glenmarychallenge_spring2012

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 2012 www.g l e nma r y. o r g

Building CommunityNorth Carolina mission makes an impact

Georgia’s Farm Workers

‘Will you celebrate Mass for us?’

2 G l e n m a r y C h a l l e n g e S p r i n g 2 0 1 2

FROM THE EDITOR / Jean Bach

Defining ‘outreach’

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 John S. Rausch

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. di-ocesan 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 over 40 missions and ministries in Appalachia, the South and the Southwest.

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]

© 2012, Glenmary Home Missioners. Reprint permission granted upon request.

I was asked recently to define “outreach” in a Glenmary context by members of a group un-

familiar with Glenmary’s ministry in the home missions.

If I’d had this issue of Glenmary Challenge on hand, my presentation would have been very short. I simply would have said: “Here. Read this.”

This issue is filled with stories about Glen-mary’s diverse outreach ministries that meet both spiritual and material needs of those living in home mission counties. And I think you’ll see that the ministries are as diverse as the regions of the United States where Glenmary serves.

In South Georgia, for example, Spanish-speaking, predominantly Catholic migrant workers (page 9) come to the area to plant and harvest onions each autumn and spring. Glen-mary missioners and coworkers in the region reach out to these workers, providing a Catholic connection and organizing ways to meet their

most basic necessities. In Bertie County, N.C., the

pastoral team at the Glenmary mission (page 15) is working to make sure no one in need goes hungry. They are also helping rebuild homes lost to natural disasters and working to imple-ment a “unique resource for spir-itual needs.”

Diverse ministries meeting di-verse needs in an effort to share the “incredible Good News” (page 4) of our faith and of the

Church. That’s outreach in a Glenmary con-text!

Those who have received the last two issues of Glenmary Challenge electronically seem

to be happy with the format (page 18). If you would like to be added to the electronic mail-ing list, please visit www.glenmarychallenge.org and click on “Receive Glenmary Challenge.”

abOuT THE COvER: A migrant worker dumps a bucket of onions into a wooden bin in South Georgia. This photo, and the photo on page 9, are reprinted with permission from the May 19, 2011, issue of The Farmer-Stockman.

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3S p r i n g 2 0 1 2 G l e n m a r y C h a l l e n g e

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Prayer answered in south Georgia’s Onion FieldsFather John Brown, along with other missioners and coworkers, ministers to migrant farm workers in South Georgia each au-tumn and spring. For Father John, the ministry reaffirms his call to missionary priesthood.

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building Community in north CarolinaThe Catholic Community of Bertie County not only serves area Catholics but is reaching out to the great-er community in diverse ways.

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141718 Final Words / from our readers

Thanks and appreciation for Glenmary missioners and for the society’s home mission ministry.

Partner in MissionRichard Yedinak says he continues to be inspired by Glenmary’s ministry—even after 50 years.

RemembranceFather Larry Goulding’s heart, body and soul were dedicated to serving Jesus in the home missions.

Then & nowGlenmary missions in Eupora and Ackerman, Miss., have left an indelible mark.

Glenmary news & notesMission education in Kansas; mission trip reunion held; adoption relationship flourishes.

From the President / Father Chet ArtysiewiczAs spring approaches, new signs of life are every-where, including in our spiritual lives.

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Father larry, Page 14

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

w w w. g l e n m a r y. o rgS p r i n g 2 0 1 2

Vo l u m e 7 5 / N u m b e r 1

COvER Story

FEaTuRE Story

DEPaRTMEnTs & columNSbertie County, Page 15

adopters, Page 8

Indelible mark, Page 12

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As springtime invigorates nature, springtime spiritual events can invigorate faith lives

FROM THE PREsIDEnT / Father Chet Artysiewicz

Signs of life abound

Father Chet Artysiewicz [email protected]

It’s happening again. Signs of life are emerging all around us from the bleakness of winter’s stark landscape. As we witness

this rebirth, I think we all can attest to the fact that nature is, indeed, magnificent. And with the eyes of faith, we profess how even more magnificent is the God of nature.

Glenmary parishes will be celebrating the “high holy days” of our faith this spring. Dur-ing my many years in parish ministry, I had the sense that I wanted to be two people dur-ing Holy Week: one to preside at the services and another to just absorb them. (Incidentally, I never quite managed that feat!)

This time of year brings us back to the basics of life and death. Of course, for us believers, the basics are life, death and then life!

We at Glenmary like to share stories that show the signs of life and vitality in our missions. On a recent visit to our mission in Scottsville, Ky., I saw those signs firsthand. Given my past assign-ments, I had not visited the area in over 30 years. I noted they still have the house that served as, well, everything, up until a new church and social hall were completed in 2008. Remembering the old and seeing the new was truly inspirational.

Over the past 73 years, Glenmary has estab-lished 112 missions, of which less than 10 have failed. Sadly, after many years and despite our best efforts, at times we have to admit the reality for a mission is death. For whatever reason, it did not grow and could not survive. As a result, that community of faith is dispersed and people have to travel farther to find a Catholic church.

It is a great sadness for Glenmary when we no longer have personnel to staff a mission and it is returned to the care of the diocese before we feel it is truly ready. Likewise, it is painful for a dio-cese when it is forced to close a parish (See page 12). To quote the poet Kahlil Gibran: “It is not a garment I cast off, but a heart of flesh I tear.”

as springtime invigorates nature, the springtime spiritual events can add a bit of fertilizer to our faith lives. When

adults are received into the Church at the Eas-ter Vigil, we ministers are both thrilled and humbled by the step these candidates and cat-echumens are taking.

They bring an energy and enthusiasm that are contagious. They help remind us cradle Catholics of just what a treasure our faith is. Once, during a Holy Saturday retreat for those being received into the Church, I recall one lady became withdrawn and emotional. When I asked if she was OK, she responded, “I just hope I’m worthy of all this.”

Some of the adults who enter the Church are taking a coura-geous step, especially when those closest to them do not support their decisions. What an inspira-tion! And then there are the faces of the children receiving their first Holy Communion! So often the reverence and devotion with which they re-ceive the Lord are wonderful antidotes to our complacency regarding the sacrament.

We also find life in the funeral liturgy for a faithful believer who has gone home to the Lord. This is what our faith is all about—that life is merely changed, not ended. Christ is big-ger than death. If we are baptized into his death, we are likewise baptized into his resurrection.

On page 14 you will find Father Larry Gould-ing’s obituary. At his wake and funeral services there were tears and laughter. But there was also an air of joy in knowing that this missioner com-pleted the race and was now ready to receive the reward God had in store for him. If Christmas proclaims Christ as the “hope of the world,” it is Easter that provides a resounding Amen!

Thank you for all you do in enabling us to share this incredible Good News with the people we serve. In the midst of all our

human deaths, Easter’s message is about life. Nations continue to war, loved ones continue to die, schools and parishes consolidate or close. In all deaths the human heart strives to find some shred of hope.

I pray that during this Easter season the words “I am the resurrection and the life” touch you in the marrow of your being. Christ is ris-en—and death will never be the same! Have a blessed Easter season.


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M i S S i o n e d u c A T i o n

Taking the home mission challenge to KansasPresentations enthuse elementary and middle school students

MIssIOn PREsEnTaTIOn: Pat McEntee, associate vocation director, leads a mission quiz for students at St. Mary School in Ellis, Kan. He and Brother Da-vid Henley traveled through the Diocese of Salina during an October visit.

Glenmary news & notes

[kansas] In late Octo-ber 2011, Glenmary vo-cation director Brother David Henley and asso-ciate vocation director Pat McEntee traveled more than 3,000 miles by plane and car to com-plete a mission education journey to and through the Diocese of Salina, Kan.

The purpose was sim-ple: to share the story of Glenmary’s mission to rural America with grade school and middle school students in the diocese.

Glenmary was invited to be part of the diocese’s Mission Week program in conjunction with the celebration of World Mission Sunday on Oct. 23.

“The most important aspect of mission educa-tion is planting the seed of awareness,” says Alli-son Barrett, coordinator of Glenmary’s Mission Education and Ministry Office (MEMO). “It helps us spread the message that we’re all called to mission. So Glenmary is always happy to have op-

portunities like this one.” The schools Brother

David and Pat visited were in towns as small as the ones Glenmary serves.

“The big difference,” says Pat, “is that these Kansas towns actually have a fairly significant number of Catholics.” So the students were surprised to hear that in Glenmary mission areas less than 3 percent of the people are Catholic—and that these Catholics are sometimes discrimi-nated against because of their religion.

The men used the same theme as the one used for World Mission Sunday, “As the Father has sent me, so I send you” (Jn 20:21), to re-mind the children that everyone is called to be a missioner. Some serve in the missions as priests or religious, and others as married or single per-sons.

“The way God calls each person is unique,” Pat says, “so I told them each of us has to strive to find his or her way.”

The 50- to 60-minute presentations covered

the basics about Glen-mary, mission needs, the difference between priesthood and brother-hood, and a discussion about where missionar-ies serve.

Brother David shared stories about his min-istry in two Arkansas missions. In addition, students watched a DVD about Glenmary.

“We got students in-volved and kept the pro-gram very interactive,” says Brother David. “We were amazed and uplift-ed by their enthusiasm.”

After a brief mission quiz with prizes, students were treated to a juggling show by Brother David—and a related message.

“I reminded them that our unique talents are God’s gift to us,” Pat says, “and what we do with these talents is our gift back to God and other people.”

Before leaving for the next school, Brother Da-vid and Pat invited the children at each school to pray with them for home mission needs.

Each school was given a packet of Glenmary materials—including a DVD, prayer cards and activity sheets—provid-ing teachers with future resources and providing students with reminders to continue searching for their vocations in life and praying for Glenmary’s home mission ministry.

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glenmary news& notes c o n t i n u e d


[ohio] Glenmary’s collection of Cards to Celebrate & Remember

are available to those who make memorial gifts to Glenmary—or request to have Masses offered for spe-cial intentions or deceased loved ones and friends.

The collection includes living and deceased Mass cards as well

c A r d S T o c e l e b r A T e & r e M e M b e r

Collection of Mass and memorial cards availableAn opportunity to celebrate significant events and remember family and friends in a special way

around the Missions Father Dave Glockner, a senior mem-ber, is serving as development director for the West virginia Institute for Spiritual-ity, an ecumenical nonprofit organization based in Charleston, W.va. The retreat center promotes spiritual life through prayer retreats and interfaith dialogue.

Father Jerry Dorn has been appoint-ed acting director for the Glenmary stu-dents attending classes at St. Meinrad School of Theology and Seminary.

Last summer, Father Francois Pellis-sier participated in the ordination Mass of James yamauchi in dallas, Texas. He met the yamauchi fam-ily in the late 1990s at the Air Force base in Columbus, Miss., where Father Francois frequently celebrated Mass. during the or-dination Mass, Father Francois blessed the newly ordained and vested him in the li-turgical garments, a stole and chasuble.

as three special-intention cards.“Making a memorial gift is a

wonderful way to honor or re-member someone,” says Father Dominic Duggins, director of Glenmary’s development of-fice. “And in making such gifts, our partners in mission are also helping us continue our home mission ministry.”

The offering of prayers and Masses is an ancient tradition of the Catholic Church and is a way to remember someone special or commemorate a special event.

“The Mass is the Church’s greatest intercessory prayer,” Father Dominic says. “I, and all Glenmary priests, are humbled to celebrate the Masses request-ed by our partners in mission.” All stipends offered help support Glenmary priests and missions.

TO FInD OuT MORE: Have a Mass offered or make a memori-al gift by calling donor Services at 800-935-0975 or by visiting www.glenmary.org/cards.

pHoTo / CoUrTeSy yAMAUCHI FAMILy

FlexibleGiving Plan

If you are interested in a giving plan that allows you to make additions or withdrawals at any time, the Glenmary Revocable Charitable Gift Agreement may be just for you!

For more information about the Glenmary Revocable Charitable Gift Agreement—or any planned giving option, please contact:

Susan Lambert, Planned Giving Officer800-935-0975 • [email protected]

The benefits of a Revocable Charitable Gift Agreement include:

• minimum gift of $2,000• attractive rate of return• principal becomes a legacy gift to Glenmary upon your death


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p A r T n e r S i n M i S S i o n

Mission trip alumni gather for reunion in CincinnatiFirst-time event gives past participants opportunity to share memories and learn more

[ohio] Glenmary hosted its first-ever Mission Trip Re-union on Jan. 20 at Cincinnati Headquarters. Twenty-five of the people who participated in Glenmary mission trips in the last seven years enjoyed Mass, brunch and a short presentation by Glenmary’s president, Father Chet Artysiewicz—as well as the chance to spend time with their fellow travelers.

According to Susan Lam-bert, Glenmary’s planned giv-ing officer, the annual two-day trips were started in 2005 to give supporters and others the chance to experience Glenmary mission areas firsthand—and to meet and talk with missioners and lay coworkers.

The typical trip has been to Eastern Kentucky missions in

TRavElInG DOWn MEMORy lanE: Mary Striebich (left) and Susan Lambert relive memories of the 2011 mission trip during a reunion of trip participants held in Cincinnati on Jan. 20.

Grayson and Vanceburg and nearby Glenmary Farm, home of the group volunteer program.

The idea for the reunion came about because “we wanted to give past participants an oppor-tunity to come together again and also to learn a little more about Glenmary,” said Susan, who leads the annual trips.

“There was a real camarade-rie among people on my trip,” says Mary Sue McDuffie. “It was good to rejoin them and celebrate Glenmary.”

Norma Hanekamp says she was “glad to find other people from the trips have the same feelings I do about the good Glenmary is doing.”

Following Mass and brunch, Father Chet spoke and answered questions about his mission call

and experiences, Glenmary’s ministry and vocations, and the future. He also talked enthusias-tically about the progress of the new missions in East Tennessee.

Thanking the group for their support and asking for their con-tinued prayers for Glenmary’s ministry, Father Chet also ex-tended an invitation to the May ordination of two Glenmary mis-sioners.

“It was good to hear his in-sights and to feel appreciated,” says Marilyn Knor. “It was also wonderful to be with other Glenmary supporters.”

TO FInD OuT MORE: learn more about attending a Glen-mary mission trip by contacting Susan lambert at 800-935-0975 or [email protected].

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A d o p T - A - M i S S i o n

Communities forge strong relationshipGlenmary mission, Wisconsin parish give and receive

[wisconsin] When members of Our Lady of the Assumption par-ish (OLA) in Beloit, Wis., explored “adopting” another church com-munity, they “wanted to reach out to a U.S. Catholic community that needed help,” says Rita Bonds, an OLA parishioner. “But we also wanted to get to know the people and touch their hearts and souls.”

Glenmary’s Adopt-A-Mission Program was a perfect fit. The program pairs able parishes with struggling Glenmary mis-sions to help support the mis-sions through prayer, financial

sERvICE: OLA volunteers work to fulfill Sister Arcadia’s wish list during a 2011 mission trip.

aid and encouragement. OLA was matched with St. Joan of Arc mission in Plymouth, N.C., led by pastoral coordinator Sister Arca-dia Rivera-Gutierrez.

In May 2011, Sister Arcadia visited OLA, where she spoke at Masses and participated in an adoption signing ceremony.

In July 2011, OLA parishioners traveled to Plymouth for a service trip. And at the start of their first workday, mission members came to join the effort.

The two faith communities continue to stay in touch and to

remember each other in prayer. “We have received more from

our friends at St. Joan than we have given,” Rita says. “We’re sure our friendship will keep growing.”

e c u M e n i S M

Celebrating unity in ChristService inspires beauty, richness [kentucky] Father Frank Ruff has been in-volved in ecumenical dialog for most of his 53 years as a Glenmary missioner. But he says he continues to be amazed by the graces that occur when people from different faith tradi-tions gather as one.

On Jan. 25, celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, over 150 people gathered at Petrie Memorial United Methodist Church in Elkton for a service sponsored by the lo-cal ministerial association. Father Frank, past pastor of St. Susan, the former Glenmary mis-sion in Elkton, chaired the organizing com-mittee.

During the service, choirs from four tra-ditions—Black Baptist, Methodist, Mormon and Catholic—each sang two hymns that ex-pressed their faith. “What beauty and richness occurred when we all came together,” Father Frank says.

At the reception following the service, “Ev-eryone seemed genuinely relaxed with each other and glad to be there,” he says. “I’m still on cloud nine after such a wonderful experi-ence.”

Walking Together in MissionCome Join Us!

glenmary.org/vocations

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prayer answeredIn South Georgia’s Onion Fields

COvER Story

In the early evening of the last day of Novem-ber 2011, seated at the kitchen table of the rec-tory of Holy Trinity mission in Swainsboro, Ga., I recited that prayer from Evening Prayer

for the Feast of St. Andrew as I was preparing to drive to a workers’ camp near the local onion farms for Mass.

Hundreds of temporary agricultural workers come to South Georgia each November to spend about six weeks planting Vidalia onions under the H2-A visa. In March a similar-size group, us-ing the same visa, comes for another six weeks to

harvest the onions. For many years Glenmary mission communi-

ties, missioners and coworkers in this area have reached out to these migrants, seeking—in the words of the prayer—to be mindful of Jesus’ Church while they are in the area.

Glenmary missions here work with local agencies and receive donations from outside groups to help meet the needs of these workers. For many, the care packages they receive, filled with food and personal items, are lifelines because workers can’t easily obtain such things when they first arrive.

The workers labor from dawn to dusk,

By Father John Brown

aGRICulTuRal WORkERs: Men work to harvest the Vidalia onion crop in a South Georgia field. Work-ers spend six weeks in the fall planting the crop and return to the area for the spring harvest. Glenmary missions in the area minister to these workers, providing both spiritual and material assistance.

Father John

“Let us pray to our almighty Father for his holy people and say: ‘Be mindful of your Church, O Lord.’”


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seven days a week, and transportation is difficult to arrange. We do our best to help meet their basic material needs and, most es-pecially, their spiritual needs.

Predominantly Catholic, the workers al-ways have the same primary request: “Please celebrate Mass for us.”

I put my Mass kit into my car and drove to the workers’ camp, following a maze of back roads through night-shrouded, al-ready-harvested cotton fields. The camp is located in a remote corner of

the county. My predecessor made sure, before moving on to his new assignment, that I knew the route to that driveway, which wends an-other half mile back to the workers’ housing.

Several of the men and two of the women greeted me in Spanish, the only language used throughout the evening. Together we trans-formed a folding table into a beautiful outdoor altar, covered with a tablecloth decorated with an image of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Her im-age also graced the glass candles whose light augmented the orange glow from the street-light under which we gathered.

Wine, water, chalice and bread were all pre-pared. I put on the Mass vestments while one of the men took the little altar bell and walked the whole length of the barracks, ringing and announcing in an almost street-vendor man-ner that Mass was about to start.

There were about 10 men and two women present as together we traced the sign of the cross to begin the Mass. These workers, hav-

ing returned about an hour earlier from a full day of onion planting, must have been the first to take show-ers and have supper. Others continued to quietly join the group as they were able. By the homily, there were some 30 worshipers.

For my homily, I reflected on the text from the day’s Gospel (Mt 4:18-22), which told the story of Jesus’ calling of the apostle Andrew. I told those gathered that they were not just workers planting onions but, like Andrew, they too were called to meet

Jesus, the Messiah, in the consecrated bread-become-Jesus. They were called to tell those in their world that they had met him.

No preacher could have asked for a more attentive congregation—or a more reverent one. As we approached the consecration of the Mass, caps and sweatshirt hoods came off as the workers spontaneously knelt on the Georgia sand, the same soil in which they had day by day been planting thousands of Vidalia sweet onions.

They listened as I spoke the ancient words of love: “my body given for you…my blood

Mass In THE baRRaCks: Father John Brown celebrates Mass in a con-crete block barracks at a workers’ camp near the Glenmary mission in Swainsboro, Ga., during a recent visit. He takes the Mass and the sacra-ments to workers since the workers can’t come to the Glenmary mission. Father John also celebrates Mass outdoors during his visits.

MulTITaskInG: In addition to being the presider, Father John leads the music during the Masses he celebrates at the onion worker camps.

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poured out for you.” Some spontane-ously responded with faith, “My Lord! My God!”

As I lifted the host—our Lord and our God—high into the star-filled night, I knew that my prayer to the Lord to make me a missionary priest for his people had never been more thoroughly answered than at that very moment.

Following Mass I heard confessions, offering the front seat of my car as the confessional—and promising that I would start the car so that there would be heat to ward off the 34-degree cold outside!

An hour later I was giving absolu-tion to the last man. He had patiently waited in the cold all that time to re-ceive this wonderful sacrament.

When we had finished, he told me that while waiting he had spoken via cell phone to his wife in Mexico. She was thrilled that he was about to receive the sacrament of reconciliation and won-dered if I could hear her confession by phone!

I told him that wasn’t possible, but that as I drove back to Swainsboro, I would pray for her to find a good confessor at her church in Mexico.

as I headed home, the night was deep and very quiet. I had a sense that God, indeed, had heard the prayer I recited earlier in my kitchen, allowing me to be part of his an-

swer in caring for these, his beloved people.

MakEsHIFT alTaR: An altar, very similar to the one used for the outdoor Mass on the Feast of St. Andrew, is fash-ioned in the roughly framed concrete barracks that served as the worship space during one of Father John’s visits to the workers’ camp.

Bishops Call For CoMprehensive iMMiGraTion reForM

according to a 2011 study con-ducted by the University of Georgia for the Georgia Fruit

and vegetable Growers Association, Georgia farmers couldn’t fill 11,000 jobs during last year’s harvest and lost an estimated $75 million in crops that spoiled in the fields. recent estimates increased that amount to over $150 million.

The reason: Georgia’s anti-immi-gration law passed last summer. Called one of the toughest in the country, the law caused those who have tradition-ally filled farm labor jobs—Hispanic migrant workers—to bypass Georgia.

In response to the passage of this enforcement-only law, the Catholic bishops of the Atlanta province wrote a November 2011 letter to U.S. sena-tors who represent the districts in the province, which includes Georgia,

South Carolina and North Carolina.The bishops urged the senators to

continue working for comprehensive immigration reform on a national lev-el and to produce a “fair and just res-olution to the situation that threatens to tear apart our communities.”

The bishops, echoing the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, wrote that they support reforms that include: • reform of the legal immigration

system, including a viable and workable path to citizenship;

• atemporaryworkerprogramwhichprotects the rights of all workers;

• family-basedimmigrationreformto reduce waiting times for family reunification;

• policiestoaddresstheeconomicroot causes of migration in the sending countries;

• therestorationofdueprocesspro-tections for immigrants.These workers, the bishops wrote,

are “working hard to serve us, while seeking a basic livelihood for them-selves and their families....

“We ask you to see the faces of the children separated from their parents. We ask you to hear the cries of the workers who daily risk serious injury laboring in the factories and fields....”

on Jan. 24, 2012, Georgia dem-ocrats introduced a bill to repeal the state’s anti-immigration law, saying it has had a “devastating” effect on Georgia’s economy.

FOR MORE InFORMaTIOn: Visit www.justiceforimmigrants.org to learn more about the catholic church’s position on immigra-tion reform and migration.


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Missions leave indelible stamp on two Mississippi counties

THEn & NoW

Eupora and Ackerman, Miss.

1992: Gene and Mary Helen Grabbe became the first permanent resident Catholics to minister in Web-ster County when they were installed as the pastoral leaders of St. John Neumann Church. The mission com-munity purchased and remodeled a large house in the center of Eupora to serve as the church building. The Grabbes worked to identify Catholics in the county by going door to door introducing themselves and the Church. What began as a church of five families grew to over 40 ac-tive families before experiencing a decline in mem-bership the last few years.

I n 1992 Glenmary accepted the invi-tation of Bishop William Houck of the Diocese of Jackson, Miss., to staff St.

John Neumann mission in Eupora, Miss. (Webster County), with lay pastoral coor-dinators Gene and Mary Helen Grabbe.

Eventually, the Grabbes began out-reach into neighboring Choctaw County. St. Mark, Ackerman, was born from that outreach. Since their beginnings, both missions have struggled to grow and have struggled financially.

In 2011, the Diocese of Jackson closed St. Mark in May and made the decision in December to close St. John. As part of Glenmary’s five-year mission plan, both missions were set to be returned to the pastoral care of the diocese in 2013.

In a letter to Eupora parishioners, Bishop Joseph Latino said he based his decision to close the church on the facts that the mission had lost membership over the past year and that the proposed budget—which would require support from outside the mission for two-thirds of its income—would only “keep the doors open for Mass and Sunday Celebrations in the Absence of a Priest....” There would be no religious education, youth programs, community outreach or “any of the other essentials of a vibrant faith community.”

“I sincerely believe,” the bishop contin-ued, “the individuals and families who are members of the mission would be better served by becoming active members of neighboring Catholic parishes.”

For the time each of these missions served those living in Webster and Choc-taw counties, the members of the mission communities and the Glenmary mission-ers and coworkers fulfilled Father Bish-op’s mandate:

“Adopt all the people of your mission area as your own. Christ died for every one of them. They are yours because you are his ambassadors....we must strive to be ‘all things to all people.’”

1999: The Grabbes’ responsibilities also included outreach into neighboring Choctaw County, which had no Catholic Church presence. Eventually a run-down storefront was rented in downtown Ackerman where the Catholic Community of Choctaw County could gather for Mass and worship services. The building had an ideal location, but one room leaked terribly and 85 percent of the building had no electricity!

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2002: Following Gene and Mary Helen Grabbe’s re-tirement, Sister Alies Thérèse arrived in northeast Mis-sissippi to lead St. John and the Catholic Community of Choctaw County, which would later be officially named St. Mark. African Americans, Anglos and Hispanics made up the Catholic congregation, a fact that didn’t go unnoticed in the larger Ackerman community. This Catholic community was the only integrated congre-gation in the county—and served as a model of racial inclusion.

2003: Members of St. John worked to renovate a burned-out house next door to the Eupora church to create Nativ-ity House Catholic Community Center. Parishioners opened the center to the entire county to be used for senior citi-zen and children’s activities, as well as meeting space for the ministerial asso-ciation and for groups working to bring jobs to the impoverished area.

2004: When the Ackerman mission needed a baptismal font, Sister Alies invited young people from the mission to transform a galva-nized washtub into a sacramental that could speak of being “washed” in the waters of bap-tism. The baptismal font was used for all the baptisms that took place in the mission.

2009: Father Bob Dalton (front, left) served as the sacramental minister for the Eupora and Ackerman missions. Here, in front of the building that served as the mission’s final home, he gathers with some of the members of St. Mark. Bishop Latino celebrated the closing Masses at St. Mark in May 2011 and St. John Neumann in February 2012.


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MInIsTRy: A young Father Larry meets with mem-bers of a Newman Club in Dahlonega, Ga.

a REMEMbRanCE / Father Steve Pawelk

Father Larry Goulding 1930–2011

Seeker of truth, lover of life

His heart, body and soul were dedicated to promoting Christ in the rural areas

Hanging on Father Larry Goulding’s wall was a portrait of him painted by a for-mer parishioner. The portrait is of a

red-headed priest wearing a pair of bib overalls, the straps of which cover his cleric shirt. In one hand there is a hammer, in the other a Bible. On his Irish face is a huge smile.

Father Larry felt this portrait summed up his identity: a priest who loved to build. His minis-try in over 50 years as a Glenmary Home Mis-sioner was that of building—communities of faith, porches, houses. And he helped many men preparing for priesthood and brotherhood build a solid ministry foundation while in formation.

On three different occasions I was honored to live with Father Larry, who died after a long illness on Nov. 12, 2011. Many thought of him as a witty Chicago Irishman who could make an entire room laugh with his unique humor.

I also knew him as a deeply spiritual man seeking the truth—questioning and exploring every aspect of religion, science, astronomy and the arts to discover more about himself, others and the world around him. What people did for work fascinated him. How things worked in-trigued him. There was no limit to his curiosity and desire to get to the “bottom of it,” no matter what “it” was! He not only wanted to find the truth but to share that truth with others.

After serving in the Marines during the Ko-rean War, Father Larry entered the seminary to lead others to Christ. He was ordained in

1962, the same year the Second Vatican Council opened. The Council filled him with hope and motivated his strong belief in the real presence of Christ in the Eucharist and in the people as the Body of Christ.

His search for truth moved him beyond theology and led to his earning a master’s degree in psychology. In his spare time, he enjoyed being a ham radio opera-tor and an amateur carpenter and electrician. His mail was filled with magazines, including every-thing from Popular Mechanics to Astronomy to Smithsonian. His bookshelf was filled with volumes dedicated to science, psychology, construction, and theology.

For some, such a deep search for truth might make them very serious and somber. But not so with Father Larry—he loved life! He was a joy to be with and could entertain with the best of them. One of his greatest pleasures was host-ing dinners of steak and baked potatoes—and laughing and arguing with his friends, fellow priests and coworkers!

Later in his life, he took up piano and joined a choir. He often said that music is beauty, “and where there is beauty, there is God, and where there is God, there is truth.” He also adopted a Yorkshire terrier named Clemey. After Jesus and his mother, Clemey may have been Father Larry’s greatest love.

The thing that stands out in Father Larry’s life is that he was a missioner. His heart, body and soul were dedicated to promot-

ing Christ in the rural areas of the United States. To his dying day he was concerned about the home missions. In our last conversation a little more than a week before he died, he offered me encouragement and advice concerning my work as pastor of two new missions in Tennessee. He shared creative ideas with me, focusing especial-ly on ways to reach out to other local ministers.

I have no doubt the Lord greeted Father Lar-ry on Nov. 12 by simply saying: “Well done, my good and faithful servant.”

FaTHER laRRy GOulDInG: His ministry was building.

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Since 2004, the young Bertie County mission in eastern North Carolina has been building up its Catholic community as it reaches out

and builds relationships with its neighbors in the county.

FEaTuRE Story

DynaMIC COMMunITy: The Catholic Community of Bertie County’s Sunday liturgies are “phenomenal,” according to Father Mike Kerin, the mission’s pastor. “We are blessed with talented musicians and singers, who provide vibrant music.” The music group also performs at various local venues and events.

story and photos by Dale hanson

W hen Father Mike Langell (now de-ceased) and Brother Virgil Siefker called

together The Catholic Commu-nity of Bertie County (N.C.) in 2004, the small, diverse commu-nity numbered about 30. They soon began renting the Method-ist church in Windsor for Mass on Sundays.

Almost eight years later, the mission community of about 80 still celebrates Sunday Mass in the Methodist church. But new pastor Father Mike Kerin says the financially challenged Wind-sor mission has grown in many other ways.

“The Episcopal and Method-ist congregations have been here over 200 years, and we’ve been here less than eight,” he says. “But our Catholic faith com-munity has developed beyond its years. It has also made many friends and has had a big impact on the larger community.”

The Windsor pastoral team includes Father Mike, Brother Virg, Brother Curt Kedley and

novice Jason Muhlenkamp, who’s preparing for brotherhood. (Ja-son’s mission placement will end in March. He will conclude his

novitiate studies in Cincinnati.)Father Mike also serves as bi-

lingual sacramental minister for Glenmary’s growing Ply mouth mission in neighboring Wash-ington County, where Sister Ar-cadia Rivera-Gutierrez is pasto-ral coordinator.

The English-speaking Wind-sor parishioners are of Filipino,

Anglo, African American and Hawaiian descent. The major-ity are Filipino immigrants who came to the area starting in 2003, when many were recruit-ed to teach in Windsor schools.

“Our mission has a strong sense of community,” says Fa-ther Mike. “And our lay leader-ship is definitely one of our

buIlDInG COMMunITy


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strengths.” Parish members gather each weekend at a differ-ent family’s home for a prayer service, singing, a potluck and social time.

According to Father Mike, parents say the prayer services are one more way they’re passing on religious values to their chil-dren. This effort reinforces the religious education program—led by the mission’s professional teachers with assistance from Jason.

For the future, Father Mike is planning a “unique resource for spiritual needs” called the Christian Spirituality Institute—which will include presenta-tions on topics such as Christian prayer and forgiveness. Its first audience would be parishio-ners; he hopes it evolves into an ecumenical effort for the larger community.

But one of the mission’s major challenges and concerns is not having its own church building and Catholic space, he says. “The parishioners have been raising funds, but we have a long way to go. We need to keep building up our church community so that it’s strong enough to support a church building in the future.”

Meanwhile, the Bertie County parishioners and pastoral team stay visible, active

and ready to reach out to the sur-

rounding community. Father Mike is impressed by

how well the Glenmary broth-ers are known and respected in the area. “They really know the community and local leaders….We know many people through our ministries, and that helps the Church be better known.” For in-stance, he’s a part-time hospital chaplain.

Parishioners frequently invite non-Catholic acquaintances to Mass because they’re proud of their faith community and want to share what they have with others. The Filipino teachers are quiet evangelizers, too, says Brother Virg, through their work with students and parents.

But the mission’s watershed outreach effort has been its lead-ing role in helping establish the Good Samaritan Food Pantry in 2009. This unprecedented ecu-menical and interracial effort in the county is now supported by 15 area churches. Brother Curt is a key leader at the pantry. He, Brother Virg and Jason volunteer many hours, and mission mem-bers also volunteer regularly.

“Folks of different faiths and races come together there as a united front,” says Brother Curt.

The mission community has also consistently helped after area floods and tornadoes. The most recent example: Brother Virg is helping construct new homes for people whose houses

were destroyed by an April 2011 tor-nado.

Another focus is ministering to in-mates at the state prison in Wind-sor. Jason, Father Mike and Brother Virg are all part of this ecumenical ef-fort. The goal, says Jason, is “to help the men recognize Christ’s presence in their lives.”

Brother Curt’s

“environmental ministries” have been attempts to evangelize and help revitalize the economically struggling Windsor community. His efforts include building stone walls around 50 trees on Main Street, periodically volunteering as first mate on a Cashie River tour boat and serving on a civic improvement committee.

Beyond all these endeavors, the men are involved in ministries to the neglected and forgotten—af-firming their value and bringing them joy. For example, Brother Curt works part-time at a nurs-ing facility, befriending residents as he works, while Jason visits lo-cal nursing homes. Brother Virg, Jason and Brother Curt also de-liver Meals on Wheels.

Members of the Wind-sor mission continue to witness to their faith, build commu-

nity and build up the kingdom of God, says Father Mike. “I’m looking forward to walking with them…into the future.”

MIssIOn TEaM: Brother Curt Ked-ley, Brother Virgil Siefker and Father Mike Kerin (from left) and novice Jason Muhlenkamp (not pictured) take part in a wide range of ministries in Bertie County. “It’s great to be part of the pasto-ral team,” Father Mike says. “We all have different gifts, but we’re working for the same goals.” Sunday Masses have al-ways been held at the United Methodist church.

Population, 2010 21,282Land Area in Square Miles 699.27Persons Affiliated With a Religious Congregation 9,151

Catholic 0.8%Mainline Protestant 14%Evangelical 85%

High School Graduates 72%Per Capita Income $17,614Persons Below Poverty Level 23%

Data derived from Religious Congregations and Membership 2000, the Diocese of Raleigh and the U.S. Census Bureau.

bertie county Facts


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Boost-A-Month Club member still inspired by Glenmary’s mission and ministry

Celebrating 50 years of supportPaRTnER In MIssIOn / by Margaret Gabriel

BeCoMe a ‘BaM-er’ ToDay

For more information on becoming a monthly donor and joining Glenmary’s Boost-A-Month Club, contact donor Services at 800-935-0975 or visit www.glenmary.org/BAM.

In 1948 Richard Yedinak was honeymoon-ing with his bride, Theresa, in North Caro-lina. When the newlyweds inquired where

they could attend Sunday Mass, they were told there were no Catholic churches in the area, but that Mass would be held for a few Catho-lics in the home of a forest ranger.

The Michigan couple had no idea that there were places in the United States in which a lo-cal Catholic community could be contained in a small living room!

About 10 years later, memories of their experience in North Carolina came flooding back to Rich and Theresa when they heard a Glenmary Home Missioner give a talk at their parish in Grand Haven, Mich.

“I heard that the situation hadn’t changed much over the years,” Rich says. “I thought having a Catholic influence would be impor-tant in rural areas where they didn’t get much information. And back then, Catholics weren’t looked on very highly.”

He made the choice to become actively in-volved in spreading the Gospel message in rural areas of the United States by financially supporting Glenmary’s mission and ministry.

Today, 50 years later, he continues to act on that decision made decades ago. He usually donates through Glenmary’s Boost-A-Month Club (BAM).

He is still inspired by Glenmary’s ministry of spreading the Catholic faith in areas with little or no Catholic presence and by mission-ers’ outreach to low-income people in its mis-sion areas. Rich also enjoys keeping up with

the latest news from the home missions through BAM news-letters and through Glenmary Challenge.

Widowed in 1999 and now living in New Hampshire, Rich at-tends daily Mass and serves as a Eucharis-tic minister and as an acolyte at funeral lit-urgies for his parish. He also works at the

local food pantry. “I have to keep busy,” he says. “Otherwise I’d fold up by the wayside!”

Glenmary planned giving officer Susan Lambert says she is always impressed with the loyalty and dedication of folks

like Rich and their long-term generosity. Such loyalty enables Glenmary’s lead-ership to make far-reaching plans because they know the income needed to support those future plans will be available. Boost-A-Month donors, she says, become like members of the family. “The commitment of BAM donors, whatever their level of giving, is something we can really count on. And when I meet someone like Rich, I know he’s in for the long haul. His dedication to Glenmary, and to the missions in general, really impresses me.”

And, Susan adds, it is not unusual to find that people who have had difficulty locating churches to attend while they’re traveling—es-pecially through the South and Appalachia—can relate to Glenmary’s mission of providing a Catholic presence in such areas.

“I’ve had people tell me that they couldn’t find a Catholic church in Georgia when travel-ing to or from Florida on Interstate 75,” Susan says. “But oftentimes they’ll find a Glenmary church and get a really good picture of what we’re doing.”

Susan believes the BAM newsletter is a valu-able way to keep people up to date on Glenmary and the activity in the missions. With more in-formation, supporters feel more closely tied to Glenmary’s work. “And in the 38 years I’ve worked at Glenmary,” Susan says, “I’ve seen that ‘BAM-ers,’ as they’re affectionately called, are more likely to mention Glenmary in their wills. And what a benefit that is!”

Rich, now retired, links his dedication to Glenmary to his enjoyment in helping the missions. “Glenmary is devoted to

spreading the Gospel, and we need to support the home missions however we can,” he says.

‘Glenmary is devoted to spreading the Gospel and we need to support the home mis-sions however we can.’


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Father Larry remembered, online magazine critiqued, Glenmary’s impact praised

Notes of thanks and appreciationFInal WORDs / from our readers

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. please include a postal address.

stunning coverthe cover photo of your Win-ter 2011 Glenmary Challenge was so stunning, one might think it was from an issue of National Geographic.

Johanna PaganiPelham Manor, N.Y.

building in heavenfather larry goulding was the very personification of the “good and loyal servant.” He was

one of the fin-est, humblest men I have known. [See story on page 14.]

It’s a com-fort to know I have such a friend in heav-en, where I hope again to

hammer a few nails next to him as we help build a wing on God’s house.

Robert CaummisarGrayson, Ky.

online version is nicei just want to let you know that I think the online version of Glenmary Challenge is very nice! It is quite readable. I’ve never liked online newsletters and journals very much, but the Glenmary Challenge is great! I enjoyed reading it.

Candy KincaidLebanon, Ind.

tremendous impactafter reading jean denton’s article “Passion for the Faith,” (Winter 2011), I had to take a moment and write.

As someone who attended

‘…I think the online version of Glenmary Challenge is very nice! It’s quite read-able.’

high school in Honaker, Va., and attended church in Lebanon, Va., I had to let all of you know how touched I was by the article about Father [Rollie] Hautz.

I had no idea he built the church in Lebanon—a church where my family found love and fellowship through fellow parishioners and Glenmary Fathers Bob Dalton and John Rausch.

I had a very difficult transi-tion when I moved to Honaker. After going to Catholic school my entire life, I [first] experi-enced prejudice from Honaker residents, including one of my teachers, for being Catholic.

I don’t know what I would have done without the Catho-lic communities in Lebanon and St. Paul. I developed close friendships through my reli-gious education classes and I am still close to some of the other students who attended.

Glenmary missioners had a tremendous impact on me and I will be forever grateful to the community for everything they did for me.

I remain committed to the Appalachian Mountain com-munity and will do everything possible to help.

Pattie DeLoatcheArlington, Va.

life dedicated to christthank you for your great article in Glenmary Challenge (“Steward of the Church, Glen-mary,” Winter 2011) about my uncle, Father Larry Goulding. His life and his death were true examples of a life dedicated to Christ.

His funeral was a sad time for

me, but I became a witness to the truth that Glenmary Trace [the road to Glenmary Head-quarters] is truly a path to God’s love and fellowship.

Emmet O’ConnellFt. Bragg, Calif.

looking down on usi was very sorry to hear about Father Larry Goulding’s death. [See story on page 14.] We had a rosary service at St. Christopher Church in Claxton, Ga., for him on Wednesday, Nov. 16.

Afterward we sat and remi-nisced about Father Larry. What I remember was his love of get-ting involved in what was going on in the parish, no matter what it was.

Every year we had a Halloween party for members of the parish’s religious education classes and any adults who wanted to partic-ipate. He was right in there with us, dressing up in costume. [One year,] the kids wanted to host a haunted house and Father Larry helped them build anything they needed.

There are so many other times that he was here for all of us at St. Christopher—too many to mention in this space. Need-less to say we will miss Father Larry but we know he is in heav-en looking down on us. May he rest in peace.

Linda AliffiClaxton, Ga.


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DEPaRTMEnTs

online contents

laTEsT nEWs

brother virg joins in n.C. rebuilding effortTwo days a week, Brother Virgil Siefker helps build new homes to replace ones destroyed by a 2011 tornado. He is also quietly witnessing as a Catholic member of the crew. glenmary.org/rebuild

Ways to GiveUse the Planned Giving gift calculator to see the benefits of a gift based on your goals. glenmary.org/calculator

MissionsSearch through Glenmary’s former mission locations and learn about our current missions. glenmary.org/missions

news and Publications Begin following the blogging Glenmarians: Brother David Henley, Fathers Steve Pawelk and Charlie Hughes and Dea-con Aaron Wessman. glenmary.org/blogs

Home Mission Prayer Cards for youthAge-appropriate prayer cards (grades 1-4 and grades 5-8) can be viewed—and ordered—online. glenmary.org/mission-ed

Rebuilding effort

ambrose Wanyonyi

FEaTuRE sTORy

Ecumenical Effort Is Response to the TimesA new effort in Glenmary’s ecumenical outreach will involve the use of the Internet and social media to bring together Catholics and evangelicals. glenmary.org/ecumenical-effort

Ecumenical outreach

Deacon aaron

vocationsAmbrose Wanyonyi, preparing for priesthood, reflects on his first months in the United States. glenmary.org/reflects

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

w w w.glenmary.org

scan to visit this page online

Ministry OpportunitiesBilingual pastoral coordinator/administrator for Glenmary’s mission in Plymouth, N.C.; director of Catholic-evangelical re-lations. glenmary.org/job-ops


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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

Mary Beth Gawne (left) and local volunteer Eleanor Bond pack meat for food boxes at the Good Shepherd Food Pantry in Bertie County, N.C., prior to a November 2011 food distribution. The

ecumenical food pantry was begun by The Catholic Community of Bertie County (see story on page 15) and serves over 425 families each month. Mary Beth and four other Glenmary employees from Cincinnati partici-pated in a November trip to the mission county to learn about the area and the ministry efforts of Glenmarians in both Bertie and Washington counties. While there, they volunteered at the food pantry, met mission members and immersed themselves in the local culture.

GlEnMaRy GlimpSe / North Carolina mission trip

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