A visitor to a Glenmary mission in a county of less than 20,000 in Appalachia or the South might be surprised to find Romanians, Filipinos, Mexicans, Salvadorans, Guatemalans and Vietnamese among the handful of Catholics gathered for Sunday worship.
But this is the reality that Glenmary missioners embrace as they work today to serve all the people of a rural county.
by Margaret Gabriel

Members of the Catholic Community of Bertie County come together to celebrate feast days such as Señor Santo Niño de Cebu. Entertainment and dancing followed the liturgy.

“At first people weren’t exactly sure why we were having the soup, but they ate it,” says Father Neil Pezzulo, who pastors both the Danville and Waldron, Ark., missions. “This year, we’re going to have Confirmation on the parish feast day.”

The members of the mission made a request to the diocese to change the name of the mission to a patron who better reflects the community’s heritage. But the request was denied by the Diocese of Little Rock. Not able to pass up a teaching moment, Father Neil has used the situation as an opportunity for the congregation to reflect on the universality of the Church.

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Filipinos make up nearly 60 percent of the Catholic Community of Bertie County, a mission in eastern North Carolina that has embraced its diversity since it was established by Glenmary in 2004. Each year the mission hosts an International Festival, according to pastor Father Mike Langell.

“Hispanics, Filipinos, Anglos, African-Americans—everyone is welcome to attend the event,” he says. “There’s entertainment, dancing and food. It’s a good day to get together and celebrate each other.”

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In Grayson, Ky., the Glenmary mission of Sts. John and Elizabeth draws Hispanic families from Eastern Kentucky counties as far as 30 miles away. The reason: Sts. John and Elizabeth is the only Catholic church in the region that has Mass for Spanish-speaking worshippers every week.

In addition to the Hispanic families who have settled in Grayson and other parts of Carter County, a group of primarily Catholic workers from Romania migrate to the area for several months each year to work at a local plant. The Grayson mission embraces them and, according to pastoral coordinator Sister Marie Colette Gerry, helps make them feel at home in Carter County.

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These three missions reflect the many Glenmary mission communities located throughout Mission Land, USA, that minister to those living in a rural county as well as the newly arrived Catholic immigrants who have come because of work or to join family. The newcomers bring their culture, their tradition and most of all, their faith.

“We’re called to be one in the Lord,” says Father Mike, explaining why the Catholic Community of Bertie County—and all Glenmary missions—welcome and serve all people living in a county, no matter their culture or ethnic heritage .

Filipinos have moved to North Carolina in several waves, most recently to serve as teachers in the public school system. Primarily Catholic, they have joined with other Catholics—Hispanics, African Americans and Anglos—to form the only faith community in eastern North Carolina with such diversity, says Father Mike.

Welcoming the stranger—or the immigrant—is part of the Christian’s gospel mandate, Father Neil says. “Sometimes I think the Catholic Church is the only friend the immigrant has. We have to be a place of hospitality, a place of welcome. It’s part of our tradition as Catholics.”The multicultural flavor of the Glenmary mission in Grayson, Ky., was in place before Sister Marie Colette’s arrival. As pastoral coordinator she continues efforts to blend the communities.

Mary Lou Risse has been a member of the Grayson mission since its formation in 1972. Although she doesn’t speak more than a few words of Spanish, Mary Lou has reached out to the Hispanic people who have settled in the eastern Kentucky community.

Mary Lou married and moved to Kentucky from Ohio when she was 18. Even today, many years later, she recalls the feeling of isolation she had when she moved to a community where she knew no one. It’s a memory that encourages her to reach out to newcomers and set an example for others in the mission and in the community.

“I feel a kinship to them,” she says of those new to Carter County. Mary Lou’s father came to the United States from Italy when he was 18. She recalls family stories detailing the struggles that he faced as a newcomer. Those experiences, she says, inspire her to assist people in a similar situation.

She provides transportation for the Hispanic families that have no other means of travel and has opened her home to a new mother who, after a difficult delivery, was unable to climb the stairs to the second-floor bedroom of her home. Mother, baby and dad stayed with Mary Lou for a week.While there are a lot of positives in having a diverse congregation, sharing worship can be difficult for communities that do not share a common language. So, missions focus on bringing folks together in other ways like social activities and religious education.

In Waldron, Ark., the congregation might divide between an English Mass and a Spanish Mass on Sunday, but every Wednesday night, young people of all cultures in the community gather for education—both religious and cultural.

“When I came [to Waldron and Danville] in 2003, we had four kids in religious education and now we have over 100,” says Father Neil adding that a boy who is a Buddhist also attends each Wednesday. Father Neil admits the boy comes for social involvement, not religious education. But what’s important, Father Neil says, is the boy feels accepted and comfortable enough to attend.

Although folks may speak the same language, it doesn’t mean they share the same cultures. Father Neil says there is a vast difference between the cultures of Spanish-speaking folks in his missions.

For instance, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is an important religious, national holiday in Mexico and the Feast of the Immaculate Conception holds a similar honor in Guatemala. With both countries represented in his missions, Father Neil tries to incorporate special liturgies and activities surrounding these feasts into the life of the Waldron and Danville communities.

The Catholic Community of Bertie County likewise celebrates the Feast of Señor Santo Niño de Cebu (the Holy Child of Cebu), a traditional celebration in the Philippines of the Child Jesus.

The Filipino community has introduced the tradition of this native celebration to the Hispanic community and conversely, the Hispanic community has introduced the traditions of the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Christmas posada to the Filipino community. And all of the different cultures are adapting and incorporating the traditions of the U.S. Church and U.S. culture.Father Neil admits cultural misunderstandings sometimes arise and adds he has little tolerance for it. “There are 31 flavors of ice cream at Baskin-Robbins,” he says referring to the different groups, “but it’s all ice cream and it’s all good!”

Father Mike agrees saying that blending the communities in Bertie County hasn’t always been easy, but activities that bring people together, such as the International Festival, help dispel stereotypes.

Father Mike believes that the diversity of the Catholic Community of Bertie County serves as witness and a tool of evangelization for the entire county.

“Education can change attitudes,” he says “When we celebrate our differences, we can come together in a kaleidoscope of beauty. We can help each other grow and become one.”