me, Think of Jesus

in the footsteps of st. joseph

Brothers reflect on their vocation

great things happen with glenmary

An interview with Bishop Spalding

Cicada Lessons

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.)

If you live in 15 states across the eastern half of the U.S., you’ve probably been dealing with cicadas. The beady-eyed little guys are the loudest insects in the world and this year’s emergence is one of the biggest, littering the ground with the bugs and their discarded moltings. Cicadas emerge at different times. Some come annually, some come in multi-year cycles. This is a 17-year brood. While it’s tempting to look down on these loud, clumsy flying bugs, I can’t help but identify with them a bit. These creatures spend 17-years underground, away from the sun, fresh air, and contact with their kind. When they finally burst through the surface, of course they’re excited to be there. They want to be heard! We’ve spent more than a year in a pandemic that appears (God-willing) to be winding down. As we become vaccinated and restrictions ease, we too are emerging from underground to shout our presence to the world. Another thought comes to mind. A cicada has just weeks to live once it comes up from the dirt. It must use its time wisely to be seen and perpetuate the species. Our time, too, is limited. We have only so many opportunities to share our faith during our lives. Glenmarians understand the cicada. They find opportunities to be seen, not for themselves, but to be like Christ to others. They share the Gospel loudly, though often through deeds as much as words. They make excellent use of their time, continuing what has become a generational mission of spreading the faith. So when you hear the song of a cicada, take it as a reminder that we too have something worth sharing loudly—Jesus Christ.

ON THE COVER: Newly ordained Father José Carlos Miguel López makes history as the first Hispanic Glenmarian. Now he’s headed to Eastern North Carolina. Photo by John Feister.

VOLUME 84

NUMBER 2

When You See Me, Think of Jesus

Glenmary ordained three men to the priesthood, including the first Hispanic ever to join the ranks. page 8

∙

by john feister

spreading the glenmary spirit

in the footsteps of st . joseph

loving the ordinary

Nashville Bishop J. Mark Spalding expresses gratitude for Glenmary’s contribution to the Church.

Five of these unsung heroes reflect on their vocation and their role in modern times.

Brother Joe Steen has made a career of building churches and helping people in mission areas.

Publisher: Father Dan Dorsey Editor: John Stegeman Asst. Editors: Omar Cabrera, John Feister Art Director: Cassie Magnotta

Planning-Review Board: Lindsay Braud, Br. Craig Digmann, Br. David Henley, Chris Phelps, Lucy Putnam, Fr. Kenn Wandera, Fr. Aaron Wessman

Photo by John Feister

Do you have a GOAT in your garden? FROM THE PRESIDENT / Father Dan Dorsey

Photo by A. Malev

I imagine that some of you reading this column share my love of gardening. There is nothing to compare with planting a seed and watching it grow. This leads to the question: Do you have a GOAT in your garden? No, not the farm animal but a personal Greatest Of All Time vegetable or flower? My personal GOAT flower is a zinnia and my GOAT vegetable is a tomato. I love zinnias’ variety of vibrant colors and the mouth-watering delight of a freshly picked tomato. For some time I have been fascinated with the pro-

GLENMARY CHALLENGE

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cess of grafting plants. Grafting is a horticultural technique whereby tissues of plants are joined to continue their growth together. It makes for stronger, better fruits or vegetables. The upper part of the combined plant is called the scion while the lower part is called the rootstock. Using tomato plants as an example, by grafting an heirloom scion (the top) to a disease-resistant rootstock (the bottom) an heirloom tomato plant is created. This new tomato plant will be more productive. Grafting can help us understand the ministry of a Glenmary Missioner. St. Michael the Archangel mission in Erwin, Tenn., is an example. When Father Tom Charters and Kathy O’Brien (a lay missioner) arrived in Erwin in 2010 there had never been a Catholic presence in Unicoi County. Two years later Brother Tom Sheehy came to do outreach ministry. Two years ago, they were joined by Father Kenn Wandera, who was a student at the time. Using the grafting metaphor, the rootstock is the mission church of St. Michael’s. The church is still in its

infancy stage, but it is nonetheless strong and possesses a disease-resistant rootstock because it is united with the Diocese of Knoxville, and through it, the Catholic Church. Father Tom, Father Kenn, and Kathy are working to graft a missionary identity, the scion, into the core of St. Michael’s, the rootstock. Grafting Glenmary’s missionary vision of ecumenism, social justice, and evangelization into the rootstock of this church community takes time and skill. Recall Jesus’ parable of the mustard seed and then imagine the possibilities if the grafting is successful! St. Michael’s will flourish and produce fruit for generations to come. The fruit the church might produce may manifest in increased cooperation between the local churches, a deepening awareness of the Gospel imperative to care for creation, vocations to religious life or feeding the hungry. The next time you are admiring the flowers in your garden or biting into a delicious tomato, take a moment to remember the missionary ministry of Glenmary and our call to serve the forgotten and neglected areas of the United States! If you do have a GOAT in your garden, email me at ddorsey@glenmary.org. I would love to hear from you and I will share some of your responses in the fall Challenge.

glenmary news & notes Men to profess and renew oaths

f or mat ion / Group of seven part of 11-strong formation program Glenmary leadership approved the requests of five novices to profess their

First Oaths as members of the Glenmary community, and for two men already under temporary oath to renew their commitment.

The Executive Council met with each novice before approving the re-

quests. The group of Joseph Maundu, Thomas Nguyen, Fredrick Ochieng’, Cavine Okello and Cyrus Samba professed their First Oaths during the Glenmary Assembly in June.

“These five men have opened themselves to trust the Holy Spirit,” said

Father Steve Pawelk, co-director of Glenmary’s novitiate program. “They have grown in their missionary vision, spirituality and their personal faith

in Jesus. The friendships and bonds they have formed with those in their mission placements are a joy to witness. Glenmary is blessed to have these

men commit themselves for one year to our way of life. I anticipate them to be powerful and prayerful witnesses in the mission field as priests and brothers.”

Willy Kyagulanyi and Erick Orandi were each approved to renew their

oaths for an additional year, and did so in May at the Glenmary House of Formation in St. Meinrad, Ind.

The seven men professing or renewing their oaths are part of a group

of 11 men currently in formation to become Glenmary priests and brothers.

Photo by Glenmary Vocations

OPPOSITE: Father Dan Dorsey, Glenmary's president, is a big fan of gardening. After all, growth is what mission life is all about. RIGHT: Glenmary is growing! Eleven men are in formation currently, preparing for life as missioner priests and brothers. They'll spend the summer serving in the missions. Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

Director hired

co-missioner / Phelps to lead Glenmary Home Missioners have

hired Chris Phelps to lead their development efforts effective May 3.

Phelps comes to Glenmary after

finishing a 30-year career with Cincin-

nati Public Radio in roles that spanned from fundraising to outreach, marketing, management, events and pro-

gramming. She has also worked for Photo by John Stegeman

the Salvation Army.

Ecumenical podcast launched

Development work connects the

goodwill of Glenmary supporters with practical ministry projects and overall mission strategy.

“I so admire the dedication of

Glenmary's missioners, their tireless

service and joyful spirit,” Phelps said.

ecumenism / Program dives into relations with other denominations

“Each day, I also get to experience the

Glenmary Home Missioners have entered the world of podcasting with an

They inspire me and I look forward to

eight-episode program now available at Glenmaryunity.org/podcast.

The podcasts are hosted by Nathan Smith, Glenmary’s director of Cath-

olic-Evangelical relations. Smith discusses the work of Glenmary’s Ecumeni-

cal Commission, the efforts of which are aimed at restoring Christian unity through dialogue based in friendship.

Smith interviews Catholics, Pentecostals and Evangelicals regarding

history, theology and their own experience of encountering Christ among their fellow Christians.

generosity of Glenmary's supporters. meeting and getting to know them in the days to come.”

Phelps takes over the department

after a successful eight-year run by

Father Don Tranel. Father Don is start-

ing a new Glenmary mission in Smith County, Tenn.

“Our hope is that the podcast will serve as a conversation starter for a

ministry that manifests itself in many different forms,” Smith said. “We have

hosted discussions with theologians, historians, ministers and priests and have seen a wide audience drawn to the content. Whether it’s churches

working together to serve their communities or families made up of interchurch couples, the topics for ecumenism are endless. I am unaware of any-

one with a podcast on ecumenism, especially between Evangelicals and will use it.”

ABOVE: Nathan Smith (right), director of Catholic-Evangelical relations, records a podcast with Catholic and Pentecostal youth ministers. RIGHT: Chris Phelps is Glenmary’s new director of development after a career in public radio.

GLENMARY CHALLENGE

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Photo by John Feister

Pentecostals and the Catholic Church, so I’m excited to see how the Lord

‘This Is Jeopardy!’

awareness / Volunteer shares

This ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant helped di-

rect volunteer work with Glenmary in Kentucky. Who is Jamie Logan?

Photos courtesy of St. Michael the Archangel Facebook

Logan, a writer and consultant

Mission dedicates rosary garden

ide n t i t y / New feature serves as prayer space, public witness Glenmary Father Tom Charters dedicated St. Michael the Archangel mission’s new rosary garden on Mother's Day, May 9, officially opening a space that will serve for private prayer and public witness.

Built over the winter, courtesy of the family of deceased parishioner John

Donzella, the garden lies just south of the mission’s multipurpose building, which is used for Mass, administration and education.

The garden includes a small statue of Mary in the center, and pavers

represent the beads of the rosary. A pair of benches is available for quiet

reflection and two young trees will grow to provide shade for the area. A

from Augusta, Maine, spoke about the

Glenmary Volunteer program, calling it, “one of the best years of my life.”

“After college I did a year of volun-

teer service instead of jumping into

the traditional job market,” she said. “I served at what was then called the

Glenmary Farm in Kentucky. I worked

with college and high school kids from all over the country.”

Logan went on to become a two-

day winner before falling in ‘Final Jeopardy!’ in her third contest.

Logan was a long-term volunteer

with Glenmary in 2009-10, serving alongside future Glenmary Brother Jason Muhlenkamp.

The Glenmary Volunteer Pro-

gram continues to thrive at its current location, atop Joppa Mountain in Grainger County, Tenn. To learn more

about volunteering with Glenmary visit Glenmary.org/volunteer.

large upright wooden cross stands at the beginning of the path.

“It adds beauty to the area,” said Father Tom. “It faces the road so people

can’t miss it when they’re driving by.”

Father Tom added that children in the mission’s religious education proThe rosary garden is the latest but not the last project underway at St.

Michael the Archangel. The mission is raising funds to build a pair of class-

rooms for religious education as they’ve already outgrown their present space built in 2018.

ABOVE: Father Tom Charters blesses the Marian statue in St. Michael's rosary garden. Later the group enjoyed cupcakes cleverly shaped as a rosary. RIGHT: Jamie Logan, former Glenmary volunteer, was a 3-day ‘Jeopardy!’ contestant.

Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

Photo courtesy Jeopardy Productions, Inc.

gram are known to frequent the garden to play after class.

When You See Me, Think of Jesus The Church will grow in mission counties. story + photos by john feister

The Church gathers, the Word is proclaimed, Communion is consecrated and shared, and the bishop anoints those whom he ordains with chrism oil. These are the key moments of ordination. Three Glenmarians were ordained this past March, in Cincinnati. Nashville’s bishop, J. Mark Spalding, made the trip north from his mission diocese to confer the sacrament.

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(clockwise from top) Samuel Mungai kneels before Bishop Spalding and promises faithfulness to the People of God. Kenn Wandera places hands upon the cup and paten held by Bishop Spalding, a eucharistic commissioning; José Carlos Miguel LÓpez hears words of affirmation from Father Vic Subb while Father Tom Charters vests Kenn. It is a moment of great joy for all of Glenmary, for their families, and for the people these priests will serve.

After the ordinations the men of Glenmary pray over each of the new priests. At the front of this line are Fathers Chet Artysiewicz and John Brown blessing Fathers José Carlos and Kenn, respectively. All of the community present will take a turn. Mission work can be challenging and isolated: The missioners will need the prayers and support of their brothers in mission throughout their lives of service. They will pray for and support their brothers in turn.

Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

Ordination

The three new priests, along with Glenmary President Father Dan Dorsey, concelebrate with Bishop Spalding at the altar. In his homily, the bishop preached, “Today we call the Holy Spirit down upon you, to do great things in our Church. My hope is that you can make the dream of Jesus Christ come true in your life, in your service as a priest. When people look upon you, they should think, and ponder, about Jesus.” After Communion, as priests and faithful find their way back to their seats, the oldest Glenmarian, Father Pete Peterson, receives a little help from one of the youngest, Father José Carlos Miguel LÓpez. Glenmary’s three new priests will be assigned to mission parishes in Eastern North Carolina (Father José Carlos), Unicoi County in Appalachian Tennessee (Father Kenn) and Macon County in Middle Tennessee (Father Sam). There they will bring sacraments to people gathering to form the first permanent Catholic churches in these counties.

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by omar cabrera

A Priest With a Smell of Coffee

Photo by John Feister

s a young boy, Father José Carlos Miguel attend the local high school. A friend and supportLópez dreamed of becoming a professional er of that project was Glenmary Father Vic Subb. footballer. But the Holy Spirit had different plans Father Vic recalls that while he served in a for him. Now, he is the first Hispanic priest in the parish in Georgia, he helped Father Manuel Vehistory of Glenmary. lásquez to visit the United States to raise money “What would I not have given to be a footballer!” for his ministry. “He had about 100 teenagers that says Father José Carlos, a big soccer fan. Born lived at this facility, which was like a big gym, 50 and raised in the southern girls, 50 boys, more or less.” Mexican state of Chiapas, During a visit to Mexico he is one of 12 siblings. His in 2006, Father Vic talked father was a coffee producer to the students about and José Carlos would help Glenmary and José Carlos with the crop. became interested. He deHe enjoyed the work cided to enter the San Juan at the coffee plantation so de los Lagos Seminary, much that he didn’t want very far from his home, to go to school. “I wanted an institution with which action, I wanted to work, to Glenmary has a formation be always moving, always agreement. helping my dad,” he says. “I He says that the message thought that school was for resonated to him because lazy people who spent all one of his brothers worked day sitting in classrooms.” in a rural area in Alabama Finally, his parents perwhere the Catholic Church suaded him to start classes a had no presence. “When year after he was supposed my brother told me about to do so. there being no Catholic One of the factors that Mass where he was, that helped José Carlos to diskind of moved my heart,” cover his vocation was his Father José Carlos recalls. parents’ influence. Even “I said, well, if I’m a GlenWhen my brother told though the family lived in marian I can serve these me about there being no a predominantly Protestant small towns where [many] Catholic Mass where he was, village, “my parents always people perhaps don’t speak that kind of moved my heart. instilled Christian values any English.” in us and the importance Father José Carlos now of attending Mass,” he says. serves in Glenmary’s Holy The community where he grew up didn’t have Spirit and St. Joan of Arc missions in Bertie and a high school. For that reason, young José Carlos Washington Counties, N.C., respectively, where a Mountaintop removal, though fastmoved to a facility where a Catholic priest offered high percentage of the parishioners are Spanisher for coal extraction, wreaks havoc lodging to low-income students so that they could speaking immigrants. on the land, the water, its people. Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

The rolling hills of Middle Tennessee are not much different from Central Kentucky’s, where Bishop Spalding grew up. Where Glenmary starts, he says, “great things happen!”

Spreading the Glenmary Spirit

An Interview With Bishop J. Mark Spalding story + photos by john feister

He’s a cradle Catholic from rural Kentucky, which is maybe why Bishop J. Mark Spalding has an easy understanding of Glenmary’s mission. Bishop Spalding’s home county is not typical, though. It’s in what he explains, with a chuckle, the “Catholic Holy Land,” a small area, south of Louisville, where a group from Maryland came as frontier missioners in 1780. The Diocese of Nashville, to the south, is where Bishop Spalding serves today. His keen sense of the needs of rural Tennessee drives his desire to expand the mission of the Church. Glenmary is helping him to do it. “Nashville is a sort of booming place down here,” he comments with his soft southern dialect and a bit of twinkle in his eye. Indeed, there is a growing economy and diverse population. In that is a range of social groups, rich and poor. “I think Glenmary really serves the margins,” says Bishop Spalding. He’s referring not only to the out-ofthe-way places, but also to those people who live the more hidden lives of poverty in small towns. “These people, sometimes not seen by the general population, are clearly seen by the Glenmarians: the simple worker, 12

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the Hispanic immigrant, or just good old rural folk. They reach out to them in simple ways of faith, hope and love. And they spread that with their great Glenmary spirit.” Did we mention that Bishop Spalding loves Glenmary? “Glenmary starts in counties that have very few Catholics, but from there great things happen!” From Storefront to Parish Bishop Spalding is a missioner at heart, it seems. “The teaching of the last three or four popes has been clear that the Church, by definition, is missionary,” he says, emphatically. That is especially true in his diocese. “Four percent is the total I keep having told to me,” speaking of Catholic portion of the overall population in the Nashville diocese. There are more, though. Many Hispanics are “off the radar, and they want to stay off the radar. But they are our people—faithful, devoted women and men of the Church. And they truly wish to be a part of the Church and to have the Church prosper.” He is keen on finding ways for the Church to serve this growing population. That would be in addition to the broader needs of the local Church.

“It’s that a place to gather and celebrate the sacraments, to hear the Word of God, is not as available as we can make it.” Many of the outlying parishes of the diocese, Glenmary or not, have grown organically, he says. “They start out as storefronts, even garages or barns, and they just get families together. Slowly but surely they blossom over the years.” That type of growth he would like to encourage, especially in rural areas far to the northeast of Nashville, where Catholic parishes are few and far-between. It’s not that Catholics aren’t there, says Bishop Spalding, “it’s that a place to gather and celebrate the sacraments, to hear the Word of God, is not as available as we can make it.” In many cases Catholics drive a great distance to get to the nearest parish, he adds. One of those is in the countryside about an hour northeast of Nashville, in Macon County, where Glenmary has been serving Holy Family mission parish, since 2003, building up what was a small faith community. Bishop Spalding came there just two years ago to dedicate its first permanent church building, erected with help from Glenmary donors. Today Glenmarians from Holy Family drive 35 miles to serve parishioners in adjacent Clay County, at Divine Savior mission. Glenmary is now furthering its reach in the region. This year, Glenmary Father Don Tranel began mis-

sion work to the east in Smith County, Tenn., meeting and talking with people, and taking the early steps toward gathering a parish community. There are plans underway for another Glenmary mission parish in a nearby county. Add to that Glenmary Brother Craig Digmann’s ministry of evangelization in nearby Trousdale County. You start to see through Glenmary’s work a dramatic increase in the Catholic Church’s ministry to this neglected area in this region. In Trousdale County, Brother Craig is establishing a Catholic presence by sowing seeds of understanding, a style of ministry that Bishop Spalding likes. “You connect with the people,” says the bishop. “Our numbers are so small in some of these towns in Tennessee that either they don't know, or they've never been taught about Catholics.” There could even be some anti-Catholic stories floating around. “Brother’s work really kinda challenges that, and also puts at ease people around us that we are Christian.” Glenmary holds a special place in his heart, and in the history of the Nashville diocese, Bishop Spalding says. Are other missionary societies there? “Not yet! You’re our mainstay right now,” he says, graciously. “And we sure appreciate it.”

Bishop Spalding chats with Father Chet Artysiewicz before liturgy. Brother Craig Digmann is in the background.

Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

St. Joseph, seen here with Mary, Jesus and a young John the Baptist, is the patron saint of religious brothers. He was a worker, a leader, a listener, and more. Brothers in the Church fill many of those roles today.

In the Footsteps of St. Joseph BY JOHN STEGEMAN

Religious Brothers Day takes place each year on the Feast of St. Joseph the Worker. This celebration highlights one of the lesser known, but critically valuable vocations in the Church. Since the beginning, Glenmary has been a society of both priests and brothers. Brothers in Glenmary have served in roles from construction to nursing, to social work and more, all the while bringing Christ to the people they meet. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, with its many unsung heroes, Pope Francis has declared this to be the Year of St. Joseph. Like St. Joseph, brothers are unsung heroes. With that in mind, we asked Glenmary brothers to reflect on their vocation.

WHAT IS THE ROLE OF BROTHERS IN THE CHURCH TODAY?

To witness and promote healing, compassion and dialogue in a world where division and divisiveness prevails. —Brother Jack Henn

“A brother is not normally tied down to just one single ministry, so he has the freedom to use the particular gifts that God gives him to creatively enhance the kingdom of God here on earth.” —Brother Craig Digmann Brother Jack 14

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Brothers Josiah + Erick

“When I worked with the brothers, I found what they did was something I wanted to do,” he said. “I wanted to be doing more things than being a minister. I wanted to be out there doing stuff with the people. I just liked what the brothers were doing.” — Brother Josiah Kimani

Painting by Bartolomé Esteban Murillo

WHAT ATTRACTED YOU TO THE VOCATION OF BROTHERHOOD? “I was attracted to the brothers' vocation after meeting Glenmary brothers and seeing firsthand the ministry they did. Brothers Joe Steen and Virgil Seifker were among the first Glenmary brothers I met. I was inspired by the generosity and compassion that I saw in Glenmary brothers and by the ministry they did with people living on the margins in rural Appalachia. I was attracted to the brothers' vocation because I felt called to be of service to the poor and to community life.” —Brother David Henley

“The simplicity of a brother’s lifestyle.” —Brother Joe Steen

Brother Curt

Brother Joe

“The variety of ministries and opportunities afforded brothers. Another attraction is the realization that the heart of a brother's vocation is to walk with others in their struggles and joys, to be one with them, to connect with people in a deep and profound way.” —Brother Jack Henn

“The love and desire I have to serve God, God’s people, and the Church in simple and practical ways. To walk together with my brothers and sisters, and assure them that God loves them even in the midst of difficulties they might have in their life.” —Brother Craig Digmann

“What attracted me to brotherhood was a process of elimination. I did not want to be a monk, nor was I interested in vocation to priesthood. In the Spring of 1964, I had a close call being involved in an accident. I took a deep breath and looked around me. Here was a field arrayed with golden flowers along the river bottom. Wow! I have been driving the highways and missing what was all around me. And at that moment, I said yes, I guess to God, that I was going to be a missionary brother.” —Brother Curt Kedley Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

“I have had a variety of ministries in Glenmary. God has been good to me in giving me the strength to persevere. For nine years, I served the Hancock County Helping Hands Food Pantry in Sparta, Ga., and for 13 years I was at the Bertie County Good Shepherd Food Pantry in Windsor, N.C. I always like the image of Jesus being a short order cook at the seashore. My ministry is simply a variation.” —Brother Curt Kedley

TELL ME ABOUT YOUR CURRENT MINISTRY, OR A PAST MINISTRY THAT MEANT A LOT TO YOU.

Brother David

“My primary ministry is serving as Vocation Director for Glenmary. I meet with and walk with young men who are discerning their call to be Glenmary brothers or priests. Prior to my current ministry I served in our missions in Arkansas and Kentucky. I was an outreach minister which allowed me to go out and find where the greatest need was in that area. We try to walk in solidarity with the poor. —Brother David Henley

DO YOU HAVE A PARTICULAR DEVOTION TO ST. JOSEPH?

Brother Craig

“St. Joseph lived a very ordinary life with extraordinary people. We know so little about him because he was a good listener.” —Brother Joe Steen

I have a devotion to St. Joseph because of his calling to be the “foster-father” of Jesus. I was previously married and raised two sons. When I began to [reimagine] my role as paternal father, to a more “foster-father” role, it sure made parenting a whole lot easier. They are God’s children, and my job was simply to nurture them in the direction toward God.” —Brother Craig Digmann

DO YOU HAVE ANY OTHER DEVOTIONS? “St. Martin de Porres and St. Peter Claver were my patron saints prior to my commitment to Glenmary and still are today. Nana Schwendinger, my grandmother, lived with us all through my childhood. Her devotion to these two men, perhaps, shaped me to have an affinity to African American ministry.” —Brother Curt Kedley 16

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Brother Craig

Wise Missioner

interviews on glenmary spirituality

brother joe steen : loving the ordinary that we put up a little statue of St. Joseph outside while we started the building. When the building got under roof, we moved St. Joseph inside. So he's here, watching over us, until the building is finished. Brother Joe Steen and St. Joseph have more than a name in common. St. Joseph was a carpenter, and so is Brother Joe. St. Joseph must have been a nice guy too. And both of the Josephs were and are hopeful men, dreamers, and big fans of Jesus. Brother Joe, a missioner since 1968, has made a career of quietly building churches and helping people in Glenmary areas who are in need. During this yearlong observance of the “unsung hero” (Pope Francis’ words) we asked Brother Joe a few questions about this patron of religious brothers. We caught up with him on the construction site of St. John Paul II church in Rutledge, Tenn. Q: Is it true that you always have a little St. Joseph statue on the building site? A: Oh, there’s one right here! It was a tradition with the building crew

Q: Why did you do that? A: Of course he was a builder, a carpenter and patron of brothers. But he was humble, too. One of the things I love about St. Joseph is that he lived an ordinary life among extraordinary people. He really fulfilled his vocation by living that ordinary life, by raising his son and supporting his family every day. That’s a great example of how ordinary people become saints. Q: I read sometimes about St. Joseph the dreamer. Do you connect with that? A: I think St. Joseph was an ordinary Jewish builder who, by the grace of God, listened to those inspirations, the dreams about Mary, about where he was to go, and he obeyed. There isn’t a lot about questioning. He didn't tell Mary, “Well, that’s a crazy story, that I need to uproot my family and move…,” but he was a listener. He could discern, this was from God.

Q: So what does Brother Joe draw from that? Are there practical ways today that St. Joseph influences that way you do things? A: There is that whole sense of listening, watching, and a kind of modeling. I can’t help but marvel at St. Joseph going about his everyday life around these very, very extraordinary people, Mary and Jesus. What a gift! It’s the same way in my life. I’ve been privileged to be around so many marvelous people, who have really been witnesses and examples to me. You know, God has treated me with kid gloves all my life because I don’t think God thinks I can handle very much! God has been extremely kind to me. I am grateful. Q: Some tell me that you're a man of prayer. Would you agree with that? A: Well, I would hope that as you get older you get wiser. I’ve always had a big mouth, but listening and quiet has become much, much more important to me. I’ve always been busy, but it’s important to just stop and do nothing, in a good sense. Now I’ve only got a few things in my room. Q: So you live a simple lifestyle? A: Yeah. It’s easier. —John Feister

Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

letters to the editor KEEP ON KEEPING ON I am so happy with Glenmary’s mission in life. Keep doing what you are doing to deliver the message from God.

line and we may include your letter in an upcoming edition of the magazine. The contact info is just below. We’d love to hear from you.

Jack Sauter

John Stegeman

•

Rancho Mirage, CA

YOUR LETTER HERE? One of my favorite things to do as editor is get feedback from our readers. I have often heard that a story in this magazine inspired someone to do God’s will in their own lives. If our stories inspire you, if they motivate you to get involved, or if you just think Glenmary’s ministry is worthwhile, drop us a

wor d s of w is d om f r om o ur f o un de r “No work will be so powerful

for us as apostles of peace on

•

Cincinnati,OH

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.

lay missioner needed

earth than that which we are

organized to do-the temporal

Glenmary Home Missioners seek a Missionary Pastoral Minister to gather a Catholic Christian community in Overton county, Tennessee. This Missionary Pastoral Minister will collaborate with Glenmary to gather a Eucharistic community and provide leadership in responding to the spiritual and other needs of the county, which currently has no established Catholic church. This ministry includes faith formation, ecumenical involvement, evangelization outreach and social justice. Requirements: a Bachelor’s degree in theology or pastoral ministry (Master’s preferred), ability to communicate in Spanish and English and three years’ full-time experience in parish ministry, preferably in a rural Southern area. Salary is commensurate with education and experience. Send cover letter, resume and references to Lorraine Vancamp at lvancamp@glenmary.org.

and spiritual works of mercy, feeding and clothing the

hungry and naked, ministering to the wounded and the

sick, loving the poor and the underprivileged.”

-Father W. Howard Bishop

Plan Your Legacy Today Gifts to Glenmary in the form of bequests from wills and trusts are gifts that ensure a lasting Catholic presence and Christian care to people in our missions for years to come. If you have remembered Glenmary in your will or trust, please let us know so we can have the pleasure of thanking you now.

GLENMARY CHALLENGE

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Glenmary's Planned Giving Office info@glenmary.org 513-874-8900

T H E W E B S I T E O F C AT H O L I C MISSIONERS TO RURAL AMERICA

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Volunteer with Glenmary Short- and long-term volunteers are welcome to experience simplicity and spirituality in the hills of Grainger County, Tenn.

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Travel with Glenmary to holy sites Join Glenmarians on pilgrimages to the two most visited shrines in the world. Father Aaron Wessman leads a trip to Italy while Father Steve Pawelk heads a Mexican excursion.

glenmary.org/italy-mexico

Designate Glenmary as your charity of choice at Amazon Smile and shop as normal. Amazon donates a portion of each purchase to Glenmary.

glenmary.org/amazon-smile Are you being called? Take Glenmary’s vocation survey to see if life as a missionary priest or brother could be for you. A simple survey could change your life!

glenmary.org/vocations/survey Glenmary has an app

Daily reflections from Glenmary Get access to daily inspiration in your inbox from Glenmary Home Missioners and staff. Each email contains a Scripture quote, brief reflection and prayer.

Keep up with the latest from the home missions by downloading the Glenmary app, available in the App Store and Google Play.

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glenmary.org/reflections Make a gift to the missions The missionary work Glenmary does would be impossible without support from people like you. Thank you for considering a one-time or monthly gift!

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Mission not just for men

Learn about the Glenmary Sisters, a community that shares a charism with the Glenmary men.

Learn more about our missions and get to know our priests, brothers, and coworkers. One thing’s for sure, life at Glenmary is never boring!

Glenmarysisters.org

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Summer 2021 GLENMARY CHALLENGE

NONPROFIT ORGANIZATION

Father Steve Pawelk with one of Glenmary's faithful donors—fresh eggs every morning! Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for ministry updates and inspiration.

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

U.S. Postage PAID Glenmary Home Missioners