CHARLOTTE — Pope Francis has set October 2019 as an Extraordinary Missionary Month to foster greater awareness of “missio ad gentes” (“mission to all peoples”) and to animate the missionary transformation of Church life and pastoral activity.
World Mission Sunday will be celebrated this year on Oct. 20. A special collection will be taken up in all parishes Oct. 19-20 to further the work of the Holy Father and the Propagation of the Faith around the world.
In his message for World Mission Sunday 2019 entitled, “Baptized and Sent: The Church of Christ on Mission in the World,” Pope Francis expressed his hope that celebrating this Extraordinary Missionary Month will “help us first to rediscover the missionary dimension of our faith in Jesus Christ, a faith graciously bestowed on us in baptism.
“Our filial relationship with God is not something simply private, but always in relation to the Church. Through our communion with God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we, together with so many of our other brothers and sisters, are born to new life. This divine life is not a product for sale – we do not practice proselytism – but a treasure to be given, communicated and proclaimed: that is the meaning of mission,” he said.
Promoted by the Pontifical Mission Societies, World Mission Sunday is the annual worldwide Eucharistic celebration for the Missions and missionaries of the world. The special second collection taken up during Masses Oct. 19-20 is a global effort for the entire Church to provide for the building up of more than 1,000 local churches in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Islands and parts of Latin America and Europe.
Through the work of these churches and their witness to Christ, the poor receive practical help and experience God’s love and mercy, His hope and peace.
“The Pontifical Mission Societies serve the Church’s universality as a global network of support for the Pope in his missionary commitment by prayer, the soul of mission, and charitable offerings from Christians throughout the world,” Pope Francis said.
He further explained that their donations assist the pope in the evangelization efforts of particular Churches (the Pontifical Society for the Propagation of the Faith), in the formation of local clergy (the Pontifical Society of St. Peter the Apostle), in raising missionary awareness in children (Pontifical Society of Missionary Childhood) and in encouraging the missionary dimension of Christian faith (Pontifical Missionary Union).
The Holy Father added, “In renewing my support for these Societies, I trust that the extraordinary Missionary Month of October 2019 will contribute to the renewal of their missionary service to my ministry.”
For more information about the Pontifical Mission Societies, go to www.propfaith.net/onefamilyinmission/default.aspx.
— SueAnn Howell, senior reporter. Pontifical Mission Societies contributed.
CHARLOTTE — On Friday, the Ohio-based Glenmary Home Missioners released a list of clergy who were credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable adult. The list includes five men – three priests and two religious brothers – they say formerly served in the Diocese of Charlotte.
Brother Al Behm, Father Adelbert (Del) Holmes, Father Ed Smith, Brother Gino Vertassich and Father Anthony Jablonowski were noted as being assigned to the Charlotte diocese by the Glenmary Home Missioners. Three of the men are dead, one left the Glenmary society in 1993, and one was laicized in 2006.
In an Oct. 12 statement, the Charlotte diocese said it is unaware of any allegations of misconduct against the men while they were serving here, but an independent review of historical records is ongoing.
"The Diocese of Charlotte is looking into the service of five clergy on that list who appear to have formerly served within our diocese. We are continuing to gather information and are currently unaware of any allegations against these clergy while serving in the Charlotte diocese," said the statement. "We are grateful the Glenmary religious order has released the findings of their historical review, as it is important to notify all communities in which these clergy have served."
The Glenmary list totals 11 men (seven priests and four brothers) and "is the result of a year-long forensic review commissioned by Glenmary to promote transparency and help bring about healing for victims," Glenmary Home Missioners said in a statement accompanying the release of the list.
"Glenmary has become painfully aware that in the past we have failed to protect minors and vulnerable adults. In addition, we have realized how often our response to victims has been inadequate. We deeply regret these failures," said a separate statement from Father Dan Dorsey, president of the Glenmary Home Missioners. "It is our hope that publishing these names will be a step in the healing process for the victims."
The Glenmary Home Missioners was founded in 1939 by Father William Howard Bishop, a priest of the Archdiocese of Baltimore, to serve what he termed “No Priest Land, USA.” At that time, he noted that more than one-third of the counties of the United States, mostly in Appalachia and the South, had no resident priest.
No Glenmary priests currently serve in the Charlotte diocese, but decades ago there were Glenmary missioners serving in some of the diocese's smallest and most remote parishes, particularly in the far western part of the state.
Since 2002 the Church in the U.S. has had comprehensive guidelines for responding to allegations of abuse, when the U.S. bishops adopted the landmark “Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People,” which spells out protocols for reporting allegations of child sexual abuse and puts in place prevention and accountability measures.
The Glenmary Home Missioners urges anyone with information about abuse concerning Glenmarians to contact the appropriate authorities as well as Father Dorsey at 513-881-7402.
Details about the Charlotte diocese’s Safe Environment policies and how to report an allegation of abuse are online at www.charlottediocese.org/human-resources/safe-environment.
— Patricia L. Guilfoyle, editor