Reaching out to U.S., international discerners
Students from Africa, Mexico and the United States make up Glenmary formation classes

Discernment: Father Dominic, left, and Father Steve with a young man they visited in Nigeria.

[Ohio] Father Steve Pawelk, Glenmary’s vocation director, has been an international traveler during the first months of 2008.

In late January and early February he visited Nigeria and Kenya, Africa. While in Kenya, Father Steve, with pre­novitiate director Father Vic Subb, led a discernment retreat for men interested in Glenmary missionary priesthood or brotherhood.

Father Dominic Duggins, Glenmary’s first vice president, accompanied Father Steve to Nigeria where they made home visits to young men who had contacted Glenmary via e-mail about their desire to join the society.

Two men from Kenya and two men from Nigeria have been invited to join the pre­novitiate program in Hartford, Ky., that begins in August.

In addition to the international students, Father Steve says there are two men from the United States who are in the process of applying to Glenmary.

In April, Father Steve traveled to Mexico to visit with Glenmary’s two aspirants who are enrolled in a program for men considering a missionary vocation.

CMSM COMMITTEE MEETS: Father Dan Dorsey, standing left, hosted a meeting of the Conference of Major Superiors of Men (CMSM) Mission Committee at Glenmary’s Cincinnati Headquarters on April 11. Father Dan, as president of Glenmary, is a member of CMSM, a national representative body for men in religious and apostolic communities in the United States. Also attending the meeting were, from left, Father Bob Kelly, SVD; Father Clyde Phillips, MM; Father Mike Montoya, MJ; Father Michael McNulty, SJ; and Glenmary Father Mike Kerin. Photo/Tricia Sarvak

While in Mexico, Father Steve also met with men interested in joining Glenmary’s aspirancy program. Two men will join the program this fall. Glenmary also offers an aspirancy program in the United States at the Pontifical Josephinum in Columbus, Ohio. Both programs are for men who are in discernment with Glenmary but don’t have a college education.

“All of the young men I have visited, both in Africa and Mexico, are such an inspiration to me,” Father Steve says. “They truly have a desire to serve the home mission in the United States. For many, I think, it’s a way they see they can pay back what they have been given by the missionaries who have served in their countries.”

For the past several years, Glenmary has had men in all stages of formation studying for both brotherhood and priesthood.

“We are blessed by the increased number of men who are discerning a vocation with Glenmary,” Father Steve says.

“I’m very thankful for all our students and for all those who, with their prayers, are supporting the students as well as our vocation program.”

Is God calling you to be a home missionary?
Read more about discernment and vocations in Father Steve's "In Search of the Spirit" - letters.