'On Loan from Philadelphia'
Retired Army chaplain says working with Glenmary has been a ‘great blessing’
By Jean Bach

Mississippi Baptism: Father Vince Burns with the family of a newly baptized parishioner at Immaculate Heart of Mary mission in Houston, Miss.

Father Vince Burns spent the bulk of his 42 years of priesthood serving as an Army chaplain on bases throughout the world. After retiring from the Army in 2006, his ministry took him to northeast Mississippi, where he leads three Glenmary missions as a priest “on loan” from the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

Throughout Glenmary’s history, diocesan priests—usually retired from assigned ministry—have volunteered to work with Glenmary in the home missions. And some in active ministry have also volunteered their vacation or sabbatical time to fill in at a mission.

“Over the years, diocesan priests—and even one Maryknoll bishop—have given vital service to the mission effort as they helped relieve some of the load from our missioners,” says Father Dan Dorsey, president of Glenmary. “They have helped staff some of our missions and provided much needed opportunities for our missioners to enjoy some vacation time.”

In addition to the benefit to Glenmary, Father Dan says, there’s a definite benefit to the diocesan priests who volunteer. “While working in the missions, they become infused with Glenmary’s missionary spirit and gain a new perspective on mission.”

Father Vince has worked with Glenmary since 2006 and says it’s been a “wonderful, positive experience, especially meeting and being with the Glenmary priests, brothers and coworkers. They are quality, spiritual, Gospel-oriented people. Knowing them has been an uplifting experience.”

Growing up in Philadelphia, Father Vince says he read Glenmary Challenge and learned about “No Priest Land, USA.” He even thought of answering the invitation “come and work with the poor.” But he decided to be ordained for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

When he retired from the military, he remembered Glenmary. After gaining permission from his archbishop, he contacted Father Dan and began to make the appropriate arrangements.

Since then, he has served two missions in Georgia for 10 months each before arriving in Mississippi, where he leads missions in Aberdeen, Okolona and Houston. In addition, he serves as sacramental minister at Glenmary’s former mission in Amory and also celebrates Mass each week at the Columbus Air Force Base.

“It keeps me busy,” he laughs. No two weekends are the same as he celebrates Mass at different missions on different weekends. The only regular weekly Mass is at the Air Force base. “While the ministry is a little different from my work in the Army, I’ve had to be flexible my entire priesthood so this was no different, really.

“I really didn’t know what I was getting myself into when I decided to volunteer with Glenmary,” he says. “There have been some surprises, like the lack of employment opportunities for those living in these counties. The lack of work adds up to the lack of young people in the mission communities as they leave in search of work.”

This summer marks the end of his three-year commitment to Glenmary, but he doesn’t have any plans to leave soon. “I’ll decide on a year-by-year basis,” he says. He looks forward to “filling in the holes” as needed.

“This experience has added to a long list of great blessings in my life,” he says. “It’s a great thing to be able to do.”