(piano music)
We are Catholic Extension.
And we have a story to tell.
For the next half hour and
throughout this series,
we'll share inspiring stories,
stories of people who are making
a difference in our Church.
For over 100 years, Catholic Extension
has worked to build faith,
inspire hope, and ignite change
in America's most
marginalized communities.
From the moment we are
baptized as Christians,
we are called to be Missionary Disciples
to share the wisdom and the love
that the risen Christ brings to our world.
During this program,
we'll learn about Catholic leaders
who have faithfully devoted
their hearts, minds,
and lives to Missionary Discipleship.
And there's no better example
than an exceptional group
of Latin American Sisters
ministering to people
in the poorest parts of the United States,
with support from Catholic Extension.
(gentle piano music)
The Sisters behind me represent
12 different congregations
from many countries in Latin
America, and they are all over.
They can find them
clearly in the Deep South,
in the Appalachian foothills,
in migrant farm workers' camps.
They're working in dusty
farms in our southern borders,
and in trailer parks along
our northern borders,
as well as in our rural
heartland in so many ways.
Another word for a missionary
is a bridge builder.
And that is clearly what they are doing;
connecting not only new
people to our country,
but the host parishes to welcome people
into their midst and see
the wonderful blessing
that we can all be together.
I'd like to now turn this
over to Sister Marite
who's tonight's maestro.
She's presently working
in Northern California
with mainly migrant farm workers.
I'll turn it over to you, Sister
and get our program started.
(applause)
(guitar plays)
- [Sister Marite] We can be bridge
between the people, the
church, different communities,
different cultures put
together in a big family.
I'm working in Salinas.
The people work in the field.
The immigrant people are
our brothers and sisters
and we need to help them.
We are sharing our life with them.
And Catholic Extension is
making this possible for us.
- I'm very happy that this
group of sisters are here,
learning English and also
focusing on our people
in different parishes who will probably,
or are already probably
suffering that loneliness
because no one talks to them.
And so knowing that these sisters
are going to be there,
to be their company, their translators,
and just making them feel at home,
for me, that's a great,
great, great thing.
- [Sr. Brenda] When
they don't have someone
who speak in their own
language that is Spanish,
they try to follow another demonstrations.
And we have been losing
peole in North Dakota.
But we are present.
We have been...
helping the church to
save and to keep people.
- Through their hard
work and their efforts
they have actually more
than doubled attendance
at our Spanish Holy Mass.
We now have Catechism in Spanish
for adults, and for youth, and for kids.
We also have a men's group in Spanish,
a women's group in Spanish,
a youth group in Spanish doing outreach.
They didn't even have to approach people.
People just came up to them.
They are lit, radiated the
love of the Holy Spirit.
It is incredible to see them.
- [Sr. Brenda] In Williston,
my mission is a real mission.
We evangelize the kids.
The kids evangelize the
parents at the same time.
And it is...
It is awesome.
- [Woman] Uno, dos, tres.
- [Sisters] Hola, Chicago! (laughing)
(inspirational music)
- [Fr. Jack] The Sisters
recently met in Chicago
for pastoral training.
They cheered the Chicago
Cubs on to victory.
They met with the Chancellor
of Catholic Extension,
Cardinal Blase Cupich.
(inspirational music)
The Sisters performed
religious and cultural songs
from their homelands at a local parish.
And they experienced
daily life in the city,
sharing the joys of Consecrated life
with the many people that they met.
And they hosted retreat for young women
considering a vocation to religious life.
(Sister plays guitar and
sings Spanish religious music)
- [Sister] The younger people need to
take their life in their hands.
We only live once.
And we need to live...
with the heart.
God dreamed something for you.
When you find it, you can be happy.
That's my secret.
(Sisters play guitar and
sing Spanish religious music)
- We're not getting as many
vocations as we used to.
And so I am happy that
these sisters are here
and God willing, they will
be talking about vocation.
- They're gonna foster vocations
just by being present to people.
You can see that they have the ability to
approach people with an open heart.
And that kind of witness is
so very important in vocation recruitment.
- [Sister] If somebody is
thinking about become a sister,
the first thing is you
need to be close to Jesus.
You need to pray...
to keep your heart in silence,
and to listen, His voice...
His loud voice.
You can hear this voice in your heart.
He's calling you...
in the face, the voice, and
the suffering of the people.
Don't be afraid.
(singing a religious song in Spanish)
(group singing along in Spanish)
(dog barking)
- [Woman] They're going
out into the periphery.
They're going out and they're reaching out
to families that...
are no longer...
going to church, to...
young people that have
fallen away from God.
And they are...
allowing them, they're enabling them
to embrace the church again.
- The Sisters are able to
then to do that bridging
with the rest of the community.
And it's made a tremendous difference
when you see the excitement
that the people have,
how they look forward to the Sisters.
But then how the Sisters
then build on that trust,
and began to form them.
(group singing and clapping
a religious Spanish song)
- [Erika] They are gente puente.
They are bridge builders.
They are women who are dedicated...
to Jesus.
- [Cardinal Cupich] First of all, is that
it gives access to pastoral care
to people who have their,
as their first language and
their language of prayer,
this wonderful ministry of these Sisters.
(sister speaking in Spanish)
The second is that it really does show
that we have so much in
common across borders
where this is an effort to
build bridges and not walls.
And that's really what I think
we need to do in the church:
to let people know that
we really are enriched by
each other when that happens.
And the third thing that happens is,
I think that they gain an experience
of what the church is like here,
to the point where, hopefully,
their own ministry once they
return will be enriched.
I've always found that to be the case.
When people come and
visit another country,
they go back enriched in
their own faith and practice.
- [Sr. Maria] So I know the
great work that is being done
because of the effort that
Extension is giving us.
And I was shocked when I was told
that all these Sisters
were going to be coming
to be able to help our Church.
Welcome, the stranger.
(guitar plays)
(sister sings in Spanish)
- [Fr. Jack] I'm more and more grateful
to witness the beautiful and humbling work
that these Missionary Disciples,
these women religious,
are doing to build
vibrant, faith communities
in the poorest parts of our country.
I'm also more and more convinced
of the value and importance
of Catholic Extension
in shaping the future of our faith
right here in the United States.
(inspirational guitar music)
A new group of seminarians
have heard the call
to Missionary Discipleship.
And they've responded by
dedicating their lives
to service and the Church.
They are America's next
generation of Catholic priests.
And more and more, they're
coming from surprising places:
poor, mission dioceses,
throughout our country.
Throughout its history, Catholic Extension
has helped mission dioceses
manage the cost of
vocations to the priesthood,
providing funding in support
of seminary education
in places like Mount
Angel Seminary in Oregon.
(birds chirping)
(bells toll)
- I wasn't raised Catholic.
Grew up on a cattle ranch.
I spent all my life on horseback.
My grandfather and them,
they were Christian,
but didn't attend church, but
we always prayed at meals.
I was successful at what I did.
I went all over the southwest
gathering wild cattle,
catching wild burros, wild donkeys.
I had a nice string of horses.
I had everything that was
supposed to make ya' happy:
A fiance...
You know, all of it,
but was missing something.
I guess right then, it kinda started
with our Blessed Mother.
I didn't really know her.
So I went and bought a rosary
and started to pray it,
or learned how to pray it.
I didn't know how to pray it.
And just slowly but surely,
the rosary just, and our Blessed Mother,
led us to her Son and...
I was baptized, confirmed,
and received First Communion
in the Catholic faith.
Best day of my life.
It all started with our Blessed Mother.
She led me to her Son,
and I pursued with an open
heart and an open mind
and this is where it's led me.
(bells toll)
(seminarians chatting)
- [Seminarian] When I was
about seven years old,
I went to my uncle and aunt's wedding.
And they lost me.
And they had no idea where I was.
My mom went and found me
kneeling in front of a
stained glass window.
And she says that from that moment
she knew that I was probably
called to the priesthood.
♫ Amen ♫
- I started asking God,
"What do you want me to do?"
And when I finally realized
what it was, it gave me peace.
I mean, it doesn't mean
it's gonna be easy.
You're not gonna have
any problems in life,
but it's really, whatever
God wants you to do,
that's gonna give you peace.
And other people will
confirm that, as well.
It's not like, you just have to wait.
God will give you confirmation
through other people.
(congregation singing prayers)
- Little by little, I was discovering...
the real call, what is the real...
reason to become a priest and to be...
to be server in the church.
- As a priest I want to serve
as Christ in his community.
In this case, for me, become
a priest is a beautiful gift
because I have the responsibility
to hold our community
but at the same time to
learn from this community
how to walk with them.
- [Seminarian] My favorite
part of the seminary:
I really enjoy doing the Liturgies;
so morning prayer and evening prayer.
I never thought of doing
the Liturgy of the Hours,
especially at the Vespers with the monks,
because hearing them chanting,
you feel something when you hear it.
And I feel like my time here,
even though it's my first year,
I felt...
more spiritual.
Even though I might be
stressing over a test
that I'll have later that day.
But it's good refreshment to remind me
that no matter what I do,
Christ is always with me.
(monks chanting)
- [Seminarian] The missionary
work is definitely something
that Christ did Himself, and
that He calls us to do as well.
When you think about what Jesus did,
and His work, and His ministry,
He was going out to the areas
that were harder to get to;
to people that might not be the first ones
you think that you would go talk to.
- [Joseph] The Diocese of Reno
is kind of small, population wise.
There's only 90,000 Catholics.
But land wise, it is massive, it's huge.
We have three priests that cover
almost the entirety of
the eastside of the state.
- [Jesus] Northeastern Nevada
has always needed priests.
We have a couple different
Missions, parishes,
close to where we are,
that they may only say
Mass maybe once a month.
- [Joseph] Personally, as
myself as a missionary,
I see that as my call to
go forth and bring Christ
wherever that might be in
whatever manner that might be.
It might be in the hospital,
ministering to sick people.
It might be going and
helping teach RCIA classes.
And it might actually be like
the classical Missionary thing:
going out to people who
do not yet know Christ.
Once there's that encounter with Christ,
that full, deep encounter with Christ,
that's what's going to be the thing
that's most helpful in the diocese.
And so, that's what my goal is.
(somber guitar music)
- [Jason] It's unique.
You have the Indian culture.
You have the Hispanic culture.
You have agricultural
and the ranching culture.
We have the oldest Catholic
Church still standing,
St. Michael's in Santa Fe.
We have the Lourdes to
the Southwest, Chimayo.
It's just really, really,
really rich in tradition
and really rich in Catholic
Tradition and faith.
That's home, I love it.
It's very important, the assistance
that Catholic Extension
gives to Mission dioceses
because they're not wealthy dioceses.
New Mexico's a very poor state.
We've had kind of a flood of vocations
in the last few years.
When I first entered, there
was 40 something seminarians.
And there's 30 something still now
in the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
It couldn't be possible without the help.
- [Jesus] It might be hard for a diocese
sometimes to say which guys
can go to the seminary,
which guys can't, because of funds.
It's definitely something
that we appreciate
that there are people out
there that are willing to help
and be our benefactors and pray for us
and keep it going, keep
the Church growing.
- It is important that Catholic Extension
supports the seminarians because...
Without you we cannot
continue our education.
And we are here because
we want to serve people.
So without you, we would not
be able to serve the people
and to serve the Church.
(bells toll and people singing prayers)
- [Jason] A priest is just
like a rancher, you know.
He gets that call in the middle of night,
you get up, you go.
Your day off, you get up, you go.
I mean, you serve, 24/7.
It's not a nine to five job.
It's who you are.
We gotta smell like the sheep,
but I guess in my case,
smell like the cows.
You know? (chuckles)
- Definitely need to ask God,
"What do you want me to do?"
And take the time to listen.
Sometimes we don't, we just
want answers right away.
But sometimes it takes time
to receive that answer from God.
- [Jesus] I definitely
think praying about it,
talking about it with a priest,
or someone in a religious order,
having a spiritual
person, a spiritual guide,
or a spiritual father
or something like that,
a spiritual mother,
someone that definitely
can be able to help you discern better,
along with your own prayer.
Sometimes it can be easy to say no.
But when you have the support behind you,
it's easier to say yes.
- [Jason] Just like Christ says,
St. John Paul II says, "Be not afraid."
If you're truly called to this,
draw very close to our Blessed Mother.
Take her hand, let her lead you to Him.
Put your hands to the
plow and don't look back.
(church organ music)
- [Joseph] The ultimate answer
to all of life's sufferings,
to all of life's problems,
ultimately lies in the Cross.
It lies there, where God
takes on the human condition,
takes on all the pain, all the suffering.
That can be a place where
we can find Christ as well.
- [Luis] I remembered
my pastor used to say,
"The vocation is a result
of communal prayer.
"If the community is praying,
"the love is always going to create,
"and the love is going to create hope.
"It's going to create new
vocations for the church."
And I think that every single seminarian
is a result of the...
the prayer of the community.
Our mission is...
to live the Gospel.
If we live the Gospel,
we are missionaries.
(bells toll)
- [Fr. Jack] Catholic Extension
is providing increasing financial support
for the many young men
studying for the priesthood,
from mission dioceses.
Communities that are beckoning
a new generation of young men
to become Missionary Priests.
- [Sister] Pope Francis has
been a great help in this
because I think he has a tremendous desire
for those who will be future priests
to really serve people in a way that is
in line with what Our
Lord would have done.
That is, to smell like the sheep,
to be among the people,
to understand what their life is like.
It means visiting nursing homes.
It means visiting hospitals,
places where life is on the edges.
(mellow inspirational music)
(transitions into exciting,
inspirational music)
- [Fr. Jack] Catholic
Extension supports efforts
to develop quality lay leadership,
missionary disciples,
and sufficient numbers
to build up faith communities
across our country.
One of the lay leaders we support
is a graduate of the Air Force Academy.
Now, she's helping to build ministries
for American families all over the globe,
in her work for the Archdiocese
for the Military Services.
- [Young Woman] Priests and Religious
have a very specific
call to be a missionary.
But we do as well.
And we are the ones that
are in the workplace.
We are the ones that are doing the normal,
every day-to-day stuff.
And those parts of our lives
are to be sanctified as well.
And so I think that
that's a special position
that lay people have as
being missionary disciples.
(inspirational music)
(talking to audience)
We see in Scripture how Christ
worked with a very small group of people.
He would meet people along the way.
He would perform miracles.
He would heal people on the street.
But those who he worked
with day in and day out
was a very small number of people.
I thought that that was a very
interesting model to consider;
Focusing more on that discipleship model.
And so, something that seems
to come out as a valuable tool was,
"How do I work with people, young adults,
"who are all around the world?"
Well, I can focus in on a few,
do some development, leadership
development for them,
and then send them out.
- I'm the Archbishop of
the youngest archdiocese
in the United States
because most of my people
are between the ages of 18 and 28.
So we're dealing with...
Millennials, or post-millennials,
whatever you wanna call them.
So we have to find a new way to reach them
with the message of the Gospel.
And so that means, we have to go them.
They're not necessarily
opposed to Religion
but we have to invite them.
And preferably, we have to invite them
by having their peers be the ones
who extend the invitations.
So obviously this...
involves a paradigm shift
from a, basically,
chapel-oriented programs
to programs that reach out.
(whirring chopper blades)
- [Casey] It's very
important for us to look at
that population, that demographic,
within the Military Archdiocese
because 95% of the U.S.
Military is young adults.
I connect through social media.
That's through Facebook,
Instagram, Twitter.
A lot of it is electronic communication
but also trying to connect
more verbally or physically
at religious education conferences.
- [Fr. Jack] Casey recently
organized the conference
for young Catholic faith
leaders in the military.
The conference and its theme,
Serving As A Missionary Disciple,
were developed to support
Catholic leaders in the military
and to challenge them to embody Christ
in every aspect of their lives.
- [Casey] That's kind of like
what the lay vocation is.
We do these ordinary, day-to-day actions
that don't seem to be,
quote and quote, heroic...
But they are.
When you put intentionality into that,
it really does become
the joy in our lives.
We get to see people flourish.
And also, seeing that
community of believers grow.
(praying)
- [Male Voice] Catholics in the military
are dealing with lots of transitions:
the transition of moving,
the transitions of friends,
and homes, and things like that.
But over the last 10
years, and even longer,
the reality of war has
had a tremendous impact.
So deployments and high
tempo of operations
has been really difficult
for families to manage.
(helicopter whirring loudly)
- [Male Soldier] In combat,
our training would kick in.
Your instincts, you do the best you can.
And then after the work is
when it really hits you.
It's a delayed effect.
It's...
Unreal...
It changes everybody one way or another,
whether they want to admit it or not.
I was baptized Catholic but
my family didn't practice.
And actually, received my
Sacraments in the military
and it meant a lot to,
not just me, but my wife.
And both of us made a
lot of very good friends
in the parish on posts in Germany.
I still talk to them this day.
(inspirational music)
- [Casey] The call to
holiness that we each have:
How do we become holy?
We grow in virtue.
We make good habits in
our day-to-day lives.
And I think that that's very parallel
to the military lifestyle.
(transitions into upbeat
inspirational music)
- [Fr. Jack] For Casey, a love of ministry
and the military go hand-in-hand.
She said, "Military members are trained
"in discipline, morality, and virtues,
"in such a way that, when given hope,
"they can order their lives
"for the greater glory of God."
(upbeat inspirational music)
Our Holy Father, Pope Francis,
calls us to reach out to the marginalized
and the peripheries of our society.
And he's inviting us to
realize our baptismal call
by becoming missionary disciples
and followers of the risen Christ.
These inspiring examples
of women religious,
seminarians, and lay leadership,
each answering the call,
shows us what faith looks like
when it is meaningfully expressed
through missionary discipleship.
They show us a path for
the future of our Church.
And the gift that every Catholic
can bring to everyone,
in every community,
in every circumstance.
(laughs)
I hope you have been inspired
by the people and the places
we've shown you today.
And I pray that these stories
will move you to follow
the call of our faith:
to reach out to those in need
and to share the joy of Christ's love.
What an exciting time to
be Catholic in our country.
Please visit our website,
catholicextension.org
to join Catholic Extension
and our mission of building faith,
inspiring hope, and igniting change
in mission dioceses
across the United States.
I look forward to the next time
we meet here on Catholic Extension.
May God bless you and all whom you love.
(gentle piano music)
