Brother David Henley, Glenmary’s vocation director, rang the bell and Glenmary president Father Chet Artysiewicz presided as the men were given blessed crucifixes and told to be “messengers of salvation and peace, marked with the sign of the cross.” Glenmary priests and brothers from the Cincinnati headquarters and office staff gathered for the annual ceremony outside the novitiate house.
At the conclusion of the blessing, Erick and Willy drove off, passing Father Chet who sprinkled their vehicles with holy water.
Erick and Willy hope to make their First Oaths with Glenmary next summer. They are part of a group of nine men currently in formation for Glenmary.
About Glenmary Home Missioners
Glenmary Home Missioners (aka the Home Missioners of America) are a Catholic society of priests and brothers who, along with coworkers, are dedicated to serving the spiritual and material needs of people living in mission counties throughout Appalachia and the South. Learn more at Glenmary.org.