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Reflections on the Glenmary Oath Focus: Commitment to Rural Missionary Life I have woven together words on this topic from our Oath (in red) with quotes from individual Glenmarians (bulleted) and some commentary to tie it all together. The entire text of the Glenmary Oath is in the sidebar to the right. —Father Steve Pawelk, Vocation Director I dedicate myself for my whole life to the missionary apostolate in the rural areas and small towns of the United States. • “I was born in a large, northern city, but for the last two-thirds of my life, I have lived in small southern towns. The people and the opportunities are great. I have been a Glenmary brother 50 years and if I were 20 again, I would sign up again for another 50 years.” (Brother Bob Hoffman) • “I enjoy rural mission work because of the close personal contact with poor and struggling people and bringing them closer to Christ and his Church.” (Father Leo Schloemer) • “For
me, life in a small town has been a good way to identify with Jesus
in his small town of Nazareth, even in a different country than
my native land.” (Father Francois Pellissier) In Glenmary our life is spent in rural and small towns where the Catholic Church is not yet effectively present. Here are two other men’s comments about this life. • “Small-town life is a blessing. The small-town environment is conducive to developing a real sense of community. Whether you are walking in the downtown area, shopping for groceries, eating at a local restaurant, or pumping gas at the nearby service station, you encounter people who know you and you know them. What a wonderful sense of community!” (Brother Jack Henn) • “Life in a small town is very satisfying. The core values that are usually found there touch and teach me. While sometimes criticized as ‘Mayberry, USA,’ I think the world could profit from a few more Mayberrys. I often feel our little mission churches closely resemble what the early church communities looked like – not large churches, but small groups.” (Father Chet Artysiewicz) Share your reflection by e-mailing comments to Father Steve Pawelk at spawelk@glenmary.org. He will periodically add readers' reflections to this file--anonymously, of course, unless you give permission for your name to be used. To select additional Oath reflections
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The Glenmary Oath “Of my own free choice, I_______, a member of the Glenmary Home Missioners, for the sake of the Kingdom of God, do solemnly promise and swear before God to dedicate myself for my whole life to the missionary apostolate in the rural areas and small towns of the United Sates and to the Glenmary way of life according to the Glenmary Constitution and Directory. I am aware that the Glenmary way of life commits me to a special practice of poverty, chastity, obedience, and prayer. Thus bound in a covenant with the other members in the Glenmary community, I ask for their support and loyalty and pledge to them my own." |
Home | About Glenmary | How to Help | Donate | Vocations | Farm | Research E-Newsletters | Magazine | Contact Glenmary | Site Map Glenmary priests, brothers and coworkers staff over 50 Catholic missions and ministries, establishing the Catholic Church in small-town and rural America. 513-874-8900 Copyright © 1999-2007, Glenmary Home Missioners. All rights reserved. Privacy policy. |