By Dan Sullivan
Catholic Herald
Extension supports mission dioceses
SUPERIOR -- The aim of the Catholic Church Extension Society of the United States is to sustain and extend the Catholic faith in poor and remote mission areas of the nation. Thanks to Catholic Extension, the Diocese of Superior and many parishes within its boundaries have received a helping hand.
Because of its rural location, the Superior diocese is considered a mission diocese. Bishop Raphael M. Fliss traveled to Mundelein, Ill., in September and met with 49 other bishops that shepherd mission dioceses in the United States. While there they also met with Extension staff.
"It was a good experience to be able to visit and be with all the other bishops," Fliss said. "The diocese has been the recipient of funds from the Catholic Church Extension Society and they have helped our parishes. I am grateful for all the assistance that has come from the Catholic Church Extension Society, especially during my time as bishop."
During their time together, Fliss said, the bishops viewed a video that was made to help promote the society's 100th anniversary. Profiled in this production is former Duluth, Minn. prelate, Archbishop Roger L. Schwietz, OMI, who now serves the Archdiocese of Anchorage Alaska.
"With their help (Schwietz) learned how to fly," Fliss said. "I thought he was the star of the video."
The Diocese of Superior has received funds from this society as far back as 1909, when St. Joseph Parish in Barron was given $850. Among the other parishes on the list that have received grants are those in Almena, Bayfield, Cameron, Eagle River, Iron River, Ladysmith and Solon Springs.
Since 1969, $1,184,999 has been contributed by Extension in the diocese.
St. Michael Parish, Iron River, received a recent $60,000 grant to help expand its church hall.
"It was a nice surprise," said Fr. Michael Crisp, pastor. "Many of the parishioners didn't know of Catholic Extension before this."
Catholic Extension also gave funds toward an upcoming clergy seminar, "The Seven Habits of Effective People." The organization provided a three year grant for the diocesan choral and, in 2002, funds were used by the diocese to hold the Catholic Student Coalition of Wisconsin Leadership Conference in Superior.
In 1997, Sr. Felissa Zander, SSSF, principal and teacher at St. Francis Solanus School, Reserve, received the society's Lumen Christi Award. This award is given annually, honoring outstanding missionary service in America.
Because of continued contributions, Extension is able to allocate more than $14 million annually to assist with church building and repair, missionary salaries, seminarian education, evangelization and outreach programs, campus ministry and disaster relief. Catholic Extension has distributed a total of $400 million during its century of service.
In a telephone interview with the Catholic Herald, Bishop William R. Houck, president of Catholic Extension, said that this society was founded 0ct. 18, 1905, and will observe its 100th anniversary, Oct. 18, 2004 to Oct. 18, 2005. The celebration began with a Mass, Oct. 18, at Immaculate Conception Church in Lapeer, Mich. This church was the site where the group's founder, Fr. Francis Clement Kelley, served as a priest.
"Our reason for celebrating is to thank God for the many blessings of these 100 years and to help raise awareness among more Catholic people in the United States of the work that the Catholic Extension Society does," Houck said.
"We hope to have more people participate in raising funds and responding to the needs of rural diocese and mission parishes throughout the United States."
To help gain this added attention, Fliss is urging all the pastors of the diocese to get the Extension magazine for their parishioners. This publication is available at no charge.
"My desire is to make the society better known and to make the people better aware of the work they do," he said.
Kelley founded Extension because he was moved by the poverty he saw in rural and remote America. He started this society to extend the resources of the church so that Catholics in remote areas could practice their faith and receive the sacraments, like others who lived in larger cities.
Many of these early "missions" were so distant that, from 1907 to 1930, railroad cars and converted trucks were used to bring priests and these "chapels on wheels" to rural America. The work of Extension has been sustained entirely by donations and is carried on by the ministry of priests, religious and lay missionaries.
Editor's note: Additional information on the Catholic Church Extension Society, is available on the Web at www.catholic-extension.org.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2004