Spring 2009 - Glenmary Challenge

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Then & NOWSt. Matthew,Statesboro, Ga.South Georgia mission was first ofmany called together by GlenmaryWhen Glenmary arrived in Statesboro,Ga., in 1944, there werefive Catholic adults in the town;a handful of Catholics lived in the neighboringtowns of Brooklet, Millen and BayBranch; and there were no Catholics inSylvania. Until then, a priest from Savannahvisited once a month and celebratedMass in a farmhouse in Brooklet.The Statesboro mission, under the patronageof St. Matthew, was the first missionGlenmary established in South Georgia.From there, missioners immediatelyexpanded ministry to seven surroundingcounties. In the 60 years since, over 25 missioncommunities have been called togetherin the area by Glenmary missioners. 1944: Glenmary Father Earl McGrath stands withhis Statesboro congregation at the Catholic MissionCenter. Father Earl served as the first Glenmary pastorof the Statesboro mission and had responsibilityfor the seven surrounding counties.photos / glenmary archives 1947: After a fire destroyedthe Catholic Mission Center,the Catholic community purchasedproperty, which included two buildings. One of thebuildings, used as the chapel, was originally built as a liquorstore (above). The store never opened because the city voted“dry” after it was built. The second building, a house (inset),was used as the rectory and later, the convent. In 1963, theliquor store building became the parish hall. 1944: Glenmary’s Georgia mission teamincluded Brother Vincent Wilmes and Father EarlMcGrath, above with Bruno. At the time, a houseon Main Street served as the Catholic Mission Centerand chapel. The Glenmary team also used amobile chapel trailer when they traveled to surroundingcounties. 1950: The dedication of the new St. MatthewChurch, built in Spanish-mission style, was a milestonein the community’s history. Able to seat 185persons, the church was soon filled to capacity.12 Glenmary Challenge Spring 2009 www.glenmary.org
1953: Fathers John Garry (assistant pastor,left) and Joe Nagele (pastor) pose with a FirstCommunion class. Before the mission in Statesborowas called together, the only CatholicChurch structure in the area was in Bay Branch,30 miles away. 1954: The Glenmary Sisters spent severalsummers in the area hosting Catholic BibleSchools for Catholics and non-Catholics beforesettling in Statesboro in 1960. Other outreachministries such as street and tent preaching wereused to educate local folks about Catholicism.Natives of Croatia, Italy and Ireland were amongthe Catholics living in the area. 1956: The population of Statesboro and surroundingcounties increased in the late 1950swith the relocation of the Rockwell Manufacturingplant from Pittsburgh. Many of the workersmoving from the North were Catholic.photos / courtesy st. matthew church 1967: Twelve Glenmary missioners served St.Matthew mission over 23 years. The mission was returnedto the Diocese of Savannah for continued pastoralcare in 1967. The last Glenmary team to servethe mission included, from left, Sister Carol Duesing,Sister Linda McDyer, Sister Karen Nagel, Sister MaryEllen Barrett, Brother Vincent Wilmes and Fathers JosephO’Brien and Thomas McCarthy. 2009: St. Matthew, with over 350 families, is oneof the largest churches in the Statesboro-BullochCounty area. The new St. Matthew Church, with aseating capacity of 500, was dedicated in 1996. In addition,the parish serves as the Newman Center forCatholic students at Georgia Southern University.To find out more: Read more about Glenmary’syears in Statesboro by visiting www.glenmary.org.s e a r c h: s tat e s b o r owww.glenmary.orgSpring 2009 Glenmary Challenge13
Page 3 and 4: THE MAGAZINE OF CATHOLIC MISSIONERS
Page 5 and 6: coworkersThree newlay ministersserv
Page 7 and 8: Photos / Linda Lehmann[kentucky] On
Page 9 and 10: cover storyRaising Up PeopleSocial
Page 11: ‘Father Bishop’s call to his mi
Page 15 and 16: photos / christine grotemission par
Page 17 and 18: Partner in mission / by Dale Hanson
Page 19 and 20: the web site of Catholic missioners

Spring 2009 - Glenmary Challenge

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