William Howard Bishop

Tomorrow, October 19 Glenmary celebrates "Founders Day." We chose this day since it is the day the church honors the North American Martyrs, some of the early missioners to the United States. In honor of those occasion, I share with you a few missionary quotes from Glenmary's founder, Rev. William Howard Bishop:



“There was never a time when missionary activity was more needed in our beloved land than it is today.”



“Our work is to go into the forgotten and neglected places, the no priest land, the no-Catholic land of America to accept as bases of operation the little border-line parishes that nobody wants and from them to build up little outposts and parishes where now no hope of them exists.”


“The true missioner adopts all the people in his area, regardless of creed, for his own.  His aim is to make all of them better people and bring them nearer to God. "


"The one great central thought that brought our Society into existence in these unfavored regions was the fact that these regions, of all others in America, are, generally speaking, the least supplied with and the most in need of Christ’s Church and the Means of propagating it.”


"Adopt all the people of your mission areas as your own. Christ died for everyone of them.  They are yours because you are his ambassador.  As St,. Paul observed, we must strive to be 'all things to all.'"

“Love the Poor, the sick and helpless, and attend to them. They are God’s influential. They are his aristocrats. He loves them. If you are known in your community as the contact for all the poor and unfortunate of the place, you could not have a more honorable title on earth or one that would make you more welcome in the courts of Heaven.”