This past year Glenmary lost one of its great
leaders, Father Bob Berson. He wrote this column for many
years as the president of Glenmary.
One of the things that always impressed me
about Father Bob was how young he was, 41, when he was first
elected superior general in 1965—right in the midst
of tremendous upheaval and change in both the Catholic Church
and American society. His mantra through it all: “We
have to keep our focus on mission.”
Our founder, Father William Howard Bishop,
had a burning sense of mission. He identified the “neglected”
areas and people here in “our own backyard.” He
defined them as a mission challenge (hence the name he gave
to this publication) for the Catholic Church in the United
States. He posed this question: Why limit our mission vision
only to exotic lands and countries across oceans?
Father Bishop’s insight into mission,
his impetus to serve the neglected here at home, was an
impulse of the Holy Spirit—the charism passed on to
succeeding generations of Glenmarians and Glenmary coworkers.
It is a gift from God given in order to build up the entire
Catholic Church here in the United States and indeed throughout
the world.
As I begin my four-year term as president
of Glenmary, I am fundamentally optimistic about our future
for three reasons. The first is quite simple: The mission
is God’s. We are the conduits but not the creators.
We must trust in God to bring this mission to fruition.
My second reason for optimism: the awesome
work being done today by Glenmarians and our coworkers.
They are the instruments through which the dream of Father
Bishop is becoming a reality, rural county by rural county.
They are touching the lives of the “neglected”
in quiet but heroic ways every day. The Body of Christ is
being built up.
My final reason for hope in the future is
you—our partners in mission. Without your prayers and
financial support, Glenmary’s mission would be like
a car without an engine or a bicycle without wheels. We
depend on you to help us fulfill the dream of Father Bishop.
And you have never let Glenmary down.
Today, Glenmary is still impelled by the Holy
Spirit to bring the Gospel of Jesus Christ to the forgotten
regions of the United States. That is the same challenge
that faced our founder and all the superiors and presidents
who have preceded me. My pledge as president is to listen
to the advice of Father Bob and keep my focus on mission.
Please pray for me—and Glenmary!
