Summer observance celebrates women dedicated to serving in the home missions

The Glenmary Lay Missioners are observing their 50th anniversary this year.

Founded in 1957 and structured as a secular institute, this group of lay women helped with liturgy, religious education, evangelization, and various other ministries while supporting themselves at first with secular jobs and later working in full-time parish ministry.

They served in Glenmary missions in Kentucky, Tennessee, Georgia, Oklahoma, Texas, Arkansas, Mississippi, Ohio and North Carolina. They also did summer mission work in other Glenmary missions.

Today four lay missioners comprise the group: Elizabeth Colville, Mary Luebbe, Kathy O’Brien and Marilyn Riehle.

Kathy O’Brien, a lay missioner for 33 years, currently serves as a pastoral associate at Glenmary’s mission in Waldron, Ark.

Marilyn Riehle, a founding member of the lay missioners, recently retired to Cincinnati after almost 20 years of working in North Carolina.

Elizabeth Colville and Mary Luebbe are retired from active home mission ministry and are also living in Cincinnati.

An observance of the anniversary will be held this summer.