2022 Missionary Co-op Next Weekend
Our diocese works with various missionary organizations within the Church to help support them in their missions. One of the ways we support them is by meeting missionaries from these apostolates and learning about their missions and committing our support both prayerfully and financially.
Next weekend, Fr. Dan Dorsey, G.H.M of the Glenmary Home Missioners will be at our weekend Masses to share about Glenmary’s missionary efforts, which focus on serving the spiritual and material needs of people right here in the United States!
Often when we think about “the missions” we think of third world countries on the other side of the world. But the Gospel is in dire need of being shared right here in our own backyard. Last week, when we heard about the Good Samaritan, we see that the Samaritan didn’t have to travel the globe to help his neighbor, he only had to stop on the side of the street he was already walking and put in the time and effort to love the man that the rest of the world neglected.
The Glenmary Home Missioners, who began in Ohio, serve some of the most remote areas of Appalachia and the rural South, bringing the Catholic Church to areas where there may not be another Catholic Church for a great distance.
As we examine our own local situation and the realities of our rural churches here in Newton and Jasper Counties, I think perspective is useful. Newton County has three Catholic Churches, Jasper County has four Catholic Churches, and Benton County just to our South has five Catholic Churches, which makes 12 Catholic Churches in this tri-county area, or nearly 20% of the parishes for our entire diocese! In fact, in our diocese we have 5 counties with only one Catholic Church and one county with no Catholic parish at all. While we are indeed rural, farming country here in Newton and Jasper Counties, we have more churches per capita than any other part of our diocese. These are not the rural areas we are talking about when we are talking about the Glenmary Home Missioners.
The Glenmary Home Missioners go to the rural south to counties and regions where there are no established parishes, and under the direction of the local bishops, begin new parishes to later be run by the diocese. These are areas, due to the terrain, that are very long distances from the nearest Catholic community. The Glenmary Home Missioners engage the local population in other outreach opportunities that we might take for granted in our communities as well, such as setting up food banks, pregnancy centers, etc.
I invite you to prayerfully discern your participation in this Missionary Cooperative with the Glenmary’s. Next weekend there will be a special second collection, with all donations going to support the work of the Glenmary Home Missioners. Please make all checks out to the local parishes here, and we will combine all the collections, per the request of the Glenmary Home Missioners, into one check to send to their offices.
I know there are so many demands upon us these days, but there is no greater gift than to help spread the Kingdom of God! Thank you for your support of the Glenmary Home Missioners and we look forward to meeting Fr. Dan Dorsey G.H.M. next week and learning more about their exciting work in the Mission Church here in America.
God Bless,
Fr. Bennett
Most Sacred Heart of Jesus – Have Mercy On Us
Immaculate Heart of Mary – Pray For Us
Sts. Joseph, Michael, Peter, Paul and Augustine – Pray For Us