'What, then, is the purpose of our Glenmary Sisters? In the first place, our Sisters are intended to be a mobile group, not tied to a stationary institution which would demand the full-time daily services of large numbers of them.'

Fr. William Howard Bishop

Founder of the Glenmary 

Sisters

“If our interior life is not kept on a high plane, our work can only have an apparent success and not that for very long. The fundamental requirement for true success is that we all strive to be saints.”

Fr. William Howard Bishop

Founder of the Glenmary 

Sisters

1946

'... there is another objective for us to cherish and pursue ... to lift up and improve the moral lives of the people around us, regardless of their beliefs or lack of beliefs; regardless even, whether they will ever accept the faith or not.'

Fr. William Howard Bishop

Founder of the Glenmary 

Sisters

1952

'And if we are constantly attentive to the improvement of the inner life of the spirit, God will see to it that our prayers for the great enterprise for which He has called us, will be answered beyond our expectations.'

Fr. William Howard Bishop

Founder of the Glenmary 

Sisters

1946

'Love the poor, the sick and helpless, and attend to them. They are God’s influentials. They are His aristocrats. He loves them. If you are known in your community as the contact for all the poor and unfortunate of the place, you could not have a more honorable title on earth or one that would make you more welcome in the courts of heaven.'

Fr. William Howard Bishop

Founder of the Glenmary 

Sisters

1948

The  charism of the Glenmary Sisters is to implant the Church in those areas of the United States where it is not yet present in its fullness. We are called and sent to gather the church community, especially in the rural and small town areas of the southern US and Appalachia.

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Outreach to the marginalized

The Glenmary Home Mission Sisters minister to all God’s people regardless of their race, creed or lifestyle.

MIGRANT MINISTRY - The U.S. Hispanic population comes from 19 different countries in Latin and Central America, Spain and Mexico. Many work as migrant farm-workers for low wages and they live in substandard housing. Seventy-five percent are documented as Catholic.

  The Glenmary Home Mission Sisters try to minister to the needs of migrant workers and their families by providing food, clothing, medical assistance and classes in English; but more importantly by sharing in the spiritual life of the people.

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Evangelization

    There are block parties and holiday parades, county fairs and community sings, youth rallies and memorial services. God’s presence is everywhere and we want to be a sign to all that God indeed dwells with His people and loves them so very much.

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Ecumenism

The Glenmary Home Mission Sisters work with the intention and desire for Christian Unity through sharing frequently the Word of God in humble and untiring labor for conversion of heart.

ECUMENICAL OUTREACH - 'You don’t have to do everything yourself!' That’s sometimes a hard lesson to learn but it is gratifying to see when hundreds of people are working together to meet the needs of others. There are several ecumenical outreach centers located in our missions and the Glenmary Sisters are very much involved in each of them.

MINISTERIAL ASSOCIATES - Many of the Sisters belong to the Ministerial Association in their area. After some time for fellowship and prayer those present discuss the business of the organization - nursing home services, articles for the county newspaper, holiday services and ecumenical projects to reach out to those in need. The Sisters enjoy meeting with these dedicated ministers, and are edified that they want to reach out beyond their own congregations and truly be community pastors.

In 1908 Paul Watson proposed January 18th to 24th as the dates to celebrate the Week of Christian Unity. Those dates fall between the feasts of Saint Peter and Saint Paul. But the desire for the unity of Christians can not be limited to one week each year. The Glenmary Sisters find opportunities throughout the year to pray together with the members and ministers of other Christian communities 'that all may be one.

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Social Services

The Glenmary Sisters do not own or operate institutions but they do join forces with others to assess the needs of a community, address the needs, if possible, and to encourage the local people to take ownership of the project or organization. A Glenmary Sister may not be able to stay in a mission to see a project to its completion, but she leaves behind the tools necessary to bring it to fruition with God’s help.

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Catholic Nurture

The Glenmary Home Mission Sisters nurture the faith of the local Roman Catholic community.

RELIGIOUS EDUCATION - Each year in our missions, our Sisters and the local Catholic people struggle to create programs of religious formation that will meet the needs of their particular faith community. In an area where the Catholic population is less than one-percent, this can be quite a challenge. One mission may adopt a lectionary-based program for families; another may prefer a classroom structure; still others may choose to assist the parents to teach their children at home. And then there is sacramental preparation, RCIA, and Vacation Bible Schools - the list is endless but the purpose is the same - to know, love and serve God

PARISH LEADERSHIP - The Glenmary Sister tries to encourage the Catholic laity to take an active role in the life of the parish. Parishioners with leadership skills sometimes need to be coaxed into becoming involved in the liturgical and pastoral life of the faith community.

OUR MISSION - This is what we are about; we plant seeds that will one day grow. We water seeds already placed, knowing that they hold future promise. We lay foundations that will need further development. We provide yeast that produces effects far beyond our capability.'

- Oscar Romero

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