Winter 2004 - Glenmary Challenge

THE MAGAZINE OF CATHOLIC MISSIONERS TO RURAL AMERICAWinter 2004www.glenmary.orgVolume 67 / Number 4cover photo /father pat o’donnellCover Story9Home Mission Images: One Man’s GeniusAwareness of home missions was shaped— and continues to beshaped—by the images created by Father Pat O’Donnell and hiscamera. The “mountain madonna” on the cover is one example.Feature Story15Building Hope, Sharing FoodThe food pantry started by the mission in Bruce, Miss.,now feeds 200 families each month—thanks to missionmindedparishes in two states and local Methodists.Departments & columnsFood Pantry? Page 154512141718From the President / Father Dan DorseyMissioners, like Artaban in the story of the fourth wiseman, see the Christ Child in the needy along the way.Glenmary News & NotesSymposium calls U.S. Church to focus on ‘kingdom’;new candidates, international students begin programs.Then & NowChristmas in the missions means an outpouring ofblessings and a celebration of faith.Missioner in ActionFor pastoral coordinator Bob Laremore in Moulton,Ala., home mission ministry ‘fits like a glove.’Partner in MissionFather Joe Townsend, native son of Glenmary territory,now pastors three former missions in Oklahoma.Final Words / from our readersPraise for Glenmary’s labors of love, remembrances ofFather John Marquardt and Carl Boehler.Legion of Angels, Page 13Like a Family, Page 14Riding High, Page 17www.glenmary.orgWinter 2004 Glenmary Challenge3

from the president / Father Dan DorseySharing ‘jewels’ along the wayMissioners, like the fourth wise man, see the Christ Child in the needy and neglected.Many of us have family Christmas traditionsthat involve going to MidnightMass. I bet, if you close your eyes fora moment, you can transport yourself backto your childhood and the experiences associatedwith attending Midnight Mass for thefirst time: the excitement of the night; the latehour; the cold, dark night contrasted with thewarmth and brightness of the church when youentered; the beauty of the crib; the smell of theevergreens; the joyous sounds of the choir.The best part for me came with the readingof the Gospel of Luke and the retelling of thestory of Jesus’ miraculous birth.A personal Christmas tradition that I havesustained over the years is to read The Story ofthe Other Wise Man, by Henry Van Dyke (BallantineBooks). Artaban, a Persian physician,sells all that he possesses to buy three preciousjewels which he hopes to give to the newbornChrist Child. Hastening to join three fellowMagi for the long journey into Judea, he pausesto help a dying man and is left behind.So Artaban sets out alone. But on his journeyto Bethlehem, he stops time and time again totend to the sick who desperately need his skills.Along the way Artaban gives away his jewels—Death Row: Father John Rausch (left) visits the mansecond on the execution list at the Kentucky StatePenitentiary at Eddyville. He is just one of the manylost and forgotten that missioners seek out in theirjourney to discover Emmanuel—God with us.photo / margaret gabrielone after another—to help others. Close todeath, he finally arrives in Judea, just in time tosee Jesus on the cross and be rewarded with thevision of his Lord. But, unknowingly, he hadalready found the promised King in the naked,the sick and the hungry he had helped at everystage of his journey.The life of a Glenmary missioneris akin to that of Artaban. Weare called to search out the ChristChild among the lost and forgottenand to share our “jewels” withthem. Often our lives and travelstake us to unexpected places andunplanned encounters. And, likeArtaban, we often experience theconflict between the expectationof faith and the impulse of love.Such is the case for BrotherVirgil Siefker and Father MikeLangell who, in August, weresent to open a new mission in Windsor, N.C.Glenmary had never ministered in this isolated,northeastern part of the state with a highmission need. Many years ago there was aCatholic Church in Windsor but, as the Catholicpopulation dwindled, the church fell intodisrepair and was abandoned.Why, in this day and age, with such a shortageof brothers and priests, would Glenmary sendtwo men to serve just a handful of Catholics?Simple! The missionary call is to serve thosewho are forgotten and most in need—and toestablish the Church.Father Dan Dorseyddorsey@glenmary.orgLet me again ask you to close your eyesand to use your imagination. Picture ascene 50 years in the future. Maria Gonzalesis telling her grandchildren the story ofthe first time she attended Midnight Mass inWindsor, N.C. She was just a child, but she vividlyrecounts the sights, sounds and smells ofthat special night. She tells of how missionariescame and shared their gifts—and how theChurch was re-established in Windsor.It was a night of firsts, a time of worship, anda time to retell the glorious and timeless storyof a true deed of love: “God so loved the worldthat he sent his only Son…”4 Glenmary Challenge Winter 2004 www.glenmary.org

mission leadershipCalling U.S.Church to‘kingdom’business288 attend Glenmarysponsorednationalmission symposium[kentucky] “In the NewTestament, ‘kingdom ofGod’ is mentioned 162times—and 92 times onJesus’ lips; ‘church’ is onlymentioned twice,” pointedout theologian Father JohnFuellenbach, SVD, as headdressed the 288 participantsat “God’s MissionaryPeople—A New Way of BeingChurch” in Louisville,Ky., Oct. 3-6. His keynoteaddress challenged theChurch to be more concernedabout “kingdombusiness” than “churchbusiness” and to concentrateon “sniffing out—andcelebrating—the kingdom”which is already present inour world. Father Fuellenbachteaches theology atthe Pontifical GregorianUniversity in Rome.This national symposiumwas sponsored byGlenmary in cooperationwith the United StatesCatholic Mission Association.Glenmary president FatherDan Dorsey openedthe symposium with aquestion posed by Glenmary’sfounder, FatherWilliam Howard Bishop,Glenmarynews& notesKeynote speaker: Divine Word Father John Fuellenbachsaid the call of the Church is to witness toGod’s kingdom “where every person is a brother anda sister and every person is God’s beloved child.”over 60 years ago: “Is itnot the usual attitude tofeel that the work of theChurch is accomplishedwhen the needs of Catholicsare cared for?”But the mission of theChurch does not end atthe church door, FatherDan said. “The Church byits very nature is missionary,reaching out especiallyto those who are forgottenand neglected.”How would a localchurch have to be differentto be truly missionary?For one thing, said FatherJohn Fuellenbach,members would have to seebaptism “not as a passportto privilege but a call to mission.”He says the Church,rather than a centripetalforce drawing people in,must be a centrifugal forceconstantly sending peopleout to serve the world.The Rev. George Hunsberger,a Presbyterianminister and professorof congregational missionat Western TheologicalSeminary (Holland,Mich.), insisted we musthave a missionary encounterbetween the gospel andour own culture. “The realquestion,” he said, “is this:‘Are we letting the gospel into transform how we live?’We must be a communityfor the kingdom and fromthe kingdom.”photos / jean bachRabbi Herman Schaalmanof Chicago, asked tooffer an interfaith perspectiveon Church as mission,provided a sobering momentwhen he said, withgreat emotion: “For thefirst time I have heard themission of the Church notas self-contained, privilegedmembership exclusiveof others but as anoutreach to every humanbeing as sister and brotherto penetrate more deeplythe mystery of who we areas human beings.” RabbiSchaalman has spent manyof his 89 years involved ininterfaith activities.Workshops focused onthe many ways the Churchis called to engage our cultureand proclaim the kingdomin the midst of a messyworld—by embracing thechallenges of globalization,ecology, fundamentalisms,multiculturalism andmuch more.More information canbe found under “What’sNew” at www.glenmary.org. Tapes of presentationsare available by calling202-832-3112.Church in action: ChristinaFadden of Glenmary’sMission Office in one of thetable conversations that followedeach presentation.www.glenmary.orgWinter 2004 Glenmary Challenge5

g l e n m a r y news & notes continuedmen in formationTwo new candidates begin formation in Hartford, Ky.Glenmary attracts mission-minded men from both sides of the Atlantic[kentucky] Two men enteredthe Glenmary CandidacyProgram in Hartford, Ky., inAugust: Joe Petrucci, 44, fromFairmont, W.Va., andDennis Makokha, 29,from Kakamega, Kenya.Candidacy, thefirst phase of formation,blends elementsof ministry, education,prayer and discernment.Joe Petrucci Joe Petrucci, the sonof a West Virginia coalminer, comes to Glenmary withan associate degree in commercialart and graphic design. Heoperated his own printing businessfor 10 years before joininghis brothers in the familyconstruction business.In 2000 Joe enteredMaryknoll’s formationprogram. His two yearswith Maryknoll includeda three-month missionplacement in Kenya as wellas study at Chicago’s CatholicTheological Union.Dennis Makokhaspent the past year at Glenmary’sHouse of Residency in Owingsville,Ky., becoming acclimatedto American culture and learningmore about Glenmary.Before coming to theUnited States in November2003, Dennis earnedhis bachelor’s in philosophy,taught, volunteeredin refugee camps and wasemployed by the JesuitVocation Office in Nairobi.He spent the pastDennis Makokha summer with Father VicSubb in Swainsboro andMetter, Ga.Keep Jesus’ Light ShiningThroughout Mission Land, USA, for years to come…d e t a c h h e r e a n d m a i lr Please send me more information about how I can make a bequest toGlenmary through my will.Name____________________________________________________Address___________________________________________________City_ _________________________State_ ________ Zip_ ___________WI04Remember Glenmary in Your WillSusan Lambert • Planned Giving Officer • P.O. Box 465618Cincinnati, OH 45246 • 800.935.0975Around the Missions Twenty-four First Communicants andtheir families packedSt. Christopher Churchin Pontotoc, Miss.,June 14. Luis Ajú, pastoralassociate at St. Christopherin Pontotoc,Miss., and his entirefamily are now U.S.citizens. His wife, Victorina, is the newdirector of religious education for theHispanic community in the Pontotocmission. The Spanish-speaking community ofSt. Jude in Glennville, Ga., gatheredOct. 31 for a day of food and games toraise money for a worship space for thenew mission in neighboring Long County.A donated triple-wide trailer, alreadyon several acres of land in Sand Hill,is being converted for this purpose toserve the needs of the growing migrantcommunity in this area. Sts. John & Elizabeth in Grayson,Ky., celebrated its 40th anniversaryAug. 29.6 Glenmary Challenge Winter 2004 www.glenmary.org

photo / jean bachForeign-born home missioners: Father François Pellissier, born in France, explainsGlenmary’s charism to four African students (left to right: Kelechi, Solomon, Mike,Uwem) who feel called to mission ministry in the United States. Brother Curt Kedley (left,rear) directs the House of Residency where these students will spend the coming year.vocationsNew international students fill House of ResidencyAfrican men begin nine-month discernment and enculturation program[kentucky] The first Sundaythat Solomon Ebubedike Joshuaworshiped at Glenmary’s missionin Owingsville, Ky., he worriedabout how to react at the Sign ofPeace. “But it was just like backhome,” he says, referring to thewarm embraces and heartfeltgreetings that were exchanged.But many things are not like“back home” for Solomon and theother students from Africa who arrivedthis fall at Glenmary’s Houseof Residency in Owingsville.Michael (Mike) Omondi Okutocomments on how small the congregationwas compared to thehundreds—even thousands—he isused to seeing at a Sunday liturgyin his home parish in Kenya.And on a typical day, says Kelechukwu(Kelechi) Anyanwu, heis surprised to see so few peoplearound. “They are to themselves,”he says. “Everyone is in a car or ina home.” He surmises that this iswhat is meant by “individualism.”www.glenmary.orgBrother Curt Kedley, directorof Glenmary’s House of Residency,will be helping this new groupof African students deal with themany differences they will be experiencingduring this nine-monthprogram of enculturation anddiscernment. But living in ruralAmerica is a culture shock evenfor many lifelong Americans, heemphasizes.These young men know theyhave much to learn about Americanculture and language this comingyear. Brother Curt will exposethese students to a cross sectionof American culture while alsoproviding opportunities to learnmore about Glenmary’s charismand to experience rural ministryfirsthand.Uwem Emmanuel Enoh, a Nigerianwho has been studying inSouth Africa, points out the challengeof making sure you understandwhat others mean—evenwhen you all speak English. He iswell aware that many words andexpressions can have differentmeanings given the cultural context.But, unlike many Americans,these men have grown up crossingthe boundaries of culture routinely.They are used to living in a countrymade up of various tribal culturesand languages.Mike, the one Kenyan amongthe three Nigerians who visitedGlenmary headquarters in earlyNovember, points out that theirhouse in Owingsville is, in itself,an experience in cross-culturalcommunications. None of the menknew each other in Africa—andthey are all from different tribalbackgrounds.Two additional men from Africa(Wisdom Matthew Eyoh andLeonard Mmboyi Mulama) arrivedin late November to join the fouralready in residence. All have hadextensive ministry experience intheir native countries.Winter 2004 Glenmary Challenge7

g l e n m a r y news & notes continuedcatholic nurtureWinning poem a tribute to black Mississippi CatholicGlenmary mission parishioners and former pastoral coordinator take prizes in diocesan contest [mississippi] First place in thepoetry and art contest sponsoredby the Diocese of Jackson (Miss.)went to Michael Talbert, a memberof Glenmary’s St. John Churchin Eupora, for his poem entitled“Walter Johnson.” Mike told theMississippi Catholic that it took40 years to write about WalterJohnson, whom he describes as“a part of Mississippi’s Catholichistory.”“He was a special man whodid a lot to make me understandwhat was going on in 1961,” Mikecontinues. “It was a time of segregation.It was a bitter time.”And this man, with the courageto be a black Catholic, “always hadto sit by himself because of racialattitudes,” Mike remembers. “Hewas a gift to my life and to say itright took a long time.”Second place went to PollyDuncan Collum for “War on Terror.”Polly, a former Glenmarypastoral coordinator who establishedthe Catholic Communityof Tippah County (now St. MatthewCatholic Church in Ripley)lives in Byhalia, Miss. And anhonorable mention went to Dr.Home Mission Immersion: Catholic journalists and mission officedirectors from across the country experienced the home missionsfirsthand on a five-day immersion/study tour to Eastern Kentucky andSouthwest Virginia the end of October. The tour was sponsored byGlenmary in cooperation with The Catholic Church Extension Society.Participants were exposed to a variety of ministries and issuesaffecting those living in rural America. There was also time for fun—provided by Father Bruce Brylinski and his puppets at the Glenmarymission in Grayson, Ky. (above). Father Bruce uses his puppet ministryas an outreach tool, performing in public schools as well as forCatholic audiences.This is the first time Glenmary (which starts and staffs Catholiccommunities) and Extension (which helps fund church buildings forthose communities) have teamed up to promote the home missions.photo / jean bachL. Plington, a member of Glenmary’smission in Amory, Miss.Here are excerpts from “WalterJohnson,” the winning poemby Michael Talbert:The only black Catholic inOxford, MississippiWas a gentleman named WalterJohnsonWhose gray felt hat always satbeside him in the pew.That spot was mostly emptyExcept for crowded EasterSundays...His funeral was a cultural clashin 1961:White priest, white altar boy,and three parishionersIn a congregation of black—theyhearing old Catholic rites—Not understanding the strangeLatin words;We not comprehending theuninhibited mourning;We more used to the strangledbacktearsPuritan culture had infused inSouthern Catholics.All were too aware who wasthere, and forgetting why,Until the wind and a faultylatch, and maybe God,Conspired to blow the lid of thecoffin openAnd give us one last look at thepeaceful face.8 Glenmary Challenge Winter 2004 www.glenmary.org

father pat O’DonnellCreator ofhome missionImagesRecruiting posters,thank-yousto donors, evenGlenmary stationeryfrom the 1950sand early ’60s sportedthe oxcart logo. In onesimple symbol, the oxcartcaptured the spiritof Glenmary steadfastlyopening new territoryand taking the Churchto the American hinterland.Glenmary, acan-do outfit workingamong mountaineersin Appalachia andsharecroppers in Georgia,sent missioners topioneer No Priest Land,USA, driving dirt roadsand fording mountainstreams.Father Pat O’Donnell,known as “POD,” sketchedthat emblematic oxcart(page 10) and snappedthe salient photos featuredin Glenmary Challengeduring the 30-plusyears he worked with themagazine. And his photoscontinue to be used today in Glenmary publicationsand promotions, raising awareness of the home missionsamong Catholics all over America.Glenmary and Father Pat’s images gave the termBy Father John S. Rauschhome missions a currencyfor bishops andlay people by highlightingthe U.S. countiesthat lacked a residentpriest, counties deniedthe grace of the sacramentsand the depth ofCatholic truth.Establishing theChurch in rural areas ofthe South representeda challenge and a long,drawn-out process. So,Glenmary’s symbolicoxcart plodded acrossposters and stationeryreminding everyonethat home missionersdoggedly trudgeforward bringing thebeauty of the Catholicfaith to neglected placesawaiting the light ofthe Gospel.Father Pat, a near-Renaissance man, coulddraw, design churches,write, play music, throwpottery and take awardwinningphotos. Withhis death this summer, acreative spirit passed from Glenmary. This is a retrospectiveof the images created by this remarkable man whodared to wrap the home missions—and the Glenmaryspirit—in artful imagery.faces: The eye of Father Pat O’Donnell (1919–2004) sawart; his viewfinder did the rest as he captured the faces ofAmerica’s rural poor. This Appalachian family from BigStone Gap, Va., was a 1963 Glenmary Challenge cover.www.glenmary.orgWinter 2004 Glenmary Challenge9

Affirming local CultureAs an undergraduate in art and photography FatherPat sharpened his critical eye at the ChicagoArt Institute. As a hands-on missioner his artspoke through designs and drawings affirminglocal culture and using native materials.In Grayson, Ky., for example, Father Pat designedSts. John and Elizabeth Church and itsinterior to communicate religious lessons in glassand stone. Multifaceted stained-glass windowssuggesting a trail of blood (that is, the Way of theCross) wrap the perimeter of the building tellinga clear story of the sufferings of Christ. The glassworkmakes a bold proclamation of the Gospel inred and yellow chunks of opaque glass accentedby the 14 crosses with a whitish translucency.A column of copper plates linked togetherhanging above the altar symbolizes “prayers risinglike incense to the Lord.” The altar itself was cutfrom native limestone quarried in nearby OliveHill, while the church walls rose from native stonegathered by volunteers.Letting Photos Tell the StoryThe pages of Glenmary Challenge spread imagesof church-planting and rural parish ministrywhile also highlighting the people and places ofthe home missions. Father Pat, with a camera thatseared into the soul of his subjects, captured facesof love and contemplation, faces black and white,Missioners in action: Above, Father RollieHautz and student volunteers from Oelwein,Iowa, carry gifts to a family across the creek inWest Union, Ohio, in December 1976. Right,Father Joe Nagele (now deceased), tends hisgarden in Sunfish, Ky, in 1974.mission sketches: Father Pat often createdsketches to capture aspects of the home missionstory. The oxcart (top of page) provided agraphic identity for Glenmary for many years.The border below and on page 9, illustrating“Summer in the Missions” (Summer 1953 Challenge),depicts the use of outdoor movies to attracta crowd, preaching out of a trailer chapel,Bible school alongside a log cabin, and muchmore.

eyes sparkling with joy and eyes longingly wonderingabout the future.His film became the canvas imprinted with theimage of God in the common humanity aroundthe missions. The dozen or so “madonnas” featuredas winter Challenge covers over the yearsare just one example. (See cover photo.)Celebrating The ‘POD’ LegacyFather Pat’s symbols and images helped Glenmarycommunicate to the American Church anoverlooked and disregarded part of the country.He portrayed Glenmary missioners as blue collar,roll-up-your-sleeves men who labored diligentlyto share the faith with others. His imagesof Glenmarians consistently featured a smile or acontented expression of joy.Perhaps Father Pat most of all wanted to showsomething he himself felt as a Glenmary priest—adeep satisfaction driving the oxcart through thehome missions of America.evangelization: Children holding candlesand banners process during a summer Bibleschool in Vanceburg, Ky., in 1970.True Love: Ova and Viola Gilkison fondlygaze at one another in 1972. The Appalachiancouple had just renewed their marriage vows.Newcomers: After retiring from activeministry, Father Pat focused his camera onmigrant workers, a growing populationin all Glenmary missions. This Arkansastomato picker was the Autumn 1998 GlenmaryChallenge cover.

Then & NOWChristmas inthe missionsAn outpouring of blessings and acelebration of faithChristmas has always meant an outpouringof blessings in Glenmarymissions—for the Catholics able tocelebrate the birth of the Christ Child ata Midnight Mass or a Christmas morningliturgy and for all the residents of missioncounties touched by the missions’ socialoutreach and holiday festivities.Over the 65 years of Glenmary’s ministryin rural America, these Christmasblessings have included annual distributionof gifts (toys, clothing, food) as wellas volunteers from more established parishesin other parts of the country deliveringgifts, running special programs likeProject Merry Christmas in Vanceburgand throwing Christmas parties for allthe children in a county.photo / father pat o’donnellphoto / father pat o’donnellphoto / father Bob bond 1981: Father Gus “Santa” Guppenbergerat a Christmas party in Andrews,N.C. He is the only Glenmarianto own his own Santa suit. 1973: Volunteers help deliver gifts from Glenmary’s Vanceburgmission to residents in one of Kentucky’s poorest counties.12 Glenmary Challenge Winter 2004 www.glenmary.org

1954: The children of Pond Creek, Ohio,dramatize the Christmas story. “Good theatre,”says the Winter 1955 Glenmary Challenge,is “one of the most effective missiontechniques now in use in nearly all of ourmission areas.” 1980: Father Larry Goulding carriedon the Glenmary Christmas pageanttradition, with the help of a legionof angels, in Amory, Miss. 1990: Father Pete Richardson createdthis unique outdoor display for hisAberdeen, Miss., mission by combininga manger scene and a Jesse Tree.photo / Glenmary Archivesphoto / father Pat O’Donnellphoto / Jo anne Flores Embletonphoto / father Bob bond 1979 / 1999: A boy from Vanceburg,Ky., holds the Holy Family, carved byFather Pat O’Donnell, that traveled fromhome to home in the Bavarian custom ofremembering the hospitality refused onthe first Christmas. The Hispanic traditionof posadas (celebrated here in Boswell,Okla.) recalls the same search for shelter.www.glenmary.orgphoto / Sister Kate Regan 2003: Glenmary’s mission in Ripley,Miss., won the first-place trophy forthis float, “Christmas Dreams.” Annualparticipation in the civic community’sChristmas parade plays an importantrole in making the presence of a CatholicChurch known to county residents.Winter 2004 Glenmary Challenge13

missioner in action / by John W. DavisMinistry fits ‘like a glove’Like a shepherd, Bob Laremore walks among the people of Lawrence County, Ala.Glenmary pastoral coordinator Bob Laremorespreads the Good News in one of the leastvisited, poorest parts of Lawrence County,Ala. It has brooding, tree-covered hills wondrouslystrewn with waterfalls, racing mountain streamsand magnificent boulders. But the foothills arerock-strewn and overgrown with scrub pine andold oaks. It’s the sort of hardscrabble land that fewsettlers seek out but which attracts those seekingrefuge. And many have.Cherokees, driven through the county along theTrail of Tears, took to its hills and remain theretoday. Blacks, escaping slavery, fled into its marshybottom lands and remote hollows where you canfind their descendants living now. Descendants ofwhite farmers too independent-minded to sendsons to the Civil War fight to eke out a living fromthe hard ground. A sporadic stream of Hispanicspass through today, seeking a better tomorrow inthe chicken factories and cotton mills built here toescape union and safety controls.Bob arrived in 1993 with Becky, his wife of over35 years. Having retired from his first career as achemist, Bob had been ordained a deacon and administereda 2,000-family parish in Dallas, Texas,before joining Glenmary’s pioneering effort to establishmission churches with lay leaders. He wasone of the original group trained to call togetherCatholic communities in counties with no Catholicpresence.“This has fit like a glove,” Bob says of his Glenmaryministry after 11 years on the job.When Bob arrived in Moulton, the county seat,he rented a rat-infested former barbecue stand and‘Like a Family’: Deacon Bob Laremore, his wifeBecky and members of the Moulton, Ala., mission.photo / brother bob hoffmantransformed it into Resurrection Chapel. Then hehit the road every day making house visitations.His philosophy when meeting his neighbors intheir homes was clear: “You all come to Christ.Whatever denomination you feel comfortablewith, join! I’m here to work with others,not compete.”Today the Catholic community in LawrenceCounty consists of about 60 parishionerswho live very much like a family.They know and care for one another. Ioften think that this is what the earlyChurch was like. Over the years the communityabandoned the barbecue stand fora larger rented space—a former beautyshop! And it has now purchased land in hopes ofone day constructing a real church!Soon after Bob arrived, he observed that whileevery church in the county had an outreach effort,none was coordinated with the others. He recallsthe “red-headed lady with the tale of woe” whoworked each of the churches in Moulton for “gasand food money” one Sunday. She made off withabout $600 before anyone caught on.Bob, building on his good relationships withother ministers in the county, initiated a joint,computerized outreach effort called the GoodSamaritan. Today, with government assistance, itnow serves some 90 percent of the impoverishedresidents of the county, distributing clothes, furniture,utility assistance and other necessities.Bob, besides serving the Catholic community byarranging for worship, sacraments and religiouseducation, writes articles for local papers and addressesspiritual questions in public meetings. Butmost of all, he walks among the people. He sharestheir life as a shepherd and people respond.One day he invited me to wander with him deepinto the forest which surrounds his modest home.“I come out here often,” he said, “because here iswhere I remember that, despite everything, God iswith me.” Now I can better understand what Bobmeans when he preaches that God is with us allthe time—even in places like poor, often-forgottenLawrence County.God is withus—even inplaces likeLawrenceCounty.John Davis, a member of Resurrection Chapel’ssister parish in Madison, Ala., assists BobLaremore with Spanish translation.14 Glenmary Challenge Winter 2004 www.glenmary.org

‘Our community now includes people in Illinois and Pennsylvania.…We are so very grateful.’celebrating: Volunteers from the Catholic and Methodistchurches staff the food pantry. Longtime Methodistvolunteer Ines Dickson, left, joins Sister Mary Jean atthe reception following the September dedication.a mayor’s welcome: Mayor Jesse Quillen (right)stopped by the Methodist church during lunch to welcomethe Pennsylvania volunteers to Bruce. dent of the county living below the poverty level.Many times, individual church communities willhave food pantries that serve only their members,she explains. When Our Daily Bread made it clearthat anyone who qualified would be served, it was acounty-wide surprise!The first month of operation 35 people showedup to collect an assortment of dry goods. The followingmonth, twice that number came. Today, thepantry serves over 200 families in Calhoun Countyeach month with more seeking assistance as winterarrives and gardens die out.As the number of clients steadily increased it becameobvious that the pantry needed larger accommodations.But it was also obvious it was going to beexpensive to remodel the only viable choice—the donatedbuilding which at one time was a dairy barn.“I learned of a parish in Naperville, Ill., which offersa grant each year to a parish or person who isundertaking a project that, without the grant, couldnot be completed,” Sister Mary Jean explained. Sheapplied and St. Luke was chosen as the recipient.The members of St. Raphael Church collected moneythroughout Advent for St. Luke. The end result:$18,000 for the new food pantry.“We couldn’t have gotten this project off theground without that money,” Sister Mary Jean says.“We replaced the roof and tore all the wood out ofthe building. But there was still a lot of work to bedone.”That work was done by volunteers from the Brucemission’s adopting parish, St. John the EvangelistChurch in Honesdale, Penn. The parish gatheredtogether 21 people and traveled to Bruce in June ofthis year. In one week, the seven adults and 14 teensfinished the building, except for the final paint job.“The adults were extremely talented in remodelingand the kids were very enthusiastic and took instructionsvery well,” Sister Mary Jean says.The entire town welcomed the Pennsylvaniavisitors. Sister Mary Jean explained that,since there was nowhere to house the visitorsin Bruce, the Methodist Church putthem up in their classrooms. “There were 21people sharing two bathrooms—one for theboys and one for the girls. They had to go acrossthe street to the firehouse to shower.”“People are still talking about the kids’ visit. I don’tthink people had ever seen that many Catholic kidsat one time,” she laughs. St. Luke has seven teens intheir congregation. “The people of Bruce saw that theCatholic teens were just like their kids.”“The Pennsylvania group really made an impression,”Sister Mary Jean says. Especially when theyall showed up at the Little League game for Rev.Wilburn’s son. “It was quite a sight to see all thosekids cheering for this little guy every time he got upto the plate.”The official opening of Our Daily Bread’s newbuilding was celebrated on Sept. 20 of this year. Themayor, Rev. Wilburn, Sister Mary Jean, Vonda Keonand the president of the local Chamber of Commerce(who is also the editor of the local newspaper) spokeprior to the ribbon cutting.Since the move, sorting and processing over one tonof food each month has gone much smoother as hasthe monthly distribution.“We are truly blessed to be a part of such a wonderfulcommunity,” Sister Mary Jean says. “Establishingthis new building was a real community event and as aresult, our ‘community’ now includes people in Illinoisand Pennsylvania. It gives us hope in so many ways.We are so very grateful.”16 Glenmary Challenge Winter 2004 www.glenmary.org

the web site of Catholic missioners to rural Americaw w w.glenmary.orgOnline ContentsWhat’s newReport to Donors for FY 2003-04A statement of accountability on “doing God’s work in ruralAmerica” is available on the Web site. A four-page stewardshipreport can be downloaded. s e a r c h: f i n a n c i a l r e p o r tFiscal ReportDepartmentsMeet a MissionerBrother David Henley took time from his studies to spend thesummer standing up for workers’ rights. s e a r c h: d av i d h e n l e yHow to HelpBe an angel this Christmas. Remember Glenmary in yourwill. Or take out a Glenmary gift annuity. s e a r c h: h o w t o h e l pAdvent(ual) WaitingVocation director Father Steve Pawelk’s Advent reflection forvocation prospects speaks to everyone. s e a r c h: a d v e n t(u a l)Evangelization Coin Has Two SidesProclaiming Jesus as Lord and doing the mission of theLord Jesus are the two key aspects of evangelization.s e a r c h: s o c i a l j u s t i c e a n d e va n g e l i z at i o nFeature StoryAnimals Connect Coworker to Georgia CountyFranciscan Sister Janet Fischer, Glenmary’s pastoral associatein Claxton, Ga., uses her love for all God’s creatures to reachout to the unchurched. s e a r c h: j a n e t f i s c h e rBrother David HenleyBe an Angel for GlenmarySister Janet FischerPeace on Earth: Plant a TreeFather John Rausch says 2004 Nobel Peace Prize winnerWangari Maathai and the 30 million trees she planted inAfrica point the way to making peace by saving our planet.s e a r c h: m a at h a i2000 Catholic Data for 50 States and DCFrom the Glenmary Research Center: PDF files with statesranked by number of adherents, percent change in adherents,percent of population unclaimed... w w w .g l e n m a r y .o r g/g r cMore Catholic Datawww.glenmary.orgWinter 2004 Glenmary Challenge19

Glenmary Glimpse / Dancing for Our LadyDressed in special masks and costumes, migrant workers performthe traditional Old Man’s Dance at the Dec. 12 Our Lady of Guadalupecelebration at St. Jude, Glenmary’s mission in Glennville,Ga. Tony Barbour (without mask, center) is the pastoral associate whoassists Father Brian LaBurt, the pastor of four area missions, in reachingout to the workers who arrive every fall to plant Vidalia onions and returnin the spring for the onion harvest.Glenmary Home MissionersP.O. Box 465618Cincinnati, OH 45246-5618photo / courtesy st. jude missionNONPROFIT ORGANIZATIONU.S. Postage PAIDGlenmary Home MissionersCatholic Missioners to Rural America