The Magazine of the Missionary Society of St. Columban
December 2017
Christmas Celebrations
C
Volume 100 - Number 8 - December 2017
Columban Mission
o n t e n t s
Issue Theme – Mission in the Parish
Published By The Columban Fathers
Columban Mission (Issn 0095-4438) is published eight times a year. A minimum donation of $10 a year is required to receive a subscription. Send address and other contact information changes by calling our toll-free number, by sending the information to our mailing address or by e-mailing us at MISSIONOFFICE@COLUMBAN.ORG. Mailing Address: Columban Mission PO Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056-0010
Love Is a Place
8 Christmas Gift
4 Christmas Day Is for Children
A Time to Change the World
5 Filipino Christmas
Make the Dream Come True
10 The Holy Family of Today
Living with the HIV Virus
11 Christmas in Myanmar
The Coming of the Christ Child in Myanmar
12
Toll-Free Phone: 877/299-1920 Website: WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG Copyright © 2016, The Columban Fathers (Legal Title) PUBLISHER REV. TIMOTHY MULROY, SSC DIRECTORUSA@COLUMBAN.ORG EDITOR KATE KENNY KKENNY@COLUMBAN.ORG EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS MARCI ANDERSON MANDERSON@COLUMBAN.ORG RHONDA FIRNHABER RFIRNHABER@COLUMBAN.ORG
14 Christmas in the Andes
GRAPHIC DESIGNER KRISTIN ASHLEY
15 Old Story, Always New
EDITORIAL BOARD DAN EMINGER KATE KENNY ERNIE MAY REV. TIMOTHY MULROY, SSC JEFF NORTON FR. RICHARD STEINHILBER, SSC SCOTT WRIGHT
The True Meaning of Christmas Response to Migrants
18 The Baby Got a Home
Christ in My Heart
19 The Meaning of Christmas
Jesus’ Presence in My Life
20 The Stable of Inner Self
Hope Sown in the Heart
22 The Work of Christmas
Compassionate Presence of Christ
Departments 3 In So Many Words 23 From the Director
The Missionary Society of St. Columban was founded in 1918 to proclaim and witness to the Good News of Jesus Christ. The Society seeks to establish the Catholic Church where the Gospel has not been preached, help local churches evangelize their laity, promote dialogue with other faiths, and foster among all baptized people an awareness of their missionary responsibility.
In So Many Words By Sr. Kathleen Coyle
God Breathes in the Darkness
I
was reading a Biblical reflection when word came that my niece’s baby had just been born. The author of the reflection pointed out that the first sound we hear in the Bible is God breathing in the darkness. My thoughts wandered to my niece’s baby breathing in the darkness for nine months. Gradually I came to realize that both mysteries are related. In the mystery of the gentle breathing of an unborn baby, and in the mystery of the baby breathing in the manger, we are reminded that God breathes anew in the darkness of our lives. The birth of Jesus and of all babies is an incarnational event. His birth is made possible by Mary when the Holy Spirit breathed upon her and invited her to become the mother of God. The marvel of the Incarnation was that it didn’t take place in the temple or the tent of meeting but in a young Nazarene. Jesus has assumed our humanity, our limitations and our frailty. It’s through our humanness and limitations that we make our energized response to the Gospel, that we go on affirming and being affirmed, sustaining and empowering, forgiving and being forgiven. We are part of the reign of the divine in history; we participate in its mystery. That’s reason enough to live in gratitude and ecstatic joy. The ultimate is now present in the ordinary. Emmanuel is “God with us.” In our daily encounters we are made divine. In the coming of Jesus into our world, the silence of centuries is broken. The Word of God has taken on human flesh, and this is fragile. God is no longer to be sought in the clouds as the men of Galilee thought (Acts 1:10) but here in the flesh, in a birth, in a grave, in our daily encounters, in the simple joys of life, in the laughter and tears of the poor. God now dwells among us. In becoming human, God has shared our condition to the point of sharing our death. The Christmas feast, which we are soon to celebrate, emphasizes the gift of new life, new energy and new hope for our world. The radical healing of God’s grace he birth of Jesus and of all goes beyond our personal sins. The blocks and barriers, babies is an incarnational event. the wars and frustrations that cripple and prevent us from believing in ourselves can and must be healed. The feast of Christmas is calling us to live anew the mystery of the Incarnation in our lives. It’s calling us to become centers of creative energy, to breathe new energy into our war-torn world, so that together our collective energies may transform our lives, world and cosmos. We must hear again the sound of God breathing in the darkness.
T
Columban Sr. Kathleen Coyle is now in Ireland after teaching theology in the East Asian Pastoral Institute in the Philippines. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
December 2017
3
Christmas Day Is for Children A Time to Change the World By Fr. Shay Cullen
I
am standing in the center of the spacious main hall, the atrium, of the new Preda children’s home for girls. The light from the transparent roof throws its soft and gentle light on the children playing nosily, shouting in glee. They are happy, running about, playing games, and laughing, cheerful and joyful. They had a sumptuous Christmas dinner and gifts and new clothes. They are the lucky ones to have found refuge and protection and a chance to start their childhood over. Soon they will go on trips to the zoo and then to the fun park and other Christmas treats will come their way. There will be Christmas Mass and joyful singing, but some will have sad memories of childhood before coming to Preda. Maggie is only 14 years old, and I see her chasing Elizabeth. They are enjoying the fun and later they will go to their sports and karate. Maggie is gaining weight in the recent weeks as she eats three times a day with snacks in between. She sleeps in a comfortable bed and has her personal things close to her, a doll to cuddle 4
December 2017
and friends to listen to her as she tells about her life. When she first came into the Preda home for girls, Maggie was quiet, withdrawn and fearful of what she would find. She was traumatized by her terrible experience. Her mother worked for a powerful man. During her employment and afterwards, it appears he sexually abused the child and brought her to various other men in hotels. These men sexually abused her also on twenty occasions. The Preda paralegal officer filed the formal complaint against the suspect. It is feared that Maggie’s mother approved or allowed the abuse to happen. She may have received money to let it happen. However, the welcome and introduction to the other children and their embrace said they would be Maggie’s friends. This gave her courage and a smile, and her nervousness evaporated. Soon she felt at home, accepted and welcome. This was a place where she was safe from her abusers and free from fear and the control of her human traffickers.
This is a happy place where the girls choose of their own free will to stay and find education, affirmation and empowerment through therapy, counseling and education. Maggie is only one of hundreds of thousands of children in the world and especially in the Philippines where there is a massacre of the youth in a campaign against the use of illegal drugs. The latest report by Unicef and the Philippine Council for the Welfare of Children in the report named, National Baseline Study on Violence Against Children (NBS-VAC), tells us the horror and extent of the abuse: Eight of ten Filipino youth suffer abuse whether it is verbal, physical or sexual. Of young children and youth between 13-24 years of age, one in every five is a victim of sexual abuse with most of it happening in their homes. So while we campaign and work to bring Christ into Christmas and save the children, we are unheard because of the futility to persuade government to care for the children to protect them and heal them. We WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
campaign to persuade the moral majority to demand the cancellation of mayor’s permits and close the sex bars and clubs. We appeal to Church people to speak out. In these dens of iniquity where foreign sex tourists proliferate, youth and children are sexually abused daily. Many are subjected to forced drug use and abortions. Like Maggie, they are helpless victims of exploitation and the threats of powerful adults. Many corrupt government officials, senators and representatives are morally bankrupt and ignore the plight and suffering of the innocents. We need a strong, outspoken, and
uncompromising leader to bring about a moral revolution in society. Yet none has the courage to emerge. Like these forgotten children, the Holy Family suffered poverty and neglect. They were rejected at the inn, and Mary had to give birth in a dirty animal pen. In humiliating and poverty-stricken circumstances, Jesus of Nazareth came into this world. Then we cannot forget the death threats and flight from the evil murderer King Herod who was committing genocide against the innocent children slaughtering hundreds. The impoverished life as a refugee in a foreign country was how Jesus spent the first years of His life.
Christmas is happy and joyful for those saved and healed, but so much has to be done to save the thousands more. That moral revolution to protect children’s rights, bring compassion and care back again is just a dream. It was brought into this world by the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, but it has long been forgotten. All we have left is jingle bells. We who still believe in the values that make us compassionate and decent, loving humans must take our stand and work to bring about that spiritual revolution of mind and heart that will change the world. CM Columban Fr. Shay Cullen lives and works in the Philippines.
Filipino Christmas Make the Dream Come True By Fr. Don Kill
F
or millions of Filipinos, Christmas is a celebration of the family. They come together from around the world; they delight in the togetherness and sharing of respect. They honor the aged, bless the children, and feed the hungry. They fill the churches with light, song and festival, and they have joyful celebrations. They recall the story of that astounding child who became the greatest person to influence the history of the human race for the good. Christmas is a time to celebrate the greatest values of the human person brought to us anew thousands of years ago by the birth of the Child from Nazareth. He survived the poverty and the dangers and grew up at the knee of His mother and beside the workbench
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
December 2017
5
It was the power of this message of compassion, mercy and love that came into the world on the first Christmas with the birth of Jesus.
of His father, and He did so with deep faith, enduring hope and undying love. Jesus learned well from His parents who had suffered poverty and rejection. They fled, with Jesus, the massacre of the children by Herod. They crossed the border into Egypt and became impoverished
Christmas is a time to celebrate the greatest values of the human person brought to us anew thousands of years ago by the Birth of the Child from Nazareth. refugees. They knew the merciless anger of the fanatical tyrant king and saw the intolerable injustice of his administration. The Child heard the stories of His people’s history. He listened when His mother sang her song of how the mighty power of love could scatter proud, elite rulers and destroy all their evil plans so the poor could be lifted up. As a teenager Jesus learned how such love can change the world and 6
December 2017
fill the hungry with good things and how, in justice, the selfish rich are sent away empty to reflect, repent and ask forgiveness for their greed, arrogance and abuse. Jesus grew to be a powerful personality, a hero of the oppressed. He was a great teacher, a servant leader and the ultimate example of self-sacrificing love. The message of Jesus was a message of compassion and mercy for all. It was the power of this message of compassion, mercy and love that came into the world on the first Christmas with the birth of Jesus. When He was born so was His dream but, in our day, we have to ask whether that dream can ever become a reality, or must it remain a dream, an unattainable reality? It is up to each one of us to work together to make that dream come true. And so, as I prepare to celebrate Christmas this year I ponder in meditation, “What can I do to make that dream come true?” How might I make this day a better day than yesterday? How might my words and deeds today prepare me and my world for another New Year? How might I give more generously
of all that I call my own? And how to receive more humbly what others kindly offer? You have taught us that it is in giving that we receive and in receiving that we humbly acknowledge our need of others. How might I speak more honestly and without fear what is in my mind, my thoughts, my heart, without anger when others do not understand or agree immediately? How might I listen more patiently so that I can more clearly hear others as they fearfully speak their truth and show my acceptance of them even when I disagree? How might I be more merciful when others’ faults offend me? How might I be more grateful for mercy shown to me when I have offended others? How might I be more faithful, Lord, to You? How might I make more time today to spend alone with You? How might I make more time to spend with those who need me today? How might I make this day, Lord, a better day than yesterday? How might my words and deeds today prepare me for another New Year? It is only in Your being born, O Lord, that I can be born anew with You, so that Your light can guide me and lead me home to You. May the light of Christ shine upon us all and bring us to the new life that Jesus has promised us as we begin again a New Year. Have a blessed Christmas and a peaceful, loving New Year. CM
Columban Fr. Don Kill lives and works in the Philippines.
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
Leave a Legacy. Include the Missionary Society of St. Columban in your estate plan. Thanks to the prayers and financial support of our benefactors, Columban missionaries proclaim the Good News in word and deed among peoples throughout the world. The mission of Jesus takes us across the frontiers of culture and language, and moves our supporters to make sure we lack nothing essential for living out this call. Mission is the very purpose of the Church’s existence, and our benefactors have shared in this mission from our founding in 1918.
Your Legacy Gift brings hope and healing into the lives of people mired in poverty and violence, through projects such as: •
Building vibrant faith communities;
•
Providing religious education programs for children and faith formation programs for adults;
•
Operating vocational and educational centers for developmentally challenged children and adults;
•
Overseeing projects for the unemployed, ill and the elderly;
•
Providing education and training for seminarians and lay missionaries.
A legacy gift to the Missionary Society of St. Columban makes certain that your material support of our mission of hope and love continues even after your death, while bringing real economic savings to you and your family. An estate gift to the Columban missionaries: •
Eliminates or reduces federal income tax on your estate;
•
Is a visible sign of the generosity you have shown throughout your life.
You can choose from among several gift planning opportunities, adjusted according to your financial situation in order to partner with the Columban missionaries, leave a legacy and help others in the future. For a confidential discussion about leaving a legacy gift or to personally discuss various giving opportunities, please contact our Donor Relations staff at: Columban Fathers P.O. Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056-0010 Toll-free: 877-299-1920 Email: donorrelations@columban.org
Love Is a Place Lost and Found By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala
I
used to really find it difficult to understand that my father and my mother loved me for who I am. I struggled growing up because I always feel I have to prove myself that I am the best son they could ever have. And the irony is that I am the only son. I felt I had to put up my best in everything I do or say. I should do this, and I should do that. I was very afraid to make mistakes or fail in life. The truth was I was afraid not to be loved. I was afraid not to be accepted. The Gospel of the Prodigal Son speaks about the mercy of God to sinners – boundless and unlimited. Jesus is the face of the mercy of the Father. His teachings and His works of mercy from healing the sick to bringing back to life the dead was questioned by the Pharisees who believed they know better than God who should be punished more and not. They were scandalized that Jesus was eating with and touching the sinners. There are three things the reading teaches us: To be lost is the hardest place to be. We can be lost literally because of the choices we make. We make the wrong turn or take the wrong path. What can be difficult is when we have gone too far and too deep, and we find ourselves already too comfortable with where we are. But that feeling 8
December 2017
of being lost lingers because the heart seeks its Creator. It seems the one for whom it beats. The son who lost his way by asking for the share of his inheritance was really saying to his father, die now and give me my share. He spent his entire life wasting it on what he believed gave him happiness and fulfillment in life. He had everything he thought he wanted but not everything he really needed. We are like the younger son – wasteful and lacking in gratitude. After some time, the son finally longed for what he really needed – love. Most of the time we can look for love in the wrong places and in the wrong people. Sometimes we fill ourselves with things and persons to remedy the emptiness. Pope Francis commented that “The emptier a person’s heart is, the more he or she needs to buy, own and consume.” Look at the world today, look into yourself. Do you take the world for its word that it will be the answer to all your needs? The world does not care what you need. It cares for what you want. It will give what you want but not what you need. But it is never too late to return, to turn back to the Father. God is a merciful and loving Father. If you think you are lost, know that there is a Father not only waiting for you but looking for you. Allow yourself to be
found. To be loved is the greatest place to be found. One thing that the older son did not realize is how much he was loved by the father. But he could not see it—blinded by his jealousy and then hate. He was in the greatest place to be found—beside his father. That must have be how the younger son felt with the hug his father gave him. Imagine a father seeing his little child for the very first time. He lifts the child and carefully takes it into his arms close to his heart. The child hears the beating of the father’s heart. The heart beats with the name of the child. That is how God must feel for every lost child He has found, as if He has seen the child for the very first time. He carries you into His arms right next to His Heart—God’s heart beats with your name. That is the greatest place to be found—to be found in His loving and merciful arms. Love is a place; it is home. Pope Francis reminds us “How good it feels to come back to him whenever we are lost!” God never tires of forgiving us; we are the ones who tire of seeking His mercy. Christ, who told us to forgive one another “seventy times seven” (Mt 18:22) has given us His example: He has forgiven us seventy times seven. To be lost and found is the greatest joy to be. The Pope continues, “Time WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
and time again He bears us on His shoulders. With a tenderness which never disappoints, but is always capable of restoring our joy, He makes it possible for us to lift up our heads and to start anew.” There is no greater joy than to be lost and to be found – to be sinful and to be loved. Joy becomes your being more than just a feeling of happiness. To be lost and found is the greatest joy. God cannot simply just love me period. He has to love me because I follow the 10 commandments. I live by the rules. I go to church every Sunday. I am good. We have been so conditioned by the world that we can only be loved if we follow all the “shoulds” of the world. If we can fulfill the conditions set by the world then we can be loved. We cannot be who we truly are because the world demands that we should be what it set us to be. We put on a mask every WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
time we face the world because we are afraid not be liked or loved. This is where we are lost. We are lost in the world of “ifs” and “shoulds.” And there comes a time when it can be very tiring. We get tired and lost. We just want to be who we are. The father in our Gospel is prodigal; he was wasteful in his love for both sons. He loved them for who they are. He loved the older son who stayed with him and served him. He loved the younger son who asked for his share of inheritance, left and then returned. He loved both sons without question. God loves us the same way. He loves without conditions. Without the “ifs” and “shoulds.” Is it not the greatest joy to be loved just because of who you are—not because of what you can give to the person or be to the person. That is the mystery of God’s love. In our desire and struggle to be loved, we put on masks and pretend
to be what the world wants us to be. We have confused our wants with our needs, and we are now lost. We find it difficult to be loved for who we are. We constantly prove ourselves to be the best. We fear rejection. We love attention. But deep within our hearts our only desire is to be loved in our sinfulness. The biggest realization of the young son is that he was loved in his sins. The father never stopped loving him. It is good to be loved in our goodness, but it is even greater and extraordinarily joyful to be loved in our sinfulness. To be lost is the hardest place to be. To be loved is the greatest place to be found. And to be lost and to be found is the greatest joy. Come home and return to your place. Be still and stay in the Father’s arms. CM Columban Fr. Kurt Zion Pala lives and works in Myanmar.
December 2017
9
L-R: Roi Twang, Ma Naw and Zau Ing
The Holy Family of Today Living with the HIV virus By Sr. Mary Dillon
Columban Sister Mary Dillon works in Myanmar amongst those living with the HIV virus. We publish below her letter of thanks to her supporters.
O
n behalf of all the patients that we minister to daily I want to say a very sincere “thank you.” Your support and prayers have reached out to many, many poor and struggling people. These are the people who have very little of this world’s trappings but who awaken each day knowing that survival is overshadowing every movement and choice they make. I would like to introduce you to one such family, Zau lng, his wife, Roi Tawng, and their son, Ma Naw. They are the Holy Family of today’s world. They are steeped in the poverty of “not having,” poverty of “health” and poverty of “acceptance” The one thing they do have is dignity and this came across very forcefully when I asked 10
December 2017
them if I could take a family photo. The wife, Roi Twang’s first response was “Oh my shoes are too poor and dirty.” Notice that she holds her feet up under her skirt. Then she protested and said she had to don the only presentable skirt she had. It got me thinking about how I treat the poor. I can be so busy providing things and helping them to plan for their needs but deep in the human psyche is the desire to have dignity, to come across well, to be seen to have what the other takes for granted and to be respected. Zau lng’s family is really poor. They live in a watchman’s small house, minding the property of a wealthy family. The roof is still on the house, but the walls have taken a mighty battering. When I asked him if he was cold at night, Zau lng said “we have no wood to light a fire and very little clothing.” Thanks to your generous help we were able to give them a bag of rice for Christmas as well as warm
clothes for all three of them. This warm clothing will be a great help for the frosty nights we have presently. Zau lng contacted the HIV virus about four years ago. He looks well, but the virus has left him totally blind and with severe diabetes. His son, sitting next to him, is mentally handicapped and never went to school. His older son, who is not in the photo, is a heroin drug user. His wife is illiterate. We, the Columban Sisters, gave them two small piglets a few months back and continually supervise Roi Tawng as to the best practice in rearing them. Zau lng tells us often that when he was healthy he provided for his family but now he feels sad and rejected. Being HIV positive, many of his friends and extended family avoid him. Some even point the finger at him when he walks on the road. For me Zau lng is a gentle soul with a very welcoming smile. He rarely complains. He loves a visit and loves to have someone to listen to him. Zau lng is your friend too. You have helped to lighten his burden and for this he is grateful. Many, many thanks for your generosity, we do appreciate your care, concern and support and do know that we remember you and your families in our prayers. Blessings, Sister Mary Dillon CM
Sr. Mary Dillon (R)
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
Christmas in Myanmar The Coming of the Christ Child in Myanmar By Sr. Margaret Murphy
A
s I prepare for Christmas this year, my thoughts are with the people of Myanmar with whom I have celebrated Christmas since 2007. I lived in a community in Mandalay. Our work there involves us in various education projects – seminars and teaching but always with the underlying principle that we are there to facilitate dialogue among different ethnic and more importantly different religious groups – Buddhists, Hindus, Muslims and Christians – the relevance and necessity of which is becoming ever more apparent in today’s world. It is with this in view and in the spirit of Christmas that we invite members from the different religious communities to join us in our house within the church compound to share a meal. We sit and chat and wander around the compound looking at the crib and the other Christian symbols which are new to the majority of
them. We exchange stories. We gift each other with new insights, deeper understandings of each other, and hopefully forge friendships that will dispel some of the misunderstandings and fear that exists between the different communities. Over the years this has become a tradition, and we are frequently asked “when will the Christmas celebration be and can we come to visit you?” In another part of Myanmar, in the Kachin State, up near the China border, our Sisters will be celebrating Christmas at a center set up for people suffering from HIV. This center not only helps to treat the illness but also seeks to give each person an understanding that they matter as human beings and are precious in the eyes of God. Our Sisters also have a Youth Training Center there that provides alternative education for many young people. The youth in the Kachin State
are particularly vulnerable as they are often caught up in the civil war between the Kachin and Burmese armies. Many are unemployed and easily become drug victims. Hence our Sisters are involved in setting up a drug rehabilitation program as well as a rural health program for communities living far from population centers. I am sure that as the Sisters celebrate Christmas, even in the midst of suffering and pain, there is still hope. My hope and my prayer is that as each of us continues to prepare for Christmas that we may experience ever more deeply the mystery, the wonder of God becoming a human being and the wonder of God’s presence in our own hearts, in the heart of each other and in the heart of the world. CM Columban Sr. Margaret Murphy Murphy was missioned for many years in the Philippines and in Myanmar and now resides in Ireland.
It is in the spirit of Christmas that we invite members from the different religious communities to join us in our house within the church compound to share a meal.
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
December 2017
11
Christmas Gift Those Whom Jesus Loves
Fr. Taemoon, his mother and Yang Ai (in the wheelchair) on an outing
By Fr. Taemoon Kwon
I
am Taemoon Kwon, a Korean Columban who was ordained a priest in 2010. Currently I am working in China. My main ministry is to share with Chinese Sisters and priests about spiritual direction and retreats and to look for Columban vocations. As Christmas is coming, I would like to share with you about my unforgettable experience with a lady who was revealed as another face of Jesus during my first mission assignment in China in 2007.
After studying Chinese at Hua Zhong Normal University for a year, I began to do ministry. Some Chinese seminarians helped me find some ministries. With their help, I visited many patients at a residential home which was a very poor and old two story building in Wuhan city in China. I cannot forget the date of visiting the patients for the first time. There were about ten old ladies lying in bed. They were all naked and groaning. Because there was only one person who cared for the patients, they
Finally, helping her sit in the wheelchair, I pushed her outside of the residential home. It was the first outing in 30 years for her since she was sent to the residential home. did not expect to receive good care and suffered from several bad sores on their backs and hips. In addition, because of the smell from the rotten sores, I almost vomited. I was shocked to witness such a painful scene and did not to go there again. But life often goes opposed to our wants.
Yang Ai
12
November 2017
After many twists and turns, I began to minister to the patients again. It was then that I met a woman who was 48 years old and paralyzed. I called her Yang Ai; Yang is her last name and Ai means auntie. When she was 18 years old, she had a stroke which resulted in paralysis and was then sent to the residential home. Because her family was very poor, no one could take care of her while they worked to make a living. Her family paid about $18 per month for her care at the residential home, so you can imagine how desperately poor the residential home is. Because she was lying in bed for thirty years without any physical therapy, her back bone was curved. When I saw her for the first time, I had an idea to bring her out of the place for refreshment in a wheelchair. So I asked the director at the residential home, but he said that he did not have enough money to buy it. So I talked to the Columbans about this, and then we bought a wheelchair and donated it to the residential home. Finally, helping her sit in the wheelchair, I pushed her outside of the residential home. It was the first outing in 30 years for her since she was sent to the residential home. The first outing in thirty years, can WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
you imagine it? I brought her into Wuchang Catholic Church. Entering into the church, we saw the big painting of Holy Family hanging on the ceiling. I explained to her who are Joseph and Mary and Jesus. When I saw her watching the painting with deep awe, it brought tears to my eyes because first, she had to stay in the residential home for thirty years, but with my help, she could go out and was guided to go to Church and saw the image of Jesus. I thought that it was the grace of God bestowed to both me and her, so I was moved to tears. Second, without someone’s help, she could not walk, could not wash, and even could not eat. Such a poor and weak image of her is like our image humbly standing in front of God. I reflected that a human being without care of God is very weak and fragile, and I shed some tears.
…baby Jesus seemed to speak to me:“You brought the best gift to me which I really love. The lady whom I most love. I was waiting for her for a long time. You know how much I love her. Thank you.” The second outing with her was on Christmas day. Even though the weather was very cold, she really wanted to attend Christmas Mass. So using the wheelchair, I helped her to attend the Mass. After Mass, I brought her back to the residential home, and then, I went back to Church, and prayed to Jesus just born at a manger. At that moment, three gifts the magi brought came into my eyes, and baby Jesus seemed to speak to me: “You brought the best gift to me which I really love. The lady whom I WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
When I feel myself to be loved by Jesus, and when I feel Jesus loves other people, such two different kinds of feeling of love made me understand Jesus’ love at a deeper level. most love. I was waiting for her for a long time. You know how much I love her. Thank you.” When I felt myself to be loved by Jesus, and when I feel Jesus loves other people, such two different kinds of feelings of love made me understand Jesus’ love at a deeper level. It teaches me who Jesus really is with so many kinds of love and compassion. Especially He loves those who are very poor and in pain. This experience of feeling that Jesus really loves them gave me a great sense of belonging to God. My strong belief that God never abandons me no matter what I do and a great understanding of mission where I should go as missionary which is to look for those whom Jesus loves.
This experience, until now, remains so powerful to me and gives me strength and energy in doing mission work. I always remember that another face of God reveals in and through the life of people, especially the poor and the marginalized. In the end, I would like to ask you, “what gift do you prepare for baby Jesus?” CM Editor’s Note: Yang Ai passed away two years ago. The residential home no longer exists. Now it has become a private house. We pray for Yang Ai and all the patients who stayed there. Ordained in 2010, Fr. Taemoon Kwon lives and works in China.
Fr. Taemoon visits Yang Ai
November 2017
13
Christmas in the Andes The True Meaning of Christmas By Fr. Donald Hornsey
W
here will the Christmas Festival for the communities be held this year?” asked Carolina, the Coordinator of the active Christian community of Chosicani, one of 20 Christian communities that make up the rural parish of Combapata. This parish is located at 2.3 miles high up in the Andes Mountains of southern Peru. While Spanish is spoken in the towns, Quechua, one of the indigenous languages of Peru, is the language of the villages and rural areas like Combapata. “We will decide on Saturday at the Parish Council Meeting,” I told her,
14
December 2017
“so remind Leonardo and Catarina to come with you.” When Saturday came, we decided that we would hold our Christmas Festival for 2013 in Jayabamba, one of the communities that makes up the parish. Each year many activities are held to prepare and celebrate Christmas. Novenas are held in houses where a statue of the “Niño Jesús,” (the baby Jesus), is carried in a procession with songs from one house to the next and placed overnight in the crib that the family has prepared. Often there are hundreds of statues of animals in and around the crib, a custom begun by St. Francis.
But the principal event for years in the parish has been the Communities Christmas Festival. Each year it is held in a different community on a rotation basis, which explains the question of Carolina and our decision to choose Jayabamba for 2013. Every community is invited to participate in this Christmas Festival, even though for some like Carolina’s community, Chosicani, which is almost 10 miles from Jayabamba, it means hiring a Combi van to get there. It is up to each community to decide how they will present the “Nacimiento” (Nativity Scene) to the other communities at the Festival.
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
They must also decide who will play the parts of Mary and Joseph, the baby Jesus, angels, magi and shepherds who often come with live sheep. One year, Joseph obtained a donkey for Mary to ride on, but the solemnity of the occasion was lost when he helped her on with such a strong lift that Mary catapulted over the donkey and landed on the ground on the other side! Some communities might begin with the story of the Annunciation, so much practice is needed to learn all the dialogue in the Quechua language. When the details of the “Nacimiento” have been worked out, the next task for each community is to choose and practice the “Villancico” (Christmas carol) they will present at the festival. Usually this is done by the children of the community who enter into the singing with great enthusiasm.
When the awaited day finally arrives, the group from each community assembles in the open space in front of the Church, such as the Jayabamba Church. Here the festival begins with the singing of Christmas carols, a Bible reading and prayers. After this, lots are drawn to decide the order in which each community will present their Nativity scene and sing their carol. The visual presentation of the scenes makes a great impact and helps those who do not have the habit of reading to deepen their appreciation of the love God showed in sending His Son to become one of us. In the first years of the festival, it was held as a competition with prizes for the winning communities, but this often led to rivalry and dissatisfaction. “We should have won because we were the best.” To capture the true spirit of Christmas, the competition was
eliminated and now everyone wins and receives a prize, generally a Bible, altar cloth or container for holy water in the chapel. Gift giving at Christmas is not part of the tradition. Commercialism and the barrage of “so many shopping days till Christmas” has fortunately not reached the rural villages of the Andes, so there is more focus on the true meaning of the birth of the Saviour. I still remember vividly one year when I was invited to a Christmas party for pre-school children. They did receive little presents of dolls and plastic cars, but after looking at them for a minute, they threw them aside and all began playing together with the balloons that decorated the hall. Perhaps they understood better than us the true meaning of Christmas. CM Columban Fr. Donald Hornsey worked for 40 years in Latin America.
Old Story, Always New Response to Migrants By Fr. Bobby Gilmore
J
oseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt, where they stayed until the death of Herod. (Mt: 2.14) The image of Joseph, Mary and Jesus sitting in the shade of a tree with their donkey tethered to a branch outside some Egyptian town all those years ago is repeated almost daily in newscasts. The plight of Syrian, Iraqi, Libyan and African families fleeing for their lives across water, desert and mountain with a few belongings is reminding us that little has changed for millions of men, women and WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
children. Daily we see the terror in their faces as they scramble aboard rickety boats, reach a Mediterranean beach and then a border crossing secured by military armed with assault rifles. Worse still is the anxious face of a woman guarding her children as their father is handcuffed by border police. The anxiety on her face resembles that of Mary under the tree in Egypt, the Jewish children arriving at Liverpool Station waiting to be given a home by an English family, the men, women and children on the St. Louis in
Havana in 1939, the woman and children on Route 66, the Vietnamese woman and children tossed around in a boat in the Pacific, the woman and children at the U.S.-Mexico border fence, the women and children in a refugee camp in Turkey, Lebanon or Jordan, the woman under a tree in the Sahara, the pregnant woman in the camp at Calais, the father of the dead child on a Greek beach, a woman and children waiting to board a bus in a European railway station, the face of the woman and children at the Migrant Rights Center in Ireland. December 2017
15
It is hard to accept that 2,000 years after the flight of Joseph, Mary and Jesus into Egypt that people are running for their lives from the same part of the world today. But more disturbing is the impotence of present world governance to prevent this from happening. Never are there more resources at the disposal of governments to accommodate desperate people who have to flee. Yet, with some exceptions, the application of these resources is found wanting in responding to basic human shelter and safety. When it comes to making resources available in preparation for war there seems no shortage or lack of military management. And it is precisely the misuse of these military and associated corporate resources initiating and maintaining war and conflict that are causing the human deprivation we see on the faces of people today. How come the management expertise evident in military expeditions cannot be used to manage human desperation, the residue of war? 16
December 2017
The present exodus from the Middle East and Africa didn’t happen overnight. It was predicted years ago by Susan George in her book, The Debt Boomerang. While great progress has been made over the latter half of the last century and in the early years of this century the care of the weak and the dispossessed has become an irritant. Frequently, tabloid media headlines highlight the weak, the immigrants, and the refugees as swarms of scroungers.
Immigrants and refugees, just like Joseph, Mary and Jesus, do not want to leave home and familiar surroundings. They are animalized, corralled in “jungles” of despair, treated with indifference at the drawbridges of European fortresses. Europe has developed a sanitized memory of its post and pre-war exodus of people looking for safe havens around the world. Echoes of the pre-second world war Evian conference are heard around Europe
today as nations threaten to close their borders to those seeking refuge. Immigrants and refugees, just like Joseph, Mary and Jesus, do not want to leave home and familiar surroundings. Television images of destruction in their homelands tell the reason for people’s decisions. World powers vie with each other putting their interests before the needs of populations. German Chancellor Angela Merkel is one exception. She responded recently to criticism for allowing refugees into Germany: “If we now have to start apologizing for showing a friendly face in response to emergency situations—then that’s not my country.” As long as that continues to happen the flight into Egypt is never old, always new. How do we respond as we commemorate that event? So Joseph got up, took the child and his mother and went back to the land of Israel. (Mt: 2.22) CM Columban Fr Bobby Gilmore has worked for many years in the Migrant and Refugee Apostolate in Ireland.
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
God depends on you to carry out His plan for the world. Please consider becoming a Columban mission sponsor today! As a Columban mission sponsor, you play a vital and important role in bringing Christ to the people of the Pacific Rim, South and Central America. You may not be able to go where our Columban missionaries go, and you may not be able to do what we do, but together we can bring Christ, in word and in sacrament to the people of the world. What Columban missionaries achieve is as much your work as theirs. When you choose to make sustaining gifts as a Columban mission sponsor, you help secure the future of mission!
What does being a Columban mission sponsor involve? Daily Prayer Columban mission sponsors pray daily for the success of our missionaries. The Gospel is spread through the power of God, not merely by human effort. For mission efforts to be fruitful, they must be accompanied by prayer. Sacrifice Offer whatever crosses, suffering and pain you experience each day for the success of our mission activities. Sacrifice is the inseparable compliment to prayer. A Monthly Offering Columban mission sponsors give a specific amount that they choose each month for the work of the missions. These sustaining gifts live up to their name by maximizing giving over the long term and provide a secure future for vital programs and ministries.
What are the personal benefits for you? Becoming a Columban mission sponsor is one way of saying “Thank You, Lord” for all of God’s goodness to you, especially for the gift of Faith. You can be sure that, in return, God will never be outdone in generosity toward you or your loved ones. By helping bring Christ to others, you will find your own faith immensely enriched. To start your monthly giving today, visit us online at: www.columban.org/sponsors. Or, for your convenience, fill out the form below and use the postage-paid envelope in the center of this magazine. _____ I would like to learn more about giving via automatic bank withdrawal. Please call me. _____ I would like to begin my monthly giving by check. Enclosed is my gift of $____________ (We will send a reminder each month unless you direct us otherwise) Name: ____________________________________________________________________________________ Address: __________________________________________________________________________________ City: _______________________________________________________________ State: ___ Zip: __________ Phone: ________________________________ Email: ______________________________________________
The Baby Got a Home Christ in My Heart By Beth Sabado
W
hen I joined the Columban Lay Missionary orientation program in 2002, I knew that my decision entailed a lot of letting go. I knew that there will be special occasions at home that I would miss. This includes one of the most important gatherings, a time to be home, a time with family during Christmas. Since 2003, I have only spent two Christmases with my family: 2009 and 2016. Sadly, 2009 was my mom’s last Christmas before she passed away. Being away from home during the Christmas holidays is a challenge. Learning to cope with “loneliness” while on mission didn’t come easy for me. My first Christmas on mission was paired with episodes of tears and sobs. The second, the third, the fourth Christmas and so on came with an unexplained sharp pinch in the heart. Each Christmas season is paired with a longing for home, but somehow I have learned to cope with my loneliness of home over time. “Home is where your heart is.” I heard this often, but didn’t fully
18
December 2017
understand what it meant until I lost both my parents. When my parents were still around, they were the center of our home. Home is different now. I suppose human as we are, to be surrounded with family, relatives and friends and to be in the comfort of home is a piece of heaven. But over the years, I learned that I can be at home in different places, spaces and in certain instances. In moments where I still feel that pinch in my heart, I have learned to put my gaze on the manger, Joseph and Mary with their newborn child Jesus who had nowhere to sleep but a stable. The couple found a place to lay the newborn child. The baby got a home at that moment—the manger! It must have been a great relief for Joseph and Mary to find a space to lay their baby so they can rest. I find the manger very comforting. A manger in the stable that is messy and dirty that has become the home of baby Jesus at that very moment. But the stable was dirty, filthy and grubby. What did it mean? Why the extraordinary simplicity? Why is it playing a big role in the nativity story? This I wondered.
I am drawn to 1 John 4:9, “This is how God showed his love among; He sent his one and only Son into the world that we might live through Him.” I cannot think of anything except selfless and pure love—unconditional, unjustifiable, and underserved beyond comparison. I suppose the manger is a symbol of home away from home. When I look at the manger, I believe I am being invited to look and experience the grandeur of God’s love through the dirty, filthy and grubby. I believe that in order to experience that authentic love I need to step out of my comfort zones and experience the different, the unglamorous and the humbling. That feeling of longing for home and being surrounded by my loved ones serves as an invitation for me to feel the presence of God. My heart may be filthy and messy but Christ is born and He got a home in my heart! May we all be blessed this Christmas! CM Originally from the Philippines, Columban lay missionary Beth Sabado lives and works in China.
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
The Meaning of Christmas Jesus’ Presence in My Life By Minah Seo
W
hen I was asked to write about the meaning of Christmas for a newsletter for Columban lay missionaries, I wished to share with other missionaries about something special or unique which others never imagined. But it was not easy for me to reflect and write because Christmas day in my country of assignment [China] is not a holiday. For the majority of people here the significance of Christmas means very little to them. My first experience of Christmas day last year was quite different from my previous experiences in Korea and Canada. I would like however to share what I have learned from that unconventional Christmas experience. I arrived in China in November. Because Christmas was fast approaching we lay missionaries were tasked to help out in one of the local churches, to prepare a display of various nativity scenes from different countries. The display was to highlight the various images relating to the celebration of Christmas from different countries. It was meant to bring awareness to people of the different expressions of celebration of Christ’s birth. During Christmas day I noticed a huge crowd in the church. The church was full of believers, non-believers, curious and interested people. It was WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
interesting to see the huge number of people who curiously went to the church to see what was going on and celebrate the “ping an ye” or the evening of peace even if they didn’t fully understand the meaning of the occasion. For Catholics, it was also a great time for evangelization. I went to Mass with my fellow Columbans. My first Christmas on mission went smoothly. Looking back, I read my reflections which I wrote last Christmas. The page was filled with experiences of my initial struggles in trying to understand the culture and learning the language. I have identified feelings such as anger, frustration, disappointment and hatred. I also wrote of my concern with how to deal with all those feelings. I would say that during that time I was overwhelmed. I was preoccupied with all those struggles that I didn’t have time to reflect on the meaning of Christmas and how I would welcome the birth of Jesus. I felt sad to realize that I was not able to focus on the meaning of the season during my first Christmas on mission. This year will be my second Christmas on mission. For the past year I was learning the language, and I worked hard to study Chinese to be able to communicate with the people. I am glad that I can now manage to engage in simple conversations. This
progress makes me happy, and it gives me the confidence to live here and engage with the locals. I have met many people through the help of other Columbans. Some of them really inspire me to recognize Jesus’s presence in my life. I feel that I am in my spiritual life and in my heart I feel a stronger sense of Jesus in my life. This Christmas, I have a deeper sense of the significance of Christmas, and I am more ready to welcome Christ in my heart. This gives me a stronger impetus to dedicate myself for mission. The meaning of Christmas day last year didn’t come into my heart, but this time I learned and understood myself more, especially the aspect of my weaknesses. I believe that Jesus never abandoned me. He was there for me. He embraced my weaknesses and encouraged me to move forward and to continue to embrace my calling as a missionary. So I pray that this Christmas my heart will be full of hope and joy in my missionary journey in this culture I am called to live and learn from; in this place whose people I am called to serve. At last, I can say that this season will be a merry Christmas one for me! CM Originally from Korea, Columban lay missionary Minah Seo lives and works in China.
December 2017
19
The Stable of Inner Self Hope Sown in the Heart By Jihyun Kim
I
have mixed feelings reflecting on my experience of learning the Chinese Mandarin language. This includes happiness, sadness and confusion. By the end of this semester, I will be finishing up with full-time language studies. This makes me feel sad because I would not be seeing my classmates again, and I know I will miss them. I also feel very happy because at the end of each class day, I learned something new and practical. At times I felt challenged by my teacher’s teaching style. My teacher is seemingly very passionate about teaching. His teaching method is fast, and sometimes I feel like I need to catch my breath. When he asks
some questions, he doesn’t wait for the answer. While I think about the answer and mumble a response, he immediately gives the answer. I feel like he pushes his students too much. He often says that it is so simple and easy. Perhaps he wants us to speak like native Chinese speakers, but of course as a foreigner learning a new language it is not that easy. We students often remind him to speak slowly but this doesn’t seem to work at all. I am unhappy with how he handles our class, because I find him to be very strict. I felt upset and frustrated. I sensed that other students are seemingly okay with his teaching style but why do I feel uncomfortable
and angry with the way he handles our class? What is wrong with me? I felt confused. I reflected on my reactions to my teacher’s teaching style. I realized that I am seeing myself in him. Like my teacher, I ignored those who don’t understand. I also ignored those who ask questions. I am not sensitive to other people who are struggling to find an answer, because I already have one. I realized that I find it seriously difficult to wait because I lack patience. With these realizations, I pray that I may learn how to listen as Jesus would want me to. Jesus came into this would as a human being in a stable. In a certain sense my impatience, ignorance, anger and shame can be the very place where Jesus is going to come. I pray that I may not just avoid or conceal my weaknesses. This Christmas I am open to taking off the mask that covers my weakness. To talk face to face with Jesus because I believe Jesus has come to free me from my weaknesses so that I will live fully in His light. At this moment, I feel Jesus is waiting for me. Jesus has sent my language teacher so I can see myself in him and that is a blessing for me. The time has come for me to liberate myself. I am grateful that this Christmas, I have understood and experienced the promise of Christ’s light and the hope He has sown in my heart. CM Originally from Korea, Columban lay missionary Jihyun Kim lives and works in China.
20
December 2017
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
Columban Martyrs Memorial Garden Do nothing out of selďŹ shness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves. ~ PHILIPPIANS 2:3 The breathtaking Columban Martyrs memorial garden on the grounds of St. Columbans in Bellevue, Nebraska, memorializes the legacy of twenty-four Columban missionaries who gave their lives for our faith. They believed in something more than self and gave their lives in the same fashion. This special and quiet place of reection honors their sacrifice. The design of the garden speaks to the fullness of resurrection and life everlasting. It also signifies the unity that you have shared with us in our common missionary calling throughout the years. We joyfully offer you the opportunity to be a part of this lasting place by memorializing or honoring a loved one or special person with the engraving of a paving brick. For a gift of $150, you can honor or memorialize someone and by doing so, become a part of this beautiful place that honors so much about our faith and calling. To place an order for your engraved brick, please contact us at 1-877-299-1920 or visit us online at www.columban.org to fill out an online order form. For more information about our memorial garden and to hear the story of the Columban missionaries who gave so selessly, please contact us at CM 1-877-2991920 or email us at mission@columban.org. We are forever grateful for the part that you play in our shared missionary journey and we gratefully remember you in our Masses and prayers.
The Work of Christmas Compassionate Presence of Christ By Fr. Gary Walker
H
oward Thurman (1899 – 1981) was an American writer who has left us with powerful thoughts and insights about Christmas. In his book, “The Mood of Christmas and Other Celebrations,” he wrote these stirring words: “When the song of the angels is stilled/When the star in the sky is gone/ When the kings and princes are home/ When the shepherds are back with their flock/The work of Christmas begins: To find the lost To heal the broken To feed the hungry To release the prisoner To rebuild the nations To bring peace among others To make music in the heart.” Those of us who believe that Christmas is a holy event understand that the imperative to do these “works” comes from our belief in Jesus Christ who set this example of living by the way He lived His life. Our relationship with Him dictates that we live the same way. There is a tricky part in all this for us, and it is this: if this service of people ceases to be an activity which is “a search for God” for us and becomes an activity only to help people to bring about a change for the better in their life, we are in big trouble. What happens if they do not respond? What happens if their lives do not improve? 22
December 2017
Without the God connection to sustain us, we can get downhearted and frustrated when the best of our efforts do not meet with success. When we see sad, miserable, poor people who remain sad and miserable despite our best efforts, the questions arise: why am I doing this? Why am I wasting my time helping people who will not help themselves? These are questions from good people who have tried and believe they have failed in trying to help those described by Howard Thurman.
Those of us who believe that Christmas is a holy event understand that the imperative to do these “works” comes from our belief in Jesus Christ who set this example of living by the way He lived His life. But the failure or success of our efforts is not the point. We need go no further than the lives of the saints through the history of the Church to get the point. St. Francis of Assisi, who gave us the idea of the Christmas crib, was a poor man with no resources but inspired his followers to love God and have that life-giving relationship flow on to their relationship with other
people. We may not be a St. Francis of Assisi, but the principle is valid. St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s phrase of doing “something beautiful for God” goes to the heart of the matter— we must have a good heart in what we do for Jesus Christ. People know if we don’t have a good heart or if “the music in the heart” is gone. Christmas is a holy feast when we contemplate the amazing fact that Jesus Christ was sent by God to come and live with us and change the way we look at the world. Our Christmas gift to others, but especially the people that Howard Thurman refers to, is to be the compassionate presence of Christ in our world. CM Columban Fr. Gary Walker lives and works in Australia.
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
Mission Memories They come at evening, scenes from far away, The bitter-sweet of absence and of love, When memory opens her halls of yesterday, And draws her shuttered curtains from above. Taken from the poem Mission Memories by Columban Fr. John McFadden (1894 – 1978), these lines capture his bittersweet mood as he prepares to celebrate Christmas back home in the U.S. after many years in foreign mission lands. During the long December evenings, memories of Christmas celebrations in those far away places flood his heart, bringing joy and sadness, tears and smiles. As Christmas approaches, many people have similar experiences. At unexpected moments, memories of a childhood Christmas gift, or of the first Christmas season as a newlywed couple, or of a surprise guest
FROM THE DIRECTOR By Fr. Tim Mulroy
at the Christmas dinner table stir up in us bittersweet memories. Frequently, the names of people with whom we celebrated Christmas in previous years come crowding into our minds. Elvira, Felisa, Elida, Mabel, Ines y Silvia, Rosann, Margarita, Leonora, Georgina, Norma, Paulina, Noemi, Leticia, Hello, Mary Lou! These are among a list of people that Fr. McFadden knew and loved in distant places, faces from the past who “pass before my eyes,
At unexpected moments, memories of a childhood Christmas gift, or of the first Christmas season as a newlywed couple, or of a surprise guest at the Christmas dinner table stir up in us bittersweet memories. as twilight dies.” Each one of us could compose our own list, which would include some who are still living, as well as others who are deceased. Confronted with grief and loneliness as he recalls those who have died, Fr. McFadden finds comfort in the hope of a joyful reunion. But ‘God will wipe away all tears’ one day, And bid us sup with Him, our gracious Lord; Safe in his care, we’ll rest, all grief away, Our lives, our loves, our family all restored. With the consoling realization that the past and the future are safe in God’s hands, Fr. McFadden concludes his poem with a prayer for the present Christmas season. Lo! the Most High from royal throne descends, To be Our Savior, sprung from David’s line; May His, and Mary’s joy be yours, my friends, Noel! Noel! O Night, O Night Divine!
Columban Fathers PO Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056
NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID COLUMBAN FATHERS
Transform the Lives of Others…Enrich the World…Give Hope Columban Mission magazine is published eight times each year and tells the stories of our missionaries and the people they are called to serve. Columban missionaries live in solidarity with their people and, together, they move forward to improve their social, economic and spiritual lives, always with Our Savior as their guide and their eyes on God’s Kingdom. For a $10 donation or more, you or a friend or loved one can share in our baptismal call to mission and the Columban Father’s mission work around the world through Columban Mission magazine. To begin receiving your Columban Mission magazine or to provide a gift to a loved one, simply visit our website at www.columban.org, call our toll-free number 877-299-1920 or write to us at: Columban Mission Magazine Subscription Missionary Society of St. Columban P.O. Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056
“Said Jesus to Simon, ‘do not be afraid, from now on you will be catching people.’”— Luke 5:10 Indeed, if you feel called to help with Jesus’ nets, do not be afraid to call us and discuss a life of mission service.
We invite you to join this new generation by becoming a Columban Father or Columban Sister. If you are interested in the missionary priesthood, write or call… Fr. Bill Morton National Vocation Director Columban Fathers St. Columbans, NE 68056 877-299-1920 Email: vocations@columban.org Website: www.columban.org
If you are interested in becoming a Columban Sister, write or call… Sr. Carmen Maldonado National Vocation Director Columban Sisters 2546 Lake Road Silver Creek, NY 14136 716-934-4515 Email: sscusvocations@yahoo.com Websites: www.columbansisters.org www.columbansistersusa.com
Japan + Korea + Peru + Hong Kong + Philippines + Pakistan + Chile + Fiji + Taiwan + North America