Looking Ahead
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.)
At Glenmary’s 80th anniversary this year, there is much to celebrate. Each Mass we see a re-presentation of Christ’s sacrifice happen before our eyes. We are connected in a mystical way as this event is made new again and again. Similarly, Glenmary’s mission to bring the church to places in the United States where it is not fully present is made new each day in the work of our missioners. Father William Howard Bishop had the vision for this mission eight decades ago and his dream has brought countless people to Christ. Through Glenmary’s work, supported by the prayers and gifts of our faithful donors, more than 140 parishes have been established in rural Appalachia and the South. This mission continues! In this issue, we see the dedication of one Glenmary church building in Tennessee. Another is under construction. Preparations are underway to celebrate the ordination of two young men to the priesthood in the spring. Our vocation team continues to search the globe to find men ready to answer God’s call. An old Glenmary saying is, “Times change, needs don’t.” How true. At Glenmary’s founding in 1939, World War II was beginning. The World’s Fair in New York introduced the public to futuristic ideas like the automatic dishwasher, superhighways and early versions of robots. Now, as then, there remain millions of Americans who do not know the fullness of Christ’s teachings. There remain hungry, cold, marginalized people on our streets. Fortunately, there also remain committed priests, brothers and lay coworkers dedicated to helping them. Happy 80th birthday, Glenmary!
GLENMARY HOME MISSIONERS P.O. Box 465618 · Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618 513-874-8900 · 800-935-0975 · challenge@glenmary.org © 2019, Glenmary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.
ON THE COVER: Glenmary Father Steve Pawelk poses proudly with parishioners Scarlett Zammaron and Humberto Soto in front of St. Teresa of Kolkata's new church. It's dedication day for this multicultural parish. Photo by John Feister.
