|
In
Search of the Spirit
A
monthly letter from the Glenmary Vocation Office
|
|
|
October 2006
Why a Church in Every County?
"Why does Glenmary start new Catholic churches when we don't have enough priests to care for those already established?" When I am asked that question, I could give the answer that immediately springs from my heart: "God commands it; we can do no other." For the Gospel of Matthew continues to proclaim:
"Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.
And know that I will be with you always, until the end of the world!" (Matthew 28:19-20)
But I know that a more detailed response is needed. Other Glenmarians may express theirs a bit differently, but here is my answer to the above question:
The dream of the Glenmary Home Missioners, beginning with our founder, Father William Howard Bishop, is to have an established Catholic Church in every county of the United States. As long as there is one county within our borders without a Catholic Church, the very heart of our apostolate (our mission) continues. The original map of 1939 listed over 1,000 "priestless" counties; our 2000 map lists close to 400 counties without a Catholic congregation or a resident pastoral minister. And this map only covers the 12 southern states! Thus, work remains.
Glenmary's dream grows out of a deep understanding of the Eucharist and its evangelical benefits. Some sociologists have suggested folks will most likely not attend a church unless it is within 20 to 30 miles of where they live. They will either fall away or join another denomination. Glenmary's experience has shown this to be true.
When Glenmary works to establish a new Church--whether in Mississippi, Arkansas, North Carolina, wherever!--here is what we discover: First, we identify a group of people--usually 10, 20 or 30 Catholics who have been driving long distances to the nearest Catholic Church one or two counties away. These folks are eager to work with Glenmary to establish a new church in their county. Then we gradually identify a second group of inactive or, in the older language of Glenmary, "fallen away" Catholics who come back once there is a Church close by. Thus we begin by providing the sacraments, including the Mass, to those in these rural areas where no Catholic Church was before.
But Catholic nurture is only the beginning of our efforts. Father Bishop also called us to increase the "catholicity" of all the people that live in the counties we serve. Here is another way of saying this: A county should be more Christian when Glenmary leaves than when we came. This leads to our heavy involvement with ecumenism, local issues of justice and outreach to the poor, community service and home visitation.
Yet all these activities flow in and out of the Eucharist. As the Constitution on the Sacred Liturgy puts it, "The Eucharist is the source and summit of the life and mission of the Church."
Every Mass is an act of worship to our loving Father in heaven and an offering by Christ for the salvation of all people. Yet, when Mass is offered in a particular county, these prayers are no longer general in nature; they are consciously offered in all their particularity.
In a single day a Glenmary missioner may deal with the death of a child, the lack of housing for a single mother and her family, a visit to the prison and the local hospital. He may encounter several people with no church home (the unchurched) as well as Catholics no longer in regular attendance. No one person can meet the material and spiritual needs of all the folks in a mission county. Yet all these folks and all their needs are consciously offered in the sacrifice of the Mass where Christ meets their needs.
The greatest single act of evangelization a Glenmary priest can offer to these folks is the Holy Mass. Having the Eucharist physically present in a county, having the light burning near the tabernacle, is a deep act of faith and trust that God will provide for all his people. Christ is really present now--this day, this hour, this moment--for the spiritual and temporal needs of all his children.
I hope this helps you see the need for establishing a Catholic Church in every U.S. county. Will you find the courage to join us as a priest or brother in this great mission?
