Sister Mary shares missionary spirit in diocese for 11 years

Native of Ireland will lead RCIA in a California parish

Published: June 27, 2009

By ARMANDO RIOS
ASSOCIATE EDITOR

Arkansas Catholic file photo by Tara Little

Sister Mary Glynn, SJC (right), visits with Karen Miller (left) of Little Rock and Anne McGuire, a professor from St. Gregory University, at Little Rock Theology Institute's graduation in 2005.

Arkansas Catholic file photo by Tara Little

Sister Mary Glynn, SJC (right), visits with Karen Miller (left) of Little Rock and Anne McGuire, a professor from St. Gregory University, at Little Rock Theology Institute's graduation in 2005.

Sister Mary Glynn wanted to be a missionary in India or Africa when she made her profession in 1961 as a Sister of St. Joseph of Cluny. Forty-eight years later, she has ministered in North America and has learned from the Lord the meaning of mission.

"I realized very soon after I got to Canada that God's mission is everywhere, it was not just in India and Africa," Sister Mary said. "It was certainly there (Canada), and it was certainly in California, and it was in Rhode Island and here. It was in all these places but in different ways."

Sister Mary, director of religious education and Christian initiation for the Diocese of Little Rock since 2000, felt called to Arkansas by the order's history of serving in the diocese when it was younger.

After her profession, Sister Mary, a native of Galway, Ireland, was sent to Onta rio, Canada. There she taught, became a principal and area superintendent. In 1979 she went to Wilmington, Calif., to be a teacher and later director of religious education. From 1987 to 1995, Sister Mary was the provincial of the United States and Canada for her order, based in Newport, R.I.

She took a sabbatical, earned a master's degree in pastoral studies from Loyola University in Chicago, and was attracted to Little Rock where there was a vacancy in the position of associate director of religious education.

Sister Mary arrived in the diocese in 1998 as associate director. In 1999 she became the acting director and in 2000 accepted her present post as director.

Sandy Compas came on as associate director in 2003 and died in a car wreck in 2006. Diana Pisana joined the staff as associate director in 2007.

After 11 years with the Diocese of Little Rock, Sister Mary will be returning to California July 4, where she hopes to work with the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults program in a parish setting.

"It has been very good, it has been a real joy and a gift and a privilege for me to be here," Sister Mary said one recent afternoon, sitting in her office at St. John Center. "I was very interested in coming to Arkansas because our sisters had been in Conway and Morrilton in the beginning from 1879 to 1899. I had done a lot of research on that, so there was a little draw there."

Sister Mary saw her coming to the diocese as continuing the mission those sisters started so many years before.

Through the years, she has met many Catholics who have impressed her.

"It has been a real privilege to work with all the people I have worked with, catechetical leaders, catechists, RCIA coordinators, Why Catholic? coordinators and our theology institute," she said. "All of those people have really inspired me by their commitment, their perseverance and their faithfulness in doing what they do. Especially since so many of them are volunteers.

"I often think they are like the 72 disciples Jesus sent out, when they come back they are all excited and they are talking to Jesus about what will happen," Sister Mary added. "It is always so wonderful that these people get so excited about what is happening in their parish, their enthusiasm, their excitement when the children are receiving the sacraments or when teenagers get an insight or as they journey with the people in RCIA, how they are so touched by what comes into their lives."

Sister Mary said she also enjoys seeing students in the Little Rock Theology Institute grow as they learn, and their commitment to the program.

"It has really been a real gift for me and a privilege to get to know all those people," Sister Mary said. "It is hard to say goodbye, but life moves on."

Sister Mary said the plan had been for her to leave sooner, she and her provincial had been discussing it, but Compas' death in 2006 changed the plan. Now is a good time to move forward, she said.

"I know that there is not a replacement for me yet, and I don't know how long it is going to take to find a replacement," she said. "But Diana and Jasmine (Moore, secretary) are very good, very responsible. Diana will have been here two years in October and Jasmine has been here a year since January, so they know all the procedures and they are pretty good. Even though we might not get someone right away they will keep things going as best they can. So from that point of view, I feel OK."

There are also many people out there who are educated catechetical leaders, working with RCIA, strong in their faith and in their parishes, comfortable sharing their faith, she added.

"I think the office has made a contribution, there are more people out there more sure of themselves who are working on evangelization and are doing the things that we are supposed to be doing," she said.

Sister Mary said she is going to miss the people most of all, but also the beauty of Arkansas. She enjoyed living with the Sisters of Mercy at Mount St. Mary Convent while in Little Rock and will miss them as well. She looks forward to -- hopefully -- having less responsibility working in a parish, and being back with other sisters in her community.

"I am very grateful for the opportunity to have ministered here and certainly very grateful for all of those people out there who have not just supported me but believed in me," she said. "When someone believes in you that makes you believe in yourself."