Finally

The Glenmary mission in Lafayette, Tennessee finally got a new home. September 21, Bishop Spalding of the Diocese of Knoxville dedicated the new Holy Family Catholic Church.

For 35 years Glenmary has been serving in Macon County.Having a new permanent church home was a long time coming for some of the faithful. During the dedication ceremony, Fr. Vic Subb asked for the original founding members to please stand referring to them as "renegade Catholics who wanted to have a Catholic Church in their own county." This small group started meeting on their own and calling on the diocese and anyone else they could find to send a priest so that they could receive the sacraments.   For many of those 35 years the sacraments were celebrated in the basement of a former protestant church. The building was only a basement, no windows and barely big enough for everyone to fit inside. Some people called it "the underground Catholic Church of Tennessee." After years of waiting, hoping  and working towards this moment, the most often heard phrase that I heard after the dedication, "Finally."

Holy Family Catholic Church is the only Catholic Church in Macon County. Glenmary F. Vic Subb is the pastor. If you would like to experience a Glenmary mission please join with us in prayer. Mass times on Sunday are at 9:00 AM in English and 12:00 PM in Spanish. All are welcome.

 

Glenmary Hospitality

Recently I was asked to give a talk about "Glenmary hospitality." Glenmarian's may not be as well known for their hospitality as say the Benedictine's. The Rule of St. Benedict says, “All guests who present themselves are to be welcomed as Christ…” But Glenmary priests, brothers and sisters do have a sense of hospitality in our missionary spirit. Glenmary founder Fr. Bishop wrote, "The true missioner adopts all the people in his area, regardless of creed, for his own." We are open to love and serve all those who live in our mission area. Fr. Bishop went on to say, "Whether he ever makes a convert to the Church or not, the town, the county, the lives of the people must be better because of his example, his preaching, his activities among the poor, the sick, and the sinful of all creeds and none.”
Glenmarian's welcome all who knock on our door. Fr. Vic Subb who serves in two mission counties in rural Tennessee says that "One of the joys of being a Glenmary missioner is that God sends many people into our lives. One of the blessings in my life is that each time someone knocks on the door, a new adventure begins."
In a small mission parish we are fortunate to be able to know when someone new comes to Mass on Sunday. Being a small mission, makes recognizing and welcoming them easier than if we were to be in large parish. We attempt to make our small missions welcoming places for all who come. Not welcoming in a way of "entertaining" someone as if they are a guest, we want them to feel at home and become a participating member. And not welcoming in a way that a corporation has greeters at the front door, we are not doing a public relations stunt but welcoming in the sense that we want to enter into a relationship with those we encounter.
Hospitality is of course biblical. Two passages I think of : “You shall treat the alien who resides with you no differently than the natives born among you; you shall love the alien as yourself; for you too were once aliens in the land of Egypt. I, the LORD, am your God.” From Leviticus 19:34 And “For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me…” From Matthew 25:35
If you are ever traveling through some of our mission areas, please come in and worship with us and experience our hospitality. Or knock on the door of one of our missioners and see if what I wrote here is true.  I think St. Teresa of Kolkata said it best, “The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.” Glenmarians genuinely care for the people in the missions and in our proclaiming the Good News and sharing the sacraments we want those with whom we meet to know that they are wanted and loved by God.

New to the Glenmary Website

A Thanksgiving Experience at a Glenmary Mission
Mr. Wilmar Zabala, Vocation Counselor
When visiting Father Vic Subb, the "turkey priest," on Thanksgiving Day, I recognized three uniquely Glenmary charisms displayed at their best.



The Magi’s First Advent
Br. David Henley
"They were overjoyed at seeing the star, and on entering the house, they saw the child..." Like the magi following the star, we should look for signs that affirm our vocational call.

A Christmas Message to Our Glenmary Partners
By Fr. Don Tranel
I recently heard the story of Brother Jason Muhlenkamp, who is ministering in Blakely, Ga. at Holy Family Mission. The mission had setup an outdoor nativity scene with a bench nearby. It was on that bench that Brother Jason was able to listen to the cry for help from a woman in need.

Glenmary Challenge - winter 2016

The most recent edition of The Glenmary Challenge is "at the newsstand" or on the way to your mailbox. This issue has a powerful article on "welcoming the stranger" by our own Glenmary Father Vic Subb. In addition there is an impressive story about the ecumenical coming together in western Kentucky, written by Frank Lesko, Glenmary's director of Catholic-Evangelical relations.

At this link you can sign up to receive free quarterly issues of the Glenmary Challenge, "The Magazine of Catholic Missioners to Rural America."

New to the Glenmary Website

Check out these stories on our Glenmary Website:

The Journey Toward Jesus
The journey toward Jesus is one that takes a lifetime, but we can not afford to wait a lifetime to begin that journey. Entering Glenmary or another religious community helps us stay on the right path that leads to our destination.

A Special Wedding in Intensive Care 
by Glenmary Father Vic Subb
A missioner never knows where his ministry will take him from day to day. As one exceptional example: Mission pastor Father Vic Subb, responding to parishioners' needs and wishes, presided over a wedding ceremony in a hospital's intensive care unit.

Glenmary News

Have you read these recent articles on the Glenmary Website yet? Two of these articles appeared in our most recent Glenmary Challenge Magazine. All three highlight different aspects of Glenmary's mission charism in rural mission-Land USA.

Glenmarian Reaches Across Brokenness 
By Frank Lesko

During 49 years as a Glenmarian, Brother Curt Kedley has been involved in a wide range of ministries. One significant way he has found to address the racial and religious divisions in rural mission areas is through an interracial, ecumenical ministry of presence and solidarity in worship at mostly African-American Protestant churches.

(http://www.glenmary.org/site/epage/160479_919.htm)


The Journeys of Two Missions (Part 1)
By Dale Hanson

When Glenmary Father Vic Subb contemplated becoming a mission pastor again in 2012 after seven years away from this role, he was excited and happy. Now, three years later, he says that getting to know the people in the Lafayette and Celina mission areas has been a real joy.

(http://www.glenmary.org/site/epage/160473_919.htm)

The Racial Divide
By. Fr. John Rausch

Glenmarians are pledging to examine themselves and challenge others to identify the overt and subtle racism in our culture, so we can all pray for the strength to reject it and open ourselves to conversion.

(http://www.glenmary.org/site/epage/160474_919.htm)

Glenmary Challenge - Winter

Do you already receive a copy of The Glenmary Challenge, Glenmary's quarterly magazine, If so your copy should be in the mail. If you don't get it yet, you can sign up on our Website to start receiving it either in the mail or electronically.

Our most recent issue has some fantastic stories from the missions, about our missioners and much more. On the cover is Glenmary mission pastor, Fr. Vic Subb with the 47 people who traveled with him on pilgrimage to greet Pope Francis in Philadelphia.

Website updates

The following articles have recently been uploaded to the Glenmary Website.

Daydreaming About Turkeys and More -Thanksgiving means much more than eating turkey, but we do have that and a whole lot more during our annual student and discerners Thanksgiving weekend gathering.

A Glenmary Coworker Recognizes Goodness in Others' Hearts

By Wilmar Zabala, Vocation Counselor

On All Souls Day I gave thanks for my Uncle Russ, who----among other things----taught me the love of God.

Learning to Let Go

By Father Dominic Duggins, Glenmary Senior Member

Father Dominic reflects on how he has had to learn "to let go and let God" and on what a difference it has made in his life as a Glenmary missioner.

Pastor Gladly Hosts Thanksgiving Dinners 

For many years, mission pastor Father Vic Subb has continued his Thanksgiving tradition of hosting large dinners in the mission areas where he serves. It's one more way of bringing people together to thank God, share blessings, and build community. In 2014, he hosted and cooked a meal for over 70 people at his modest home. He's planning another dinner for Thanksgiving 2015!

#WMOF and Papal Pilgrimage

I am back in the Glenmary Vocation office and still trying to get caught up on everything from last week, prepare for the upcoming events and somehow reflect on what just happened. This past week I was in Philadelphia at the World Meeting of Families to promote Glenmary Vocations. I did not get to experience much of the weeklong conference outside of the exhibit hall as I was tied to the booth almost everyday to welcome all of the conference attendees. We had great success and met with so many new "friends of Glenmary who are interested in the Mission Ministry we do in Mission Land USA. Thank you everyone who stopped by to talk with us.
Over the weekend I met up with a Glenmary priest, Fr. Vic subb who brought a group of 47 pilgrims from his missions in Tennessee to see Pope Francis and attend the papal Mass on Sunday. The enthusiasm amongst the pilgrims was wonderful. For all of them, like me, this was our first opportunity to see not just the Pope but a Pope. Sunday morning we made our way into town and managed to get through the security perimeter in time to greet Francis as he cruised by in his PopeMobile.
In his homily he reminded me of the need to generously share my faith with others through those small acts of kindness which Pope Francis called little miracles. He said, "Jesus tells us not to hold back these little miracles. Instead, he wants us to encourage them, to spread them. He asks us to go through life, our everyday life, encouraging all these little signs of love as signs of his own living and active presence in our world." A good reflection for me each day to ask myself if I shared or held back these little miracles.
But my favorite moment of the weekend was hearing Pope Francis asking the crowd to please pray for him. and then saying "don't forget." Let us remember to continue to pray for our Holy Father as he is praying for each one of us.

Pope Francis on Ben Franklin Parkway

Fr. Vic with some of the participants in the papal pilgrimage

Glenmary booth at World Meeting of Families

New to the Website

Glenmary on the Radio...and Podcasts 
Radio Maria USA recently aired a new and informative 12-program series titled Outreach USA: The Glenmary Missioners from November 2014 to February 2015. Father Vic Subb and I were presenters on the final program on Feb. 27.
For someone discerning a possible vocation with Glenmary, these programs are a fantastic resource. Take time to read more about the programs and download the podcasts. Let me know what you think!

Why I Answered My Call To Priesthood
By Fr. Tom Kirkendoll, Novitiate Codirector 
Father Tom Kirkendoll, Glenmary's novitiate codirector, shares his story of converting to Catholicism and starting his vocation discernment at a young age. Thirty-eight years later, he is still living out his calling as a joy-filled priest.

Glenmary Website Updates

You Are Not Alone With Your Excuses    
We all invent excuses sometimes when facing challenges in our lives and having doubts about the future. This is also true of some men who are discerning, or thinking about discerning, a Glenmary vocation. If you have doubts, they'll linger until you go through a discernment process to confirm whether you're being called.


Catholic for One Day
by Father Vic Subb    
Recently, a member of one of Father Vic's missions received the sacraments for the first time just one day before he died. In this article, Father Vic reflects on his ministry of sharing people's faith journeys and sharing the sacraments with those in the mission counties where he serves.  

The Glenmary Challenge

Have you read the most recent edition of the Glenmary Challenge? The summer issue highlights Glenmary brothers in the cover story. Glenmary's own brother Jack Henn will be installed of the National Religious Brothers Conference and to affirm Jean Bach wrote about the diversity of ministries that the Glenmary brothers have had over the years.
And inside, the feature story written by Fr. Vic Subb and myself asks the question "When Will the Church arrive?" The Challenge continues - as there are still over 300 counties in the southern United States without a Catholic presence.
Click here to view the Summer 2013 issue.
Click here to sign up to receive your copy every quarter.

Upcoming Challenge

The Glenmary Challenge is Glenmary's quarterly publication with all kinds of mission information. Our summer issue is at the press! I am excited because I have already read some of the magazine and I think that the summer issue has some fantastic articles. In this issue there is a article about Glenmary brothers and the wide variety of ministry that they are involved. I also am proud of the article that Fr. Vic Subb and I collaborated on which is about the mission areas that Glenmary has not been able to reach yet.
If you do not receive The Challenge you can click on this link to our website in order to sign up. It is available both in print and online.

Mission Assignments

On Thursday, Fr. Aaron Wessman departed Glenmary HQ on his way to his first assignment, in the missions in Eastern, TN. Pastoral associate in Union and Grainger counties. Fr. Crispine Adongo on Friday to his new assignment in Central TN and Western, KY. Associate Pastor in Macon County and Allen County KY. It is an exciting time for both these men after their years of study and preparation to finally be headed off to serve in the missions. To be missioners in Mission Land USA is why all of us enter into Glenmary and now these two men are finally arriving at that goal.
Today Br. Larry Johnson who has been serving as Personnel Director for Glenmary will also be moving to the missions in Central TN and Western, KY. For the last 18 years he has been living in Ohio County, Kentucky. Ohio County is a former Glenmary Mission area and hosted our former house of studies. Br. Larry is the last Glenmarian to leave there and his presence will be missed tremendously in that area but his gifts and talents will be very much appreciated in the new missions.
This weekend Fr. Vic Subb will become the new pastor in three missions in Central, TN and Western, KY. Fr. Vic had served as Director of the Glenmary Formation Houses for many years and then a brief six month term in the Vocation Office.
The Mission Bell has been ringing a lot this week at Glenmary HQ. When Fr. George Mathis' body arrived the bell was rung to welcome him home. And as the missioners departed for their new assignments we gathered to send them off.

Glenmary Come & See

What better way to get to know Glenmary Home Missioners than to take a trip and experience the missions in person. These photos are from last weekend's Come & See held in the missions of Virginia and Tennessee. 

If a picture is worth a thousand words... then these men's actual experience in the mission is worth a lot more in their discernment of missionary life.

Fr. Vic Subb shares the joy of being a missioner during the opening mass 

St. Patrick Mission in Dungannon, VA

Fr. Tom Charters celebrates the mass
in the new mission in Erwin, TN

Group photo of the men on the discernment weekend.

Fr. Steve preaching in the
mission in Rutledge, TN

Br. Craig  meeting with one
of the men on retreat 

Br. Joe Steen shares his mission stories with a young discerner 

View from Cumberland Gap

Dancing and Old time Music at the
Carter Family Fold

Fr. Vic Subb looking angelic

Congratulations to my Glenmary brothers, Fr. Vic and Fr. Tom who celebrated twenty five years of ordination today!

"I firmly believe that the missioner is one called to be present and to share his life with others. But it is a lifelong learning process, and in many ways I will always be a student. Thank you, Jesus, for calling me." Fr.Vic Subb.

"The novices see me as a priest struggling to make it, but they also see that whatever the struggles are, I'm not going to give up." Fr. Tom Kirkendoll

Vocation Prospects

This spring Glenmary's Vocation Office has been in communication with a number of quality men interested in joining Glenmary Home Missioners. This week we are hosting two more men at our Cincinnati Headquarters for their interviews with the admissions committee. Please keep these men in your prayers this week and ALL those who are in different stages of vocation discernment.
Fr. Vic Subb a Glenmary priest who is currently between mission assignments will be helping in the vocation office for the next few months.

Fr. Vic Subb and I on tour of Cincinnati with a couple of new prospects

California Here We Come!

Glenmary Home Missioners Vocation Department has been attending the Los Angeles Religious Education Congress for the last three years. We set up a Vocation booth their in order to meet with potential prospects who are discerning a call to religious life. This year we are taking a team of missioners in order to allow us to meet with more potential candidates than ever before! I will be accompanied by Pat McEntee, the Associate Vocation Director, Fr. Vic Subb a Glenmary priest who is serving with us as a vocation counselor and Fr. Neil Pezzulo, Glenmary's First Vice-President. In addition to the Vocation team we will also have representatives from the Communication Department and Development Office; Tricia Sarvak and Allison Barrett. Their goal for the conference is to promote Glenmary's Mission Education and Vacation Bible School materials among the conference attendees. 

If you are in the area and would like to visit with us, stop on by the Glenmary booth! Mention this blog and you will receive a special prize.

On the Road Again

Fr. Vic Subb and I are traveling the back roads of Kenya these days. Now that the ordinations are over, we are taking advantage of being in Kenya and visiting the homes of all our current students. We are moving up country, passing through Kisumu and Bungoma for those who are following along on their maps at home... Just crossed the equator! Hope you saw Fr. Neil and my picture from this spot on the back issue of the current Glenmary Challenge magazine.

Want to say thanks to everyone for their wonderful hospitality, "Asante Sana" as they say over here.

Kenya

Fr. Vic Subb and I are on our way to Kenya! This coming Saturday - June 25th, Crispine Adongo and Aaron Wessman both of whom just took their final oath with Glenmary, will be ordained transitional deacons in Crispine's home parish in Ulanda, Kenya in the diocese of Homa Bay. Should be a great celebration!

After the ordination, Fr. Vic and I will be visiting the families of all our current students who are studying with Glenmary. This means a lot of traveling around Kenya but who better to travel with than "Fr Tour Guide" Vic Subb.

Being on the other side of the globe also means it may be difficult to update the blog on a regular basis. I hope to send back some details when I can, so keep checking back. If not I will try to get all the details down after we return to the U.S. on July 9th.