Run Baby Run

Yesterday I had the chance to visit my sister and attend my nieces’ Cross-Country Meet. It was the first time in many years I had been to a meet and the first time ever that I had been to an elementary school meet. I enjoyed seeing so many children participating in the event. The race was extra exciting because the course design allowed us to watch them start the race, as well as a couple spots along the route and at the finish.

The memorable moments during the race for me was watching the enthusiasm of a number of of the children who would not necessarily be considered to be "natural athletes." One of the key elements to their strong performance had to be due to the support from people cheering them on along the route. It was phenomenal to witness over and over again the face of an 8-year-old runner transform from desperation to pure exhilaration and his or her stride return to the perfect form as he or she heard the words "Come-on Maria,” or “Lets go Johnny, you can do it, you're almost there."

A bit more encouragement and cheering on of one another is what this humble brother thinks that this world needs to help one another endure to the end of the race.

Back to School

Last weekend I went to Epworth, Iowa in order to take our new Glenmary students back to school. It was a wonderful visit with the folks at Divine Word College. I was impressed by all of the teachers, staff and of course the students. On my tour of the campus, the day before orientation we stopped by the library and happened to find a new student from China already studying, trying to learn more Spanish. Although the school is truly nestled away in the heartland of America, I liked that it has such a diverse student body and a strong sense of mission. I think the location adds to the sense that the people studying there are truly dedicated individuals. As they like to say, it “is the only undergraduate Roman Catholic seminary in the entire country that is dedicated to preparing young men for missionary service.” I was wishing that I had gone to school there myself…

I am looking forward to another visit real soon in order to spend more time with our students. And the next time I visit I hope to sit in on a few classes, learn some more Vietnamese and visit the “Pour House.”

Tweet, share, send, upload, post...

Tweet, share, send, upload, post... When does it ever end? I did not have a chance to post much to this humble blog last week since I was participating in our Glenmary Congress. Congress is our annual gatherings of Glenmarians (see previous blog post) . Since Congress only comes around once a year, I had to take full advantage of the opportunity to spend quality time with my brothers in the community. Topics of our discussions included vocations, transitions, theology of mission and much much more. There was also plenty of time for relaxing with one another, sharing of stories and much laughter. A sneak preview of our vocation video took place as well as the viewing of Glenmarians and students on You Tube... Liturgies allowed us to join together and renew our spirit in God and commitment to one another in our prayers and the Eucharist. Time was also found for games of volleyball, cards, walks and even singing together. Tweet, share, send, upload, post... it is good to connect with so many other people electronically but I did enjoy the week of limited internet access and intermittent cell phone signal in order that I had ample time to spend with my Glenmary family.

Seeds of Congress Planted by our Founder

In 1936 Fr. Bishop wrote, “A Plan for an American Society of Catholic Home Missions to Operate in the Rural Sections of the United States.” This plan which became the foundation of Glenmary Home Missioners was carefully thought out based upon his experience in a rural parish and his understanding of the lack of a Catholic presence in the rural parts of the United States.

I find it fascinating that in the plan written over 70 years ago he considered almost all of the critical points that Glenmary continues to operate by today with just a few modern tweaking. One idea that could almost be overlooked was his concern for the holistic health and spirit of the missioners. Therefore in his plan he wrote about the need for all missioners to return to the Motherhouse once a year.

"Every priest should be required by rule to return to the Mother House once a year for a visit of a few weeks to refresh his spiritual and physical energies and renew contact with his superiors and fellow members, also as a precaution against lonesomeness, discouragement or the development of an inferiority complex as a result of long and uninterrupted life in regions where clerical contacts are few."

As a result the Glenmary Congress is our annual gathering for all members to gather as a community with no major agenda but to spend time together. It is our time to walk, listen, laugh and play together, time to refresh our spirit and strengthen us for the work ahead.

I will be at our Glenmary Congress all week

500 Million or One Zettabyte

I am not good at numbers, adding & subtracting I can do alright but understanding and remembering large figures is not part of my brains internal wiring. The funny thing is though; I did notice “numbers” when I was listening to the news last week. BBC radio reported that “global data storage is about to reach one zettabyte” Another news outlet reported that facebook now has 500 million users. To be honest, I don’t think I would know what a zettabyte was if it came up and bit me, and I am glad I have not been “friended” by 500 million users on facebook because I doubt I would have time to read all of their posts. Therefore I am glad I do what I do, I don’t have to “crunch numbers” or look for place to store bytes of information. That is what it means to follow our vocation, doing what God wants us to do, and I think that also means doing something we enjoy doing and for me, thanks be to God, that has nothing to do with numbers.

Marian Days 2010

Photos from my experience at the XXXIII annual Marian Days celebration in Carthage, MO are now available to view on my facebook page: "Hermano David Henley." It was a moving experience to be able to attend and to participate in the weekends events. Although I did not understand a lot of the language, I enjoyed the beautiful liturgies. It was incredible watching the tent city spread as far as the eye can see and pure enjoyment indulging in the delicious Vietnamese food which was served. From an outsiders and first time attenders perspective, the people I have seen here are responding to God’s call to renew their spiritual life in a mix of what I would describe as a pilgrimage, family reunion and retreat. I have been blessed to be able to participate this year and I look forward to returning next year and I hope many others receive the same opportunity in years to come.

(Brief video of an opening song at an outdoor Mass with 45,000 people)

Responding To Their Call

This past weekend I spent time at the Glenmary Discernment House in Hartford, Kentucky. It was a chance for me to participate in the Orientation Program with our new students. In Hartford we have three students preparing to start our formation program. Two of whom will be participating in the Aspirancy program and studying at Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa, and a third will be in the Candidacy Program and studying at Saint Meinrad School of Theology in Indiana. Other new students will be starting Theology in Kenya in a couple of weeks and others are waiting for visas in order to travel to the United States. It is an exciting time Glenmary and for the future of the missions. We give thanks to God for the blessings and we hope for more young men to “respond to the call.”