Missionaries are still needed to plant seeds of the Gospel in new ‘soil’

Published: October 13, 2007

By Father Erik Pohlmeier

This week the Church celebrates the memorial of the North American Martyrs. These eight men were the first and only canonized martyrs of the United States and Canada, canonized together by Pope Pius XI in 1930. Three of them were killed in what is now New York state and their shrine is maintained in Auriesville, N.Y. Their feast is marked just two days before the Church celebrates World Mission Sunday. The lives of these missionaries were remarkable in their perseverance and courage. At various times tortured to the point of mutilation they would not retreat from the work God called them too. The great motivation in their frequent recoveries was the desire to continue the work, to make the Gospel known in what was a brutal time. The death of Brother Rene Goupil typifies both courage and gentleness demonstrated by each of them. The blow of an ax took his life even as he taught a child to make the sign of the cross. We are grateful for the dedication of those who shed their blood on the soil of the New World. We are also grateful for many others whose dedication was no less, even if their surroundings were less dangerous. According to the Diocese of Little Rock history book, “Mission and Memory,” we have a great missionary closer to home. Father Matthew Saettele served the diocese from 1889 to 1917 in several different rural areas. According to the book, “At one time, he was handling 55 churches and missions across southern Arkansas from the Mississippi River to the Oklahoma line, virtually one-third of the land area of the state.” Health concerns forced him to retire in 1917 but in 1928, he returned to build St. James Church in Searcy, the 42nd church he built in his lifetime. Such work offers a new perspective on a priest shortage. The preface from Mass for the feast of a martyr says, “Father, you choose the weak and make them strong in bearing witness to you ...” While the Church honors the work of martyrs and missionaries it must be clear the ultimate honor goes to the loving God who makes them strong. Jesus made it very clear he would never abandon the Church and the work of the Holy Spirit can be clearly seen in the work of faithful missionaries. The Church grew from that band of apostles to every part of the world because of countless missionaries. Of course, in our gratitude for the work of people like the North American Martyrs and Father Saettele we do more than just remember their efforts. We honor them by considering their example and responding with our own efforts. Pope John Paul II spoke of the “urgency” of mission even now. The missionary work of the Church is not complete. The Holy Spirit has much more in store for the world and looks for faithful Catholics to share what we have been given. Our faith is rich and the world desperately needs to know Christ. So, even though we may not be at work in the remote areas of the world, the mission is ours to carry on. Some will go and some will stay, but in every part of the world, the Father is ready to make the weak strong in bearing witness to him. Seeds must continue to planted. Father Erik Pohlmeier is the theological consultant for Arkansas Catholic and pastor at St. John the Baptist and St. Mary churches in Hot Springs.

This article was originally published in Arkansas Catholic October 13, 2007. Copyright Diocese of Little Rock. All rights reserved. This article may be copied or redistributed with acknowledgement and permission of the publisher.