Glenmary
Encyclopedia
Glenmary Home Missioners was founded in 1939 by Father William Howard Bishop, a Catholic priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, to serve what he termed "No Priest Land, USA." Today, Glenmary priests, brothers and co-workers are Catholic missionaries who serve in over 40 Catholic missions and ministries,in 13 different dioceses in the United States. Glenmary serves the spiritual and material needs of the Catholic minority, the unchurched and the poor by establishing the Catholic Church in small-town and rural America.
The charism of the Glenmary Home Missioners is to bring the Catholic Church to areas of the United States where it is not yet fully present, especially in the rural and small town areas throughout Appalachia
, the South and Southwest.
Father William Howard Bishop also founded the Home Mission Sisters of America (a.k.a. Glenmary Sisters.) The women's group was founded in 1941, two years after the founding of the men's group.
The Glenmary Research Center (GRC) provides applied research to Glenmary leadership, individual missioners, Church leaders and the wider society. The GRC supplies maps, religious demographic, religious congreation and religious census information.
Glenmary Farm offers a retreat-like immersion service experience in Eastern Kentucky for high school students, college students and parishes in an environment of simple living.
Glenmary's name actually comes from combining the name of the place where the Society was founded, Glendale, Ohio
, with the name of Mary, the Mother of God
. Both the men's and women's communities were founded in Glendale which is near Cincinnati, Ohio
, and both have devotion to Mary under her title 'Our Lady of the Fields'.
The Home Missioners ministry is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the unchurched and to build up the Kingdom of God. The five main areas of their ministry include: Nurturing Catholics, fostering ecumenism
, evangelizing the unchurched, engaging in social outreach, working for justice and making connections to the universal Church.
The charism of the Glenmary Home Missioners is to bring the Catholic Church to areas of the United States where it is not yet fully present, especially in the rural and small town areas throughout Appalachia
Appalachia
Appalachia is a term used to describe a cultural region in the eastern United States that stretches from the Southern Tier of New York state to northern Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. While the Appalachian Mountains stretch from Belle Isle in Canada to Cheaha Mountain in the U.S...
, the South and Southwest.
Father William Howard Bishop also founded the Home Mission Sisters of America (a.k.a. Glenmary Sisters.) The women's group was founded in 1941, two years after the founding of the men's group.
The Glenmary Research Center (GRC) provides applied research to Glenmary leadership, individual missioners, Church leaders and the wider society. The GRC supplies maps, religious demographic, religious congreation and religious census information.
Glenmary Farm offers a retreat-like immersion service experience in Eastern Kentucky for high school students, college students and parishes in an environment of simple living.
Glenmary's name actually comes from combining the name of the place where the Society was founded, Glendale, Ohio
Glendale, Ohio
Glendale is a village in Hamilton County, Ohio, United States. The population was 2,188 at the 2000 census. It is site of the Glendale Historic District.-Geography:Glendale is located at ....
, with the name of Mary, the Mother of God
Mary (mother of Jesus)
Mary , commonly referred to as "Saint Mary", "Mother Mary", the "Virgin Mary", the "Blessed Virgin Mary", or "Mary, Mother of God", was a Jewish woman of Nazareth in Galilee...
. Both the men's and women's communities were founded in Glendale which is near Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati, Ohio
Cincinnati is a city in the U.S. state of Ohio. Cincinnati is the county seat of Hamilton County. Settled in 1788, the city is located to north of the Ohio River at the Ohio-Kentucky border, near Indiana. The population within city limits is 296,943 according to the 2010 census, making it Ohio's...
, and both have devotion to Mary under her title 'Our Lady of the Fields'.
The Home Missioners ministry is to share the Good News of Jesus Christ with the unchurched and to build up the Kingdom of God. The five main areas of their ministry include: Nurturing Catholics, fostering ecumenism
Ecumenism
Ecumenism or oecumenism mainly refers to initiatives aimed at greater Christian unity or cooperation. It is used predominantly by and with reference to Christian denominations and Christian Churches separated by doctrine, history, and practice...
, evangelizing the unchurched, engaging in social outreach, working for justice and making connections to the universal Church.