MISSIONARIES OF THE PRECIOUS BLOODMissionary Hearts: Updateby Fr. Larry J Hemmelgarn, C.PP.S. 
Missionary Hearts
Our comprehensive fundraising campaign continues to
grow toward its goal, thanks to our generous supporters.
We are now at $6.5 million, on our way to our goal of $7
milliion. In this phase of our Missionary Hearts fundraising
campaign we are visiting parishes to ask for the support
of those to whom we’ve ministered for many years. Parish
ministry has always been a keystone to the life of our
Congregation here in the United States; in fact, our first
Missionaries came to this country in 1844 specifically to
minister in parishes.
I’ve been scheduling visits to parishes, and logistically
there’s always a lot to do. We have to put together
bulletin announcements letting people know (some
might say warning them!) that I’ll be visiting; work out
a schedule for me to preside at as many Masses as
possible on the weekend of my visit; and talking with
parish councils about Missionary Hearts, among other things.
Through these visits I’ve had a chance to get reacquainted with many of the people who are so vital to life at these parishes: members of the parish staff, and parishioners who are active in parish leadership. I’m always struck by the commitment and passion that these people bring to parish life. Truly – and I know those Missionaries in parish ministry would wholeheartedly agree with me – parishes could not exist without them.
There is no one way to go about working toward a successful parish. Some of the people involved with our parishes are super-efficient; I am in awe of their organizational skills. Others have an expansive and imaginative view of parish life. They don’t seem to recognize any earthly limitations to what their parish family can do. Others are a wellspring of history and Catholic culture. They have a good feel for the roots of their faith. Still others have come into the parish from another place, and bring a fresh and vital viewpoint to everything they do.
Our pastors provide spiritual leadership and help animate the parish. But they know that one of the best things they can do for a parish is to encourage and foster involvement at all levels, and from all age groups, so that when the pastor moves on, the parish continues to thrive. At our liveliest parishes, it’s easy to see a spirit of cooperation alive in the parish offices and among the volunteers.
As Missionaries of the Precious Blood, we like to think that our Congregation brings its own gifts to the parishes that we serve. We’ve been trying in recent years to articulate what those gifts might be. People see in us a willingness to serve the people of God. Most of our priests and brothers are not afraid to roll up their sleeves and dive in to parish life. Some of them can even fix the boiler! In addition to that can-do spirit, we hope that we foster a sense of inclusion at Precious Blood parishes, a universal welcome that comes from the spirit of Jesus, who accepted all as his followers. We also hope that our parishes look outward to those outside the gates, to see where people are struggling and to reach out to them.
One of the blessings of my ministry is that I get to travel around to see our C.PP.S. members in action. They are an inspiration to me. When I work on raising funds for our missions and ministries, I keep their work in mind. It is a privilege to support the work that they have begun, and to see the parish families that are thriving in their care.
(Fr. Larry Hemmelgarn, C.PP.S., is the director of mission advancement for the Missionaries of the Precious Blood.)
