Extension magazine - Spring 2023

catholicextension.org 

STORIES OF FAITH FROM CATHOLIC EXTENSION SPRING 2023 

ST. PATRICK’S 

SPIRIT IN AMERICA 

A PATRON TO MANY PEOPLES 

16

Extension | Spring 2023 3 

S T O R I E S O F F A I T H F R O M C A T H O L I C E X T E N S I O N 

Catholic Extension has published Extension 

magazine since 1906 to share with our donors 

and friends the stories illustrating our mission: 

to work in solidarity with people to build up 

vibrant and transformative Catholic faith 

communities among the poor and in America’s 

poorest regions. 

Contact Us 

Catholic Extension 

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Chicago, IL 60606 

800.842.7804 

magazine@catholicextension.org 


Board of Governors 

CHANCELLOR 

Cardinal Blase J. Cupich 

Archbishop of Chicago 

VICE CHANCELLOR 

Most Reverend Gerald F. Kicanas 

Bishop Emeritus of Tucson 

PRESIDENT 

Reverend John J. Wall 

VICE CHAIR OF COMMITTEES and SECRETARY 

Elizabeth Hartigan Connelly 

BOARD MEMBERS 

Most Reverend Gerald R. Barnes 

Bishop Emeritus of San Bernardino 

Most Reverend Steven Biegler 

Bishop of Cheyenne 

John W. Croghan 

Most Reverend Daniel E. Flores, STD 

Bishop of Brownsville 

Most Reverend Ronald Hicks 

Bishop of Joliet 

The Honorable James C. Kenny 

Most Reverend Robert N. Lynch 

Bishop Emeritus of St. Petersburg 

Peter J. McCanna 

Andrew J. McKenna 

Michael G. O’Grady 

Christopher Perry 

Andrew Reyes 

Sister Fatima Santiago, ICM 

Karen Sauder 

Pamela Scholl 

Most Reverend Anthony B. Taylor 

Bishop of Little Rock 

Most Reverend George L. Thomas, Ph.D. 

Bishop of Las Vegas 

Timothy Turner 

Most Reverend William A. Wack, CSC 

Bishop of Pensacola-Tallahassee 

Edward Wehmer 

Your investment in Catholic Extension is tax 

deductible to the extent allowed by law. Catholic 

Extension is a nonprofit 501(c)( 3 ) organization. 

ISSN Number: 0884-7533 

©2023 The Catholic Church Extension Society 

All rights reserved. 

Extension is a publication provided to you and 

your family by Catholic Extension. If you do 

not wish to continue receiving Extension, email 

magazine@catholicextension.org and we will 

remove you from this mailing list. 

St. Patrick in 

America 16 

A beautiful mosaic of St. Patrick is 

displayed on St. Patrick Cathedral 

in the Diocese of El Paso, Texas. 

He is the patron of this majority- 

Hispanic community, as well as 

many other Catholic Extensionsupported 

diverse faith 

communities across the country. 

Today, his story of resilience 

and faith resonates with the 

descendants of those who fled 

hunger and poverty in Ireland, 

as well as refugees finding new 

homes in America. 

COVER PHOTO JUAN GUAJARDO 

CELTIC KNOT ILLUSTRATION LUCIE RICE 

BUILD 

Pope Benedict XVI: 1927–2022 11 

NEWS BRIEFS | Pope Benedict XVI is remembered for his 

INSPIRE 

at a time 28 

inspiration to the mission of Catholic Extension 

Healthcare practice puts the person 

first 12 

FEATURE | New Catholic clinic serves thousands in rural 

Michigan 

Journey to the priesthood: one miracle 

COVER STORY | Burmese refugee population in Kentucky 

welcomes newly ordained priest 

Refugee children find home in 

Ukrainian Catholic schools 32 

COVER STORY | Support for students traumatized by war 

IGNITE 

After school matters 38 

FEATURE | The Don Bosco Center shows students their worth 

in Lawrenceburg, Kentucky 

A life lived as a gift 44 

DONOR PROFILE | Granddaughter of Irish immigrants honored 

for decades of philanthropy in Ireland and America 

Letter from Father Wall 4 

When home is the mouth of a shark 24 

A story of redemption 36 

Connect 46

4 

Letter from Father Wall 


I 

Long live 

the spirit of 

St. Patrick 

N THE MIDST of this Lenten 

season, we have a quick 

moment during our fast to 

toast with friends and family 

on St. Patrick’s feast day. 

But what makes this 

saint’s feast day truly 

extraordinary is not the 

river being dyed neon green 

here in Chicago, nor the 

parades around the country 

that attract millions, nor the 

bagpipers piping, nor the 

Irish dancers dancing, nor 

any festivities that unfold 

across the land. 

Whether you are Irish or 

far from it, I hope that we 

may all be filled with sacred 

awe over the great legacy of 

the fifth-century saint and 

missioner. 

St. Patrick is one of those 

inspirational figures who 

transcends space and time 

and constantly encourages 

us to “awaken the mission 

spirit!” 

“[St. Patrick] is the saint who 

helped us wrap our minds around 

the depths of God’s love, which 

emanates from and among the 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” 

Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension 

He is often cited for his 

courage and creativity in 

breaking out of the dominant 

cultural Greco-Roman 

worldview of his moment 

in history. He vividly recognized 

the face of Christ and 

the working of God’s Spirit 

within the people living on 

the edge of the empire, the 

Celtic people. Their unique 

language, customs, culture 

and imagination were 

outside the mainstream, 

yet St. Patrick persisted in 

helping the Gospel come 

alive in their hearts. 

In doing so, St. Patrick 

became the model of every 

mission effort to “inculturate” 

the Gospel. He was 

deeply convinced that God’s 

presence is found in every 

culture, race and community 

within the human family. 

He is the saint who 

helped us wrap our minds 

around the depths of God’s 

love, which emanates from 

and among the Father, Son 

and Holy Spirit—a frequent 

doctrinal stumbling block 

that St. Patrick made simple 

by using a shamrock to 

represent the triune nature 

of our God. 

In traditional Celtic art, 

which weaves many lines 

and shapes together, St. 

Patrick reminded us that we 

are all woven together into 

God’s great kingdom and 

that we are interlaced with 

God’s divine Son, in whom 

“we live and move and have 

our being” (Acts 17:28). 

Like St. Patrick, you 

who support the mission 

of Catholic Extension are 

conduits of God’s grace, 

weaving together support, 

companionship and mutual 

blessing among American 

Catholics across this country, 

especially among those 

peoples who exist on the 

edges of our society. 

The mission spirit that 

inspired St. Patrick, and so 

many others after him, is 

the same mission spirit that 

inspires Catholic Extension 

today. As the Prayer of St. 

Patrick says, the strength 

of God “pilots” us. In these 

pages you will read about 

inspiring Catholics who, like 

St. Patrick, allow themselves 

to be “piloted” by our God, 

who knows no limits or 

borders, to the places and 

peoples in need of good 

news. 

As we approach the feast 

of St. Patrick, I hope that 

you might sense a bit more 

keenly God’s presence and 

action in your heart and 

in the thousands upon 

thousands of grateful hearts 

of the people you support 

through the important work 

of Catholic Extension. 

My prayer is that St. 

Patrick’s ongoing memory 

“ 

St. Patrick became the 

model of every mission effort 

to “inculturate” the Gospel. 

He was deeply convinced 

that God’s presence is 

found in every culture, race 

and community within the 

human family.” 

will encourage all of us to 

work in solidarity with each 

other to build up vibrant and 

transformative faith communities 

within and among 

the many cultures that make 

up our country, especially 

among our brothers and 

sisters on the margins. 

And so, with my glass half 

full and raised to you, I say to 

you and your beloved: 

May the road rise to meet 

you. 

May the wind be always at 

your back. 

And, until we meet again, 

may God hold you in the 

palm of his hand. 

Sláinte! (Good Health!), and 

Happy St. Patrick’s Day! 

Rev. John J. Wall 

PRESIDENT, CATHOLIC EXTENSION

THE GIFT THAT 

PAYS YOU BACK 

New law! 

Your QCD can be used to create 

a charitable gift annuity. 

A Catholic Extension charitable gift 

annuity gives you an attractive income 

for as long as you live and makes a lasting 

impact on poor communities of faith 

across the country. Now, your QCD can 

be used to fund a Catholic Extension 

charitable gift annuity. 

• Receive fixed, stable 

payments for life 

• Get immediate and future 

tax benefits 

NEW 

HIGHER 

RATES! 

BUILD 

NEWS BRIEFS 10 | HEALTH SERVICES FOR MIGRANT WORKERS 12 

News from 

around the country 


ATTRACTIVE 

PAYOUT RATES 

8.7% 

9.7% 

Effective January 1, 2023 

AGE 

4.9% 

60 

5.4% 

65 

Diocese of Fairbanks, Alaska 

5.9% 

70 

6.6% 

7.6% 

For a personalized proposal, contact Betty Assell, Manager of 

Annuities at 800-842-7804 or Bassell@catholicextension.org 

or visit catholicextension.org/annuities 

75 

80 

85 

90+ 

PHOTO CHRIS STRONG 


supported the 

expansion of 

a Catholic 

healthcare 

ministry 

serving migrant 

farmworkers 

and their families 

in the Diocese of 

Kalamazoo, such 

as this mother 

and her newborn 

infant. See story, 

page 12.

8 BUILD Mission Needs 


PLEASE SUPPORT LENTEN 

ALMSGIVING OPPORTUNITIES 

Your donation will support a poor faith community in need this Lent and help keep the 

presence of the Catholic Church strong in our country. To contribute to one of these 

projects, please contact us at magazine@catholicextension.org or call 1-800-842-7804. 

Chalan Kanoa 

TREMONTON UTAH 

Santa Ana Catholic Church is a rural 

mission in northern Utah. It was established 

in 2005. 

Your donation will 

help support the 

salary of Father 

Francisco Pires and 

his extensive travel 

costs to reach this 

faith community 

where Catholics are 

a small minority of the population. 

RED LAKE MINNESOTA 

The original St. Mary’s Mission (pictured here) 

on the Red Lake Indian Reservation in the 

Diocese of Crookston was 

unfortunately destroyed 

in a fire in December 

2017. The community of 

Ojibwe Native American 

Catholics has been 

holding Mass in the 

school gymnasium ever 

since. Your donation will 

support the construction of a new church for 

this beautiful faith community. 

Guam 

Caroline Islands 

Marshall Islands 

Samoa-Pago Pago 

FORT HANCOCK TEXAS 

Sister Silvia Chacón, 

ASC, is the only 

person on staff at 

Santa Teresa Church 

in the Diocese of 

El Paso. Catholic 

Extension helped 

build the church in 

1937. Your donation 

will support Sister Silvia’s salary at the 

church, where she fulfills every role from 

choir director, minister to the sick and 

families, and even handywoman when 

facility repairs are required. 

LAFAYETTE LOUISIANA 

This southern Louisiana 

diocese is blessed 

with an abundance of 

priestly vocations. The 

diocese has ordained 

25 priests since 2015 

and is on track to 

ordain seven more by 

2025. Your donation 

will support the cost to feed, house and 

educate the 30 seminarians who are 

currently discerning a call to priesthood in 

the diocese. 

EXTENSION DIOCESES 

MARICAO PUERTO RICO 

Maricao is a town in the 

mountains of Puerto 

Rico. More than half 

of its population lives 

below poverty. Catholic 

Extension supports the 

parish and its religious 

sisters. The sisters 

feed the hungry, visit 

the sick, tutor school-age children and 

offer a social enterprise to economically 

empower impoverished women. Your 

support will fund their critical work in this 

community. 

Hawaii 

ISSION NEEDS 

Your donation will be applied to a similar need should your 

specified project be fully funded before we receive your support. 

Thank you! 

Puerto Rico 

St. Thomas- 

Virgin Islands

10 

BUILD 

News Briefs 


HIGHLIGHTS 

SPIRIT OF FRANCIS 

AWARD 

TEXAS 

PARISH DEDICATES 

NEW BUILDING 

UTAH 

U.S. SEMINARIANS 

MEET WITH POPE 

ROME 

NEW CHARITABLE 

GIFT ANNUITY LAW 

NATIONWIDE 

Become a parish 

partner 

Does your parish want 

to support the mission 

of Catholic Extension? 

Visit catholicextension.org/parish-partnerships 

or contact 

Natalie Donatello at 

ndonatello@catholicextension.org 

to 

learn more. 

Pope Francis laughs with our president, Father Jack Wall, right, and chancellor, Cardinal Blase Cupich, left. 

Celebrating 10 years of Pope Francis 

March 13 marks 10 years since Pope Francis’ election to the papacy. 

Born in Argentina in 1936, Jorge Mario Bergoglio broke barriers 

by becoming the first pope from the Western Hemisphere. 

His leadership energized the Church to open worldwide dialogue 

on many global issues—including care for creation and the 

building of a society that protects the most vulnerable. 

As a papal society, the Holy See oversees Catholic Extension’s 

work. This picture, taken in 2015 of Pope Francis sharing a laugh 

with our president, Father Jack Wall, and our chancellor, Cardinal 

Blase Cupich, went viral across the globe. In this image people 

were able to relate to the Holy Father’s joy and sense of humor. 

The Vatican and many churches around the world are hosting anniversary 

celebrations in his honor. 

Catholic Extension honored 

Trini Mendenhall as 

the 2023 recipient of our 

Spirit of Francis Award 

in Houston. Mendenhall 

has dedicated herself to 

serving others through her 

philanthropic efforts in the 

Houston community and in 

the state of Texas for more 

than two decades. Her 

commitment to her Catholic 

values and her Houston 

community are made 

evident by her outstanding 

work on behalf of children, 

women and the vulnerable. 

Catholic Extension helped 

build a new religious 

education building for the 

growing San Isidro Mission 

in the rural farming town 

of Elberta in the Diocese 

of Salt Lake City, Utah. 

Bishop Oscar A. Solís 

dedicated the new building 

and said he is thankful 

for the “tremendous gift” of 

four classrooms and a new 

gathering area, which will 

allow more parishioners 

and their children to learn 

and grow in faith together. 

On January 14, Pope Francis 

met with seminarians 

and staff at the Pontifical 

North American College in 

Rome. Catholic Extension 

is providing scholarships 

to the majority 

of the 27 seminarians 

from 16 Extension dioceses 

who are currently 

studying in Rome. The 

Holy Father encouraged 

them to embrace the unity 

of the Church, hoping 

they embark on a “synodal” 

journey that involves 

listening “to the Holy Spirit 

and to one another.” 

For the first time ever, you 

can use your qualified 

charitable distribution 

to create a charitable 

gift annuity in support 

of Catholic Extension’s 

mission. New legislation 

from Congress allows 

this opportunity that 

will provide an immediate 

tax deduction, while 

providing payouts for the 

rest of your life. 

Contact Betty Assell at 

800-842-7804 or Bassell@ 

catholicextension.org or 

visit catholicextension.org/ 

annuities. 

POPE BENEDICT XVI: 1927–2022 

Pope Benedict XVI passed away on December 

31, 2022. As a papal society, Catholic Extension 

is thankful for his extraordinary life and his 

inspiration to our mission. He was known 

throughout his life for his deep intellect, but at his core 

was a man of profound faith. Pope Benedict XVI saw the 

Church exactly as Catholic Extension sees it: as a force 

of transformation in a world where there is suffering and 

frequent estrangement from God’s unconditional love. 

NEWS BRIEFS

12 

BUILD Extension | Spring 2023 13 

Feature Story 

Catholic healthcare clinic serves 

thousands in rural Michigan 

One of the most 

celebrated 

aspects of the 

Catholic Church’s 

legacy in this 

country is its 

ministry of healthcare. Over 

the years, Catholic hospitals 

and clinics have provided 

millions of people, including 

the poor and uninsured, with 

excellent and ethical care, 

which uplifts the human dignity 

of all. 

Holy Family Healthcare in 

Hartford, Michigan is the latest 

iteration of the Catholic 

Church’s proud tradition of 

healthcare. The newly renovated 

clinic had been a bank. The 

former money vault is now a 

nursing station. And, in rooms 

where people once received 

loans, they now walk away with 

a new lease on life. 

THE CLINIC’S APPROACH 

What makes the clinic special 

is its tailored approach to 

healthcare needs in rural Michigan. 

It helps a vast number of 

uninsured people, who lack 

normal access to medical facilities 

and providers, with trusted 

and quality healthcare they can 

turn to for help. 

Founded in 2014 by Don 

Bouchard, a visionary Catholic 

deacon and doctor of osteopathic 

medicine, it has evolved 

from a periodic mobile clinic to 

a full-fledged healthcare clinic 

‘ 

Every aspect 

of our practice 

puts the person 

first’ 

A glimpse into 

the home life 

of seasonal 

farmworkers 

in Michigan. 


For Dr. Don Bouchard and the rural health clinic, holistic care of children and families 

is a priority. 

WISCONSIN 

MICHIGAN NEEDS WORKERS 

TO HARVEST FOOD 

Migrant farmworkers come to Michigan each 

year to pick crops, especially along the state’s 

“fruit belt.” 

ILLINOIS 

Lake Michigan 

Lake Superior 

INDIANA 

MICHIGAN 

OHIO 

with a new, permanent facility. 

The clinic offers desperately 

needed medical, dental, 

mental and nutritional help to 

the area’s most underserved 

populations. 

A 4,000-square-foot former 

bank was renovated last 

year with matching funds from 

Catholic Extension and blessed 

by Bishop Paul Bradley of the 

Diocese of Kalamazoo. Located 

on Hartford’s Main Street in the 

center of town, the new facility 

allows for a dramatic increase 

in the number and scope of 

healthcare services. 

Compared to its old, cramped 

facility, the new Holy Family 

Healthcare clinic has doubled 

CANADA 

Lake Huron 

Lake Erie

14 

BUILD 

Feature Story 


This new dental room represents 

some of the new services at Holy 

Family Healthcare. 

the number of treatment rooms to 

eight. It expanded its daily hours 

of operation to 12, tripled the number 

of healthcare providers to 

nine, and now sees a record 1,100 

patients a month. It also offers an 

array of new services tailored to 

women’s health. 

All are welcome in this place. 

“We are not dismissive toward 

anyone seeking our services,” said 

Bouchard. 

THE REALITIES OF RURAL HEALTH 

The new space allows for dental 

examination rooms with diagnostic 

equipment. As the only 

free pediatric dental office in this 

region, its preventative care will 

make an enormous difference in 

the lives of these families. 

Among the first pediatric dental 

patients was a child who had 15 

teeth beyond repair that needed 

to be pulled. It was traumatic for 

everybody—even the dentist. 

For a child who has never seen 

the inside of a dental office, it can 

be frightening. The blinding lights, 

the sharp-edged tools, the futuristic 

equipment and the whirring 

noises might make a first-time 

patient feel like they have been 

abducted onto an alien vessel. 

But over time, Bouchard and his 

team hope to normalize dental 

care in the community. Once children 

have been examined by volunteer 

dentists, the clinic’s mobile 

hygienists visit the kids’ schools to 

do regular cleanings. 

“Healthcare is sitting down 

with people, developing relationships, 

talking to them, finding out 

what their needs are and helping 

to address their needs,” said 

Bouchard. 

This is precisely why he insists 

that his team still goes out to meet 

people, instead of just waiting for 

patients to come into the clinic 

after their health problems are 

compounded and complex. 

For example, during the summer 

months, Bouchard and his team 

visit migrant farmworker fields and 

camps. 

Each summer from June to 

October, tens of thousands of 

legally contracted guest workers 

make southwest Michigan 

their temporary home, working 

long hours to plant and harvest 

the state’s abundant crops. They 

are essential to the local economy. 

However, they are not eligible for 

health insurance and cannot afford 

to see a doctor or dentist. 

Bouchard’s “Thirsty Thursday” 

visits to the farm fields in the summer 

are weekly occasions for his 

team to distribute drinks during 

the laborers’ long days under the 

sun, build rapport with them, and 

distribute information to them 

about the clinic’s extensive services. 

More than offering healthcare 

to the workers, the goal is to 

extend them friendship and compassion 

on behalf of the Catholic 

Church. 

NEXT GENERATION OF HEALTHCARE 

Bouchard has ambition to do 

more. 

He plans to renovate the vacant 

upper floors of the facility into 

dorm rooms, complete with a 

chapel, in the hope that medi- 


Migrant 

farmworkers 

work long days 

harvesting 

crops in 

southwest 

Michigan. 


cal students can do monthlong 

rotations to be immersed in rural 

healthcare and Catholic social 

teaching. 

He also wants to train them in a 

patient-centered model of healthcare 

that defines his approach to 

medicine. 

Bouchard had a revelation after 

working in hospitals for more 

than 20 years. He had grown tired 

of what he perceived to be a conveyor 

belt model of healthcare 

in which people are diagnosed 

and moved out the door quickly— 

as opposed to getting to know 

patients and treating them in an 

individualized, comprehensive 

manner. That is why Holy Family 

LEFT Before and after: Holy 

Family Healthcare’s newly 

expanded site tripled its size to 

where it can now support 15,000 

visits annually. 

Migrant 

farmworkers are 

among the rural 

populations served 

by Holy Family 

Healthcare in 

Hartford, Michigan. 


Healthcare also offers nonmedical 

assistance, such as a food pantry, 

a free clothing closet and even 

scholarships for children to attend 

local Catholic schools. 

“Every aspect of our practice 

puts the person first,” said Bouchard. 

“When they come in, they 

are the embodiment of the pain 

of Christ and that’s what we’re 

addressing.” 

Saints Faith, Hope and Charity 

Catholic Parish in Winnetka, 

Illinois partnered with Catholic 

Extension to support this project. 

Their parishioners witnessed firsthand 

the inspiring work of Holy 

Family Healthcare. Bill Kanzer, 

the parish council president, who 

was among the visiting contingent, 

summed it up well. “These people 

help you realize the need is right 

here in our backyard.”


INSPIRE Features of faith 

CONGOLESE REFUGEES IN KENTUCKY 24 | NEWLY ORDAINED BURMESE PRIEST 28 UKRAINIAN CATHOLIC SCHOOLS RECEIVE CHILDREN ESCAPING WAR 32 

THE LOST LAND 

At night, 

on the edge of sleep, 

I can see the shore of Dublin Bay. 

Its rocky sweep and its granite pier. 

Is this, I say 

how they must have seen it, 

backing out on the mailboat at twilight, 

shadows falling 

on everything they had to leave? 

And would love forever? 

And then 

I imagine myself 

at the landward rail of that boat 

searching for the last sight of a hand. 

I see myself 

on the underworld side of that water, 

the darkness coming in fast, saying 

all the names I know for a lost land: 

Ireland. Absence. Daughter. 

Excerpt of “The Lost Land” by Eavan Boland 

“Emigrants Leave Ireland” 

by Henry Doyle, 

illustrated in 1868, depicts 

the pain of separation as 

millions of Irish families left 

their homeland. 

St. 

Patrick’s 

spirit 

in America 

I 

A patron to many peoples 

N “THE LOST LAND,” IRISH POET Eavan Boland 

writes about the pain of leaving one’s homeland. 

The Irish people are intimately familiar 

with this pain. 4.5 million people left Ireland 

between 1820 and 1930. 1.5 million left during 

the 10 years following the Great Potato Famine. 

But they are not the only ones who grieve 

over their lost land. In fact, it is an experience 

that more than 60 million emigrants across 

the globe share today. Our stories on pages 24 

to 34 reveal the modern-day fears and hopes 

of Ukrainian, Congolese and Burmese families 

who have fled their homes to find safety and 

opportunity in the United States. In their parishes, 

which are supported by Catholic Extension, 

they have found relief and community.

18 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Over 5 million Ukrainians have fled their country 

since the Russian invasion began in February 2022. 

About 180,000 are now in the United States. 

Roughly 400,000 Congolese have fled their country 

since the first and second Congo Wars, sometimes 

called Africa’s World War. 

In the past 10 years, more than 125,000 Burmese 

refugees have been admitted to the United States after 

fleeing tumult in Myanmar. 

The Irish. The Ukrainians. The Congolese. The 

Burmese. And many others. 

All the world’s emigrants are 

made sisters and brothers by the 

“Every immigrant 

has a heart-rending 

backstory. Each has 

left a land they loved 

driven not by choice 

but by brutal necessity. 

Every immigrant in 

America is also 

an emigrant.” 

same way of the cross which 

they walk. All are from different 

countries but are walking the 

same calamitous path. 

What drives someone to reduce 

a lifetime’s worth of possessions 

to the size of a traveling 

bag? What compels a parent to 

subject their children to the Russian-roulette 

terrors of the road 

and sea? How does anyone work 

that terrible calculus, judging 

that the war, terror or famine they flee is worse than 

what lies ahead? 

Every immigrant has a heart-rending backstory. 

Each has left a land they loved driven not by choice 

but by brutal necessity. Every immigrant in America 

is also an emigrant. 

Each has seen the shadows falling on everything 

they had to leave and would love forever. Each has 

searched for the last glimpse of a farewell hand. It is 

a toll each emigrant has paid. 

The Irish. The Ukrainians. The Congolese. The 

Burmese. And so many more like them. Now scattered 

throughout the world looking for an open 

hand. 

Saying all the names we know for all the lost 

lands is an exercise in compassion, a widening of 

heart and soul, a quickening of empathy, and a call 

to see the face of Christ in all the souls wandering 

the earth or being tossed upon its seas in search of a 

new place to stand. 

There is a saint who shares a special bond with all 

the souls who have lost their land. 

St. Patrick: 

From slavery 

to sainthood 

IN THE FIFTH CENTURY, St. Patrick 

was forced from his homeland in tears 

and anguish. He knew the pain of a 

“Lost Land.” 

As a teenager, Patrick was captured 

by pirates in his homeland of northern 

Britain, which at the time was part 

of the Roman Empire. He was shipped 

outside the boundaries of the empire 

to Ireland where he was enslaved. According 

to his own writings, he followed 

a voice he heard in a dream that 

directed him to escape on a ship back 

to his homeland. 

Years later, that same voice spoke to 

him even louder and urged him to return 

to Ireland. This time, however, he 

arrived not as a captive but as a missionary. 

He became one of the first bishops 

in history to minister to the “barbarians” 

(the Celts) who were beyond 

the reaches of Roman society and law. 

The Celts were not even considered to 

be humans by Patrick’s contemporaries. 

Patrick affirmed their humanity. He 

is believed to be the first person in human 

history to openly condemn the evil 

of slavery. Patrick’s deep love for the 

Celtic people, his affirmation of their 

culture and his concern for their welfare 

were the hallmarks of his life as he 

sought to share the Gospel throughout 

the Emerald Isle. 

This is perhaps why he continues to 

be celebrated and loved all these centuries 

later. His ability to prevail in the 

face of suffering, to affirm the humanity 

of others and to share the Gospel with 

people of other cultures are revered attributes 

that continue to resonate with 

people across the globe. 

In the United States, the saint’s legacy 

lives on in the hearts of our 31.5 

million Irish Americans. Just as St. Patrick 

extended himself beyond his own 

country and culture, so too does his 

following extend beyond the descendants 

of Ireland, especially among 

those who have had to tearfully leave 

their homeland as he once did. 

As evidence of his enduring popularity, 

Catholic Extension has records 

dating back to 1905 that indicate 

that we have helped build or 

repair hundreds of churches named after 

the beloved saint. These churches 

are located across the country, from 

Montana to Puerto Rico—each one a 

unique chapter in the story of St. Patrick’s 

legacy in America. 

ILLUSTRATION SAMUEL LIND 

An illustration 

of St. Patrick 

created for Holy 

Spirit and St. 

Patrick Church, a 

Black Caribbean 

parish in Loíza, 

Puerto Rico. 

BELOW A parishioner at Holy Spirit and 

St. Patrick Church in Loíza, Puerto Rico, 

celebrates her faith and culture with “La 

Bomba” dance. 

THE FOLLOWING FOUR COM- 

MUNITIES each possess their own 

special connection to St. Patrick. 

Each shows how the spirit of St. 

Patrick remains alive and well today 

throughout our country. 

St. Patrick in 

Puerto Rico 

LOÍZA, PUERTO RICO, is home to 

one of the oldest Catholic parishes 

under the American flag. Founded 

in 1645, St. Patrick is its patron. 

The town has a predominantly 

Black Caribbean population that 

descended from enslaved people 

brought from Africa. It is believed 

that the slave ships stopped in 

Loíza to dispose of the slaves who 

were on the brink of death after 

the grueling journey across the 

Atlantic Ocean. Those who survived 

eventually settled in Loíza. How did 

this Black Caribbean community 

descended from former slaves come 

to adopt the Irish saint as its patron? 

The community had experienced 

multiple devastating yuca famines 

and was searching for a powerful 

intercessor. Yuca is a root vegetable 

and major food staple in the Caribbean, 

much like the potato was in 

Ireland. The people 

turned to St. Patrick 

for help. When 

the yuca famine 

ended, which they 

attributed to the 

power of St. Patrick, 

they re-dedicated 

their church and 

added St. Patrick’s 

name, becoming 

Holy Spirit and 

St. Patrick Church.

20 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


A full Mass at Holy Spirit and St. Patrick Church 

in Loíza, Puerto Rico. 

Today, Catholic Extension continues 

to support this community, 

which is located in the Diocese of 

Fajardo-Humacao. 

The parish celebrates St. Patrick’s 

Day with intensity and joy. However, 

there is no Irish dancing on 

March 17. To honor its patron, the 

community dances “La Bomba,” a 

traditional drumming and dance 

celebration with origins in Africa. 

“The people of Loíza feel affirmed 

and lifted,” said Father Rocendo 

Herrera, S.T., who served as 

pastor for nine years. “I see their 

pride of being Black, of their cultural 

tradition, the expression of 

their music—the beat of the drums, 

the rhythm. It’s a strong cultural 

and faith affirmation.” 

In the 1980s, the parish’s pastor 

asked Samuel Lind, a local artist, 

to depict St. Patrick as Black. The 

painting is proudly displayed in the 

parish. 

“All faith communities show me 

a different face of Christ,” Father 

Herrera said. “I learned, during my 

years in Loíza, to be open to learning 

and appreciate a new culture, 

to new things God presents to you 

along your life.” The spirit of St. Patrick, 

which brings faith and culture 

together in a dynamic dialogue, 

lives on in Loíza. 

St. Patrick among Montana miners 

ONE OF THE AREAS with the 

highest percentages of Irish 

descents in the United States is 

Silver Bow County in western 

Montana. The county is more than 

25 percent Irish. The region is part 

of the Diocese of Helena, where 

Catholic Extension has been 

supporting parishes for more than 

a century. 

St. Patrick’s Catholic Church 

in Butte, the county’s main city, 

was built in 1881. For decades, 

many Irish immigrants came to 

Butte to work in the silver and 

copper mines following Ireland’s 

St. Patrick 

on the plains 

of Texas 

JUST OFF THE OLD Route 66 

highway that cuts through the 

Texas panhandle sits a little town 

called Shamrock in the Diocese 

of Amarillo. The name of the 

town is not a fluke. Kathleen 

Cross, a lifelong parishioner at 

St. Patrick’s church, said that 

her grandfather was born on a 

boat coming over from Ireland in 

1876. He and other Irish settlers 

bought land in Shamrock and 

built dugouts (rustic lodges made 

of earth), where their families 

would live until they could build 

permanent homes. 

Cross said her grandfather contacted 

the diocese right away to 

bring a priest to the settlement. 

Great Potato Famine. As these sons 

and daughters of Ireland left their 

homeland, they, like St. Patrick, 

brought their faith with them. 

The town welcomed the Irish 

A priest would arrive by train, 

celebrate Mass in someone’s 

home, and leave the next day. In 

1929 Catholic Extension helped 

build the church. Cross has heard 

the story all through her life; the 

dedication was on St. Patrick’s 

Day, and 17 children were confirmed. 

Catholic Extension also 

helped build a new church for 

the parish in 1966 as the community 

continued to grow. 

Today, the parish shares a 

pastor with Our Mother of Mercy, 

located 25 miles south, in Wellington. 

It was also built in 1929— 

yet another church that Catholic 

Extension helped build and has 

supported over the years. 

These Catholic communities 

today have a mix families from 

European, Hispanic and Filipino 

descent. Each brings its rich 

traditions and celebrations to 

the parish. “We’re a very diverse 

workers at a time when “Irish 

Need Not Apply” signs were widespread 

across many major cities. 

However, the working and living 

conditions in the Butte mining 

camps were unfair and deadly. 

Determined to no longer live 

LEFT Irish miners at work in Butte, 

Montana, around 1900. 

Catholic Extension helped build the original St. 

Patrick’s Church in Shamrock, Texas, in 1929. 

In 1966 Catholic Extension helped build a new 

church for St. Patrick’s parish in Shamrock, 

Texas, in the Diocese of Amarillo. 

The faith 

community at 

St. Patrick’s 

Church in Butte, 

Montana, 

celebrates its 

patron’s feast day 

on a float during 

the annual parade. 

under suppression as they had in 

Ireland at the hands of the British, 

the workers fought for decades to 

secure their economic interests by 

forming labor unions. 

How many Irish workers walked 

into the dangerous mines over 

those years with St. Patrick’s 

famous breastplate prayer on their 

lips? 

community,” Cross said. The 

blend of cultures offers many 

occasions to celebrate. 

St. Patrick’s Day is, of course, 

a joyous event in Shamrock. 

Students in religious education 

classes build a float to take down 

Main Street every year. The priest 

dons a St. Patrick’s Day hat and 

greets festival attendees. 

Likewise, the feast of 

Our Lady of Guadalupe 

is a much-celebrated 

event, as more Hispanic 

families have 

been welcomed into 

the parish, which now 

offers bilingual Mass. 

Filipino families celebrate 

Simbang Gabi, an 

Advent tradition. “It’s 

a wonderful celebration. 

We have a Christmas party 

and exchange gifts and games,” 

parishioner Monica Kidd said. 

Christ with me, 

Christ before me, 

Christ behind me, 

Christ in me, 

Christ beneath me, 

Christ above me, 

Christ on my right, 

Christ on my left. 

St. Patrick’s in Butte and the 

other Catholic churches in Montana 

were centers of community 

strength for these generations of 

people struggling to survive and 

make a living in a new land. 

Today, the spirit of St. Patrick 

remains strong in Butte. Each year, 

more than 30,000 people gather 

to celebrate their beloved saint 

and Irish heritage on March 17. 

“It’s a small, friendly community,” 

Cross said. “I’ve been tied 

there my whole life.” 

The spirit of St. Patrick, which 

sought to affirm the Gospel’s 

relevance for all cultures and 

peoples, is very much present in 

these rural Texas faith communities, 

whose diverse parishioners 

recognize that they share so much 

in common in faith. 

The parish in Shamrock is a 

living symbol of the Celtic knots 

that decorate churches in Ireland, 

the United States and the cover of 

this magazine. The endless and 

unbroken knots, with no clear beginning 

or end, signify our unity 

amid God’s eternity. The spirit 

within each human soul, regardless 

of background or ethnicity, is 

one with God the Father, Son and 

the Holy Spirit. 

“We’re all connected,” Kidd 

said.

22 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Two legendary “Patricks” in El Paso 

FROM ONE END of the country to 

another, the spirit of St. Patrick has 

had a dramatic impact. 

In 1916 Catholic Extension supported 

the newly formed Diocese 

of El Paso, Texas, along the 

U.S.-Mexico border, where they 

named their new cathedral, of all 

things, “St. Patrick.” It is 4,890 

miles from Dublin to El Paso. How 

did this unlikely pairing happen? 

After all, the diocese at the time 

of its founding had been part of 

Mexico only 78 years earlier. Instead 

of crossing the border, the 

border, it is said, crossed them. Today, 

more than 80 percent of the 

city’s population claims Hispanic 

heritage. In spite of the centuries-long 

presence of Mexican 

American Catholics 

in the area, St. Patrick 

remains the patron 

of the cathedral. 

The building 

is now a historic 

landmark. 

There are five 

other cathedrals 

named after St. Patrick 

in the United States. 

All but one are located on 

the East Coast, where the majority 

of Irish immigrants settled. In El 

Paso’s case, the new diocese had a 

fundraising competition to build its 

cathedral more than a century ago. 

The first donors to come forward 

with $10,000 for the cathedral 

building project would be allowed 

to name its patron. A local donor, 

Delia Lane, was given that honor 

and outsourced the name selection 

to a group of Irish Catholic women, 

the “Daughters of Erin,” of which 

she was a member. It is no surprise 

that they selected St. Patrick as the 

cathedral’s patron. 

At the time, a sizable population 

of Irish Catholics had found their 

way to El Paso through the booming 

mining, railroad and ranching 

industries in the area. Not only was 

there land and opportunity, but the 

Irish of El Paso could escape some 

of the anti-Catholic, anti-Irish sentiments 

that were prominent on 

the East Coast. 

El Paso’s St. Patrick Cathedral 

is located less than one mile from 

the present-day U.S.-Mexico border. 

Iconographic reminders of its 

unique location abound inside the 

cathedral, such as a memorial 

to San Pedro de Jesús 

Maldonado, a Mexican 

saint who was 

ordained a priest 

there in 1918 as a 

refugee seminarian 

in El Paso. He 

returned to Mexico 

after ordination 

and was martyred—beaten 

to death 

by authorities for catechizing 

people. He was eventually canonized 

in 2000 by St. Pope John 

Paul II. San Pedro de Jesús Maldonado 

is just one of many 20th century 

saints from Mexico. 

A MEXICAN AMERICAN PATRICK 

Perhaps it was poetically appropriate 

that this largely Mexican 

American diocese with a cathedral 

named after Ireland’s patron 

would eventually become the 

RIGHT Archbishop 

Patricio “Patrick” 

Flores (middle) 

shares a moment with 

Archbishop Gustavo 

García-Siller (left) of San 

Antonio and Bishop 

Oscar Cantú (right) of 

the Diocese of San José. 

LEFT Memorial to 

San Pedro de Jesús 

Maldonado in St. 

Patrick’s Cathedral in 

the Diocese of El Paso. 

PHOTO 

©JERRY LARA/SAN ANTONIO EXPRESS-NEWS VIA ZUMA PRESS 

seat of the first Mexican American 

bishop in the history of the United 

States. His name just so happened 

to be Patrick—Archbishop Patricio 

“Patrick” Flores. 

Much like his patron, Archbishop 

Flores became a legend in his 

own right. 

And true to St. Patrick’s pastoral 

style, Archbishop Flores gravitated 

toward the peripheries of society. 

After serving as the bishop of El 

Paso, he moved on to San Antonio, 

Texas. There he became archbishop, 

earning his affectionate moniker 

the “People’s Archbishop.” 

He launched local and national 

movements to advocate for the 

rights of Mexican Americans. Catholic 

Extension supported many of 

these initiatives in both the Diocese 

of El Paso and the Archdiocese of 

San Antonio, including PADRES, an 

association of priests dedicated to 

building faith, educational opportunities, 

and social change among 

marginalized Latinos. 

According to legend, St. Patrick 

used the simple shamrock to explain 

the mystery of the Trinity. In 

that same spirit, Archbishop Flores 

found ways to reach peoples’ hearts 

through rich symbols, simple gestures 

and loving words. This son of 

PHOTO JUAN GUAJARDO 

St. Patrick’s 

Cathedral in El 

Paso, Texas, 

serves a vibrant 

and growing 

Catholic faith 

community. 

illiterate Texas farmers went on to 

become one of the most consequential 

leaders in the U.S. Catholic 

Church in his day. And, coincidentally, 

like his patron St. Patrick 

who was abducted by pirates, 

Archbishop Flores’ storied life 

also entailed an experience of being 

taken hostage—he survived a 

nine-hour ordeal with a man who 

barged into his office claiming he 

was ready to detonate a hand grenade. 

Even from the very beginning 

of Archbishop Flores’ episcopal 

ministry, people sensed he 

was a legend in the making. About 

10,000 people attended his ordination 

as auxiliary bishop. Expectations 

were high for the 41-yearold 

priest from the Archdiocese of 

Galveston-Houston, the first Hispanic 

bishop of the United States. 

And he did not disappoint them. 

His episcopacy was a rite of passage 

not for one individual but for 

an entire community. 

THE ‘SPIRIT OF PATRICK’ LIVES ON 

Following Archbishop Flores’ 

death in 2017, many people 

reflected on his life and legacy. This 

includes Bishop Mark Seitz, the 

current bishop of El Paso, who has 

tried to model his own ministry as 

bishop after Archbishop Flores. 

Bishop Seitz first met Archbishop 

Flores as a young priest. 

He said, “I have to say he is one of 

the people that showed me that 

a bishop can be down-to-earth, 

loving, fun-loving, a man of the 

people. He never lost that touch.” 

Bishop Seitz also remarked, “He 

had such a way of communication 

with people. People just fell in love 

with him.” 

Like St. Patrick and Archbishop 

Flores before him, Bishop Seitz’s 

ministry is characterized by his 

outreach to people on the peripheries. 

He has said that the “Word 

always comes to us crucified and 

powerless.” This is truly the sentiment 

of the spirit of St. Patrick. 

When Archbishop Flores was 

laid to rest, Archbishop Seitz commented, 

“I feel like we all lost a 

father … and more so here in El 

Paso because he belonged to us 

even if it was for a short time.” 

Thankfully, in El Paso the missionary 

spirit of St. Patrick and the 

pastoral spirit of the saintly Archbishop 

Flores are alive and well. 

This is a diocese where the Catholic 

population continues to grow, 

and where the Catholic faith is as 

strong as their sense of hospitality 

and compassion for the poor. 

The bishop, priests, religious and 

lay catechists whose ministries 

are supported by Catholic Extension 

to this day remain in touch 

with the joys, sorrows and trials of 

their people, especially the marginalized—just 

as both “Patricks” 

would want them to be.

24 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Congolese refugees are served 

at St. Peter Claver Catholic 

Church in Lexington, Kentucky 

N 

O ONE VOLUNTEERS to be a refugee. 

Try to imagine the set of circumstances 

that would force you 

on a moment’s notice to flee everything 

you know and love, stuff 

a few belongings in a plastic bag, 

grab your children and set out on a 

life-threatening journey to an unknown 

and possibly more dangerous 

destination. 

Unimaginable. But you would 

do it if you had to. 

Poet Warsan Shire writes, “No 

one leaves home unless home is 

the mouth of a shark.” She would 

know. She was born in Kenya to 

refugee parents. 

The Democratic Republic of 

the Congo (DRC) is almost unknown 

to us. It is shrouded in mystery, 

lodged far from our shores 

and news cycle. It is on few peoples’ 

radars, but make no mistake 

about it—the DRC is in the mouth 

of a shark. 


ABOVE A mother and 

her baby celebrate 

Sunday Mass 

together. 

RIGHT Father 

Norman Fischer 

visits the construction 

site for the new 

church. 

When home is 

the mouth 

of a shark 

Decades of political and interethnic 

violence have sowed relentless 

chaos. Scores of armed gangs 

roam the country and force children 

to become soldiers. Kidnappings, 

torture, looting, rape, famine 

and horrendous slaughter have 

driven 5.6 million Congolese citizens 

to flee to different parts of Africa 

and across the globe. About 60 

percent of these refugees are children. 

Not one has volunteered. 

A PLACE OF REFUGE 

In 1891 a chapel dedicated to 

St. Peter Claver was established 

as a place where freed slaves and 

their children could come to worship. 

Thus, St. Peter Claver Church 

became the first Roman Catholic 

parish for the African American 

community in the Diocese 

of Lexington, Kentucky. In 1947 

construction began on the orig- 

inal church at Fourth and Jefferson 

streets. It was completed and 

blessed on December 8, 1947. The 

parish founders, who nurtured the 

light of faith as they emerged from 

the ungodly pain of slavery, would 

no doubt be proud of the community 

of parishioners who currently 

call this parish their home. 

Today, St. Peter Claver is a construction 

site once again. A new 

church is rising, fueled by a remarkable 

50 percent growth in 

parishioners over the last 10 years. 

While the parish continues to 

serve African American Catholics, 

many new parishioners are 

Congolese refugees. Lexington is 

home to more than 1,300 Congolese 

(more than 50 percent of 

whom are Catholic) and, at the 

prompting of Bishop John Stowe, 

O.F.M. Conv., St. Peter Claver has 

thrown wide open the church 

doors to this community. 

Leading this remarkable rising 

is Father Norman Fischer, the 

first Black Filipino priest of the diocese. 

He is the Catholic Church’s 

version of the Energizer Bunny. He 

is a whirlwind wearing a hard hat. 

He is in love with his people and 

holds nothing back, saying, “God 

doesn’t ask for much. God asks for 

everything.” 

Under his leadership, St. Peter 

Claver is a wonderfully diverse 

community, home not only to African 

Americans but to Filipinos, 

Koreans and the Congolese. Father 

Fischer speaks four languages: 

English, Spanish, enough Swahili 

to get by and “teenager.” He is the 

chaplain for Lexington Catholic 

High School and its 800 students, 

in addition to pastoring St. Peter 

Claver and two other rural parishes. 

He is fueled by lattes from 

the Jefferson Street Coffee shop 

and the Holy Spirit. 

It has been the dream of Bishop 

Stowe, Father Fischer and the St. 

Peter Claver community to build a 

new church since 2006 when the 

steeple of the old church fell in. 

The recession, red tape, funding 

shortages and the COVID-19 pandemic 

threatened to shut down 

the project many times. But failure 

was not an option. The Congolese 

found a way when they fled 

the DRC. With Father Fischer, they 

would find a way once again. 

With the help of Catholic Extension 

and scores of donors 

across the diocese, the necessary 

funds were assembled. Construction 

began in 2022 and will be 

completed in April 2023. For the 

time being, parishioners pack into 

the crowded parish hall for Sunday 

Masses, which are filled with many 

people and lots of spirit and joy. 

ART IMITATING REALITY 

Father Fischer practically levitates 

when he talks about the new 

church. He has an artist’s eye for 

detail. The ambo will be a graceful 

curve, looking more like a dancer’s 

pose than a stodgy pulpit. Both 

the altar—a sturdy family table— 

and the celebrant’s chair will be 

carved from African cherry wood 

imported from the DRC. 

A dark-skinned, battered Jesus 

will hang from a cross inlaid with 

ebony from the DRC. His loins are

26 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Parishioners at St. Peter Claver Church in Lexington, Kentucky, join together for a packed Mass in 

their temporary church (the parish hall). 

girded with a mud cloth that any 

Congolese would recognize as the 

tribal warrior’s pattern. 

In the sanctuary there will be 

a portrait of the Madonna with 

the infant Jesus. It will break your 

heart. Mary is so young, so unprepared 

for the brutal assault that 

awaits a refugee family like hers. 

Her arm is wrapped around her 

son. She has a faint, mysterious, 

Mona Lisa smile. She holds all of 

God’s mysteries of glory and sorrow 

in her heart. 

The infant Jesus is wide-eyed, 

vulnerable, almost tense. He has 

the kind of beautiful vulnerability 

that would move you to protect 

Him at all costs, fleeing in 

the night, out of the mouth of the 

shark King Herod over lands and 

oceans to a better resting place. 

There will be a portrait of Our 

Lady Queen of Angels where Mary 

is depicted surrounded not by the 

traditional triumphant angelic 

hosts but by children of every nationality 

and children with disabilities, 

such as autism and Down 

syndrome. These angels will break 

your heart too. It is only those who 

have been broken that could conceive 

of so beautiful a band of 

heavenly angels. 

PEOPLE OF HOPE 

As beautiful as the physical 

church will be, it will be eclipsed 

by the beauty of the people. 

Father Fischer greets the assembly 

with a hearty “hello” in Swahili. 

“JAMBO!!!” he says with a smile. 

They “JAMBO!!!” back at him. They 

love him for his steadfast attempts 

to speak Swahili. They love his 

mistakes! They love the respect he 

pays them by learning their language. 

The parishioners gather. The 

elders are dignified and reverent. 

Their faces are ancient, wizened 

and stoic, the color of African 

cherry wood. They look like they 

have walked forever. 

The choir sings in an effortless 

three-part harmony with calls, responses 

and whoops from different 

places in the congregation. All 

sway with the music driven by the 

percussion’s imaginative rhythms. 

If they cannot be in the DRC, they 

can at least sound like it. 

Noelle is a Congolese refugee who sings in 

the Swahili choir. 


ful for each day’s habitual safety 

and the gift of education. There is 

no hint of adolescent cynicism in 

her. You could build a parish on 

her shoulders. In fact, they are. 

Joto Mbrizi is the master catechist 

and a diaconate candidate. 

He fled the DRC after his father 

and brother were burned in 

their home. He managed to escape 

ABOVE Bita Moise is a catechist. He is 

married and has nine children. 

LEFT Catholic Extension is helping build 

the new St. Peter Claver Church. 

The congregation clearly 

dresses up for Mass. The women 

wear traditional “Liputa” clothing: 

floor-length, elegant, and 

wildly colorful dresses paired with 

matching headdresses that rise to 

regal heights. One of these women 

is Noelle, a choir member, board 

member and a lector. She plays 

the tambourine through the service. 

A baby cradled in her fellow 

choir member’s arms impressively 

sleeps through it all. 

Noelle fled the DRC after 

her husband was murdered. 

She stayed in a refugee camp in 

Uganda before going to Maryland 

and then to Lexington. She has 

been in Lexington for five years. 

She will never go back to the DRC. 

But she can be at St. Peter Claver. 

Bita Moise, wearing an electric 

blue suit and golden shoes, leads 

his wife and nine children into 

church. He and his family fled the 

DRC in 1999. 

His 16-year-old daughter, 

Shukrani, has lanterns for eyes. 

She has the sort of enthusiasm and 

focus that would make her every 

teacher’s dream. She is most gratein 

the middle of the night, rowing 

across a huge lake and ducking 

gunfire from the shore. He and 

his five children spent 13 years in 

a refugee camp in Malawi. Like all 

refugees, he had no choice but to 

go forward. 

Going forward for him now is 

St. Peter Claver. Mbrizi beams with 

pride as he talks about the seven 

Congolese confirmation candidates 

and the three children preparing 

for first Communion. 

Young couples are coming back to 

church, drawn by the vibrancy of 

the community and the promise 

of the new church to come. When 

Catholic Extension says we work 

in solidarity with people to build 

up vibrant and transformative 

Catholic faith communities, Joto, 

Shukrani, Bita and Noelle are exactly 

who we mean. 

Sunday Mass is remarkable. 

Most moving is the Our Father. 

Although it is prayed in Swahili, 

one can tell by the cadence what 

is being said. “Our Father,” pause, 

“Who art in heaven,” pause, “Hallowed 

be thy name,” pause. When 

the congregation gets to, “But 

deliver us from evil,” it is pin-drop 

quiet. They have all been delivered 

from evil. They have all fled the 

mouth of a shark and found their 

home in the St. Peter Claver faith 

community. 

A SUITABLE PATRON 

Never has a parish been better 

named. 

St. Peter Claver is the patron 

saint of enslaved peoples and 

interracial justice. He is frequently 

pictured standing on broken 

chains. It is said that he slept in 

the holds of cargo ships while 

ministering to Africans bound for 

the slave market. 

St. Peter Claver is also the patron 

saint of the African diaspora. 

Diaspora comes from the Greek 

word diaspeirein. It has two meanings. 

The first is “to scatter.” The 

raging winds of war have scattered 

refugees all over the world. Today, 

there are more than 89 million refugees—half 

of whom are children. 

They are all looking for someone 

in a safer room to open the door. 

Diaspeirein also means “to 

sow.” St. Peter Claver Church has 

opened its door to Congolese refugees. 

In so doing, in welcoming 

Joto, Shukrani, Bita and Noelle, the 

parish faith community has been 

revitalized and transformed. Refugees 

are not a threat. They are 

seeds. And St. Peter Claver Church 

is proof.

28 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Father Martin Ma Na Ling gathers with Burmese Catholic prayer groups. 

Burmese refugee population in Kentucky 

welcomes newly ordained priest 

F 

ATHER MARTIN MA NA LING is 

among the first priests from Myanmar 

to be ordained in the United 

States. The Southeast Asian country 

formerly known as Burma has faced 

tribal warfare and economic instability, 

forcing many Burmese refugees 

to scatter across the world, including 

to the United States. 

His ordination in July 2022, following 

years of education funded by 

Catholic Extension donors, was not 

just a joyous and significant milestone 

for him but also for the 2,000 

Burmese Catholics who came to witness 

the event. He currently serves 

a parish with a sizeable Burmese 

Catholic population in the Diocese 

of Owensboro, Kentucky. Like the 

people he serves, his journey was 

marked by immense challenges, but 

his faith and determination enabled 

him to overcome them at every turn. 

Father Martin Ma Na Ling was 

born in a small village in Chin State, 

a mountainous region in western 

Myanmar that is home to 135 

tribes. There are no jobs in this isolated 

area. Most families live a subsistence 

lifestyle, growing their own 

rice, hunting and fishing. Seven decades 

of ongoing fighting among minority 

ethnic groups and the military 

have divided the country and 

stunted economic development. 

Due to violence, persecution and 

hunger, many families have had to 

flee their homes. 

Despite the troubled history in 

his country, where Burmese Catholics 

represent only 1 percent of the 

RIGHT Father Martin Ma Na Ling was 

ordained a priest in July 2022 after Catholic 

Extension supported his studies in the 

Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky. 

Journey 

to the 

priesthood: 

one miracle 

at a time 

PHOTO ASHER HUNT

30 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Father Martin Ma Na Ling laughs 

with Bishop William F. Medley of the 

Diocese of Owensboro, Kentucky. 

total population, Father Martin Ma 

Na Ling has always understood the 

power of faith in the face of hardships. 

A POOR BOY WITH BIG DREAMS 

Father Martin Ma Na Ling pictured 

himself as a priest from the 

age of 7. His father was a catechist, 

a position revered among Christians 

in Myanmar’s isolated villages, 

given that priests can only 

visit remote villages once a year at 

most. Father Martin Ma Na Ling remembers 

those occasions during 

his childhood when a priest would 

come to the village. He was simply 

in awe. It kindled a fire in the boy’s 

heart of one day becoming a priest 

himself, a dream which never diminished. 

Still, it seemed like a 

far-fetched idea for a poor boy like 

him from a village where no one 

had ever graduated high school. 

When he was 10, Father Martin 

Ma Na Ling got his first break 

toward the pursuit of the dream. 

He moved in with his uncle’s family 

to continue studying because 

his parents, who had eight children, 

couldn’t afford his education. 

He ended up in a school that did 

not have real teachers—only assistants 

who provided textbooks. 

It was better than nothing. After 

years of applying himself, he traveled 

to another city to take the 

high school exam in the hopes of 

graduating. He prayed for three 

months that he would pass, knowing 

that his dream was on the line. 

“This exam is my life. If I pass this 

exam, I have a chance to go to the 

seminary,” he reflected. 

His prayers were answered. He 

was the first person in his village 

to ever pass the high school exam. 

From there, his life “opened,” he 

said. 

He entered the seminary in 

Myanmar in 2010 and studied for 

nine years, moving between different 

states and seminaries to pursue 

his education. He began to 

learn English, his fourth language. 

His grade school English education 

was “terrible,” but the classes 

in seminary helped him learn to 

speak and write the language. He 

prayed for and passed yet more 

exams, all “through the grace of 

God,” he said. 

One day, Father Martin Ma Na 

Ling was called in by his bishop 

and asked to serve the growing 

population of Burmese refugees 

in the United States. They were in 

a state called Kentucky, which he 

was unable to identify on a map. 

He had never considered going 

to another country, let alone 

PHOTO THE WESTERN KENTUCKY CATHOLIC BY ELIZABETH WONG BARNSTEAD 

America, and felt other seminarians 

were more qualified because 

they had better academic preparation. 

Then he learned his friend 

and fellow seminarian was also 

going to the United States. (His 

friend is Father Stephen Van Lal 

Than, who in 2020 became the 

first Myanmar-born priest to be ordained 

in the United States. Catholic 

Extension supported his education 

as well.) 

Father Martin Ma Na Ling placed 

his trust in God and said “yes.” 

He arrived in the United States 

in January 2017, shocked by the 

cold and snow he had never seen 

before. He needed to take yet another 

exceptionally challenging 

English proficiency exam to enter 

St. Meinrad Seminary and School 

of Theology in southern Indiana. 

What’s more, the test would be on 

a computer, which he was barely 

accustomed to. But his streak 

of miracles continued when he 

“passed by the grace of God.” 

Catholic Extension supported 

his education at the seminary. 

During his studies, something else 

extraordinary occurred. After he 

found out that there were no catechetical 

books in Burmese, he 

wrote an instructional catechism 

manual in 2019 to help Burmese 

Catholics learn the Catholic faith. 

To date, 3,000 copies have been 

printed in Burmese and other languages, 

and the manual has spread 

internationally to Burmese refugee 

communities in Australia, Canada, 

Italy and his home country. 

Suddenly, the scrappy young 

man from a poor village with no 

teachers or previous graduates 

was a published author—an 

incredible feat for any seminarian, 

let alone a person with his 

TOP People of 

the K’Cho tribe 

escaped poverty 

and violence in 

Myanmar and 

came to the United 

States as refugees. 

They attend Holy 

Spirit Catholic 

Church in Bowling 

Green, Kentucky. 

LEFT Father 

Martin Ma Na 

Ling greets a child 

after celebrating 

Mass in Burmese. 

PHOTO ASHER HUNT 

background! He could finally feel 

the wind of the Holy Spirit at his 

back. “My faith is burning. I love 

my faith. I love God,” he said as he 

recounted the story. 

As his ordination approached, 

he realized he wanted to celebrate 

it, not just for himself or his diocese 

but as a national gathering for 

the Burmese all across the United 

States. 

“I wanted to be ordained with 

these people,” he said. “I wanted a 

chance to celebrate this, my ordination, 

for them to see the beauty 

of ordination.” 

His bishop, William F. Medley, 

agreed. Nearly 2,000 Burmese 

Catholics traveled to join the occasion. 

“It brings us great joy here in 

Kentucky to see our faith celebrated 

by the people of Myanmar 

who have come here to make the 

U.S. your home,” said the bishop. 

“I was so happy,” Father Martin 

Ma Na Ling said. “God’s blessing— 

it’s too much.” 

A PRIEST FOR ALL 

After his much-celebrated ordination 

in 2022, Father Martin Ma 

Na Ling set to work ministering to 

Burmese communities in the diocese. 

He serves at Holy Spirit Catholic 

Church in Bowling Green, 

Kentucky. 

He works with Burmese refugee 

families as well as families from 

Thailand and Malaysia, baptizing 

many people along the way— 

elders as well as infants. He also 

hopes to serve as a bridge between 

the U.S.-born population at his 

parish and the Burmese. 

He said, “Being a priest is for all, 

not just the Burmese. I would love 

to share my faith with everybody!” 

“It is my joy when I help someone,” 

he said. “I am so happy. I 

love talking with other people and 

working together. I don’t like to 

just sit on my chair. My life is external, 

not internal.” 

Additionally, the tireless priest 

is working on more books in Burmese 

on the Bible and Catholic 

history. A talented musician, he 

plays guitar and uses music to express 

the joy of faith. He continues 

to invite more families to the faith 

through his infectious enthusiasm 

and energy—communicating in a 

language of love and joy that anyone 

can understand.

32 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Refugee children find home in 

Ukrainian 

Catholic 

schools 

Support for students 

traumatized by war 

S 

CHOOL ADMINISTRATIVE assistants 

know where the important 

things are. They know where 

the master key is. They know how 

to work the intercom. They know 

where the bandages and special 

treats are. They know everyone’s 

birthday. 

Irene Lesiw is the administrative 

assistant at St. Nicholas Ukrainian 

Catholic School in Passaic, New 

Jersey. She has registered dozens 

of children from Ukrainian refugee 

families. She knows their hidden 

stories. She knows where the 

important things are. 

She said, “Our teachers are not 

only helping these students academically, 

but they’re also helping 

them bandage the trauma 

that they’ve gone through. When 

we have the bells go off, the kids 

just get scared. We’re very sensitive 

to their needs right now, and 

Maryna Pushak escaped Ukraine with her 14-year-old son, Yurii, 5-yearold 

daughter, Mariia, and 12-year-old twin girls. 

we’re helping them in every way 

we can.” 

Lesiw continued, “A lot of kids 

want to go home because they 

miss their father, they miss their 

family, they miss their teddy bear. 

It’s just so sad when you hear 

things like that.” 

One student described to Lesiw 

her journey out of Ukraine. “There 

was nobody on the road, but the 

rockets were flying right over them. 

I just can’t imagine what they must 

be going through,” Lesiw said. 

More than 150,000 Ukrainian 

bTo help Ukrainian Catholic communities in the United States welcome refugee families, please visit catholicextension.org/ukraine 

ABOVE Principal 

Sister Kathleen 

Hutsko, SSMI, 

and Father Andriy 

Dudkevych, pastor of 

St. Nicholas Ukrainian 

Catholic Church, gather 

with the students. 

LEFT Olha Verkholiak, 

a pre-K teacher at 

the school, speaks 

Ukrainian and English. 

She has a classroom of 

mostly refugees. 

refugees have come to the United 

States since the start of the war in 

February 2022. Many of them are 

families with school-age children. 

These children have seen firsthand 

the horrors of war. Many 

have left behind their fathers who 

were mandatorily conscripted as 

soldiers, or they’ve watched missiles 

fly over their heads on their 

escape from their beloved homeland. 

Today, these refugee children 

and their families are receiving 

support from Ukrainian Catholic 

schools. 

Catholic Extension has worked 

alongside the Ukrainian Catholic 

Church in the United States since 

1979. Today, its schools desperately 

need our help to educate and serve 

refugee children. These schools 

provide a place where they can 

heal, study and thrive. 

A GRATEFUL MOTHER 

Maryna Pushak, a refugee 

parent, has four children (ranging 

from kindergarten to eighth grade), 

all recently enrolled at St. Nicholas. 

Her family’s journey to the United 

States took a month and a half. 

“In this moment I’m just happy 

that they are safe, and they can 

continue their studying,” she said. 

Her children and many others 

like them have been through 

so much this year. Every day, a 

newly enrolled pre-K student from 

Ukraine asks about his dad back 

home. Even emergency vehicles 

passing by trigger traumatic 

responses, as their young minds 

recall the air sirens back home. 

Yet being in a Ukrainian school 

in the United States makes an 

enormous difference, according to 

Pushak: “This school looks like a 

big family. It is. And everyone tries 

to support us, to help us, to guide 

us. And, of course, everyone is 

friendly—teachers and children.” 

This much-needed stability 

goes a long way for families living 

a nightmare without an end in 

sight. Pushak said, “When I watch 

the TV, I’m crying sometimes. It’s 

emotional, because it’s a pity that 

the people must go through this, 

through these hardships and suffering. 

Especially when I see those 

bombings of some regions and 

… children are dying. It’s terrible. 

What can I say?”

34 INSPIRE 

Cover Story 


Meanwhile, in music class at 

St. Nicholas, her children are being 

taught a special song in the 

Ukrainian language by their bilingual 

teacher. The song translates 

to: 

Irene Lesiw is 

the administrative 

assistant at St. 

Nicholas Ukrainian 

Catholic School. 

IGNITE Making a difference 

SISTERS’ MISSION IN PUERTO RICO 42 | DONOR PROFILE 44 

Lord, oh the Great and 

Almighty, 

Protect our beloved Ukraine, 

Bless her with freedom and 

light 

Of your holy rays. 

KEEPING THE DOORS OPEN 

Refugee families from Ukraine 

arrive with just the clothes on 

their backs and have absolutely no 

ability to pay tuition at the school, 

which already operates on a shoestring 

budget. Even modestly paid 

Catholic schoolteachers are digging 

into their own pockets to try 

to help them. 

Sister Kathleen Hutsko, SSMI, 

the school principal, said although 

they didn’t have the resources to 

help these families, they simply 

could not turn a blind eye to them. 

“We had to open our doors,” 

she recalled. “Nothing could be 

closer to being back in Ukraine 

as here because they hear their 

language, their culture. Every 

classroom has children who know 

Ukrainian and English.” 

At the end of each school day at 

St. Nicholas and other Ukrainian 

Catholic schools in the United 

States, there are signs of hope and 

promise. 

Lesiw said of the refugee families, 

“When we dismiss the children, 

you see the parents are all 

smiling faces and just keep saying 

‘thank you’ to us. They keep 

thanking us because they know 

their child is OK, they’re learning 

and they’re in a safe environment. 

We’re doing God’s work.” 

Share your legacy. 

People like you have named Catholic 

Extension as a beneficiary of their estate to 

leave a lasting impact on Catholic faith 

communities in the poorest regions of 

our country. 

Become a treasured member of the 

LEGACY CLUB to positively change the 

lives of millions of Catholics in America for 

generations to come 

Contact: 

Frances Caan, Manager of Planned Giving 

plannedgiving@catholicextension.org 

800-842-7804 

Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico 

A young 

student enjoys 

tutoring and 

encouragement 

at an afterschool 

program 

supported 

by Catholic 

Extension in 

Lawrenceburg, 

Kentucky. 

See story, page 38. 

legacy.catholicextension.org 

Legacy 

Club 

PHOTO CHRIS STRONG

36 

IGNITE 

Partnerships 


Addiction ministry 

training program 

promotes pathways 

of healing 

Rose Black was truly in 

a dark place. 

After her Vicodin 

prescription ran out, 

Black turned to opioids 

bought on the 

streets. When she could no longer 

afford opioids, she started using 

methamphetamines. From there, 

her whole life fell apart. She lost 

her relationships with her four 

children, her home and found herself 

living on those same streets 

where she bought the opioids. She 

even lost the tip of her nose, a consequence 

of using substances. 

According to 2020 data, the 

National Center for Drug Abuse 

Statistics estimates that 37.3 million 

Americans currently have an 

active drug addiction. Drug overdose 

deaths continue to skyrocket, 

reaching an all-time high of nearly 

92,000 deaths in 2020—five times 

the number only 20 years ago. 

Addiction touches all communities 

like Black’s hometown of Gillette, 

Wyoming. Many rural communities, 

Native American reservations 

or economically distressed areas 

of the country lack the proper 

resources to help those battling 

addiction. 

That is why, in partnership with 

Trinity Missions and Seton Hall 

University, Catholic Extension supports 

iTHIRST, a certification-based 

addiction and recovery ministry 

training designed for clergy, religious 

and laity interested in providing 

outreach and healing minis- 

A story of redemption 

tries to addicted persons and their 

suffering families. Program participants 

learn about the shame 

and strain of addiction, studying 

both its devastating physiological 

and psychological effects and 

learning appropriate pastoral care 

strategies. 

“Our training is to really understand 

how to provide spiritual consolation, 

how to provide recovery 

resource information and how 

to walk with [those struggling 

from addiction] and journey with 

them,” said Keaton Douglas, MA, 

executive director of iTHIRST. 

The program’s name is an acronym 

for “The Healing Initiative—Recovery, 

Spirituality, and 

Twelve Steps.” As a former addiction 

counselor, Douglas is passionate 

about bringing the program to 

scale across the country in partnership 

with Catholic Extension. 

To date, 43 participants from seven 

dioceses have completed the program, 

with more cohorts planned 

to launch in 2023. 

Douglas pointed out that many 

program participants know someone 

who is struggling with addiction 

or are even in long-term recovery 

themselves, like Rose Black. 

Becoming part of the solution 

Black was eventually arrested 

for not paying child support in 

order to fund her addiction. While 

in jail, she went to confession 

for the first time in several years. 

Although she continued using 

drugs following her release, she 

felt a change in her mindset 

after receiving the sacrament of 

reconciliation. 

At 3 a.m. on December 13, 2019, 

Black was stabbing herself with a 

needle. Unable to locate a vein, she 

looked up and pleaded, “Jesus, save 

me from my insanity.” Three hours 

later, she was arrested in front of a 

Catholic church. 

LEFT Rose Black 

has worked 

to repair her 

relationships with 

her sons. 

ABOVE Keaton 

Douglas, 

executive director 

of iTHIRST, 

speaks at Seton 

Hall University. 

“And just like that, all desire for 

drugs was gone,” Black recalled. 

“I can’t even explain it. It was a 

deliverance. I also had found out 

that the celebration of Our Lady of 

Guadalupe was December 12. Not 

only did I cry out for Jesus to save 

me from my insanity, but Mary 

called me to be part of her army.” 

After “getting clean” Black was 

motivated to apply for the iTHIRST 

certification program as part of 

National drug-involved overdose deaths 

Over the last 20 

years drug overdose 

deaths 

have skyrocketed, 

reaching 

an all-time high 

of nearly 92,000 

deaths in 2020. 

Sources CDC WON- 

DER online database 

| National Institute on 

Drug Abuse 

100 

80 

60 

40 

20 

0 

PHOTO SETON HALL UNIVERSITY 

Catholic Extension’s 2021 pilot cohort 

with Seton Hall. The iTHIRST 

courses were beneficial to both 

giving Black knowledge to help 

those afflicted by addiction and 

aiding in her own long-term recovery. 

Black explained, “I learned the 

proper skills. I didn’t even know 

what the 12 steps were until I did 

iTHIRST.” 

Her personal growth in longterm 

recovery and as a role 

model for others battling addiction 

was an inspiration to fellow 

participants. 

“The reason I do this work is 

because of people like Rose,” 

Douglas said. “As she undertook 

this coursework you could see 

how she could really understand 

the connection between our Catholic 

spirituality and addiction and 

recovery. This is something I hear 

52,404 

1999 

2000 

2001 

2002 

2003 

2004 

2005 

2006 

2007 

2008 

2009 

2010 

2011 

2012 

2013 

2014 

70,630 

91,799 

2015 

2016 

2017 

2018 

2019 

2020 

from a lot of my folks from Catholic 

Extension and beyond: the joy 

that they feel when now they are 

on the other side and they are able 

to become part of the solution.” 

Black added, “I have actual 

training and skills to sit with the 

afflicted. One of the biggest skills 

iTHIRST gave me is to give them 

that love they’re so longing to feel 

and kind of be a conduit between 

God and the afflicted. They need 

people to love them, and they need 

so much support.” 

Black, with her iTHIRST training, 

now walks with the afflicted 

through their own long-term 

recovery journeys. Today, she 

offers Bible study with the incarcerated 

at the local jail in Gillette, 

Wyoming, where she was once 

incarcerated herself. So far, three 

women she has walked with after 

their release from jail have gone 

through rehab and stayed sober. 

Black herself has now been 

sober for more than three years. 

She has worked to repair her relationships 

with her children and 

her father. And now, Black is an 

inspiring testament to the dynamic 

leaders Catholic Extension is sending 

to the iTHIRST certification 

program at Seton Hall to acquire 

the advanced knowledge and 

skills needed to address the crippling 

effects of drug addiction that 

impact millions across the country. 

“It’s a story of redemption,” 

Douglas concluded. “And that’s 

what we’re looking for. We’re 

looking for these stories. We 

believe that as long as there is life, 

there is the opportunity to have 

recovery and redemption. And we 

want to walk with people and their 

families.”

38 

IGNITE 

Feature Story 


How is this for a mission statement? 

“Help young people and their families 

discover their beloved identity as 

children of God.” 

It sounds simple, but it isn’t. 

Have you ever spent 

time with an 

11-year-old? 

Junior high 

students are an 

enigma wrapped in 

a mystery. They are alternatingly 

boisterous or silent whenever it 

suits them. They are romantic 

idealists who sometimes pretend 

they are world-weary cynics. They 

can lift our hearts one moment 

and break them the next. They 

are foals on wobbly legs. They can 

no more figure out themselves 

than we can. How can we help 

them sort out the puzzle of who 

they are? How can we “help them 

discover their beloved identity as 

children of God”? 

Michael Armstrong has a strategy. 

He is the director of the Don 

Bosco Center in Lawrenceburg, 

Kentucky and the author of this 

challenging mission statement. 

He believes that all young people 

have the same question: “Is this 

adult going to love me?” 

Armstrong believes that kids 

are longing to be known. If adults 

are willing to enter into relationship 

with them in sincere admiration 

and respect, if adults can 

authentically know them, celebrate 

them and love them 

through all their ups and downs, 

through their multiple iterations, 

then young people will discover 

their beloved identity as children 

of God. 

After 

school 

matters 

The Don Bosco Center 

shows students 

their worth in 

Lawrenceburg, 

Kentucky 

A natural starting point 

Armstrong is a teacher. He 

comes by it naturally. He studied 

classics and philosophy as an 

undergraduate and earned master’s 

degrees in theology and biblical 

studies. He taught Latin and 

Christian studies for four years at a 

small private school. He loved the 

daily interaction with his students 

and the chance to be truly present 

as a mentor and guide. 

When he left the school, he 

became a youth minister at St. 

Lawrence Parish in Lawrenceburg. 

He was jarred by how little time 

he got to spend with young people 

and decided to merge his twin 

passions of teaching and ministry. 

It seemed like a natural starting 

point. What junior high student 

doesn’t need help with math and 

English? Who doesn’t need help 

with homework and test prep? 

Why not start there and see what 

happens? 

So, with some funding from 

Catholic Extension, Armstrong 

was able to employ a few teachers 

and open an afterschool tutoring 

program in a 

Father Jack 

Wall visits 

Michael Armstrong, 

director 

of the Don 

Bosco Center. 

space loaned by 

the United Methodist 

Church. The program 

was open four 

days a week from 3 

to 6 p.m. and served 

students from kindergarten 

to eighth grade. Armstrong 

named it the Don Bosco 

Center after the patron saint of 

schoolchildren and magicians. 

(Adults who work with young people 

must absolutely be magicians.) 

St. Don Bosco developed powerful 

teaching methods based on 

love. He, like Armstrong, knew the 

answer to every child’s question, 

“Is this adult going to love me?” 

PHOTOS CHRIS STRONG 

Young people 

are encouraged 

to discover 

their potential 

and overcome 

their struggles 

at the Catholic 

Extensionsupported 

center. 

The game of Solitaire 

A few weeks ago, one of Armstrong’s 

regulars came in. Tim’s 

normal, noisy exuberance was 

replaced by a sullen, irritated 

silence that bordered on disrespect. 

When a teacher asked Tim 

what was wrong, he snapped and 

noisily refused to do any work. 

Armstrong, knowing not to 

sanction symptoms, chose to dig 

down to the root causes of this 

puzzling behavior. Instead of 

demanding an immediate public 

apology and lecturing Tim, Armstrong 

met him where he was, the 

sacred space between a caring 

adult and a hurting child. 

Armstrong took Tim to the 

computer room and invited him to 

play a game of Solitaire. After all, 

that was what Tim was really playing. 

“Leave me alone in my misery.” 

It is one of those things preteens 

often say but never mean. 

Tim was looking for an answer to 

the question, “Is Mr. Armstrong 

going to love me even when I act 

like this?”

40 IGNITE 

Feature Story 


And Armstrong answered. 

Side by side, they played a few 

games of Solitaire. Eventually Tim 

relaxed and tearfully told Armstrong 

about his day. He had been 

bullied and harassed at school, 

and the thought of going back the 

next day made his stomach hurt. 

Armstrong helped Tim figure 

out how to handle the situation. 

Afterward, Tim was much 

relieved. He told Armstrong 

how grateful he was for the Don 

Bosco Center—“a place where I 

can chill,” he said. That is junior 

high speak for, “I discovered my 

beloved identity as a child of 

God.” 

But how about grades? 

Maria had a rough start in life. 

She was born experiencing withdrawal 

from methadone due to 

her mother’s chemical addiction. 

When she came to the Don Bosco 

Center, she was two grade levels 

behind, a social catastrophe for 

one so young. She was the dumb 

kid, the kid who was held back 

twice, the kid who would never 

belong. 

Armstrong and the teachers 

met Maria where she was. They 

surrounded her with love. They 

gave her intense, targeted tutoring 

in math and literacy. They helped 

her with homework and prepped 

her for tests. They celebrated her 

successes and helped her believe 

that “smart” was something you 

got through hard work and not 

something that would be forever 

beyond her reach. 

Maria responded like a champ. 

In the course of one academic 

year, she not only made up two 

grade levels as measured by 

Renaissance’s Star Assessments 

program, but she also tested two 

grade levels ahead of her current 

class, an unprecedented four- 

“And he began to send them out two by two...” – Mark 6:7 

Donors in the Two by Two Giving Society— 

leaders giving at least $1,000 annually—walk 

in companionship and solidarity with poor 

Catholic faith communities. This esteemed 

group helps Catholic Extension recognize 

and support the hidden heroes lifting up the 

Church on the margins of society. 

Contact Kate Grogan, Development Coordinator, at 312-795-6046 

or kgrogan@catholicextension.org for more information. 

catholicextension.org/twobytwo 

year swing over the course of two 

semesters. 

More importantly, Maria was no 

longer the dumb kid who would 

never belong. Her hard work and 

Armstrong’s team of caring adults 

helped her see how smart she was 

all along. At the Don Bosco Center, 

there is no line of demarcation 

between academics and spiritual 

growth. Anything can be the 

setting for the movement of God’s 

love. Even math and English. Ask 

Maria. She too discovered her 

identity as a beloved child of God. 

The sign of the cross 

Working with young people is 

a high wire act. Improvisation is 

required. Formalized catechetical 

programs can only take one so far. 

Armstrong believes that accompanying 

young people is organic. It 

takes time, attentiveness, creativity, 

spontaneity and an unshakable 

belief that anything can be 

the source of genuine spiritual 

formation. 

That is why he and his staff 

begin every tutoring session with 

prayer. The prayer goes something 

like this: “Jesus, I know you love 

The Don Bosco 

Center in 

Lawrenceburg, 

Kentucky, allows 

students to make 

gains in math, 

reading, and selfconfidence. 

each and every one of these kids 

totally and completely. Help us to 

see each and every child as You 

do. Help us to help them discover 

their beloved identity as children 

of God.” 

Sounds simple. It really is. 

Before the kids and teachers get 

down to work, Armstrong and the 

staff gather the children in a circle 

and invite them to share their 

prayer requests. It begins slowly, 

but everyone has a prayer request. 

Genuine respect and sincerity 

make the circle a safe sanctuary, 

and even the shy speak. It is amazing 

how many prayer requests 

there are. Children are holier than 

adults give them credit for. 

Armstrong ends each prayer 

request session with the sign 

of the cross. One day a little girl 

came up to him and asked what 

that cross thing was. She loved 

and trusted Armstrong enough to 

ask him. Her curiosity created that 

day’s lesson plan. 

Armstrong helped her trace 

the “Father, Son and Holy Spirit.” 

Head, heart, open arms. We are 

signed by this cross. It is our 

beloved identity as children of 

God. That moment, that teaching 

was as pure and organic a formational 

moment as one could 

ever find. Come for the multiplication 

tables, stay for God’s love— 

Father, Son and Holy Spirit. And 

the answer to the question, “Is this 

adult going to love me?” is “YES!” 

The answer from Jesus is always 

“YES!” 

Hope for a graying church 

Armstrong is a victim of his 

own success. Bishop John Stowe 

had the good sense to name Armstrong 

as the director of youth, 

young adult and campus ministry 

for the Diocese of Lexington, Kentucky. 

Although Armstrong’s heart 

will always be with the kids from 

the Don Bosco Center, this position 

is good news for our Church. 

We are getting grayer. We need 

the idealism, boisterousness, cynicism, 

heartbreak and hopefulness 

of the young. They will plow 

our fallow fields, question our 

assumptions and animate our 

wintry hearts. 

Armstrong and the kids from 

the Don Bosco Center show us 

that great ministry to the young 

can happen anywhere and at any 

time. We just need to meet them 

where they are. In an afterschool 

tutoring room in a Methodist 

church. At a food pantry. At a gym. 

In a nursing home, drop-in center 

or parish hall. 

All that is required are adults 

who believe in young people’s 

beloved identity as children of 

God and, like Jesus, will always 

answer “YES!” to the question, “Is 

this adult going to love me?” 

Our souls—and just maybe the 

Church—will be renewed.

42 

IGNITE 

Feature Story 


Hurricane Maria in 

2017 couldn’t do it. 

The earthquakes 

of 2020 couldn’t do 

it either. 

The island-wide 

economic recession, which has left 

45 percent of people in poverty, 

couldn’t do it. 

Neither could Hurricane Fiona 

in 2022. 

Some hugs (“abrazos” in Spanish) 

are just so solid that they cannot 

be broken. 

Guánica, Puerto Rico, is out of 

the way for anyone visiting as a 

tourist. It is tucked into the southwest 

corner of the island, far 

from the capital, San Juan. But if 

you go way off the beaten track, 

you might stumble upon a center 

for children and families run 

by the indefatigable, ever-joyful 

and white-habited Dominican Sisters 

of Our Lady of the Rosary of 

Fatima. 

The kids at the center come 

from the poorest of the poor families. 

The neighborhood streets are 

filled with potholes and littered 

with broken-down cars. The sisters 

embrace these families and 

remind them that their dignity is 

more than their circumstances 

might suggest. 

It is after the hurricanes and 

earthquakes, after the many devastations 

and upheavals, that those 

with any means in Puerto Rico flee 

to other places. In their quest to 

find a better life, they often leave 

behind the poor and most vulnerable. 

Like so many poor, the children 

are under-resourced, underestimated 

and underdeveloped. 

But they have come to the right 

place, a place that welcomes them 

unbreakable 

Dominican 

sisters reach 

Puerto Rico’s 

poorest 

communitiesHUG 

with open arms and seeks to 

unearth all of their potential. 

THE 

Religious sisters who are twins 

Sisters Judith and 

Maristella Maldonado 

are religious sisters 

at the center and 

are, in fact, twin 

sisters. They 

must have had a 

wonderful time 

in their mother’s 

womb, because 

they sure do enjoy 

each other’s company. 

They finish each other’s 

sentences and take turns 

making each other laugh 

out loud. Their habitual 

smiles are visible at all times. Gleeful 

joy is clearly the most important 

protocol at the center. 

The center is one of several 

Ready, set, GO! 

Sister Judith 

Maldonado 

keeps children 

active and smiling 

at the center. 

PHOTO CATHOLIC STANDARD BY JACLYN LIPPELMANN 

that the Dominican sisters operate 

in Puerto Rico’s poorest neighborhoods. 

Its official name is El 

Instituto Especial para el Desarrollo 

Integral del Individuo, la 

Familia y la Comunidad, 

Inc. It translates to 

“The Special Institute 

for Integral 

Development of 

the Individual, 

Family and Community, 

Inc.” That 

is a very official way 

of saying, “Abrazos 

rule here.” Hugs are part 

of the formula of social 

change. A hug is more than 

a sign of affection. It can 

also be a conduit to transfer 

joy and a sign of solidarity that says, 

“You are not alone or abandoned 

amid your circumstances,” as is 

certainly the case in Guánica. 

On an Extension visit last year, 

the children—ranging in age from 

6 to 15 years—organized into four 

lines, four children deep. The music 

began, and they started to dance. 

Everyone focused on a boy, front 

and center. He was not exactly 

light on his feet, but he was game 

to dance. They all were game to 

follow his lead. It was an outbreak 

of normal, childhood joy. 

Just when one’s capacity for joy 

had almost been exceeded, one 

of the twin sisters (who knows 

which) blew a whistle and led the 

kids in a group chant: 

“¡Soy grande! ¡Soy inteligente! 

¡Soy fuerte! ¡Soy importante! ¡Y me 

doy un abrazo!” 

“I am great. I am intelligent! I 

am strong! I am important! And I 

give myself a hug!” 

This first effort did not meet the 

sister’s decibel requirement. She 

blew her whistle, and they went 

again. Children never need an 

excuse to be loud, and LOUD they 

went. The sister was well satisfied. 

Their fun together is all part 

of the “unbreakable abrazo”—the 

hug of pure joy, affirmation and 

solidarity that the sisters offer to 

this community with so many 

struggles. Every day, they show 

the community that the reasons 

to have hope far outweigh the 

reasons to despair. 

Like a hug from God 

The Dominican sisters say that 

their charism is to give away the 

love that God gives them. They 

give away the gift that they receive. 

God’s “abrazo” empowers and fuels 

Sisters Judith and Maristella and 

the other Dominican sisters that 

serve the community. The center is 

living proof. 

The center (supported by Catholic 

Extension and our parish 

partner, Mary, Star of the Sea in 

La Jolla, California) takes on the 

whole of families’ needs. The sisters 

offer social and mental health 

FAR LEFT Sisters 

Maristella and 

Judith Maldonado, 

Dominican Sisters of 

Our Lady of the Rosary 

of Fatima and identical 

twins, uplift families in 

Puerto Rico. 

LEFT Children show 

off their strength at a 

center supported by 


that brings joy, love 

and empowerment 

to struggling families 

in Puerto Rico. Photo 

taken during Puerto 

Rico’s mask mandate. 

services. They offer fine arts programs. 

They tutor and train on the 

journey to and through high school 

to post-secondary opportunities. 

They help the victims of domestic 

violence and child abuse. They 

serve the elderly, who, like the children, 

are often left behind and forgotten 

as people flee the island. 

Sisters Judith and Maristella 

are the Beatitudes come to life. 

“Blessed are the poor” is more easily 

comprehended after watching 

these sisters give such love to the 

least of Puerto Rican society. These 

sisters—unbreakable, indefatigable 

and ever-creative—are God’s 

“abrazo” for the most vulnerable 

and innocent among us. Not even 

hurricanes, earthquakes, recessions 

or the upheavals of men and 

women can break love’s “abrazo.” 

So, I am GREAT! I am intelligent! I 

am strong! I am important! 

And I give myself a HUG! 

(The sisters are well satisfied!)

44 

IGNITE 

Donor Profile 


In November 2022 Loretta 

Brennan Glucksman 

received Catholic Extension’s 

Spirit of Francis 

Award, which recognizes an 

individual or group that has 

significantly impacted the mission 

of the Catholic Church in America 

through service or philanthropy. 

Brennan Glucksman’s three 

decades of philanthropic work is 

extensive, focusing on education, 

the arts, health care and peace initiatives 

in both the United States 

and Ireland. 

She supports Catholic Extension’s 

mission to help the Catholic 

Church do the same for those living 

on the margins today. 

Although her impact is 

far-reaching, her motives are simple. 

She knows that faith sustained 

and uplifted her family, even 

when their possessions amounted 

to next to nothing. 

The Spirit of Francis Award 

was presented to her by Catholic 

Extension’s president, Father Jack 

Wall, at a dinner in New York City. 

Father Wall told her, “You, Loretta, 

have chosen to live your life as a 

gift, as a blessing to others. And 

Catholic Extension is honored 

tonight to acknowledge you as a 

beautiful expression of the very 

spirit of Francis among us.” 

The award dinner proceeds 

benefited women religious serving 

communities in the poorest 

regions of the United States. That 

evening, 70 Catholic sisters stood 

up and sang to the guests. Their 

song reflected the beauty and 

warmth of their presence among 

the communities that they serve. 

“Those nuns are heroes,” Brennan 

Glucksman said. “They are 

A life lived as a gift 

Granddaughter of Irish immigrants 

honored for decades of philanthropy 

in Ireland and America 

BELOW Father Jack Wall, president of Catholic Extension, presents Loretta Brennan Glucksman 

with the Spirit of Francis Award. 

at the cutting edge of what will 

or won’t be our advancing and 

improving civilization as we go 

forward.” 

Both sets of Brennan Glucksman’s 

grandparents emigrated 

from Ireland. They came to the 

United States under similar circumstances 

as today’s immigrant 

families. They sought safety and 

opportunities for their children. 

Humble beginnings 

Brennan Glucksman grew up 

in Allentown in eastern Pennsylvania. 

Catholic Extension supported 

faith communities in this 

region in the first half of the 20th 

century. Her maternal grandfather 

was a miner in Leitrim, Ireland, 

and continued the profession 

in the Pennsylvania coal 

mines. Her father was a mail 

carrier. 

“Both sets of my grandparents 

had such an interesting outlook,” 

she said. “They had been through 

so much turmoil. And they were 

intrinsically happy. I was always 

so impressed with that ability to 

be so appreciative. I always found 

that very instructive and very 

humbling. It was good grounding 

for me.” 

She was also inspired by her 

namesake and her beloved aunt, 

Sister Alice Loretta of the Sisters 

of St. Joseph. “She was a wonderful 

influence on me,” she said. 

“She always talked about how 

crucial missionaries were to the 

work of the whole Church.” 

Brennan Glucksman said her 

family kept her strong in the 

midst of great challenges in her 

childhood. She was born with a 

“bad leg,” she described. They 

Loretta Brennan Glucksman was honored alongside Catholic sisters who are supported by 

Catholic Extension in their work serving communities in the poorest regions of the United States. 

finally found a doctor that could 

help her. She underwent, she 

believes, a total of nine operations. 

She said her mother prayed novenas 

for the doctors until she died. 

“That was hope. Not in the face 

of easy things, but a hope based 

so firmly on faith,” she said. She 

sees a similarity in the Catholic 

sisters and their work. “They live 

hope. That’s what I like to think I 

live too.” 

Crucial work in Ireland and 

America 

Brennan Glucksman’s early 

career reflects her later charitable 

work. She was a teacher in an elementary 

school, a university lecturer 

in English literature, a television 

producer and an on-air host 

for news and public affairs with 

PBS. She has three children. 

In 1987 she went to Ireland 

with her late husband, Lewis 

Glucksman, for the first time. She 

fell in love with the island and 

its people. Together they established 

numerous educational and 

artistic programs and organizations 

at universities in the United 

States and Ireland. She also served 

as chairman of The Ireland Funds 

America for more than 20 years, 

and she has led the St. Patrick’s 

Day parade in New York City as its 

grand marshal. 

“The Irish are priests and nuns 

in places where we need them. The 

Irish are captains of industry and 

finance. They’re very popular in 

show business. They’re just good, 

interesting, usually funny people,” 

she said with a smile. 

She began championing the 

mission of Catholic Extension 

when she met Father Wall. 

“She knew what it was to listen 

to the very heart of people— 

to the core of them,” said Father 

Wall. “She listened to that story 

and identified it with some of her 

own experiences. She was able to 

create powerful bridge-building 

between the United States and Ireland. 

She knew that story, and the 

story that’s going on in our country 

is very much symbiotic.” 

“This award means a great deal 

to me, as I appreciate the breadth 

and depth of Catholic Extension’s 

work so much. As our world gets 

more and more chaotic, the work 

of Catholic Extension and helping 

others in need becomes even more 

crucial,” Brennan Glucksman said. 

“Stay with Catholic Extension. It 

does make a difference.”

46 

IGNITE 

Connect 


Young leaders are immersed in the Catholic Church’s inspiring presence 

among the poor in Puerto Rico. 

Young adult leaders prepare to serve the Church 

Catholic Extension’s Encuentro y Misión program offers a theological 

education and mission immersion experience to Latino young adults looking 

to learn and serve in the Church. These experiences open their eyes to the 

Church’s transformative presence in the face of today’s greatest societal and 

economic challenges. Last year, students traveled to Puerto Rico, Alabama 

and El Paso, Texas. So far, 82 young adults from 28 dioceses throughout 

the country have participated in the program. They reflected on the impact 

of these experiences and their hopes as they continue to serve their 

communities. 

Program participants wrote these reflections, expressing how 

encountering and learning from other young adults is empowering them 

to be leaders in the Church. 

Reflection: 

people I met are my inspiration to 

I WOULD LIKE TO express my sincere continue with my journey of faith and 

gratitude for the opportunity you 

love for my community. I feel extremely 

provided me at Encuentro y Misión. blessed by God because He had this 

The experiences and learning 

plan for me. His love is something I 

during class were excellent, and the was able to see in every person I met 

time spent in El Paso, Texas was an at the Border Realities experience. 

experience I will never forget. All the › Norma Rivas | 

Diocese of Sacramento, CA 

Reflection: 

I REALLY ENJOYED HEARING from 

other young adults. Hearing their 

ideas and experiences has helped 

me understand or view topics from 

a different perspective. It feels great 

to know that there are young people 

willing to be part of something and do 

God’s will for others. Knowing that there 

are people out there who support us 

and pray for us encourages me to try 

harder in what I do in my little town. 

› Gisselle Montalvan | 

Diocese of Boise, ID 

Reflection: 

THE GREATEST TAKEAWAY or the 

most valuable thing I got from the 

experience is knowing that there are 

people like me striving for a better 

future in the Catholic Church. Also, 

knowing that there are plenty of people 

supporting and willing to help me. 

› Flor Gordillo | 

Archdiocese of Mobile, AL 

Young adults from 

across the country 

gather to reflect on 

their theological 

education and 

immersion 

experience 

provided by 

Catholic Extension. 

From the mail 

Dear Catholic Extension donors, 

Dear Catholic Extension donors, 

THE COMMUNITY OF St. Michael 

thanks you for your generous donations. 

This new roof you helped us fix 

will last us for a good period of time, 

which has taken a big burden off our 

shoulders. 

I WOULD LIKE TO thank you all for your invaluable 

support of my own seminary formation and 

that of my brother seminarians. My formation has 

given me an unbelievable opportunity for growth 

as a man and as a Christian in preparation for service 

as a diocesan priest. God has brought me 

into a deeper relationship with Him by means of 

consistent spiritual direction and instruction. He 

is forming me to be a man oriented toward service 

in His Church. 

We are a small community with 

the majority being immigrants from 

Encuentro y Misión 

program participants 

meet faith leaders 

in El Paso, Texas, 

who care for the 

marginalized. 

Guatemala whose income is very low. 

That is why your gift to us is really 

appreciated. Without it, it would have 

been difficult for us to replace the roof. 

May God bless you for your act of 

kindness to this faith community. 

› Father Adolfo Suarez Pasillas | 

Pastor, St. Michael Catholic Church, 

Diocese of Jackson, MS 

None of this would have been possible without 

your generous support. Seminary formation has 

been and continues to be the greatest blessing 

God has given to me. Thank you so very much for 

your generous gifts, which God is using for the 

purposes of His Church! 

› James Grossheim | 

Seminarian, Notre Dame Seminary, 

Diocese of Nashville, TN 

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opportunity! 

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be used to fund a 


charitable gift annuity. 

Please support our 

mission! 

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+ 

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payments 

for the rest of 

your life 

For the first time ever, new legislation 

expands charitable, tax-advantaged 

possibilities for those who want to use 

their qualified charitable distributions 

(QCD) to create a charitable gift 

annuity (CGA). 

To learn more, please contact 

Betty Assell, Manager of 

Annuities, at 800-842-7804 or 

bassell@catholicextension.org. 

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Extension magazine - Spring 2023

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