Page 38 - Catholic Extension Magazine Winter 2019

38 INSPIRE

Lumen Christi Finalist

The Glenmary
Missioners regularly
serve Mass in a converted
barn in the fields of rural
Tennessee that is fondly
called “the manger.”

GLENMARY HOME MISSIONERS | DIOCESE OF KNOXVILLE, TENNESSEE
Missionaries in Appalachia:

growing the faith

ccording to a recent occurred in less than eight years. the area’s first Catholic church.
Gallup Poll, church The Glenmary charism is sim- One hundred years later, several
attendance in the ply to go where there is no Catho- counties still have no church or
United States is at lic Church community and to start organized Catholic community.
an all-time low. But one, literally going door-to-door In 2011, the Glenmary Home
A in eastern Tennes- to introduce themselves and to Missioners (GHM) arrived to bring
see, the Glenmary Home Mission- share the Good News.” the Catholic faith to the inactive
ers are building churches to meet Catholic Extension has long and fallen away, and to build up
the needs of a growing Catholic partnered with the Glenmary Mis- the faithful. Through their tireless
population. sioners in the deep South. efforts, two new churches have
Bishop Richard Stika of Knox- Catholics are the minority in recently been constructed and a
ville said, “Nowhere is the mission- this area, representing about 3 third is in the works.
ary spirit that embodies Christ’s percent of the population. One The missioners — Fathers Tom
light more evident than in these of Catholic Extension’s earliest Charters and Steve Pawelk, Broth-
Appalachian counties where an grants in 1907 was to build Blessed ers Craig Digmann, Joe Steen and
incredible transformation has Sacrament Church in Harriman, Tom Sheehy, and Kathy O’Brien