Glenmary Challenge - Summer 2024

GLENMARY

HOME MISSIONERS

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 US 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 US 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 US diocesan clergy, and to anyone who requests it. (To begin receiving issues, use the contact information below.)

GLENMARY HOME MISSIONERS

P.O. Box 465618 · Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618

513-874-8900 · 800-935-0975 · challenge@glenmary.org

© 2024, Glenm ary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.

From the Editor

Two big things are happening at once this summer for us: the Eucharistic Congress and Glenmary’s 85th anniversary. We decided to approach both in this same issue because they are so intimately connected. Glenmary, after all, is bringing the Eucharist to places in Appalachia and the South where the fullness of Catholic faith, including a Eucharist revered as the real presence of Jesus Christ, is lacking.

The Eucharist, of course, is both our source of Catholic worship and its highest form. Glenmary has an incredible honor to make it available in places where it isn’t (see our map on pp. 10-11 for more on that). But the Eucharist is not confined to church walls. Christ is present in the local community, in the social outreach of the Church. As Pope Benedict XVI taught, “A Eucharist which does not pass over into the concrete practice of love is fragmented.” Or, in Matthew’s words, “Where two or three are gathered in my name, there I am in their midst.” Think of groups gathered for mission.

When Glenmary brings the Eucharist to a community, when we bring the Catholic faith, we are bringing the fullness of the Eucharist: in the Mass, then in tabernacle or monstrance, but also the real presence of Christ in acts of service, charity, and justice.

You’ll see some of that in this issue, from the promising ecumenical work of Matthew 25 Ministries in Macon County, Tennessee, to our quick roundup of stories in Around the Missions, as well as Father Dan’s extended column, talking about Glenmary’s future.

Many hands make light work, they say. The work is still plentiful, sure, but the love of Christ, the many hands—yours and ours—make it a joyful mission.

John Feister

VOLUME 88 + NUMBER 2

Glenmary at 85

Times and people have changed, but Glenmary’s mission remains the same: to cross cultures and bring good news.

BY JOHN

Publisher: Father Dan Dorsey

Editor: John Feister

Assistant Editors: Laney Blevins, Omar Cabrera, Theresa Nguyen-Gillen

Design: E + R Design Studio

05

LEAP OF FAITH

12 08

By John Stegeman

Linda Crisostomo left it all behind to become the first Glenmary lay evangelizer.

MISSION: EUCHARIST

By Laney Blevins

In a period of Eucharistic revival, Glenmary Home Missioners reflect on what it means to share God’s love with their mission areas.

14 10

WHERE DO YOU CELEBRATE THE EUCHARIST?

A new map of counties in need of the Church.

Planning-Review Board: Father José Carlos Miguel López, Chris Phelps, Lucy Putnam, Father Vic Subb, Father Richard Toboso, Father Aaron Wessman

CHARITY TOGETHER: MATTHEW 25 MINISTRIES

By Theresa Nguyen-Gillen

In Macon County, Tennessee, Glenmary’s Holy Family mission joins with other local Christian churches to provide for those in need.

TO GO WHERE THE LORD CALLS

By Theresa Nguyen-Gillen

Jubilarians look back on their mission and ministry.

ON THE COVER

The logo tells a big part of the story: in 85 years Glenmary’s started parishes in many places; the rest is the amazing social outreach along the way.

FEISTER | PAGE 6

GLENMARY NEWS & NOTES

An estimated 500 people gathered at Glenmary's headquarters for food, music, games, and prayer.

community / Annual Festival of Mercy

Festival celebrates God’s love with Glenmary neighbors

GLENMARY’S HEADQUARTERS in Cincinnati, Ohio, was full of life as the annual Festival of Mercy drew an estimated 500 people on April 28.

Hosted by Glenmary for the third consecutive year, the festival food tables featured groups from around the community: Our Lady of the Rosary, Our Lady of LaVang, St. Stephen’s Men’s Group, and St. Julia’s Knights of Columbus Council.

Glenmarians led the rosary and Divine Mercy chaplet throughout the day in English, Spanish, and Vietnamese. The Father William Howard Bishop Memorial Museum and Our Lady of the Fields Chapel were also open for visitors to learn more about Glenmary and its history.

In addition to a bounce house, musical chairs, and other games, kids also enjoyed riding around the property on a

Dan

golf cart driven by Father Dan Dorsey—they wouldn’t get off!

It was a beautiful day to celebrate God’s merciful love.

Photos by Laney Blevins

Father

Dorsey gives a golf cart tour of Glenmary's headquarters to young visitors.

Spring brings oath renewals for new Glenmarians

GLENMARY CANDIDATES for Brotherhood and priesthood renewed their annual, temporary oaths in April.

The group renewing their oaths this year includes Brother Erick Orandi, Brother Willy Kyagulanyi, Brother Thomas Nguyen, Joseph Maundu, Cavine Okello, Brother Corey Soignier, and Brother Jude Smith. (Three of them are pictured at the right.)

These men are at different stages of formation as they take these oaths. Some are in seminary at St. Meinrad in Indiana; some are Brothers in training at various places for various ministries.

Altogether there are 13 men in formation at Glenmary at this time. Five of them will enter the novitiate this summer to discern their calling with Glenmary.

Four of these men in formation will profess final, lifelong oaths in June: two Brothers (Willy Kyagulanyi and Erick Orandi) and two seminarians (Joseph Maundu and Cavine Okello). Brother Willy is studying to be a nurse, and Brother Erick is currently in parish ministry in Tennessee.

Joseph and Cavine will be ordained deacons on June 7 with plans to be ordained as Glenmary priests next year. Glenmary is growing!

Brother Thomas Nguyen places his hand on a Bible while renewing his oath.

Brothers Willy Kyagulanyi, Thomas Nguyen, and Corey Soignier (left to right) renew their oaths with Glenmary. Brother Willy will take his Final Oath on June 1.

Photos by John Feister

around the missions

Gathering the People of God

THINGS ARE BUSY for Glenmary’s Director of Ecumenism

Nathan Smith. Among Nathan’s many projects, two in recent months point out the scope of his work. He led a dialogue on Eucharist at a Glenmary mission, then flew to Africa for an international gathering.

The workshop Eucharist and Mission was at Glenmary’s Holy Family Parish in Macon County, Tennessee. Father Charles Aketch gathered parishioners for the event one weekend. Nathan gave a talk in English; Glenmary’s Spanish-language communications coordinator, Omar Cabrera, presented Nathan’s talk in Spanish. (A little more than a dozen parishioners who came are Anglo; about four times as many are Hispanic.) A lively and constructive dialogue was followed by Eucharistic adoration. The essence of his talk was that the Eucharist is a gift from God that ties all Christians to each other, and the shared outreach that flows from that.

Halfway across the world, in Accra, Ghana, the Vatican’s ecumenical office was participating in a worldwide gathering of 240 Christians of various denominations from 60 countries, the Global Christian Forum. Glenmary, specifically Nathan, had been tapped by Bishop Brian Farrell, head of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. Nathan was the only representative selected from North America for a four-day faith-sharing event. Discussions there centered on building unity in our shared experience of Christ.

COLLABORATION WITH CATHOLIC CHARITIES

Glenmary has partnered with Catholic Charities of East Tennessee to hire Dianey Flores, a bilingual community advocate, to assist with legal and humanitarian services as well as employment skills. Dianey visits our Tennessee missions in Erwin, Rutledge, and Maynardville monthly to meet one-on-one with parishioners.

FATHER AARON SPEAKS ON POLARIZATION

Glenmary’s first vice president and author of The Church’s Mission in a Polarized World, Father Aaron Wessman, was on a panel about polarization at Georgetown University in Washington, DC, and also on Civilize It, a virtual series hosted by the US bishops’ conference. This summer, he is scheduled to speak a six-part series on the topic throughout the Cincinnati archdiocese.

GLENMARIANS RECEIVE NEW ASSIGNMENTS

Effective March 1, Father François Pellissier is taking senior membership and relocating to Kingsport, Tennessee.

Effective May 1, Father José Carlos Miguel López is named vocation director. Brother David Henley is assigned as a missionary to Martin County, North Carolina, and named assistant vocation director.

Effective May 12, Cavine Okello is assigned as a missionary to Washington County, North Carolina. Joseph Maundu is assigned as a missionary to Union and Grainger Counties, Tennessee. Cavine and Joseph will be ordained as transitional deacons on June 7.

Effective June 1, Brother Erick Orandi is assigned as a missionary to Macon County, Tennessee.

Nathan Smith presents on the Eucharist and Mission at Holy Family Parish in Tennessee.

Photo by Theresa Nguyen-Gillen

Leap of Faith

Linda Crisostomo left it all behind to become the first Glenmary lay evangelizer.

By John Stegeman

After 18 years in the finance industry

Linda Crisostomo took a leap of faith. She was succeeding in her career, making good money, and earning the respect of her peers. She traveled, played golf, went to Las Vegas, but she felt restless and empty. She made several big changes, one of which was signing up for a three-year volunteer stint with a religious order. That move started her on the path to rural North Carolina where she now spreads the Gospel for Glenmary

“I was called to realize that my true source of sufficiency was of course, God,” Linda says. “After over 18 years in the finance industry, real estate, mortgage, all that, all that big money, I said goodbye to corporate America.”

Linda enjoyed her volunteer experience, and when she returned to the workforce she got a job at a Catholic retreat center in Los Angeles. She went back to school, attending the Franciscan School of Theology. She picked up a certification in spiritual direction along the way and lived in California, Arizona, and Missouri.

An early retiree, Linda’s journey led her to discover the Glenmary Group Volunteer Program at the Glenmary Farm at Joppa Mountain, Tennessee. There she spent a year as a long-term volunteer, called a Mountain Manager. She was attracted to the program by the simple living and the opportunity to live in a tiny house (which is becoming popular everywhere).

In November of last year, she accepted a lay evangelizer position with Glenmary.

What is a lay evangelizer?

Lay evangelizers are new for Glenmary. They move to one of Glenmary’s mission areas and focus specifically on evangelizing the unchurched, the unaffiliated, and nonChristians. They employ creative methods to share the Gospel with people not currently part of any Christian community.

Linda is doing this work in Martin County, North Carolina, based in Williamston. That’s the site of Glenmary’s Holy Trinity Mission.

Since starting in this role, she’s had conversations with patrons at the library, the local driver’s license bureau, and anywhere else she goes. It’s not about asking who’s Catholic and who’s not, but about building friendships and planting seeds. She also hands out blessed medals of Our Lady of the Fields (patroness of Glenmary).

“I don’t define the job [when I meet people], instead I tell the story of how I came here,” Linda says. “I think there’s plenty of harvest, but I should remain faithful in my spiritual self-care. What I can offer to someone is an overflow of who I am. You become a channel.

“Lord, give me a soul who doesn’t know you,” she prays. “The Holy Spirit will always bring that soul.”

John Stegeman is a freelance writer.

Photo by John Feister

“Lord, give me a soul who doesn’t know you,” she prays.

“The Holy Spirit will always bring that soul.”

Glenmary at 85

Times and people have changed, but Glenmary’s mission remains the same: to cross cultures and bring good news.

by john feister

What will Glenmary look like at 100?

On its 85th anniversary this year, Glenmary President Father Dan Dorsey would rephrase that question: “What will the Catholic Church in rural America look like? And to that, I would say it will be alive—lay ministers, Sisters, Brothers, and priests will be serving and ministering in what our founder spoke of as ‘the forgotten and neglected regions of the United States.’ It’s impossible to predict details of the future. What is crucial for us is to continue to listen to and be guided by the Holy Spirit!”

Not long ago, Father Dan sat for an interview about Glenmary’s future. The Glenmary society is, after all, in a moment of tremendous change, as its oldest, earliest members are becoming fewer, and current leadership is looking forward. Glenmary is surging with new members, men from Kenya, Uganda, Mexico, Vietnam, and, of course, several from the United States. Glenmary now has 13 men in formation. Five of them are entering novitiate on July 1.

In addition, there are others working in Glenmary missions, that is, lay evangelists and co-missioners from the US, the Philippines, and a priest on loan from India.

In 85 years the Glenmary family has founded 76 parishes, helped develop 88 others, aided thousands of people in need in many ways, and provided national leadership on key areas of the Church’s mission. But Glenmary, the Church, and the world, are changing. That was the topic of our talk with Father Dan, who by the end of his term, will be the longest-serving Glenmary president ever.

Q. How has Glenmary’s mission changed over these 85 years?

A: Back in the 1930s our founder, Father William Howard Bishop, was a man of his times. The missiology [understanding of mission] was reflective of his day and time. Reflective of this, Father Bishop created a map of the United States that highlighted all of the counties where there was not a Catholic priest: No Priest Land, USA. Father Bishop’s vision and his charism lacked an adequate understanding of the complexity of culture and the role culture would play in any mission effort.

Toward the end of his life Father Bishop was beginning to see the importance of culture as he was coming to terms with few converts.

Q: How do cultural differences continue to play out today for Glenmary?

A: A very good example of that is, beginning early in the 2000s, we began to accept men into our formation program whose country of origin was outside of the United States. In the past decade or so we've accepted men whose country of origin is Kenya, Uganda, Mexico, and Vietnam. These men, after completing six years of formation in Glenmary, are assigned to our mission areas.

Q: How has that worked out?

A: I must say I've been extremely, and I would underline extremely, impressed by the men whose country of origin is not the United States, how effective they have been as missioners. As we celebrate 85 years, I, personally, as a leader, am optimistic and excited about our future.

Father François Pellissier

Father Les Schmidt

Father Vijaya Katta

Deacon Larry Rossini and Fathers Neil Pezzulo and Steven Pawelk

Q: So, will the direction of Glenmary change?

A: One of the real challenges of Glenmary and for myself is to recognize that our charism, the call to go to these areas, is organic. Glenmary’s charism is “to build up the body of Christ” in the rural areas of the United States. The heart of our charism will never change. How we go about doing that—for instance the difference between 1974 and 2024—will adapt and change over the years.

Q: Cultural differences have been an issue for Glenmary before that, haven’t they?

A: In a sense, Glenmary has been crossing cultures from the outset. For instance, I am originally from St. Louis, Missouri. That’s a different culture from Appalachia, which in turn is a different culture than the Deep South.

Because our skin color is the same or maybe because we're from the same country doesn't mean I can fully understand or really appreciate the culture of somebody in Appalachia or somebody in the Deep South. And so whether

Q: What do they do?

they're black, white, or brown, we really embrace the fact that we will never fully understand the culture. We constantly adapt and learn. As someone once pointed out: We are invited to walk in another culture’s garden. And so we are there to live with and to be a part of the people, as Pope Francis stated in Joy of the Gospel , we should “smell like the sheep.”

Whether you're from St. Louis, Missouri, or from Nairobi, Kenya, our call, our mission, is the same.

Q: A lot of new things are always happening here. Lately there has been a lot of talk about lay evangelists. What’s that about?

A: Our vision and dream would be that over the next 10 years, we would invite more lay people to be engaged in evangelization. In 2034 Glenmary would have 20 or 30 lay evangelizers living in various counties that we serve and whose primary focus is to be an evangelizer

A: That's a great question—I don't know the answer to that! [laughs] Seriously, though, one of the things that a number of our Glenmarians have done very, very well is best described as a ministry of presence. For instance: You go and you sit in the McDonald's or a diner for an hour or two every morning, and you meet the people. You go to different events. You get involved in civic and ecumenical events. And through that, . . . people come to know who you are.

When you talk to people, it's not like you're trying to impose what you believe or what you think upon them. The most powerful preaching is your love. If you love those you encounter, it will change hearts. It's going to convert people—people who may have this stereotype of Catholicism and of what Catholics believe in and who they are.

One of the things that all of us find difficult is when our hearts are in conflict. Someone might think, I think this is what Catholics believe and who they are, but why is this woman/man, why are they so kind and loving? Why are they not judgmental? Why is the Catholic Church in town the church where everybody is welcome? Why is this? The seed is planted, which I believe is the kingdom of God.

It may not mean anything to the world, but it's a powerful witness to go into places and work with people. As our society’s constitution states at the very beginning: “For the love of Christ impels us” (2 Cor 5:14). Eighty-five years later, it’s powerful to do these things that are very clearly within the tradition and charism given to Father William Howard Bishop. His own words were, “the lost or the forgotten or the neglected.” They look a little bit different today than back then. The issues may be different, but still, the people we serve are the lost, the forgotten, and the neglected.

Interviewer John Feister is editor of this publication.

Father Rollie Hautz

Brother David Henley and Luis Aju

Father Vic Subb

Father Dan and Brother Henley

Mission: Eucharist

In a period of Eucharistic revival, Glenmary Home Missioners reflect on what it means to share God’s love within their mission areas.

BY LANEY BLEVINS

Since 1939, Glenmary Home Missioners has been planting seeds of Catholicism in areas of the United States that once had no Catholic presence. The seed starts small: mass in someone’s home or perhaps a rented storefront. But, with time, it might just grow into building a church and establishing a flourishing parish.

When it comes to the Catholic Church, Glenmary President Father Dan Dorsey says the dogmas and doctrines are wonderful, the very backbone of what Catholicism is all about. “But the thing that convinces people, the thing that wins over people, the thing that impresses or changes hearts,” he says, “is that of love.”

Going into these areas to love and serve people, regardless of

who they are, is what Glenmary is all about. And what better symbol of love is there than the Catholic Eucharist?

“So, the first thing we do is that we go and break bread,” says Father Kenn Wandera.

The gift of love

The Eucharist is the center of it all, a gift connecting us to God and to one another. “I receive this gift, this very special, unique gift,” says Brother Joe Steen. “And every gift from God I have to share. It’s never more if I keep it. I don’t have it. It’s lost. I can’t keep anything that God has given me.” To share the gift of the Eucharist is to share love, to nurture the seeds that have been sown in the communities Glenmary serves.

The Eucharist is the center of it all, a gift connecting us to God and to one another.

Although the Eucharist has a personal meaning for everybody, Father Steve Pawelk says the Eucharist has power way beyond his personal kinship with it. When he offers Mass as a priest in the county he is serving, he is bringing the lives of every person in the county to the altar. Those who have suf-

Father Charles Aketch

fered illness or hardship, made mistakes, struggle through life, or maybe even are not part of any church are on the altar. When he offers the host, he envisions those people and offers them to Jesus.

“The Eucharist is not just about my personal experience, but I’m transforming a county through the power of Christ and the Holy Spirit by offering the Eucharist,” says Father Steve. “It is the gift of God that they receive from the Glenmary priests who are there.”

Comfort through hardship

For many, the Eucharist provides a sense of comfort through hardship, acting as a powerful reminder of faith. Father Aaron Wessman recalls a period when he was struggling but felt drawn to a space where he could sit in the presence of the Eucharist. “I think my faith became more animated,” he says. “And I think that God, through ways that only God can know, helped me in those moments.”

Recalling these moments is profound, given the hardship and sadness, struggles, and sufferings many people in the communities Glenmary serves come to face. “I actually feel deep inside that I am providing

them with a nourishment and with something they cannot receive in any other place,” says Father Aaron, when speaking about offering the Eucharist in the mission areas.

The heart of our mission

The Eucharist is the heart of Glenmary’s mission, playing a pivotal role in developing connections to the people we serve. In this period of Eucharistic revival, we see how great a gift from God this sacrament is. Glenmary’s ability to share this gift with the neglected and forgotten in the communities we serve helps us build God’s kingdom and spread his word through love.

“I can’t think of a better way to live one’s life than to do so as a Glenmary home missioner bringing this gift to the people of our missions,” says Father Aaron.

Assistant editor Laney Blevins holds a master's degree in professional communication from Purdue University. This article is drawn from interviews conducted for our newest video: “Glenmary—Mission: Eucharist,” which can be seen at Glenmary.org/Eucharist

Father Steven Pawelk

Father José Carlos Miguel López

Father Aaron Wessman

Charity Together: Matthew 25 Ministries

In

Macon County, Tennessee, Glenmary’s Holy Family mission joins with other local Christian churches to provide for those in need.

BY THERESA NGUYEN-GILLEN

Let us be Cyrus to one another,” says Glenmary Father Charles Aketch, pastor of Holy Family Catholic Church in Macon County, Tennessee. “Let us give one another hope.”

Father Charles is speaking to a small crowd at Community Connection Church as Holy Week begins. He preaches about Cyrus, the king of Persia who freed the Jews from Babylonian captivity. Father Charles asks the crowd to ponder when they have been in a state of exile—what he defines as a life without God—and challenges them to reach out and be that hope to others.

As participants in the night’s event, they are already doing just that.

The event is one of many worship nights hosted by Matthew 25 Ministries, an ecumenical effort among five churches to give financial assistance to residents in need. Power in numbers

“For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me” (Mt 25:35-36).

The ministry started three years ago when a youth pastor from Community Connection Church became passionate about having a centralized place to help those in need. Opening a shelter was out of the question, but pooling the resources of the Christian churches in town was feasible.

Bryan Morgan, pastor of Community Connection Church, is grateful for the collaboration that exists today. “We can help more people unified,” he says. When someone calls him for help, they can be given assistance right away instead of calling several churches in town to find the help they need.

“There’s power in numbers,” says David Spears, pastor of First Assembly of God. He wanted to become involved in the ministry because of a question that has lingered in his mind. “If your church closed tomorrow, would the community miss you?” Being part of Matthew 25 Ministries gives his church an outlet to directly impact members of the community.

ABOVE: Bryan Morgan, pastor of Community Connection Church, welcomes Matthew 25 Ministries to his church.

Photos by John Feister

When any one of the five churches gets a call from someone asking for financial assistance, they are directed to Glenmary Brother Larry Johnson.

Brother Larry handles most of the outreach done by the ministry. As the secretary and treasurer, Brother Larry fields the calls, does his due diligence to make sure the caller has not abused other resources found in the city, and, if not, writes the check.

“I’m not somebody noble and holy,” says Brother Larry. But, “I’m overjoyed to do it.”

Charity and worship

“Then the righteous will answer him and say, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?’” (Mt 25:37)

The donations that support Matthew 25 Ministries primarily come from their monthly worship nights. These nights rotate between the churches involved in the ministry: Holy Family Catholic Church, Community Connection Church, First Assembly of God, Christ Alive Church, and The Well. Each night features a pastor from another church in the ministry as the guest speaker.

At this night’s event at Community Connection Church, Holy Family parishioners make up about one third of the crowd.

“Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink?”

—MT 25 : 37

Bryan welcomes them to his church and starts the night in prayer. His music team leads them in a handful of worship songs. “The Lord has provided,” Bryan says, as Brother Larry passes around a basket for people to make their donations.

After Father Charles gives his talk, Brother Larry shares an update on the ministry to its supporters. In March, for example, the ministry helped seven people with lodging and 10 people with utility bills. Some of the lodging provided has helped people flee violent situations, Brother Larry explains.

A record $1,147 is donated that night by those in attendance—the most they have collected at a worship night this year.

Made in God’s image

“And the king will say to them in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me’” (Mt 25:40).

Between the donations that support the ministry and the gathering that promotes Christian unity, there is “so much life in the hour and a half,” says Brother Larry.

“It’s an awesome event,” says Anna Breeding, a Holy Family parishioner who attends regularly. “There’s no judgment here.”

Human dignity is at the heart of Matthew 25 Ministries. At the very least, says Father Charles, talking to someone who is calling for help is important in itself because they are made in the image and likeness of God.

Glenmary Father Bruce Brylinski, associate pastor of Holy Family, agrees. “[Nearby] Webbtown is a dot on the map,” says Father Bruce. Residents there might be “insignificant to the world, but we are helping them have heat.”

Assistant Editor Theresa Nguyen-Gillen holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism from the University of Missouri.

"There's so much life," says Glenmary's Brother Larry Johnson, who serves as Matthew 25's secretary and treasurer.

TO GO WHERE the Lord Calls

BY THERESA NGUYEN-GILLEN

This year, Father Bob Hare celebrates 60 years since his First Oath with Glenmary. Father Dan Dorsey, president, celebrates his golden jubilee with 50 years. Father Neil Pezzulo is celebrating 30 years.

60

FREEDOM TO SERVE FATHER BOB HARE

For Father Bob Hare, Cincinnati is home today. A native of the city, Father Bob came back to Cincinnati for several years between mission assignments and permanently in 2011 after becoming a senior member of Glenmary.

His career includes mission assignments in Mississippi and Alabama, directing the novitiate in Cincinnati and candidacy program in Kentucky, and finally serving as personnel director and house director in Nashville.

Father Bob vividly recalls his mission in Alabama, where he was the third of five consecutive pastors named “Father Bob.” During his time there, he led the construction of the parish’s first permanent building. This allowed parishioners to move out of

What he has enjoyed most is the freedom to go “where the Lord might be calling.”

the Methodist church, where they were having Mass for the previous seven years.

The church is still thriving today, thanks to Father Bob’s part in its history. He still keeps up with news of the parish, as well as keeping in contact with the neighbors he had in Nashville while living there for 17 years.

As he reflects on 60 years in Glenmary, what he has enjoyed most is the freedom to go “where the Lord might be calling.” And he has more time to do that now in retirement. “A part of growing older is that I don’t have to do everything,” Father Bob says. Other Glenmarians can take over the workload, he says, and they are doing a fantastic job at it.

Father Bob Hare

‘WHAT THE COMMUNITY ASKS’ FATHER DAN DORSEY

Father Dan Dorsey is reminded of his First Oath by a photo of the occasion that hangs in his office. “When I took my First Oath,” he says, “I thought, I will do whatever the community asks me to.” He credits the thought to the Holy Spirit, as he admits openness to change is not his natural virtue.

The community has asked a lot of him over the past 50 years, including two separate stints as Glenmary’s president. He has served in missions in Kentucky and Arkansas, completed graduate studies in Rome, been novitiate director twice, and served as first vice president before his first election as president in 2003.

Before joining Glenmary, Father Dan attended college in Memphis, Tennessee. As the vocation of priesthood was in the back of his mind, he visited a Glenmary mission in nearby northern Mississippi. “I wanted to do something that has meaning,” he says.

“My joy is in Christ.”

The thought he had during his First Oath remained true through his various assignments and elections: He has been joyful to serve in each of them.

“My joy is in Christ,” says Father Dan. No matter what he is doing, he says, Christ remains his focus. At the end of the day, the word that comes to mind while reflecting on his anniversary is gratitude.

“I just want to thank people,” he says. “It is a privilege and an honor to serve.”

‘THEY TAUGHT ME MERCY.’ FATHER NEIL PEZZULO

If it were up to him, Father Neil would celebrate his jubilee year in a style different than most. “I would celebrate this by doing a food distribution,” he says.

His 30 years in ministry have been marked by the relationships he’s had with members of his parish and the communities he has served in.

He remembers fondly his time as pastor at a mission in Arkansas, where he began his ministry. “The whole community welcomed me,” he says, despite being the county’s first permanent Catholic priest. “They taught me mercy. And the importance of community.”

“I’m proud of what Glenmary does.”

After 11 years at two missions in Arkansas, Father Neil was elected Glenmary’s first vice president in 2011. He served in that position for eight years until he became a mission pastor in Tennessee, where he currently serves.

The biggest surprise of his 30 years is how much Spanish he speaks day-to-day. “Some days I don’t even speak English,” Father Neil says. But that’s just another part of being present with his community. “Every community has something to teach me,” he says.

Community not only where he serves, but also the one he has in Glenmary too. He loves the freedom that Glenmary offers him to be the best follower of Christ he can be. “I’m proud of what I do with Glenmary,” he says. “I’m proud of what Glenmary does.”

Father Dan Dorsey

Father Neil Pezzulo

LETTERS TO THE EDITOR

WE NEED OUR INTERNATIONAL PRIESTS

I hope Father Kenn and any other priests and religious can eventually remain in the US. I happen to have enjoyed every African priest and religious I’ve met. They're fantastic men of faith and so are the Sisters. God bless the work you do. Keep spreading the Gospel. We need it these days.

Sincerely in Our Lady, Rev. Keith A. S. Eash, MHICSA | Macomb, IL

HE’S A TERRIFIC PASTOR

The prayer thought [Daily Reflection email] for last Friday by Father Kenn was so inspiring, and so I sent it to some of my friends. It was awesome to share. The article in the Glenmary Challenge about Father Kenn and his parish St. Michael the Archangel in East Tennes-

see is inspiring as well. He is a terrific pastor who invests in his parishioners and has so many good events going there. The fact that his [worshipers at daily Mass] has grown from three to 12 is vast. The Holy Spirit is there.

I pray that the Holy Spirit inspires all at St. Michael's to carry on God's work. Blessings to all.

Prayers always,

D. J. Knickrehm | Eldridge, IA

WHILE WE’RE

TALKING ABOUT IT…

I look forward to your inspirations every morning and love how you write them and at 87 I understand every message! Thank you, sincerely, you have no idea how much they mean to me.

Joanne Kramer | Unknown

Daily Reflections by email signup is at Glenmary.org/reflections.—ed.

we want letters to the editor !

A PICTURE IS WORTH A THOUSAND…

Just read the wonderful issue of the Challenge (Spring, 2024) but wish to pass along a “fraternal correction” to Father Vic Subb (p. 9) that wearing a seat belt is the law AND it will save his life/prevent serious injury when someone else hits him! We want to keep him safe and sound for many more years.

Sincerely,

Paul Ackerman | Columbus, MS

Father Vic responds:

Many thanks for your concern. We appreciate your support!

I was in our parking area, getting into my car, when a friendly photographer stepped up, and I waved, BEFORE I got to my seatbelt.

This same thing happens again, twice, on p. 7!—ed.

Send to: Editor, Glenmary Challenge, PO 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.

LIFE IN THE EUCHARIST

Food for the Journey

“If I go to the shores of East Africa or to the mountains of Chiapas, Mexico, or to the rolling fields of rural America, I know that in the Eucharist, in a tabernacle, in a chapel, or in a church, Christ is there present to me and to all people.”

“We’re all raised together; all of creation is raised with God. And so that sense that this little material thing, this little flat piece of bread, that’s us being raised up to God.”

Glenmary’s mission from the beginning has brought the Eucharist to the forgotten places.

“[The Eucharist] is very important for us here at the house of formation, where every morning we start the day with the celebration of the Eucharist, receiving the body of Christ, which strengthens us throughout the day.”

“Oftentimes when I come [to the Eucharist] troubled and perhaps a little bit down, afterwards, I find life.”

Father Aaron Wessman

Brother Joe Steen

Father Dan Dorsey

Glenmary Student Aloysius Ssennyondo

Photo by Theresa Nguyen-Gillen