Spending a day in a mission county with a Glenmary pastor and coworker
leaves visitors exhausted, reflective and inspired.
by Jean Bach

SERVING THE COUNTY: Father Frank Ruff talks with a customer at the Todd County Interfaith Center, the board of which he chairs. In the first quarter of this year, the center helped 38 families with emergency assistance.

I have been asked many times what makes a Glenmary missioner different from other priests and brothers ministering in the Church. I reply that Glenmary missioners are priests and brothers, who along with lay coworkers, work in rural regions of the United States, establishing the Catholic Church where it has never been before.

Then I add the sentence that makes Glenmary unique: Glenmarians and coworkers think in terms of serving a county, not just a parish. For a Glenmary missioner, all those living in a home mission county are looked on as parishioners, no matter their religious affiliation or lack thereof.

“Glenmarians are taught that approach to ministry from the time they enter the community,” says Father Frank Ruff. “It takes initiative on the part of the missioner to get involved in the community and reach out to the other churches. Outreach is key.”

So in one day, a missioner may celebrate Mass, attend the funeral of a well-known member of the community, help plan the county’s next ecumenical event with the local ministerial association, help stock the town thrift store, stop by a local business to express condolences to the owner on his mother’s death and anoint a parishioner who is dying and spend time with the family—all before lunch. And the next day will be just as full but entirely different.

There are no “typical” days in the life of a Glenmary missioner or coworker because their days are guided by the needs of the county they serve. Tricia Sarvak and I recently spent a day with Father Frank Ruff, pastor of two Glenmary missions in Western Kentucky, and pastoral associate Paul Witte, to see firsthand a missioner’s reality.

Glenmary’s approach to ministry means Father Frank and Paul have a parish of 12,000—the county’s population. Each Sunday, about 60 of those people attend Mass in Elkton and another 60 attend in Guthrie about 15 miles away.

All one has to do is ride along with Father Frank as he travels the roads of Todd County to realize that he knows many more folks besides the 120 people who attend Mass each week.

Along the way, he points out houses of those he knows—and it seems like he points to every other house! Some are members of the two missions, others are folks he has met through his many involvements in the county and still others are acquaintances of the first two groups. And they all have one thing in common—they associate Father Frank and Paul Witte with the local Catholic church.

Because the areas where Glenmary works have had little or no exposure to Catholics, missioners find unique ways to introduce themselves to the local community. Common ways include writing newspaper columns or buying airtime on a local radio station. Through these media, they are able to explain what Catholics believe and address some common misconceptions.

Father Frank, a missioner for 48 years, has pastored the two Todd County missions since 2000. He writes a weekly newspaper column and is a member of the two very active ministerial associations in a county that has 79 churches and one Mennonite community. In addition, he is chair of the Todd County Interfaith Center’s board of directors. The center is an outreach ministry of 28 churches that provides emergency assistance and food to those in need and operates the local thrift store.

Both Paul and Father Frank work to meet the needs—spiritual and material—of their county. For Paul, that means outreach work with the Spanish-speakers in the county, work he has done for the past four years. He welcomes immigrants and provides translation and advocacy services.

He nurtures the faith of those in the Spanish-speaking community who are Catholic as well as inviting others to the Church.

And he helps build bridges between the English- and Spanish-speakers by offering a class for folks interested in learning Spanish and helping Spanish-speakers learn English.

“It’s a challenging ministry,” he says, “but it’s one that is essential here because there aren’t many folks looking out for the needs of immigrants living here.”

T?he last stop of our trip was at the farm of Tim and Gwen Moberly who became the newest members of the Elkton mission during the Easter Vigil held three days earlier. Gwen notified Father Frank that one of her mares had given birth earlier that afternoon and invited him and his guests to come for a visit.

Father Frank said he was amazed how strong the foal was for being only six hours old. “Foals may look weak,” Gwen told him, “but they are really pretty strong from birth and with a little nourishment and some attention, they gain strength pretty quickly.”

The same can be said of Glenmary missions and the way Glenmarians and coworkers approach their ministry. Glenmary has historically been attracted to areas where no one else wants to go because, on the surface, these places—counties—seem weak. The areas are poverty stricken, have a Catholic minority and have a large number of unchurched folks.

But once a missioner gets to know the community and becomes involved, a multitude of hidden strengths are revealed. And with a little nourishment and attention, the Catholic community they establish and the outreach and ministry efforts they begin get stronger.

Our “day” with Father Frank and Paul began when we arrived in Elkton at 6 p.m. and concluded after 9 p.m. the following night. We met many people, saw the connection these missioners have made with those they serve and learned more about life and Glenmary ministry in Todd County than one article could ever cover.

And we witnessed the commitment and love Father Frank and Paul have for their 12,000 “parishioners.”

“It’s a wonderful way to live your life,” Father Frank says.

Jean Bach, is the assistant editor of Glenmary Challenge; Tricia Sarvak is the graphic designer for Glenmary’s Communications Department.