My Prayer for 2015

2014, Our 75th anniversary year, was a time to reflect on our past and a time to dream about our future. Presently we have fourteen men who have been accepted into our Glenmary formation program, men who are preparing to serve in Mission Land USA.  It is is very exciting as s Vocation Director to have men who are so enthusiastic about the future. It has been a joy for me to walk with each man during his discernment process, to get to know him and to help him identify his call to be a Glenmary missioner.

But, as I reflect I have realized that despite the 75 years of Glenmary’s efforts, a recent study indicates that there are over 900 counties in the USA with a population less than 3% Catholic and 176 counties in the United States that lack a Catholic presence— that is no Catholic Faith Community, no Catholic Church, no Catholic Mass, no Catholic Priest, Brother, Sister, etc.

In the near future, our Glenmary students will join with us in serving the missions full time. But that is not enough. Glenmary's ministry of serving the "unattended" and "neglected" mission areas of America has not been completed nor will it be completed by the current students. "This is our challenge yet unmet, our task yet undone," according to Father Bob Dalton, past president of Glenmary.

We thank the good Lord for the many blessings Glenmary received. And we pray that HE may ALWAYS be our companion in mission.  And I ask that my readers join with me in praying for more holy and zealous young men to respond to  their  call to serve "Mission-Land USA." 

AMEN.