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The Midwest Bishops did not know how prophetic they were when they signed Strangers and Guests in May of 1980. Fluctuations in the farm economy along with the economic and farm policies of the Reagan years took their toll. In the late 70s farmers were told to expand. In the early 80s interest rates doubled and tripled. Farm prices were going down. Many farmers who were heavy in debt could not cash flow. Farm foreclosures were becoming more and more common. Farmers were very stressed out. Family problems were added to the financial problems.
Rural life directors and the NCRLC groped for ways to respond pastorally to farmers who were either in danger of losing their farms or had already lost their farms. Members organized or became part of rallies on courthouse steps to stop foreclosures. Dioceses with an active rural life director or a commitment to a social concerns office developed one-on-one and family counseling programs. Some trained and developed peer counseling programs, retreat programs for farm couples, support groups. Efforts were made to become more active in changing food and agriculture policies on both the state and national level that had been detrimental to farmers.
Greg Cusack from Davenport, Iowa, a former state legislator was hired as executive director in 1981. Among the skills that he brought to the position were an accomplished public speaker, writer, and knowledge of the political process. During his tenure, NCRLC became more active in impacting national food and agricultural policies. NCRLC testified at numerous legislative hearings and collaborated nationally with a number of rural life groups.
Through this all, the Conference continued to speak to and to bring the ethical and moral dimension to the issues through its award-winning magazine, Catholic Rural Life. In addition it co-sponsored a series of Theology of Land Conference with St. John's University, Collegeville, Minnesota. Out of these conferences came a book, Theology of Land, co-edited by Cusack and Dr. Bernard Evans holder of the Virgil Michel Ecumenical Chair of Rural Ministries.
The Board hired Joseph Fitzgerald, Executive Director of the Conference, in September, 1987. He immediately set about clearing up the financial accounting system at the office, slowly renewed confidence among rural life directors through his collaborative leadership, and began carefully analyzing what components needed most to be part of the NCRLC program. In addition he worked to improving the structure and membership of the NCRLC Board, in researching the status of the International Fund, and tried to strengthen grassroots efforts at diocesan levels. The Church Land Project is an example of the ways in which he worked with other organizations who share the NCRLC values. The Board rehired Fitzgerald for another 3-year term in 1990.
In May of 1994, the Board of NCRLC appointed Brother David Andrews,CSC to the position of Executive Director. Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane, Washington, was selected President of the Board of Directors, continuing the long tradition of episcopal leadership of the Conference. Brother David Andrews, CSC has fifteen years of experience in rural Church affairs, having taught in seminaries and in colleges courses in rural ministry; was the Executive Director of the Edwin O'Hara Institute for Rural Ministry Education and the Director of the Rural Ministry Collegium.
Most of this summary of the history of the NCRLC was composed by Sr. Mary Mark Tacheny, SSND |