Page 6 February 26, 2017 The Southwest Kansas CatholicVibrant Ministries — Uniting Our Church

“Pope Francis is clearly trying to send a message, that don’t let any sin keep you away, no mat-ter what you’ve done…even if your sins bleed scarlet don’t be afraid, just come.”

Mark Brantley

Appeal

It is strange to think of southwest Kansas as a foreign mission, but that is exactly what it has been for many

priests. The missionary priests currently in the Catholic Dio-cese of Dodge City come from several corners of the globe, leaving family and friends to provide an invalu-able service to the people of southwest Kansas. And it is the service of these missionary priests that the Vibrant Ministries -- Uniting Our Church appeal helps to support. Since 1850, southwest Kansas has been included in five ecclesiastical jurisdictions: the Apostolic Vicariate of Indian Territory East of the Rocky Mountains; the Vicari-ate Apostolic of Kansas; the Diocese of Leavenworth; the Diocese of Wichita; and the Diocese of Dodge City. The bishops who administered these jurisdictions shared one primary responsibility: find priests to serve the people. Father Felix Swembergh, the first resident pastor in Wichita, was a native of France. He would ultimately be the founder of many western missions along the railroad to the Colorado line. Bishops recruited priests to serve specific ethnic groups. Bishop Louis Mary Fink of Leavenworth as-signed Benedictine Father Ferdinand Wolf to serve this vast territory from Windthorst. He spoke German and at the time these Germans, albeit from Cincinnati, were the largest group of immigrants to the area. Bavarian Capuchins from Pittsburgh, Penn. came west to serve the Volga-Germans at Herzog (Victoria). The Capuchins were later recruited to serve immigrants in a five-county mission district from Marienthal. Czech communities in Olmitz and Timken received priests who spoke Bohemian. The United States was also the beneficiary of priests and religious who were exiled during political con-flicts and horrible wars. As a result, southern Kansas became home to priests from Mexico in 1913, and priests from Yugoslavia after World War II. In the late 1940s and early 1950s, Bishop Mark K. Carroll of Wichita recruited men to serve in southern Kansas directly from the seminaries in Ireland. When the Diocese of Dodge City was established in 1951, Bishop Carroll divided the newly-ordained recruits with Bishop John B. Franz for a period of five years. Dodge City bishops have looked to countries that are strong in religious vocations for priests to staff traditional English-speaking parishes and parishes with growing Spanish-speaking and Vietnamese populations. The international priests serving in the diocese today are not from France, Germany, or Yugoslavia, but are natives of Burma, Mexico, Ghana, Nigeria, the Philip-pines and India.

This foreign mission

Born in Ireland, Father Phillip Colleton, SJ, set up 15 stations, two of which were in what would later become the Dodge City diocese. He established a station at Fort Larned for railroad men and Catholic soldiers, celebrating Mass in a garrison, and another station in Dodge City for railroad workers where he celebrated Mass in a section house.

Among the foreign missionary priests serving in the diocese are (clockwise from upper left): Father Peter Fernandez, Philippines; Father Rene Labrador, Philippies; Father George Fajardo, Philippines; Father John Forkuoh, Ghana; Father Felix Bernard, Philippines; Father Anselm Eke, Nigeria; Father Aneesh Parappanattu, India; Father Eric Awuah Gyamfi, Ghana; Father Firmin Kyaw, Burma; Father Prakash Kola, India; and Father Matthew Kumi, Ghana.

Bishop John B. Brungardt greets a Vietnamese couple, one of several countries repre-sented in the diocese. The primary goal of the missionary priest is to serve an area in need, regardless of the ethnic origins of its Catholic population.

Compassionate God, you are the light of the world. You give us your Son to illuminate our path,

and the Holy Spirit to shine through us.Loving God, fill us with the desire to be

with you in all things, Invite others into your light and love,and walk with us on our journey to holiness.

Merciful God, bless our efforts to unite our Churchas you help us to respond to the needs of the least among us,

Form our faith and Strengthen priestly vocations.May we generously share our gifts with one another,

in the name of Jesus our Savior. Amen.

Appeal Prayer