The Magazine of the Missionary Society of St. Columban
June/July 2017
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o n t e n t s
Issue Theme – Faith and Hope
Volume 100 - Number 4 - June/July 2017
Columban Mission 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
Honoring Our Culture and Habitat
8 To Visit the Imprisoned 12
4 Crossing Borders
An Invitation to be Aware
5 Challenging and Enriching
Journey to Missionary Priesthood
7 Pentecost
Greater Trust in God
14 Friendship Throughout the Decades
The Household of God
18 My Indian Fathers
Student Missionary Homestay
19 Sharing the Joy
Mission Appeals or Church Appeals
20 Cultural Curiosity
Learning at the Local Bookstore
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 GRAPHIC DESIGNER KRISTIN ASHLEY EDITORIAL BOARD DAN EMINGER KATE KENNY ERNIE MAY REV. TIMOTHY MULROY, SSC JEFF NORTON FR. RICHARD STEINHILBER, SSC SCOTT WRIGHT
22 Houses of Horror
Illegally Jailed Children
Departments 3 In So Many Words 23 From the Director
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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.
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In So Many Words By Fr. Noel Connolly
Much to Learn
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ociologists claim that one of the major problems in much of the world is that nowadays people only listen to, read of and converse with people who think the same as them. Power and prosperity can stifle the Spirit, blind us to others and prevent us from understanding the weak. Witness the rich man who never understood or appreciated Lazarus at his door. (Lk 16:19-31) In 2013, the World Council of Churches met in Pusan, Korea, and published “Together Towards Life.” One of its most challenging chapters is “Spirit of Liberation: Mission from the Margins.” Jesus’ mission was to liberate the oppressed, to open the eyes of the blind and to announce the Kingdom of God by opting to spend His time with the marginalized people of His day. He did this not out of charity but to highlight the injustices that were marginalizing His people and the people at the center of Jewish religion and society clearly understood the challenge. Jesus mixes with the marginalized to confront and transform everything that denies life. Their situation points to the sinfulness of the world. “Together Towards Life” goes on to make the radical and thought provoking statement, “The aim of mission is not simply to move people from the margins to centers of power but to confront those who remain in the center by keeping people on the margins. Instead, churches are called to transform power structures.” #40 Earlier it warns that the practice of mission has changed. Instead of mission “being done by the powerful to the powerless, by the rich to the poor, or by the privileged to the marginalized,” the missionaries are now coming from the margins to the powerful. Like Pope Francis, they insist that we have much to learn from the poor and marginalized. “People on the margins have agency, and can often see what, from the center, is out of view. People on the margins, living in vulnerable positions, often know what exclusionary forces are threatening their survival and can best discern the urgency of their struggles; people in positions of privilege have much to learn from the daily struggles of people living in marginal conditions.” esus mixes with the #38 “Through struggles in and for life, marginalized people are reservoirs of the active hope, collective marginalized to confront resistance, and perseverance that are needed to remain faithful to the promised reign of God.” #39 and transform everything Mission is not just a question of helping the poor and disadvantaged; it must involve challenging that denies life. power and privilege and creating just and inclusive communities. The center has shifted to the margins.
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Columban Fr. Noel Connolly is a member of the Columban Mission Institute in North Sydney and a lecturer in Missiology at both the Broken Bay Institute and the Catholic Institute of Sydney. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Crossing Borders An Invitation to be Aware By Salustino Villalobos Mondragรณn
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he Ai Jia Development Center was founded by the Hsinchu Catholic diocese in Taiwan to help and support mentally challenged adult students. Like in many other countries, mentally challenged people in Taiwan are not considered as important. Consequently, there are not enough social benefits to cover their daily needs. I have been working as a volunteer at the Center for more than six months, and I have had a very fruitful experience. At the beginning I had some difficulties, but step by step I was able to enjoy my time at the Center. When I started my volunteer work, I felt I was not able to communicate well in Chinese with the teachers and students. I needed to talk with the teachers about the daily activities for the students, but I could not understand what they were talking about which made me feel sad and tired. Also I had to speak with the
students, and I felt they did not understand my Chinese. At that stage, I had no self-confidence even with simple words. Moreover, in my daily activities I had no one to speak to in English, so I had to speak Chinese. What I learned from this experience is that the spoken language is not the only way of communicating. For example, the students frequently manifested their feelings in their facial expressions or gestures. At the beginning I did not feel comfortable with the students. Even though in theory I knew the students at the center were the same as me in having dignity as persons, I could not feel they were the same as me. I felt that I was normal and they were not. I was better because I was normal. Those feelings did not help me. They made me create a wall between me and the students. In order to realize they are the same as me, I needed to stay, spend time and share with
them. When I began learning their names the students started to become familiar to me, and it helped me to break down the wall of prejudice I had built between me and them. I began to feel comfortable being with the students and to enjoy my time with them. After this experience I realized that we are the same. The borders I had created between being normal and abnormal disappeared, and there were only people. My feelings of who is normal and who is not changed. I am not better than they are. My daily interaction with the students both challenged and helped me to change my previous mindset. With that change in myself, I knew I could learn from the students. Since I had completed two degrees at university, I thought I could teach them, and I could only learn from people that had more academic formation than me. However, the students have been teaching me. One
Fr. Christophe leading a prayer at the Ai Jia Development Center
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The students have been my teachers, and I am grateful for everything I have learned from them.
of the things I have learned from the students is to appreciate the simple things. The students at the Center enjoy activities such as an outing to a park. I use to think that there is nothing special in this ordinary kind of activity. To appreciate an activity it had to be extraordinary. At this time, I can say that I have learned that life has plenty of simple things that make it extraordinary. However, it is not easy to put this into practice. It means that everything I do I must
appreciate, such us having a walk or sitting in a park and having a soft drink and snacks. These activities can be as meaningful to me as they are for the students. The students have been my teachers, and I am grateful for everything I have learned from them. The students have clear priorities that always include others. For example, in our prayer time at the Center the students always prayed for their close relatives, teachers, staff and other students. This made me think that I too must care for people around me. The students made me aware that I cannot be individualistic. Others must be present in my daily life.
Actually, caring for others is one of the most important parts of my faith as a Catholic, but it cannot be limited only to people of my own religion. People do not need to be Catholic to be open and caring for others. The students of Ai Jia Center showed me that because they have different religions. During my time at Ai Jia Center I was challenged to break down my prejudices, and to overcome my difficulties in communicating with the students and teachers. I was challenged to live life with people who are marginalized in our society. It is a constant invitation to be aware about who are the mentally challenged to me in my daily life. I am looking forward to other such rich experiences that will help me to be more open-minded. CM Salustino Villalobos Mondragon, pictured above in the blue shirt, is a Columban seminarian currently living in Taiwan.
Challenging and Enriching Journey to Missionary Priesthood By Fr. Feliciano Fatu
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y only contact with the Columbans before going to the seminary in Suva, Fiji, was when Columban Fr. Frank Hoare visited my home in Tonga to interview me about becoming a Columban missionary priest. All was therefore new when I entered the seminary formation programme in Suva, Fiji. The priests in charge were Irish. I found myself living in a community of Tongans, Fijians and Indo-Fijians. It turned out to be a great experience of living with other cultures and races. Being only 19 years of age, I was open to learning new things. A new place, new WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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languages, new horizons, all gave me a sense of excitement. As I prepared to become a Columban priest, I passed through different stages. I found the four years of studies in the seminary in Suva to be positive and enriching. Sharing life with other young men growing in their vocation broadened my appreciation of human diversity. I realized that I could learn a new language and that I could make friends with people who were not Tongan. This process of cultural and personal enrichment continued after this during my year of spiritual formation in Manila, the Philippines,
which was a time of intense focus on our relationship with Christ, His love for us and His call to mission. After the Philippines I was sent to Peru for a two year missionary experience. I was 25 years of age when I arrived there. I worked in a Columbanrun parish in a poor area in Lima. This period was central in my continual discernment process for deciding to become a missionary priest. In Peru I had the good fortune of having as my spiritual director a Marist Sister from Tonga who had already worked for many years there, both in grassroots mission in the Andes Mountains and also in the June/July 2017
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Fr. Felisiano Fatu
preparation of young Peruvian women preparing to become Marist Sisters. She was a very practical woman whose advice to me was always firmly based on experience. I found her most helpful as I struggled to deal with a variety of new situations in this different culture. My next port of call during my formation program was Chicago, Illinois. I spent two years there completing my theological studies. My previous experience of education was one of learning what the teachers taught and repeating this back in examinations. The teachers in Chicago challenged us to think for ourselves. They would explain the issues but also invite us to use our own ideas. This approach opened me to a variety of social justice and theological issues. After completing my theological studies in the United States, my mission experience in Peru, my spiritual formation in the Philippines and my initial studies in Fiji, I was now ready for ordination as a priest. At the age of 29 I was ordained back home in Tonga. I then spent a year in Fiji waiting for a visa to Pakistan, my next mission assignment. 6
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“After the Philippines I was sent to Peru for a two year missionary experience. I was 25 years of age when I arrived there. I worked in a Columbanrun parish in a poor area in Lima. This period was central in my continual discernment process for deciding to become a missionary priest.” – Fr. Felisiano Fatu
Christians in Pakistan are a very small minority and as such are always on the back foot and often persecuted. Our Columban presence among the Muslim people of Pakistan is a witness of solidarity and the perseverance of the Pakistani Christians is in turn an inspiration to me. I remember with admiration a catechist in the parish in Badin. His name is Tony Kajoo, and he is a member of the tribal community, the Parkari Koli people. Tony Kajoo had been an active catechist for over 30 years. He walked and cycled many miles visiting the villages of his people to instruct both children and adults. Very few of his people are literate. They seldom own the land where they live and work. Their ancestors were members of a very low caste Hindu group and are traditionally looked down upon by both Hindus and Muslims. That did not prevent Tony from being a shining light to many, including myself. Even though he had retired when I asked him if he would like to continue as a catechist, he still responded with an enthusiastic, “yes.” In his work with illiterate people he could not
use a written text so he wove banners with colourful scenes that depicted the mysteries of our faith. I said goodbye to our Pakistan mission after six years when I was asked to work in the Columban seminary formation programme in Suva. So, 20 years after first arriving in Suva to join the Columbans, I was now back again, this time to help other young men from the Pacific region to navigate their way through the seminary formation program. I feel that I am well-placed to understand our Pacific island culture. When in disagreement or upset about something, instead of speaking up and stating our case, we Pacific Islanders tend to be silent and uncooperative. I can spot this when it happens and help our young men respond in a more proactive and creative way. For me, being a Columban missionary has been, and I hope it continues to be, both challenging and personally enriching. CM Columban Fr. Felisiano Fatu lives and works in the Columban Formation House in Manila, the Philippines.
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Pentecost Greater Trust in God By Fr. Timothy Mulroy
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udy was a bright-eyed, smiling three-month-old baby who arrived at church for her baptism in the arms of her proud father, Jason. I chatted with him for some moments at the entrance to the church while a large number of relatives and friends of the family arrived. Soon the church was rather full. It was Sunday afternoon and this was going to be my first baptism of a Filipino baby. When the ceremony began I invited the parents and godparents of Audy to come forward and join me in the sanctuary. Then, to my surprise, what seemed like half the congregation started moving, and suddenly I was surrounded by thirty people. As I moved through the ceremony, making the sign of the cross on Audy’s forehead, and inviting the parents, and then the godparents to do likewise, all thirty godparents took me at my word and lined up to do so. The entire ceremony took forty-five minutes, but no one seemed to mind: what mattered most for them was that Audy should feel immersed in the warmth and joy of the celebration. Later that afternoon, during a party with Audy’s family and friends, I shared my feelings of surprise about the large number of godparents, since the majority of children I that I had previously baptized had just one or two. Then, Jason related to me that most Filipino children have several godparents, though he agreed that thirty was a rather exceptionally large number. He also explained to me that in Filipino culture, godparents are generally young adults. Besides their spiritual role, they are expected WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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to assist and support their godchild, especially in the event that one or both parents meets a major obstacle along the road of life, becomes ill, or dies. In a society where there is little government support for those who encounter misfortune, it is very important to build a network of friends to turn to for help. Through inviting thirty relatives and friends to become godparents for Audy, her parents were ensuring that she would be protected and supported no matter what disaster struck her or her family, even if she was left as an orphan. As Jesus’ ministry came to a seemingly disastrous ending and He found Himself staring at death, He was deeply concerned not just for Himself but for those He loved whom He would leave behind. He wanted them to know that they would continue to be protected and cared for, and so He reassures them, “I will not leave you orphans.” (Jn. 14:18) He promises to send them the Holy Spirit to help, guide and protect them after He has gone. He warns them that for a brief time everything will fall apart, and they will feel abandoned by God, but then the Holy Spirit will take over, caring for and nurturing them so that their faith grows to maturity. As we become mature in our faith, we come to a greater trust in God as a loving parent, like a caring father or mother. We also come to know Jesus as a brother or friend who accompanies us on the journey of life. Most of us would like to have a similar close relationship with the Holy Spirit, but so often we struggle to find a way to express it. Images of the Holy Spirit as flames of fire, a
strong wind, or a gentle dove seem abstract and impersonal. Perhaps, the image we are searching for is a godparent. A godparent has a unique relationship with us that differs greatly from that of a parent or a sibling or a friend, yet it complements these other important relationships. Furthermore, the term godparent reminds us that what makes this relationship special is the fact that it is grounded in faith. A godparent assumes the privilege and responsibility of caring for and nurturing the faith of their godchild until he or she reaches maturity. Our godparent can be understood, then, as the personal representative of the Holy Spirit who accompanies us on our faith journey. Seeing one’s role in another person’s life as being the personal representative of the Holy Spirit is an awesome responsibility. How can one person convey the mystery and beauty, the dynamism and creativity of the Holy Spirit to their godchild? Perhaps, that is why many Christians have two godparents. But even two seems too few! As in the case of Audy, the Holy Spirit probably needs thirty godparents to distribute all the gifts and blessings that God wishes us to receive at various times and at different stages of our life’s pilgrimage through this world. CM Columban Fr. Timothy Mulroy is the director of the U.S. Region.
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Vangie with Christmas cards
Honoring Our Culture and Our Habitat The Subanen Craft Project Vangie with a preschool teacher making a book
By Evanglelyn Gawason
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y name is Evangelyn Gawason. My friends call me Vangie. I’m a Subanen. The Subanens are an indigenous people whose ancestral homeland covers most of the mountainous Zamboanga Peninsula in the Philippines. For the past six years I have been involved in a livelihood project called Subanen Crafts. Columban Father Vincent Busch started our craft project in 2001 with the help of the Columban Sisters who have been working with the Subanen people since 1984. Making hand-crafted items is part of the Subanen culture. Using rattan from the forest we weave mats, baskets, storage containers, and other household items. Over the centuries
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we have also developed a deep spiritual bond with our habitat which we celebrate in rituals and in dance. Through the Subanen Craft Project I have learned to use our traditional hand-crafting skills to create beautiful works of art that also celebrate our bond with the natural world. For over fifteen years our crafts project has provided dignified livelihoods for 76 full-time and part-time crafters. I want to share how this project and other Columban ministries have helped my family, my people, and our habitat. Being the oldest in our family, I try to help my younger brothers and sisters. My brother Roniel and my sisters Lalay and Jen had to board in the distant town of Midsalip to go to high school. I am thankful that I am
able to use my earnings as a crafter to pay for their living expenses and for their school supplies and project fees. A basic education is becoming essential for Subanens as more and more land-hungry settlers and resource-seeking industries occupy our ancestral land. Many illiterate Subanens have been fooled into signing or endorsing official documents that authorize outsiders to take possession of our land and its resources. Unfortunately going to school is difficult for Subanens. Government schools are free, but our families still find it difficult to pay for uniforms, project fees, and school supplies. Our little ones often have to trudge long distances over rough terrain to WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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distant schools where their teachers sometimes arrive late or do not show up at all. They struggle to understand teachers who do not speak our tribal language and who do not understand our customs. Our children begin to feel that our language and culture are not important, and they become ashamed. Many stop going to school entirely. The Columban Sisters recognized the need to help our little ones overcome their shame and started a pre-school program with Subanenspeaking teachers. Over the years the Sisters and the staff of their Subanen Ministry have built nine preschools with an enrollment of more than two hundred children. These preschools are happy places for our little ones. Their teachers listen with wonder and appreciation when the children tell stories about snakes that fly, about eagles that eat monkeys, about the shy tarsiers that appear only at night, and about the wild pigs that try to eat our crops. Their teachers show gratitude for the sheltering mountains, the forested hills, and the cool streams of our ancestral habitat. They understand how rituals of thanksgiving to God are part of Subanen life. They encourage learning through play, song, dance, and drama. They affirm our culture, honor our traditions, and respect our spirituality. The preschool teachers and the Subanen crafters have often worked together to make educational materials for the children. Using stories and examples familiar to the children, we crafted books that introduced the children to numbers, letters, colors, shapes, and opposites. To go with these hand-crafted books we also made coloring books that make learning fun. With these learning materials our little ones gradually became WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Sr. Kathleen, preschool teachers and children at the preschool
familiar with the world of reading, writing, counting, and art. With the help of their Subanen teachers, they gradually became accustomed to the new words and languages that they will need to know when they enter the government schools. When they finish preschool, they bring with them the confidence and the strength to enter the mainstream school system. Our hand-crafted books use stories and images that are familiar to us. So too do our Christmas cards. Our card designs show Mary and Joseph working together to make their stable a more livable place for each other and for Jesus. Mary and Joseph are like us. Subanen families work hard to make our homes more livable. For example, I was able to pay for the construction of a new kitchen area for our home. Two years ago Fr. Busch had his photo taken in our outdoor kitchen area. Recently, he was photographed again in that same cooking area, but now it is enclosed within our home. One of our cards shows Joseph cooking for Mary. My family can now cook meals for each other in our new indoor kitchen. Having an enclosed kitchen area is a welcome improvement for our home but having food to cook is a necessity. Each year many Subanen families go
hungry because they have exhausted their stored grain and root crops. This lean time of the year is called the “hunger season,” and it lasts for months. During these months many Subanens develop intestinal illnesses that sometimes require hospital care. Some Subanen families have had to sell their land and farm animals to pay for their medical expenses. With my steady income, I can buy rice for my family during the hunger season so we have been able to eat and to keep our land and animals. As a part of Subanen Crafts I have been able to help my family and help our preschools educate our little ones. My craft work also helps me share our culture and celebrate our deep bond with God’s creation. Recently, I designed an adjustable bracelet containing beads that represent the Earth and the other planets. When I look at the tiny blue Earth bead I think of the Earth as the sacred home of my family and of all people. CM Evangelyn Gawason is a Subanen crafter living in the Philippines.
Vangie holding an earth bead
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Columban Companion in Mission Outreach to Veidrala By Paulo Rabakewa
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eidrala is located on the Northeast of Vitilevu under the province of Nakorotubu in Ra. It is a 2 ½ hours bus ride from Suva, the capital of Fiji, followed by another 45-minute boat ride to reach Veidrala.
The Village The village does not have a road to reach the highway. The school children either walk or travel by boat after lunch on Sundays to reach the respective schools they are attending. The school provides dormitries for boarding and the children return to the village on Fridays. Despite all these challenges in education, Veidrala has provided sportsmen/women, children representing the province for athletic games, and Milo katchi rugby and netball (an annual competition for primary school students in Fiji), government ministries and as church pastors and more.
Source of Income Since the village is situated on the coastal area, the abundance of coconut and marine life is harvested as their source of income. The villagers leave the village with the produce on Wednesdays and supply to the “middle man” who buys produce at a lower price and sells it at double the price in the markert. Other villagers prefer to take their supplies to the market at Rakiraki or Lautoka and return to the village when all their produce is sold.
Ten months after the cyclone families are still living in tents and scraps put together to build dwellings. Cyclone Winston
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The village of Veidrala (along with many others) was ravished on the night of February 20, 2016 by “Winston,”a category 5 cyclone, the worse and strongest in recorded history. The village was in the worst position and was the hardest hit. The aerial footage taken reveals a demolished village with only five houses standing. The sweat, the struggles, the challenges, the joys, the excitement and the fruit of hard labor from their ancestors in building up the
The sweat, the struggles, the challenges, the joys, the excitement and the fruit of hard labor from their ancestors ...were all blown away in the blink of an eye. Veidrala community were all blown away in the blink of an eye. As a community of about 100 subsistence farmers, they have no savings, and rely on their nearby farmer neighbous for food and marine resources, which were ravished as well, but perhaps to a lesser extent.
Getting Up The communal lifestyle in the “Itaukei” society, (Fijians) of planning, deciding, and doing things together was one coping mechanism in rebuilding the community and their lives. This is one of the factors that contributes to maintaining a “healthy relationship” in the community. Relief assistance that has been received for the past ten months has helped the community have some hope for the future, which was all blurred and confused in the days, weeks and months immediately after the cyclone. Many of the villagers are still living in tents and under tarpaulin and sheets of roofing iron as shelters. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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The village of Veidrala (along with many others) was ravished on the night of February 20, 2016 by “Winston,”a category 5 cyclone, the worse and strongest in recorded history.
Columban Companion in Mission
At the 2016 annual gathering for the Columban Companion in Mission (CCIM) it was decided to do a follow up visitation to Veidrala. The group of fifteen members from Ba, Labasa and Suva left on December 4 and returned on December 10. The group was accompanied by Columban Fr. William Lee until Wednesday and on Thursday Fr. Iowane Gukibau joined the group until Saturday. The community was so blessed to have these two energetic, talented, young and honourable priests to celebrate Mass. We arrived on Sunday and introduced ourselves and the purpose of our visitation. With the theme “In This Journey We Acknowledge and Celebrate the Different Gifts We Have, Trusting In God’s Mercy,” the purpose of the visitation was to visit with people, to participate in their daily routine, participate in talanoa (telling stories) and do house visitation. The former lay missionnaries facilitated two of the sessions. Vosita Lewanisaurua facilitated “Trauma and Timeline” on Monday. On Tuesday Paulo Rabakewa and Vitalina Lubi facilitated “Community Empowerment.” The children’s sessions were facilitated by Vaulina Sakulu and Liezl Ladaran. The chidren acted out the lesson being learned from the sessions. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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The children started with the creation story and a song followed by acting out their stories during and after the cyclone. As a proffesional and a creative teacher, Vaulina collected the responses from the children and created the lyrics and a tune for the song.
House Visitation and Talanoa (Talking) Sessions Talanoa (telling stories) is a widely available and acceptable tool for Fijians, but is often dismissed, shallowly written off and side-tracked as a cultural nuance. Talanoa is about creating open space; it’s about levelling platforms in colloquial expression. It’s about “off loading” and not surprisingly “gossiping.” It is a personal encounter with people. The house visitations include the tanoa in the evenings, at the kitchen, going out fishing, going to the farms or simply sitting down in the evening and overlooking the bay with
Talanoa (telling stories) is a widely available and acceptable tool for Fijians, but is often dismissed.
members of the community helped them to let their stories out.
Ongoing Community Concerns Ten months after the cyclone families are still living in tents and scraps put together to build dwellings. There is no further update from the government on benefits for building materials. The villagers need roofing iron and other building materials to rebuild their houses. Coconuts are the villagers main source of income, and the trees were destroyed by the cyclone and haven’t recovered. The community needs coconut shoots. Another source of income is the marine life. The Government has appropated all fishing rights from the people who are now required to get licences to fish their traditional fishing grounds. Fishing rights are hindering their ability to fish in their own fishing ground to make a living. Parents are worried about the children’s school and education. As they use to say, “Auri’a se wara.. na vano qoi ena vano ga...” (Take it or leave it, this journey will continue…). Despite their daily struggles to make ends meet, the community still willingly shares the little things they have, and we with them. CM Columban Fr. John McEvoy provided this reflection by Paulo.
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To Visit the Imprisoned Celebrating the Year of Mercy By Fr. Michael Hoban
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ope Francis continually reminds us that the Church is missionary and is called to reach out to the poor, to sinners, to unbelievers and to those who live on the margins of modern society. In 2016 Pope Francis called the Church to celebrate a Year of Mercy and to discover once again the importance of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The Jubilee Year of Mercy was a unique opportunity for the Church in Chile to be missionary and to reach out to those who feel that there is no place for them in society. The Archdiocese of Santiago is divided into seven territorial vicariates. The most recent vicariate to be established in the Archdiocese of Santiago is the Vicaria del Maipo (Maipo Vicariate) where I am privileged to be the Episcopal Vicar. Our Vicariate is located on the southern outskirts of the sprawling city of Santiago and includes two very different municipalities: Puente Alto (the most populated municipality in the country) and San JosĂŠ del Maipo (a rural municipality nestled in a canyon of the Andes Mountains). Our Archbishop, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati invited each Vicariate of the
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Archdiocese to emphasize one of the corporal works of mercy and to implement that particular work of mercy in a special way. The priests, Sisters, deacons and lay pastoral agents of the Vicariate of Maipo decided that we were called to live out the corporal work of mercy: to visit the imprisoned. We based our decision on the fact that Puente Alto has a prison with 1300 male inmates. It was built to house 700 inmates. With nearly double the number of inmates for which the prison was designed, the men are condemned to live in overcrowded conditions in large dormitories with bunk beds. Each bunk bed has mattresses for three men. The man on the top can touch the ceiling with his nose! The food rations provided by the prison authorities leave a lot to be desired, and so the inmates rely on their families to bring them food which they cook and share among themselves. Many of the inmates come from the Columban parishes of San MatĂas and Santo TomĂĄs. When I returned to the Maipo Vicariate after four years as the Episcopal Vicar of the Southern Zone,
I brought with me a frightening memory. On December 8, 2010, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, there was a fire in the San Miguel prison and 81 inmates were burnt to death. It was caused by a fight among the inmates. Some of the prisoners had built a flame thrower using the gas canisters of their little kitchen. The flames ignited mattresses. The fire was so intense that the gates of the prison cell could not be opened. I went to the prison and spent the day consoling families who had lost their sons, husbands or brothers to the fire. I went with Cardinal Francisco Javier Errazuriz to the area of the prison where the charred bodies of the dead prisoners were being kept. Cardinal Errazuriz prayed for the dead and blessed the bodies of the victims of the fire. After that experience, I could not ignore any longer the plight of the men and women who are deprived of their liberty for the crimes which they committed. As Pope Francis teaches us, no matter what sins we may commit we are never excluded from the love or the mercy of God. Not long after returning, I visited the prison in Puente Alto. I discovered that a small group of Catholics were visiting the prison every Wednesday. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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I met with them and we began to explore ways of increasing the number of pastoral agents for this apostolate. Then the merciful Lord sent us a great blessing. A new chaplain was appointed to the prison, Fr. Armando. Padre Armando is a native of Iquique in northern Chile, and in his youth he participated actively in the Columban parish of Espíritu Santo. Fr. Armando proudly claims that he owes his vocation to Columban Father Hugh McGonagle who accompanied him in his discernment about the priesthood while he was in the seminary and in his early years as a priest. Together with Fr. Armando, the Vicariate of Maipo organized workshops and courses on prison apostolate increasing the number of lay pastoral visitors from seven to 30. The increase in volunteers has meant that four days a week Catholic prisoners can avail of spiritual accompaniment and prayer. When Fr. Armando arrived in Puente Alto, the small Catholic chapel was in deplorable condition. The Maipo Vicariate made a commitment to raise funds to repair and renovate the prison chapel. So far we have raised more than $600,000 pesos (around $850.00 U.S.) for the renovation. On August 12, 2016, Cardinal Ricardo Ezzati visited the prison and celebrated the Eucharist for the prisoners. He also blessed the chapel’s new tabernacle which was donated by the Apostolic Works of Ennis, Co. Clare in Ireland. Cardinal Ezzati called on the inmates not to lose heart nor lose the faith: “I want to encourage each one of you to develop all your abilities so that you can become new men, so that you can live happily with your families. Believe firmly that God can give you that possibility.” During the same month of August, we organized a campaign in our parishes to donate toiletries for personal use: toothpaste, toothbrushes, WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Mass at the parish
Visitation at the overcrowded prison
soap, toilet paper, shampoo etc. In all our parishes there was a generous response. I joked with Fr. Armando that his inmates have the cleanest hair and the whitest teeth in Chile! In September, a religious sister of St. Ann, Sister Maria Luz Treupil, came to our Vicariate to work in prison ministry. She had spent many years in this ministry in the prison of the northern city of Antofagasta. While she was there, she began a choir and taught some of the younger inmates to play the guitar. Eventually, they produced a CD. Sr. Maria Luz hopes to repeat that experience in Puente Alto. On December 19, we organized a Christmas party for the inmates who regularly attend Mass together with members of their
families. Finally, for the first time ever in the pastoral life of our Vicariate, the Summer School for the Laity will offer two courses in the prison for the men. As the Jubilee Year of Mercy came to an end, Pope Francis wrote a Pastoral Letter, “Misericordia et Miseria.” There is no doubt that prisons are necessary in society but we also need to remember: “No law or precept can prevent God from once more embracing the son (daughter) who returns to him, admitting that he has done wrong but intending to start his (her) life anew.” (“Misericordia et Miseria” no.11) CM Columban Fr. Michael J. Hoban lives and works in Santiago, Chile.
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Above: The CR
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Friendship Throughout the Decades The Household of God By Theresa Lee
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met the Columban Fathers for the first time in my hometown, Seoul, during the summer of 1953. Korea was at war then. Amid destruction and the chaos of war, I was trying to leave home for a college in America. As the oldest of five children of a widow, apart from the promise of a full scholarship, the friendship of a U.S. Air Force chaplain, and the rash enthusiasm of youth, I had little else going for me. The South Korean government was still based in the city of Busan at the southern tip of the country, where it had fled three years before when the North Korean army invaded the capital, Seoul. With the infrastructure demolished and the communication system in shambles, there was no radio, newspaper or phone. We were living in a nationwide information blackout. How was I to secure a passport and visa against such impossible odds? While I struggled with this matter, my Air Force chaplain friend, Fr. William McPeak, quietly went about gathering the information I needed. He informed me that I had to pass two English tests – one given by the 14
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Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the other by the U.S. Embassy – as well as a Korean history test administered by the Ministry of Education. There still remained, however, so much that was unknown regarding my passport and visa application since there was no single information center. Seemingly, each Ministry had its own requirements which it refused to divulge until the very last, desperate minute. Today I realize that there was a logic to the madness of that system. Mortally wounded and bankrupt, the South Korean government was unable to pay the wages of its employees. It turned a blind eye, therefore, as they did their best to survive by fleecing those trying to travel overseas. Their thinking was that anyone who could afford to travel while the entire nation was starving, could surely grease the palm of a poor government official. My family, however, could hardly afford two meals a day. What was I to do? Fr. McPeak decided that I should visit the headquarters of the Columban Fathers in Seoul. After all, Fr. Brian Geraghty,
the superior, had already been in Korea for twenty years. If anyone could help this poor girl, Fr. McPeak considered, surely this man could. It was a bright sunny afternoon when I climbed into the passenger seat of Fr. McPeak’s jeep. Obviously no stranger to the Columban House, the priest in military uniform honked in front of a huge, imposing wooden door. It was swung open by a young lad who recognized the driver and stepped back to allow us to enter. Obviously expected, by the time Fr. McPeak got down from the jeep several priests emerged from the house. Warm and welcoming, my friend in khaki was quickly surrounded by his friends in black soutanes. Joyful to be together, everyone was laughing, back-slapping and talking at the same time. They were like a bunch of high school boys! I stood back and watched in shock. A cradle Catholic, I had seen priests all my life, but I didn’t remember ever seeing a priest laugh. Not a polite anemic smile, but a real hearty laugh. There was nothing solemn or dignified about them. They behaved WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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a and friends
Fr. Sean, Theres
like normal human beings! As I drank in the scene, I liked what I saw, and it slowly dawned on me that it was all right for Christians to laugh and be truly happy. Fr. Geraghty was a gold-mine of information. I would have to go to Busan to take the Ministry of Foreign Affairs’ English test. However, as far as he knew, there was no published schedule date for the test, so he didn’t know when the next one would be. There was just one train a day that ran from Seoul to Busan and back again. With the frequent talks of peace at Panmoonjom, there was a rumor that some of the branches of the government would soon relocate from Busan back to Seoul. This speculation only compounded my confusion. With the tenacious help of Fr. McPeak, I managed to arrive at the College of St. Francis in Illinois in time to start my freshman year. My friendship with Fr. Geraghty endured to the end of his life some twenty years later. Since I had lost my father when I was thirteen, despite his gruff exterior, I found in Fr. Geraghty the tenderness of a father that I had sorely missed. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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The Archbishop is between Sr. Kate and Theresa in front of the Jeju convent.
Whenever I recall Fr. Geraghty I think also of his friend, Fr. Pat Dawson. Often when I called to the Columban house, I would spy neighborhood children hanging around the door. They were waiting for Fr. Dawson, their “big-nosed” playmate. I never understood Fr. Dawson, either in English because of his heavy Irish accent, or in Korean, because he spoke the Jeju dialect, which I didn’t understand. However, there was no mistaking his beaming smile on his guileless face, which invariably spread gaiety and joy wherever he went. Back again in Seoul after my studies some years later, my work at the Catholic Relief Services brought me into contact with many Columbans in Korea. I met Fr. Sean Anthony Dunne who needed assistance with the script of a movie. Through my visits to him I met Columban Fr. Phil Crosbie. Once or twice, my assignment also took me to the city of Chunchon where I received the warm, gracious hospitality of Columban Bishop Tom Quinlan. Whenever I encountered this
gentle giant, it made me wonder how a person could remain so unfailingly gentle and kind to others even after the cruel treatment he suffered during the Korean War “death march” that had killed many stronger and younger persons. The most pastoral of all the bishops in Korea, Columban Archbishop Harold Henry, was instrumental in my becoming a Poor Clare nun. After spending seven years in the Poor Clare convent in Minneapolis, another Sister and I visited him in his diocese in the city of Kwange. He had purchased a ten-acre property for our convent. However, shortly before our visit, he was notified by city hall that it had road plans that involved our property, which would result in it being carved into nine pieces. Obviously, we had to consider an alternative plan. The Archbishop’s assistant suggested that we visit Jeju Island and consider looking for a suitable site for our new convent there. I balked. Why would anyone want to build a convent there? Jeju had long been associated June/July 2017
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es ow and Ther
L-R: Theresa’ s sister Agn es, Theresa and Fr. Sean Dunne
with those who had been sent into exile as a result of having incurred the wrath of the reigning king. To go to Jeju island was to be banished! I boarded the plane, resenting the unconcealed enthusiasm of my companion who was delighted to finally visit the island she had only read about in history books. Upon arrival, Columban Fr. Johnny Dunne welcomed us with warm Irish hospitality. I immediately asked him if there was a suitable site for a convent there. “I don’t know. You had better ask P.J.” was his only response. “Was there any way that a community of nuns could support themselves? Could he suggest how we could making a living on the island?” “Don’t know; best ask P.J.” was his reply again. So we seemed fated to meet Columban Fr. P.J. McGlinchey whom I had occasionally exchanged greetings with at the Catholic Relief Service office in Seoul. Would he remember me, I wondered. Was he home for us to meet him? Fr. Dunne gave me a sly smile. “Ach, even God almighty doesn’t know P.J.’s whereabouts. It’s a secret known only to P.J. and his guardian angel.” Fr. Dunne suggested that we spend the night at his rectory, but that we had better leave early the following tomorrow. “You had better catch him in bed,” he counseled. Rising at the crack of the dawn, after a hasty breakfast the two of us climbed into the jeep and were driven to Fr. McGlinchey’s place.
The hill leading up to Hallim where our legendary priest resided was the bumpiest, wildest ride I have ever had, either before or since! Washed by rivulets of water for many years, the red clay hill was marked by deep gashes and grooves and huge rocks protruded everywhere. “Yes, Fr. McGlinchey is home,” the startled housekeeper answered. None too pleased by our untimely arrival, the young woman’s nose rose a fraction in the air as she went to call him. Obviously just out of bed, our host with uncombed hair approached us and drawled, “Well, Theresa. What fair wind brings you here?” I told him why we had come. My response had a strange effect on our host, however, because he suddenly burst out laughing. As I watched in stunned bewilderment, Fr. McGlinchey explained that he had been praying to God to send him contemplative religious to build a spiritual power house there on the island. “But, you see, I had been asking God for monks, not nuns!” he added with a chuckle. Then, the following day during one of his unguarded moments, he confessed, “Nuns are a pain! One has to be a fool to have them in his backyard.” However, Fr. McGlinchey was no fool! Rather he was an unassuming man with deep faith, because once he was convinced that we were there in answer to his prayer, he spared no effort or time to help us. Thanks to the Lord’s providence in all these
Sn ween Rosa Fr. Sean bet
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matters, that was how the first Poor Clare community came to be on Jeju Island—though not in Fr. McGlinchey’s backyard, but rather a field away from his rectory! Certainly, without Archbishop Henry’s initiative and Fr. McGlinchey’s tireless help, there would be no convent there today. The decades keep rolling by! In May of last year I was invited to the blessing of the Columban Martyrs’ Memorial Garden on the grounds of their U.S. headquarters outside Omaha. Since I could not be there because of a previous commitment, I had promised myself a visit in the fall. At the airport, I was met by Kim Balkovec, a Columban co-worker. As I followed her to her car, I already felt that sense of Columban welcome and hospitality. Later that afternoon I met Fr. Tim Mulroy, the Director of the U.S. Region. Even though I was meeting him and the other members of the community there for the first time, it felt like a reunion of old friends or long lost brothers. Indeed, wherever I meet them, the Columban Fathers they are no strangers to me because I have known them for more than half a century. Whether in Korea or here in the U.S., I have always felt part of their extended family, members of the same household of God. CM Born and raised in Korea, Theresa Lee now resides in Illinois.
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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: ______________________________________________
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My Indian Fathers Student Missionary Homestay By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala Uncle Bhola and Auntie Mary
“Abba, call me that,” my host father responded when I asked him how I should call him. Abba is the Hindi (Indian) word for father. Sam Daniel would be my third host-father in Fiji. He is Anglican and lives with his wife near their church. They have a son, Roneel, who is now an Anglican priest himself. Abba works as the school manager of the Anglican church-run schools in Labasa. He would wake up early in the morning to feed the chickens. After eating breakfast, he would drive me to the Catholic church for my Hindi lessons, and he would report to school. In the afternoon, we would then meet at a small shop near the school and have small talk with his friends. In the evening some of the neighbors would come over, and we would have a game of cards and a big bowl of kava. I attended Anglican services together with the family. What I enjoyed most is the singing of worship hymns at the beginning of the liturgy, so I would sit together with the musicians and sing my heart out. Abba loves his Indian TV drama series. We would watch together in the evening just before sleeping. I lived with them for almost a month before moving to the parish. Homestay is an important component as a student missionary. In order to learn the language and culture of the country we are sent to, the best way is to live with a family for a week to as long as six months. Like Indians, Filipinos never call their elders by their first names. So the first thing I did is to familiarize my relationship to people 18
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around me as they are related to me being the “son” of the family I am living with. During my stay in Fiji, I lived with three families during different stages of my assignment in Fiji. The first family I lived with during my first six months in Fiji was with Ignatius Balkisun (Bale) and Pauline Rosy. They have two daughters, Bernie, a dentist, and Pat, a teacher. Pat and her husband lived with the couple while Bernie lived on her own in Suva. Most of the day I was left alone with Uncle Bale and Auntie Pauline. The family belongs to the Nadera Mandali group, which is the equivalent of the small Christian community. Families would take turns hosting the Friday prayer meetings. I would accompany the couple as they attend these prayer meetings, and on Sunday we went to church together. After six months of urban exposure in Suva, I moved to the northern island of Vanua Levu. For my rural exposure, I came to live with the Reddy family in the hills of Naleba, Labasa. The couple, Sanmogan Reddy and his wife Mary, have three children, all teachers now. I stayed with them for most of the time I spent on the island. I was introduced as a son of the family and so in the village, I related to everyone either as their nephew, grandchild or uncle. And I had to learn every name to call them ajja-ajji (grandparents), mama-mami (uncle-aunt), etc. We did many things together. He introduced me to many of his friends—not only Catholics but the Hindu and Muslim neighbors. I had a great and interesting time in
Fr. Kurt eating lunch with Uncle Bale
Roneel, Fr. Kurt and Abba
Naleba. On the last few days when I was about to leave them, I noticed he was very quiet and seldom spoke to me. The moment I was about to go and get in the car, he embraced me tightly and sobbed. It felt great to be considered a son. These were my Indian fathers Uncle Bale, Uncle Bhola and Abba. They were not perfect, but they were faithful fathers. They reminded me of my own father who taught me to pursue in life what makes me happy and never stop dreaming. Salamat Tay! Thank you Uncle Bale, Uncle Bhola and Abba. CM Columban Fr. Kurt Zion Pala lives and works in Myanmar (formerly Burma).
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Propagation of the Faith Mission Appeals or Church Appeals
By Sr. Virginia Mozo
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ne of my many blessings and opportunities as a missionary is to share the Joy of the Gospel. As a missionary Sister in Chile and Pakistan, I found the countries to be quite different in terms of culture, religious beliefs, language, weather and even food. In my third mission assignment in the United States as part of the Development Office, I gained a wider perspective in the context of the U.S. reality in its diversity. The Missionary Cooperation Plan through the USCCB: United States Catholic Conference of Bishops pastoral statement on World Mission: “To proclaim the Gospel to the ends of the earth” states the purpose of the Gospel: asking missionaries to share WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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with the people the mission experience as well as the faith experience of the people whom we are serving. A laywoman, Marie Pauline Jauicot, provides support for the pastoral and evangelization programs of the church in Asia, Africa, the Pacific Island and remote areas of Latin and Central America, founded the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. This important work relies on the prayer and the financial support of Catholics to answer to the Gospel message to go out to the whole world and proclaim the good news. It is a humbling experience on behalf of the Columbans as I continue to share the ministries in the different parts of the world. Before the mission appeal, I have to contact the pastor to finalize the date of the appeal, description of the
From her humble means she has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood for a month. mission, a short bit of information about the visiting Sister or speaker for the parish bulletin, materials about the missions and details about the accommodation. Clarification for the Masses is also required since in addition to English, parish populations also speak Spanish, Korean, Portuguese or other languages! One of the many experiences I had was when I met different people who had connections to the Columbans
such as friends or relatives of our Sisters, neighbors and cousins of some Columban Fathers, former students of our schools in the Philippines. Like the Italians and the Irish, Filipinos are all over in this country; it gave them pride to see a “kababayan” a countrywoman sharing in the pulpit. Even Chileans or Pakistani who settled in this country approach me with great appreciation for the missionary works in their respective countries. A touching experienced was when I was in a very humble parish of Spanish speaking community. Most of the Spanish Masses are scheduled at noon or late in the afternoon, so the weather was so muggy, and the church had no air condition nor electric fan. After the Mass, a woman approached and whispered to wait for her. I felt her rough palms as she thanked me for the message she just heard. After few minutes of waiting, she handed me a crispy folded $100 dollar bill for the mission. My eyes filled with tears as I looked at the woman, the scripture of St. Mark came into flesh, as if Jesus Christ was whispering and reminding me that this poor widow put more than all the other contributors to the treasury. From her humble means she has contributed all she had, her whole livelihood for a month. I’m aware, that this woman, needed the money, to send to her family back home, I felt so humbled and gave her a big hug. The gesture was such an inspiration in my life. CM Columban Sr. Virginia Mozo lives and works in the Philippines.
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Cultural Curiosity and Trends in Japan Learning at the Local Bookstore By Fr. Barry Cairns
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ince first coming to Japan as a missionary 60 years ago I have had a cultural curiosity! It is still with me. It makes missionary life interesting. Such events as festivals, customs, ways of thinking and acting fascinate me. And Japanese people delight in explaining things Japanese to a foreigner. This cultural curiosity leads me to go regularly to the local bookstore and see the ten top selling books of the month. These give me an indication of what is going on among the people to whom I am missioned. For example: ten years ago books on improving the quality of life predominated. These included books on exercise, relieving stress, healthy food and cookbooks, etc. Then in 2014-15, 70 years after the end of World War II, history books had a time of popularity. Recently there has been a subtle change. Books written for senior citizens who prefer bound volumes rather than the internet have started to appear. Some of these seem to regard the future as bleak and without hope. There are books with these ominous titles: “Elderly People’s Hell – a Report,” “Poverty in Old Age,” “Aged and Bankrupt” and “The Aged are Second Class Citizens.” In a recent article in the Japanese Yomiuri News the social welfare editor, Ms. Ritsuko Inakuma writes: In Japan “an increasing number of elderly people have become more interested in how to live before dying….People today have begun to seriously worry about their future in Japan.”
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The Apostles when worried about their future were told to look at nature – the birds and flowers. This is so suitable for the nature-loving Japanese. This brings to mind what the Japanese literature Nobel Laureate Kensaburo Oe said almost 20 years ago: “Despite material affluence we Japanese are facing a crisis worse than the devastation left by the war. The problem is an absence of hope.” (Interview reported in Daily Yomiuri November 13, 1998). What is causing such widespread pessimism and fear especially among the elderly? There is the Fukushima nuclear disaster still causing problems with leaking radioactive water. Are the other nuclear power plants safe? There are the frequent missile launchings by North Korea when the people see massive mobile missile interceptors move into place even in central Tokyo. There are rumblings in China over the ownership of the Senkaku offshore islands. To whom do they really
belong? Will this disputed ownership cause war? The present Prime Minister Abe proposes a change in the Peace Constitution. He wants to change Article 9 renouncing war and calls for a standing army. Then there are the frequent articles in the media predicting a major earthquake and tsunami with the number of dead in the tens of thousands. There are even some who predict Mt. Fuji to erupt after 700 years. We get many minor earthquakes – we ask ourselves each time: Is this the big one? A subtle sense of fear pervades especially among the aged in Japan. In many cases fear is combined with loneliness. For example, I often visit retirement homes. It is sad to see the old people gathered in one room just sitting. But many watch the door in the hope that the next person to come in might be a visitor for them. All this I feel is a renewed call to mission. The Risen Lord gives us hope. We are called to be instruments of hope. The Apostles when worried about their future were told to look at nature – the birds and flowers. This is so suitable for the nature-loving Japanese. Our Abba Father – God, knows where each tiny bird flies and where each flower blooms. Our loving Father cares for us humans as much as nature. Jesus tells us: “Fear not! Because I am with you.” We have been gifted. Let us share those gifts with others. CM Columban Fr. Barry Cairns lives and works in Japan.
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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
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Houses of Horror Illegally Jailed Children By Fr. Shay Cullen
“Houses of Horror” is how one visitor described the centers where children are held illegally behind bars or in cages. Senior Philippine officials responsible for the protection of Filipino children at risk made spot inspections of four child detention centers around Manila following a series of negative reports in the foreign media. The officials representing various government agencies were shocked and greatly disturbed when they saw the terrible conditions of the jailed children behind bars in these detention centers run by local government agencies. The national government has limited jurisdiction over them. In one center children are held in these conditions from three months to over one year and nine months. The cells for boys are overcrowded. In another detention center there is only one social worker to handle the 43 cases. In three centers the children were in prison cells behind bars. All the children in another center were barefooted walking on wet floors. One little girl had swollen feet. The children interviewed told the team they just do cleaning and food preparation all day. Some of the children were mentally challenged and in need of special care. A mentally challenged old lady was in with the children in one center. 22
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The fact-finding teams saw that the children suffered 24 hours of confinement with no sunlight exposure. There was bad ventilation and dirty toilets, and the smell of urine pervaded the place. The investigators asked for the case studies and social workers’ reports, files or records of the children. There were hardly any! Many children were unidentified and without birth certificates, and no effort had been taken to find parents or relatives. The government spot inspections were made over a period of two days. They saw the abusive conditions of dirty, smelly toilets, young boys and girls mixed with older youth, wearing dirty clothes, unwashed and caged behind steel bars and others like criminals in rooms like mesh cages. They saw children lying and sleeping on concrete floors. Most centers were lacking beds, sleeping mats and mosquito nets. Food was eaten sitting on the floor. The floors and walls were dirty. There were no programs for psychological healing, therapy, education, physical exercise, games, books or any mental stimulation. Some children have been sexually abused by the older youth in the detention centers. One girl was sexually assaulted by a male guard. A criminal case is now in court, but this guard still works at the center and has
control over the other children. How can it be allowed to happen? Young girls who are victims of serious crimes such as sexual abuse, exploitation and human trafficking are locked up in centers all over Manila and elsewhere as if they were criminals instead of victims. They are easy prey for guards and police to sexually exploit again. The girls held in separate cells receive no therapy or healing. Many are returned to their pimps and abusers since the sex industry is tolerated, and sex bars and brothels are permitted to operate with a city permit signed by the mayor. The fact-finding team was made up of senior representatives of a number of social welfare agencies including the Preda Foundation which was founded by Columban Fr. Shay Cullen in 1974. The Preda Foundation promotes the human rights and dignity of the Filipino people, especially women and children. Its main focus is to assist sexually exploited and abused children. Preda stands for “People’s Recovery Empowerment Development Assistance.” Preda runs a number of homes for rescued children, offering them legal support, educational opportunities, therapy and health care. CM Columban Fr. Shay Cullen lives and works in the Philippines.
WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Dreams Do Come True
I
first encountered Tien in Tokyo. He had traveled there from Australia, while I had come from Ireland. Both of us were Columban seminarians who had come to Japan in order to study the language and learn about missionary life. Both of us were twenty-seven years old. During the next few years as I came to know Tien, I realized that while both of us had similar dreams for the future, his past had uniquely prepared him to become a Columban missionary. One of thirteen children, Tien grew up in Vietnam as communism was advancing from the north to the south. At the age of fifteen, he tried to escape from his homeland by boat, but was caught and thrown into prison for three months. After his release, rather than return to school, he decided to assist his father who had a small business repairing musical instruments. Knowing that he would be forced
From the Director By Fr. Tim Mulroy
to join the army at eighteen, his father began to plan a second escape. However, this time Tien would not only have to concern himself with his own safety, but also with the wellbeing of his three younger brothers who were to accompany him. It was a frightening and worrisome venture that tested and strengthened his faith. Together with forty-five other passengers, they endured cramped conditions on rough seas for thirteen days. Finally, weary but relieved, they arrived in
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A new day was dawning, filled with hope and promise. Malaysia. There they spent the following twelve months in a refugee camp, where Tien cared for his three younger brothers. Daily life was filled with hardships. Furthermore, remembering family members and their past life made them feel homesick, while thinking about their uncertain future provoked anxiety and fear. Yet, in the midst of such suffering, they learned to enjoy the small pleasures of life, and to be grateful for the concern and kindness of other refugees who shared a similar plight. Then, one day Tien heard his own name and that of his three brothers called out over the loudspeaker of the refugee camp. Their prayer had been answered: the government of Australia had agreed to open its doors to them. A new day was dawning, filled with hope and promise. After mastering English, Tien completed his high school education. Then, he decided to become a Columban seminarian. Today, Fr. Nguyen Xuan Tien ministers in the archdiocese of Tokyo, sharing his faith that overcame so many obstacles, and was sustained by so many acts of kindness from strangers. His journey continues to inspire others to hold onto their dreams even in the midst of desolation. His story is a reminder that all of us have a part to play in making such dreams come true.
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Columban Fathers PO Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056
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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
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“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who is saying to you ‘give me a drink,’ you would have asked and he would have given you living water.” — John 4:10
If you feel a thirst to spread the word of Jesus, we would love to discuss missionary life with you.
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 626-458-1869 Email: colsrsclt@yahoo.ie Websites: www.columbansisters.org www.columbansistersusa.com
Japan + Korea + Peru + Hong Kong + Philippines + Pakistan + Chile + Fiji + Taiwan + North America
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