Kentucky Mission Lets Its Light Shine
By Becky Lannom and Mary Jo Hall

Most of the stories about Catholic faith and good works come from the cities and large congregations that have the money and the personnel to make real differences in the lives of people. But, little churches can make big differences as well, for example, the tiny Glenmary mission in the Kentucky border town of Guthrie.

Led by the dedicated Glenmary Father Frank Ruff, and assisted by the Glenmary Sisters, the congregation of Sts. Mary and James responds to the needs of its members and the community as a whole in significant ways. The parish leadership teaches its members what discipleship is all about. As a result, the talents of the many serve the whole Body of Christ.

The Guthrie church is housed in a small building with seating for less than 100 people and the only Sunday Mass is at 8 a.m. Nonetheless, the church is usually full and sometimes packed with loyal parishioners, some of whom live 20-30 miles away.

The members take seriously Jesus' message, "You are the light of the world." They cheerfully serve one another and the larger community. Many parishioners are lectors, eucharistic ministers, greeters, teachers, committee members, and pastoral council members. Others contribute as willing workers to do general maintenance, decorate the church and hall, and set-up and clean-up for parish activities. In addition, two extremely talented musicians volunteer their services—one is hymn leader and soloist; the other is the organist who enriches the liturgy with her expertise, thus adding to the robust "singing unto the Lord."

For ongoing spiritual growth, classes are provided for everyone. Despite the small number of children and youth, Sunday religion classes are held following Mass. These are led by teachers and are well attended. "Go…teach…and make disciples…" is personified by these faithful servants. Ten women also meet faithfully for weekly Bible study, led by a biblical scholar. The hunger for understanding the Word of God is evident as class members give up time from work and family to discern ways to live, work and pray as Jesus teaches. During the Year of the Eucharist, a similar hunger was answered with a workshop on the Eucharist, sponsored by Glenmary and attended by many parishioners.

There is no formal "care and concern" committee in this parish, and there doesn't need to be. Many of the parishioners do a conscientious job of looking out for each other, especially the sick and the elderly. Recently the Bible study group organized a surprise birthday party for a 90-year-old parishioner. That party, according to her, was the highlight of her life. Also, several members have volunteered to be on call to help the Glenmary Sisters whenever their help is needed.

The members of this tiny parish also serve the communities in which they live. When Sister Bernadette drives to the Kroger grocery every weekended in nearby Clarksville, Tenn., to pick up the donated bread for the poor, someone goes along to help her load the car. Two or three volunteers serve in the "Second-Hand Rose" thrift shop on the church property several days a week. The community food pantry, housed in the local Christian Church, can always count on contributions from the Catholic parish, with some members volunteering to help distribute the food to the needy. One of the parishioners helps serve meals to the homeless in Clarksville at least one day a week. Another helps with transportation needs of our ever-increasing Hispanic population. As Jesus said, "Whatever you did for one of the least of my brothers, you did for me."

The parish is very well represented at most of the local ecumenical services, usually held three times a year, in one of the community churches. And members always attend the Martin Luther King Day activities. It is hoped that these encounters serve as leaven to continue the expansion of the Christian dough within the community.

Yes, the little mission in Guthrie, Ky., does indeed serve as testimony to the power of Christ in the lives of his followers. Jesus is "the heart" of all that this small church community does to further his kingdom. Truly, even a small candle can produce a great light.

Reprinted, with permission, from the Fall 2005 issue of Kinship, the magazine of the Glenmary Sisters.