Columban Mission Magazine - March/April 2018

The Magazine of the Missionary Society of St. Columban

GRACE & Redemption

March/April 2018

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Volume 101 - Number 2 - March/April 2018

Columban Mission

o n t e n t s

Issue Theme – Grace and Redemption

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.

Walking with Chilenos

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Mailing Address: Columban Mission PO Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056-0010 Toll-Free Phone: 877/299-1920 Website: WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG Copyright © 2018, The Columban Fathers (Legal Title)

What Is Happening?

4 Easter Eggs at Veidrala

A Memorable Celebration

6 Easter Challenge

Even the Sparrow Has Found a Home…

8 Prayer and Cricket

A Good Mix

14 Celebrating the Centennial Down Under

Something to Acclaim!

16 Matt’s Blessing

A Gift of Peace and Purpose

18 The Power of Touch

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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

Know Christ by Touching His Wounds

20 Homelessness

Isolated and Lonely

21 They Died in Their Parishes

Columbans Who Died Violently on Mission

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. Redempta Twomey

The Transience of Time “Remember your last end,” scripture admonishes us. Yet it seems that few people do, or maybe they remember when they attend a funeral or hear of a friend’s death. “Like a drop of sea water, like a grain of sand, of are these few days among the days of eternity.” (Sirach 18:8) When our days are overloaded with distractions, we block out the thought that one day we will not be here.

The fear of death is very real and many of us steer clear of facing our own mortality. No one wants to go down that road. Yet the thought of death, my own death, can be a powerful teacher. “When we die we take nothing with us.” (Ps 49:18) All things are passing. So let us walk gently through life, thoroughly loving, wholeheartedly enjoying, arms wide open to embrace but also ready to let go. Here, death is a good friend, showing us that “We have here no lasting city.” (Hebrews 13:14) We peacefully accept the inevitability of our dying, knowing neither the day nor the hour.

Job got it right: “I know that my Redeemer liveth...and in my flesh I shall see God...my eyes shall behold...” (Job 19:25). Deeper than all the bruising or battering or horrific violence that may befall us is deep trust in the Son of God. Our faith tells us, strengthens us, gives us joy because we believe, heart and soul, that “The Lord is risen!”

This is the road mapped out by Christ. “Dying you destroyed our death…” we say at Mass, immediately after the consecration. Do we really believe this? The fact that He died is what is important, not that we ourselves must die. “Remember Jesus Christ, raised from the dead,” Paul wrote, and in a following verse, “if we have died with him we shall live with him.” (2 Tim: 8:11) This is a liberating truth that we need to reflect again and again: Christ has tasted death for me, my own death. Because of Him, we too will come through death; we too will live. He has gone before us and as we grow into Him we lose all fear of death. “If we live,” Paul says, “we live for the Lord, and if we die we die for the Lord: so then, whether we live or die we ur faith tells us, strengthens are the Lord’s.” (Rom 14: 7-8) So yes, let us remember our last end, not with fear us, gives us joy because we but with trust in Jesus who has prepared a place for believe, heart and soul, that us so that, “Where I am you may be also.” (John 14) Who would not be overjoyed to be always with Him? “The Lord is risen!”

O

Columban Sr. Redempta Twomey lives and works in Ireland.

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March/April 2018

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Easter Eggs at Veidrala A Hope Filled Visit

By Josfa Vasakula

“Jesus was pouring out His Love and Life as he poured the water to wash the disciple’s feet. Service is the language of Love.”

– Fr. William Lee

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eidrala village lies on the Northen coast of Nakorotubu in Ra, Fiji. The village had 85 houses before cyclone Winston and the deadly storm damaged 80 and left only five where the villagers took shelter.

Next to Veidrala village is a small settlement called Namuriwai. The Catholic missionaries first arrived at Namuriwai before moving to the interior of Ra. They later went back to build a church at Namuriwai, which still stands today. There were a few Methodists at Veidrala, and the Catholics were at Namuriwai. We were told that the late Ratu Sir Lala Sukuna asked those at Namuriwai to move to Veidrala so that they can make up a village to meet the Fijian Affairs requirements.

After tropical cyclone Winston the Columbans have been helping the villagers to rebuild. The society has made four visits with donations of a chainsaw, clothing, working tools, planting materials, fishing nets and bee hives. When we visited in December 2016, we told the

community that we would visit and celebrate Easter with them in 2017.

On Saturday, April 8, 2017, a group headed by Columban Fr. Willie Lee departed Suva for the Holy Week in Veidrala. We took with us some old clothes that we received from overseas that were to be distributed to the people of God in Veidrala. On the way we picked up another four bags that were donated by Francis Lee and his wife, at Namaka. We arrived at Namuainada village late in the afternoon to catch a boat across the Navitilevu Bay. Waisea Rairuku the only catechist from Veidrala picked us up from the landing. It took us one and half hours to reach Veidrala village as the sea was rough. We arrived at Veidrala at about 7:45 pm.

After dinner we started to meet with the community to prepare for Palm Sunday, which was the following day.

On Sunday morning the whole Catholic community moved to the top of the village where we were to begin the procession with palms to the church. This was the first ever Easter celebration to be celebrated at Veidrala WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

village. There are about 28 Catholic families in the village. Catholics from Nayavuira and Namarai gathered at Veidrala for the Holy Week celebration. From these three villages, to reach Veidrala the only transportation is by boat. There were tears of happiness streaming down the faces of old people as they experienced their first Palm Sunday in the village.

The Holy Thursday celebration began at 8:00 pm. During the washing of the feet of the twelve disciples, Fr. Willie washed the first disciple’s foot and asked the rest to wash each other’s feet. In his sermon he taught us as he said “To love is to give; to love is to be broken; to love is to share; to love is to suffer even to the point of shedding one’s blood; to love is to serve. No host would ever wash the feet of his guest. What he did to them, he wanted them to do to one another.”

He continued and said “Jesus was pouring out His Love and Life as he poured the water to wash the disciple’s feet. Service is the language of Love.”

After the Mass the altar was bare and the Eucharist was left at a separate place for us to adore Him as we believe that Jesus leaves us Himself in the Holy Eucharist.

Francis Lee and Mesake joined us in the evening from the Mount St. Mary Parish and led the choir practice in preparation for the Triduum celebration. On Friday morning we moved down to Namuriwai, where we were to begin to follow the way of the cross. A short talk was given to the community on the tradition of the church on the following the way of the cross as there were other denominations with us. We followed bush tracks to the coast and up to the village. As we arrived at the church we began the Good Friday service of the veneration of the cross. This took us an hour. Fr. Willie reminds us that the WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

Good Friday Cross is precious because Jesus hung on it.

On Easter Saturday we began the Easter preparations, decorating the church and having a choir practice as we wanted to celebrate this Easter in Veidrala in a memorable way.

In the evening boats start coming from Nayavu-i-ra and Namarai for the Saturday vigil. We had prepared a procession from the end of the village to the church with candles but unfortunately the rain stopped us, so the Paschal fire was lit just in front of the church. We were reminded by Fr. Willie who said, “Tonight we keep vigil. We remain awake. We await the resurrection of Jesus. Tonight’s vigil is the Mother of all Vigils.” Three children were also baptized.

The next morning we began the service at 8:00 am. We were welcomed by the hymn “This is the day the Lord has made; let us rejoice and be glad.” In his sermon Fr. Willie reminds us that Easter is

“To love is to give; to love is to be broken; to love is to share; to love is to suffer even to the point of shedding one’s blood; to love is to serve.”

– Fr. William Lee

talks and sang to them. And for the first time they shared the Easter eggs all the way from Suva to Veidrala.

After visiting the sick we boarded the boat to Namarai village where two old people were to be anointed.

A few houses were rebuilt after the cyclone and Fr. Willie blessed three of the houses. Finally we gathered at the agriculture station for a bowl of grog and lunch before returning to Veidrala.

My Easter Celebration at Veidrala was a memorable one. I thank all the people of Veidrala for their kindness to us during that one and half weeks.

A special vinaka vakalevu to the team that accompanied Fr. Willie Lee. I wish all a blessed and spirit filled Easter. CM Josfa Vasakula is lives and works in Fiji. He is an associate of Columban Fr. Willie Lee.

an extraordinary adventure, a call to freedom to the people of God at Veidrala: from sin and death, from injustice and bondage, from hatred and conflicts. He advised us that we should make a U-turn, and become Easter people transformed by the Joy of Resurrection.

After the church services the Eucharist was taken to three sick people in the village. Vitalina Lubi and Mrs. Lee later gathered the children in a house where they gave March/April 2018

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Easter Challenge Even the Sparrow Has Found a Home…

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aster 2017 brought an unexpected challenge to the residents of St. Columban’s Retirement Home, Bristol, Rhode Island. A flower wreath, hung on the chapel door as an Easter decoration, attracted the attention of a pair of local wild robins, who saw it as an ideal place to build their nest and raise a family.

The residents of the house were unaware of this until a keen-eyed member of the staff noticed the nest and discovered that it already contained three eggs waiting to be hatched.

For the residents of the house the challenge now was how to make the

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“Even

the sparrow has found a home, and the swallow a nest for her young, near your altar, O Lord of hosts.”

(Psalm 84, 3) residents of the nest feel welcome and secure, especially with the repeated opening and closing of the chapel door as members of the local community came to take part in the Mass on Sundays, and during the week.

The decision was taken to open the door well before Mass time each day, and to leave it open until Mass was over and the visitors had gone home. Then the door was quietly closed, so that the parent birds could give the rest of the day to the task of bringing their fledglings into the world, and teaching them how to survive.

We care for the birds of the air because the Lord shows us the way.

“Not a single sparrow falls to the ground without your Father knowing it.” (Matthew 10, 29) CM The Columban missionaries living in Bristol, Rhode Island, provided this update.

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A legacy of mission…

A legacy of giving…

For over 100 years, dedicated members of the Missionary Society of St. Columban have faithfully taken the Good News message of hope and salvation to the poor and oppressed in faraway places.

For over 100 years, faithful Columban benefactors have made building God’s Kingdom here on earth possible through their steadfast prayers and support.

When you name the Missionary Society of St. Columban as a beneficiary in your will or estate plan, you ensure that the mission of Jesus continues for the next 100 years!

For information on how you can become a member, contact: donorrelations@columban.org.

“You will be enriched in every way for your great generosity.”

(2 Corinthians, 9:11) COLUMBAN FATHERS LEGACY SOCIETY P.O. Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 86056 Phone: (402) 291-1920 | Fax: (402) 291-4984 Toll-free: (877) 299-1920 www.columban.org | donorrelations@columban.org

Prayer and Cricket A Good Mix

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

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iss Evelyn used to stand on the side of the Long Hill road near the junction.

She waited for a lift to Mass each Sunday morning. To get there she had to climb down a steep incline, walk across the unused rail track and clamber a few more yards before she reached the road. Even a young person would need the alacrity of a goat to be able to negotiate the short distance from her house at the top of the hill to reach the road. She complained that her aging and arthritis was slowing her down. If the morning was wet her short trip down the incline was perilous. If she slipped, there would be nothing to break her fall one hundred paces to the railway track.

One morning, I suggested that I would go to Miss Evelyn’s house and pick her up for the trip to church.

This meant a detour of over a mile driving through an area already planned for luxury homes. None of the sites had been sold, because the economy had collapsed. Arriving at the end of the zoned area, I then had to negotiate a track into the bush, edging the village cricket pitch (field) and up a hill to a small plateau where her little house sat.

Usually a few cattle and goats grazed along the edge of the cricket pitch tethered to an orange or breadfruit tree. Sometimes, a few boys would be playing cricket, with just one makeshift set of wooden pegs from fallen branches stuck in the ground for

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bales, a worn tennis ball and a piece of board for a bat.

One morning as we made our way past the cricket pitch I commented to Miss Evelyn that Jamaicans loved cricket. Her eyes lit up and she said, “The people, dem, couldn’t live without cricket, it like curry goat, rice and peas to Jamaica. Since wi small, wi love cricket. West Indies cricket team now have no displine, batsmen dem want to get out, don’t stay at wicket like Laurence Rowe.”

Sometimes, a few boys would be playing cricket, with just one makeshift set of wooden pegs from fallen branches stuck in the ground for bales, a worn tennis ball and a piece of board for a bat.

It was obvious that Miss Evelyn knew about cricket. Laurence Rowe was one of the most stylish batsmen that came out of Jamaica or indeed came out of anywhere. She continued by saying, “The boys, dem don’t go a church, dem parents wonder why West Indies team not good, no church, no displine, no cricket.” I got a lecture on the demise of West Indies cricket, and Miss Evelyn had little doubt as to the cause of such.

After Mass, I took her back to her house. The cricket game was over, the boys were resting under the nearest

shady tree from the midday heat. On arriving at her house she said she had something to show me. Opening the door she pointed to three pictures on the wall in the little hallway. There she had a picture of Bob Marley, the Virgin Mary and Laurence Rowe in a more prominent position. Pointing to them she said, “dem my heroes, Laurence Rowe greatest all dem.” She thanked me and said that she would be ready for church next Sunday, “If life spare.”

When Jamaica and the West Indies are playing cricket at home or away people like Miss Evelyn either listen to a ball by ball commentary on the radio or if they are lucky watch it on television. The advent of the transistor radio brought cricket up close to people in the West Indies.

People carry their transistor with them to work in the fields, fishing, to church, on buses, at the beach, and in the market for the cricket commentary. Cricket grounds with names like Eden Park, SCG, WACA, Lords, Trent Bridge, The Oval, Old Trafford, Kensington Oval and of course Sabina Park are as familiar to the people as the next village.

The transistor radio has made them spectators in all these places.

Mr. Ernel Sterling, who plays the guitar and leads the choir at Sunday Mass, never moves without his transistor. It is as necessary an item as his lunch when he is going to work.

He played competitive cricket with WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

the local teams around Montego Bay well into his fifties. His wife Beryl, now retired, seldom misses a cricket match around Montego Bay and the north coast of Jamaica. Their son is the captain of the local team.

Indeed, when the test teams come to play in Kingston from Australia, India, England, Pakistan or New Zealand, Beryl and Ernel make a one-day pilgrimage to Sabina Park in Kingston for the test. They think of a day out such as this as a Christian thinks of Lourdes. They plan such a day months in advance. The day before they take special note of the weather forecast to make sure they will have a full day’s cricket. Their forthcoming journey is the subject of conversation for weeks before they depart.

Afterwards, their memories of the day are repeated to everyone they meet.

They repeat the highlights of their trip, comparisons are made with previous generations of cricket stars they watched, the happenings at Sabina Park and complaints about the price of a Red Stripe beer inside the grounds are aired. They compare modern batsmen to Viv Richards and Laurence Rowe, and bowlers to Michael Holding, who is now a commentator. But without bias, they admit they haven’t seen anything like Shane Warne. They also recall the glory days of Courtney Walsh and Brian Lara.

The last visit of the Australia team to the Caribbean was crunch time for West Indies cricket. The Australians WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

came claiming to be world champions.

They had taken the crown from the West Indies who reigned supreme in cricket for the previous twenty years.

This claim by Australia did not sit well with the people of the Caribbean.

As the tests got under way, Australia backed up their claim with a victory in the first test. In the next test the West Indies played a bit better, but they were a pale shadow of the team of former years. Brian Lara’s game was sporadic, the bowlers lacked skill, pace and discipline. But they managed a draw.

In the test at Sabina Park the West Indies needed a win to level the series.

The crucial day of the five-day test happened to be on a Sunday. The opening batsmen were weak. A good second inning by Lara and needed to save face and maybe win for the West Indies.

Mr. Sterling arrived at church about 9:30 am to prepare the hymns for Mass. Outside the rear of the church he placed his transistor on the ground so he could listen to the commentary as he went about his chores. As Mass time approached he switched off the transistor and placed it in his bag.

I noticed that he was agitated and apprehensive. As I passed him on my way to put on vestments in the sacristy I inquired about the score. His answer was, “West Indies need prayer.”

At the general intercessions before the offertory the people prayed for a wide variety of needs. As it was left for me to conclude with a closing prayer

I included a prayer for the success of the West Indies at Sabina Park. Some people forlornly shook their heads and smiled as if to insinuate that even the Lord couldn’t be of help at this stage.

After Mass, Ernel and Beryl left immediately on foot for home to watch the rest of the match on television. As they went along the road Ernel listened to his transistor. The West Indies were steady rather than spectacular. They weren’t taking wild swings at the ball.

Later in the afternoon I had to attend a meeting and forgot about the test.

Returning to the rectory at about 7:00 p.m. the phone was jumping off the hook. Each time I picked it up there was a parishioner at the other end telling me that our prayers were answered. Inquiring as to what specific need the Lord had granted us I was informed that Brian Lara had scored in excess of 150 runs and led the West Indies to a famous victory.

Listening to the varied comments on the telephone I wasn’t sure whether God, Brian Lara or our Christian community was responsible for such a great victory. However, in spite of repeated prayers for the success of West Indies cricket in following tests, they haven’t had a victory since. I think Miss Evelyn’s observation as to the demise of West Indies cricket is correct. CM Columban Fr. Bobby Gilmore lives and works in Ireland. He wrote this reflection in 2002, and it was based on his work in the West Indies.

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Walking with Chilenos An Appreciation

By Martin Koroiciri

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hile is a country that has its beauty in so many diverse ways that for the two years I had journeyed with the Columbans there I realized there is more to learn about mission then just going out and preaching the Gospel to the people.

A familiar site for missionaries are the boundaries that every missionary must learn to cross, one of the first ones is an attempt to achieve the boundary of language. For some countries it may take longer to learn, and others may be shorter. Spanish is the official language in Chile, and it took me five months to overcome this boundary.

Part of the program that the Columbans set up to help me cross this boundary was the opportunity to live with a Chilean family and not only learn the language but also to learn their culture and way of life. The additional advantage I had was that the family I was assigned to had four generations living in the same house,

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so I had the privilege to learn firsthand what Chilean family life is really like. It wasn’t an easy road though as I had to overcome so many boundaries of my own like the embarrassment of making mistakes and trying to know the “Do’s and Don’ts” of a family without even knowing the language. I believe that through this experience I gained a lot.

Parish Work Working in the parish gave me more opportunities to know the people, not just within the church but also those that do not participate much in Church, as I was invited to a few lunches and dinners with other families. It was on these visitations that I learned more about the saying, “Yo soy Catolico en mi mismo manera” which means “I am a Catholic in my own way,” a phrase I often heard from non-active Catholics who preferred not to participate in Church activities

except if they need it, like weddings, baptisms and confirmation. This has been one of the great challenges in the church in Chile as many have also had a bad history with authority in the church, some may have been disagreements with the priest or other leading members of the church. I am grateful to the help and encouragement of the priests that I worked with in San Columbano (with Fr. Tom Hanley and Pablo Park), especially Fr. Gonzalo Borquez Diaz for not only showing me a path of formation (as I was privileged to know him as a seminarian and watch him complete the initial formation and further on to become a priest) but also for the example he showed me by the way he lived out his priestly missionary life in the parish.

Missionary Sites Traveling into several mission sites for an experience of mission was

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At Mass

Celebration!

Martin, left, with his parish family

Martin, Fr. Gonzalo and friends

introduced to us when we first arrived.

To be honest, I was always looking forward to these experiences mainly because I wanted to gain everything I could from this experience while I had the chance, but also I liked to travel so it was a win-win situation for me. In each mission site I had something to gain and help me not only to learn about this beautiful culture of Chile but to also grow as person in my experience of mission.

Just to show an example of this, one of our first missions was in a countryside community called Ria Chuelo in the zone of Ozorno, where we went to visit families and hear their life stories and how they love the Lord because even though they do not have enough are always satisfied with whatever they have. There were a lot of poor families in that community. I felt like WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

with each mission experience I had something to bring back to the parish, like the visitations in Ria Chuelo, gave me courage to engage more in visitations within the parish. I realized that in Chile you can ask the family if you want to visit them, whereas in Fiji it would be considered intruding, because normally you are invited. So you could say that I had my share of culture shock that continued throughout my mission journey in the last two years.

Columban Priests For most of my life in Fiji, the atmosphere around priests was always a respectful one, where we were always taught to show respect to priests and most priests would love that kind of attention. Living in Chile I realized the atmosphere is totally different.

People related to the priests in a very friendly way as if they were a member of that parish. Another thing that I have grown to appreciate about the Columban priests in Chile is their honest relationship. They can argue so much about a lot of issues but when one needs help, they are always there to show their support.

Fraternal charity is one value that the Columbans in Chile have been so accustomed to, for that I am truly grateful to the Columbans. In many cases I learned to see our motto “Christi simus non nostri” (“We belong to Christ and not to ourselves”) being personified by the humble members of this beautiful region, and for that I am truly grateful to God for this experience. CM Martin Koroiciri is a Columban seminarian.

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What Is Happening?

A Typical Chilean Day

By Oisin Kenny

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anuary 6, 2017, was the Feast of the Epiphany also known as in Chile as La Pascua de los Negros (Passover of the Blacks). During colonial times this celebration was a rare opportunity for the black and mestizo slaves to celebrate.

One of my roles here is to provide support to the comedor in a shantytown just a five minute walk away. A comedor is a place for people to come and share a meal donated by locals. Located in Alto Hospicio in the Atacama desert of Chile, I encounter many of the challenges faced by the families who attend the comedor.

Always on the lookout for activities and events that can bring the attendees together, we decided it would be a good day for a mini-pilgrimage. The destination? La Tirana a small town located an hour inland in the heat of the desert. Dominated by a cathedral in the center, La Tirana is the site of an annual fiesta commemorating La Virgin del Carmen when this sleepy town of 1,000 attracts up to 250,000 Chileans. However, a smaller festival also occurs for La Pascua de Los Negros.

The planning began a number of weeks before the event. The day’s activities, transport arrangements, food, dining facilities, toilet 12

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arrangements and more all had to be organized. Eventually we had the good luck to meet a local contact who was also planning on bringing their own group to La Tirana. The contact not only arranged two large coaches from the local municipality, but also a large area to bring our hungry and thirsty pilgrims. A day’s activities were arranged including Mass in the cathedral and lunch followed by activities for the children. Monica and Jorge, two hard working parishioners had cooked and boxed nearly 100 meals with the aid of two Columban lay missionaries Lorna and Gilda.

As I arose at dawn that day I thought, “Everything is arranged, what could go wrong?” But this is Chile, and the best laid plans were soon to unwind. About 40 attendees of the comedor were participating, mostly mothers, lots of children and a few men. The plan was for the two municipality buses to collect us at 8am at a meeting point in the shantytown.

Arriving at the meeting spot I was amazed to find the locals arriving on time because I imagined 8:00 am to mean 9:00 am Chilean time. Not 40 but 50 people. Delighted with the response, I decided to check in at the house of our contact to see how

things were going. Alas, they were nowhere to be found. I also noticed only a handful of the other group had gathered. However, a family member was on site. Slightly confused, I discovered that the contact “would not be available.” And the buses? The response began, “Lo que pasa es que...”

This roughly translates as “what is happening is….”

Now let me explain. In Chile, when you ask someone about the progress of something that has been arranged previously and they begin their answer with Lo que pasa es you know there’s trouble ahead.

What it really means is not “what is happening” but “get ready, because what you thought was going to happen is actually not going to happen.” My Spanish is far from perfect, but my heart sank before he even finished the sentence.

Inquiring about the buses, I was told the buses were in Antofagasta.

Antofagasta is a city five hours south of Alto Hospicio. Our transport had disappeared in some mix-up that remains unexplained. “Do we have other transport coming?” I enquired hopefully. The response was an enthusiastic yes, a “micro” (minibus) for us and a “furgon” (minivan) for WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

you. Of course neither were coming, not withstanding the miracle that would be necessary to get 50 people into a minivan. Meanwhile Fr. Miguel had arrived and our concerned faces betrayed that all was not well to the gathered pilgrims. Fr. Miguel rushed off to try and hire a bus at short notice through a local man as I broke the news to the waiting party. “Let’s just wait for a while and see,” I said.

It was now 9:30 am. I wondered even if we reached La Tirana, where would we feed the people. Sitting on the dusty streets of La Tirana in 85 degree weather is not an ideal lunch venue. We were assured that despite the failure of the buses to arrive, the premises was certainly available and to reassure us, a map of its location in the town was drawn. Meanwhile I saw the crowd wandering off, and I thought they had gotten tired of waiting and decided to go home. I wouldn’t have blamed them. In fact, word had gone around that the minibus hired at short notice was finally coming, and they were going to meet it somewhere else. After another half hour of chaos, squeezing people into the bus and available cars, we were on our way. I breathed a sigh of relief.

The plan was to meet in front of the cathedral in La Tirana and go as a group to the arranged premises for lunch. What could be more simple than that? But upon arrival in La Tirana, of course no-one met us in the square. Instead half had gone to Mass which was nearing its end, and the other half were wandering around the town. Others were looking for toilets.

Eventually I hunted down Fr. Miguel and asked him to find the house nearby for lunch while I tried to gather the group in the square reassuring them that they will have lunch and bathroom facilities soon.

As we say in Ireland, “It was like trying to herd cats.” Fifteen minutes later Fr. Miguel returns with the news that the house was locked and nobody was answering. Surprise! Now I’m a patient WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

man, but everyone has their limits and mine had just about been reached.

The church organization in La Tirana has a small building complex near the cathedral, but we had already been told it was booked out for that day. Immediately we rush to the administration office and Fr. Miguel pleads with one of the kindly staff, who looks sympathetically on our plight and gives us access to a dining hall. I return to the square to gather the troops, once again and breathe another sigh of relief. Now we had to get the food to the hall. Arrangements had been made to meet at a certain street to carry the food from the cars.

But wouldn’t you know. When we got to the meeting point, the street was crowded with people due to the religious procession with all the dancers, musicians and followers.

Finally after more miscommunications and misunderstandings we found the cars and hauled the food and drinks by hand to the starving multitude.

It was now 2:00 pm and we were due to go home at 4:00 pm. After lunch and satisfied stomachs some semblance of normality returned as the children were given a guide around the cathedral, the crib and a

few prayers were said. The peaceful ambience of the cathedral brought an air of calm to the days chaos. The day ended with a procession to the edge of the town where the minibus was waiting to pick us up. We finished with a group photo of the survivors.

However, all was not over yet. As the minibus filled to overflowing with passengers it was obvious that there were more people on the bus going back than had come. But that’s another story!

Arriving back in Alto Hospicio I breathed my final sigh of relief and reflected on the day. Apart from the eight hours of organized chaos it had been a very successful outing. The Chileans have a way of going with the flow, whether that is a flood or a trickle. I had my own epiphany that day as well. Do not take anything for granted in Chile. After you organize a plan, arrange a backup plan, then arrange a backup plan for the backup plan. Then maybe you’ve some hope of things going according to one of the plans. But always remember, you’re in Chile! CM Columban lay missionary Oisin Kenny lives and works in Chile.

At the destination of the mini-pilgrimage

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Celebrating the Centennial Down Under Something to Acclaim!

By the Columban Missionaries, Australia/New Zealand Region

Y

ou travel a long way from the United States of America to reach Australia which is accurately described as “Down Under.” New Zealand is also “Down Under,” a little bit further down to the south and east. It is significant for “Aussies” not to be identified as “Kiwis” and just as importantly for “Kiwis” not to be identified as “Aussies.” In New Zealand lives a unique flightless bird called a kiwi, hence the name for New Zealanders.

Together we form the Australia/New Zealand (ANZ) Region.

These stories of encounters of faith with people seem to reveal that the missionary is converted in some way, by the deep faith of people that humble us all.

At the last census in 2016 Australia had a population of just over 24 million people, and New Zealand’s was nearly 4.7 million. We are small countries in the world, but we have a long history of Catholicism in both countries.

Over the next year we shall celebrate 100 years of Columban missionary activity with our Columban brothers and sisters throughout the world. This is a celebration for all of the people who have been supporters through the years.

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Therefore, the first place to start is with Columban benefactors. With the assistance of Australia and New Zealand’s generosity it has been possible to continue our missionary existence in countries that are in most need.

The two key ways to reach Columban benefactors and Catholics in the parishes was and still is, through The Far East magazine and the Columban Art Calendar. The Far East is in its 96th edition. Its contents have not changed from carrying stories of encounters of Columban missionaries with people in mission lands where people live so differently to us and experience life in different ways. These stories of encounters of faith with people seem to reveal that the missionary is converted in some way, by the deep faith of people that humble us all.

The Far East has always carried stories of projects, usually not big projects but ones where a small sum of money makes a huge difference to a person’s life or the village life. Our benefactors believe they can and do make a difference e.g. a well sunk close to a village saves women a walk of miles to the nearest tap. Or the taxi tricycles in the Philippines where our supporters helped the drivers buy their own vehicle instead of renting at exorbitant prices and thus break the spiral of poverty holding them down.

The Columban Art Calendar has been an important fund raiser for us and still is. The Columban Art Calendar is an iconic part of Catholic life in Australia and New Zealand. The beautiful artwork used with permission from the renowned art galleries of the world has traditionally had “pride of place” in kitchens where appointments and important notes on family life are written in the large spaces around the dates. Today the Calendar faces fierce competition from modern technology, however it is still a significant fundraiser and highlights the presence of Columban missionary activity.

Today we produce other publications like prayer books on different themes of forgiveness, grief, intercessions. Written by an English Columban priest, Fr. Patrick Sayles, who has a gift for composing prayers, the Society has sold thousands of copies around the world. Simple prayers from the heart dispose us to pray more easily to our God. There are also the booklets on specific Columban work which illustrate the commitment to St. Elizabeth’s hospital in Hyderabad in Pakistan and its outreach programs.

Also illustrated is the night school for boys who sweep the streets by day and go to school by night.

Publications have had their impact in the areas of justice and peace and Christian and inter-faith work with Muslims in particular. We believe WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

The Columban Art Calendar has been an important fund raiser for us and still is. The Columban Art Calendar is an iconic part of Catholic life in Australia and New Zealand. that we are following the lead of Pope Francis in addressing these religious issues.

The Columban Partnership Program is aimed at parishes and in more recent times schools who raise funds for projects in Peru, Chile, and the Philippines. Parishioners and teachers have travelled to parishes in those countries to visit the projects and to form friendships with those in partnership with Columbans.

The school children interact with their peers in other countries via the internet where possible.

A Columban Mission Experience in Chile for World Youth Pilgrims was held in the week before World Youth Day (WYD) in July 2013. One hundred and fifty young adults from Australia and New Zealand spent time in some of the poorest parishes outside Santiago. The pilgrims experienced at first-hand the mission of the church Ad Gentes.

The WYD-Columban Mission Experience Chile 2013 aimed to create awareness of the importance of the WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

New Evangelization, of overseas and cross-cultural mission and to promote vocations to the Columban priesthood and religious life. It was a great success and it gave the people in Columban parishes in Chile the opportunity to play hosts to the ANZ contingent.

In 2015 a group of Columban benefactors from Australia and New Zealand went on pilgrimage through Europe in the footsteps of St. Columban. This was the first Columban pilgrimage from Australia and New Zealand. Some of the pilgrims suggested another pilgrimage In the footsteps of the Columban

Fathers in China, our first mission, would be worth doing. It is being planned for later this year. We celebrate 100 years of Columban missionary activity. We have been part of the colonial phase of the Church over the last 100 years and now we have become part of the global phase of the Catholic Church. The Australian and New Zealand Columban Mission Society and its benefactors have something to celebrate. CM Â

The Australia/New Zealand region of the Missionary Society of St. Columban provided this update.

March-April 2018

15

Matt’s Blessing A Gift of Peace and Purpose

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

M

att was a bachelor farmer.

He was consigned to bachelorhood probably because his mother lived way beyond the Biblical three score and ten. He was the youngest of the family. His older siblings emigrated. The family farm slipped into his ownership. Matt would have liked to marry and have a family, but he thought that there would be a crowded house if another woman arrived. So he resigned himself to a single life.

It was not a drab life. He was his own boss and went about the tasks as the seasons demanded. Going to the local cattle fairs was a day out. There he met his friends and neighbors and listened to the news from further afield. A good day at a fair was the day he sold his cattle, sheep or pigs. A bad day was when he had to bring them home again and wait for the next fair in the hope of selling that would bring in some money. Money was always scarce in those days and still is in rural areas around the world. There never was adequate recompense for the energy exerted and credit at the local store was a kind of insurance until the next fair and market day. But people had great internal resources and developed great self-reliance in coping with whatever life threw up. There was little government presence in people’s lives other than the arrival of the postman with a letter from abroad, an electric or rates bill.

Matt also enjoyed the opportunity to play cards in a neighbor’s house.

The village meeting house was a place where people called in after work.

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It was there that news circulated be it about farming, politics, births, marriages and deaths. If somebody arrived from abroad there would be an added interest in listening to what was happening over there and how locals who had taken the boat were making out. Of course the returned immigrant never told the whole story.

He only talked about success in a land of plenty and opportunity for all.

Another daily pilgrimage for Matt was to the local shop to purchase the basics. There he might bump into unexpected passersby. This regular meeting of people helped him cope with the kind of isolation that stifled rural life. Of course, being a

Matt would have liked to marry and have a family, but he thought that there would be a crowded house if another woman arrived. So he resigned himself to a single life. churchgoer, Matt turned out in his Sunday best and cycled to the town for the late morning Mass. He listened to what transpired at Mass and felt an inner easiness as he met other worshippers from around the parish in the pub afterwards. Matt was able to take it all in. He was well-educated for his time. The national school system was tailored for its environment in that it taught the basics to enable the person to make out whether at home or away. It helped people make connections between self, family and

community. Each generation managed to hand on simple methods of coping with the ups and downs of life. Matt was aware of a wider world through reading the provincial newspaper and the arrival of the radio and television had widened his world further.

Having played football in his younger days Matt looked forward to reading about, listening to and watching games. Also, he was a great storyteller and a great listener. People used to say that he was a man of a few words but worth listening to.

Meeting Matt on my return from the Philippines, he was eager to hear about those faraway places that were prominent during the World War in the Philippines. He described the Leyte landings as if he was standing on the shore watching MacArthur and Romulo wade on to the beach. It was easy to tell Matt stories because he was an interested listener who was able to form his own images of whatever the subject was about. He requested that I call at his house before my return to the Philippines. Frequently, he reminded my parents to remind me to keep my promise.

So, on a cold, wet February morning as I made my way home after Mass I pulled up outside his house. He saw me emerge from the car and had opened the door before I knocked. His welcome was from the heart as he offered me a chair beside the open turf fire. After initial pleasantries about taking time to visit him he inquired about the date of my return and how I felt about leaving again. Looking out the window at WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

the misery of the day I answered that I had mixed feelings about leaving home, but at least it would be an escape from the harsh winter.

I had put aside the issue of leaving until the last day thinking that it would be easier to deal with if done suddenly. But there is nothing sudden about leaving home. In reality, as the day of departure nears one is silently putting aside bits and pieces in a suitcase, locating a passport and travel tickets thinking that no-one notices.

Those watching instinctively feel that departure is nigh but out of kindness or awkwardness in dealing with departure refrain from asking a direct question like Matt. Matt’s question broke into my silent planning and preparation. He had seen it all before in his own family and in the village.

He was no stranger to people leaving by the front door for America or stealing away silently by the back door without a send-off.

WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

We shook hands and I bid him farewell. As I walked out the door he said, “Be good to others and they will be good to you.”

Actually, his question helped put me in departure mode. Sensing that he stood up and went into the room at the back of the fireplace.

He reappeared with two glasses and a bottle of whiskey from which he poured more than adequate helpings.

Matt himself was not known as an imbiber of spirits. Neither was I, and definitely not at ten-thirty in the morning. However, it was his way of both welcome and send off. He then got a jug of water and lightly irrigated the contents of both glasses.

Raising the glass he said, “I am delighted you came to visit.” I responded that it was good to see him again and that along the way I would

drop him a line. We both drank the contents of our glasses slowly without much to say to each other. Then I said, “Matt, I’ll have to hit the road.”

He replied again that he was delighted that I came to see him.

Standing up to go I moved towards the door where we shook hands and I bid him farewell. As I walked out the door he said, “Be good to others and they will be good to you.” It was the best send-off I ever experienced. In a nutshell he re-focused my inability to manage departure. Also, his words gave me a simple and profound purpose, an identity, a self-worth and the knowledge that it depended on me. I often wonder if he had said, “Love your neighbor as yourself,” would it have had the same impact? I doubt it. May Matt rest in peace. He brought peace and purpose to me. CM Columban Fr. Bobby Gilmore lives and works in Ireland.

March-April 2018

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The Power of Touch Know Christ by Touching His Wounds

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

W

hat is the largest organ of our body? The skin. This is probably the reason that among the senses, touch is the first to develop in the human infant, and it remains perhaps the most emotionally central throughout our lives But we have forgotten the power of touch.

A number of us are even scared of touching or of being touched. Many of us growing up never experiencing

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being touched by significant persons like our parents. Instead growing up we experience being hurt, beaten up, physical punishment instead of touch.

Touch is essential for human survival; babies who are deprived of touch can fail to thrive, lose weight and even die.

Babies and young children who do not get touched also have lower levels of growth hormone, so a lack of touch can actually stunt a child’s growth.

The immune systems of children who are deprived of touch may also be weaker than those who receive plenty of physical affection.

What do you notice in Jesus’ miracles? Jesus’ choice is to heal through touch, especially when the religious leaders of the day didn’t seem too fond of touching. With few exceptions, He either laid hands on those who sought healing from Him, WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

We have forgotten the power of touch. Many of our children long for the touch of their parents.

Many of our grandparents long for the touch of their children. Many of us long to be touched and healed. or they touched Him. All four Gospels present Jesus’ touch as all powerful over nature, sickness and death.

Many were healed by Jesus’ touch, by touching Jesus or His clothes. In one story of the woman who was suffering from hemorrhages for 12 years, she was completely healed after touching the clothes of Jesus. Through her faith, she was completely healed. The other girl was touched by the words of Jesus’ “Talitha koum,” and she was brought back to life. Touch brings about healing. Touch is not only physical but through our words, we can either bring healing and hope or more pain and fear to people.

I have a hugoat line to share: “Sana iphone nalang ako. Laging hinahawakan, hindi binibitawan.

Laging nahahaplos, hindi iniiwanan, hindi tinatapon.” We have forgotten the power of touch. Many of our children long for the touch of their parents. Many of our grandparents long for the touch of their children.

Many of us long to be touched and healed.

If touch is so important and healing, why are we afraid to touch?

Why are we afraid to get close with people? Many of us are like the people in the crowd. We want to know and see Jesus but only at a distance. But according to Pope Francis, we can only know Christ by touching His wounds. Touching with our hands the wounds of Christ can serve as a medicine for one of the greatest ills WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG

of our times, that of indifference. You can only know Christ, he stressed, by touching His wounds and that is the true way. To touch Jesus or to allow Jesus to touch us would mean to have a personal relationship with him. It means to follow Him and following Him means taking up our cross daily. This is what we do not want.

We do not want the responsibility and commitment that comes with relationships.

Do you remember the Good Samaritan? Pope Francis said the most difficult charity (or fasting) is the charity of goodness such as that practiced by the Good Samaritan who bent over the wounded man unlike the priest who hurried past, maybe out of fear of becoming infected. And this is the question posed by the Church today: “Am I ashamed of the flesh of my brother and sister?” “When I give alms, do I drop the coin without touching the

hand (of the poor person, beggar)?

And if by chance I do touch it, do I immediately withdraw it? When I give alms, do I look into the eyes of my brother, my sister? When I know a person is ill, do I go and visit that person? Do I greet him or her with affection? There’s a sign that possibly may help us, it’s a question: Am I capable of giving a caress or a hug to the sick, the elderly, the children, or have I lost sight of the meaning of a caress?”

As individuals and as a church we are the Body of Christ, and we cannot fully be who and what we were created to be unless we involve loving touch. But this includes bringing to the forefront the ways in which touch is abused such as in situations of domestic violence and child and elder abuse. Addressing touch will be uncomfortable. But it is vital. Every home should be the first place to provide this touch. And every church should have a safe place where abuse victims can ask for help without fear of repercussion.

“Too often we underestimate the power of touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment or the smallest act of caring, all of which have a potential to turn a life around.”– Leo Buscaglia The life saved could be the life of a stranger, or it could be your own. CM Columban Fr. Kurt Zion Pala lives and works in Myanmar (formerly Burma).

March-April 2018

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Homelessness Isolated and Lonely

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

S

ince the St. Joseph church compound was close to the central bus station, many homeless men came there. Some requested food, while others slept under the verandahs. When winter came and work on construction sites halted, their numbers increased significantly. The parish council became concerned about their welfare.

Consequently, a committee was set up to respond to their needs. A short time later, its members began to distribute hot drinks, food and blankets, all of which were gratefully received by those destitute men.

During the following few years, as the committee members came to know the men and developed a deeper understanding of their plight and their pain, they began to wonder if they could do something more to assist them. Then, after consulting local government welfare agencies, they found ways to collaborate together to find low rent apartments and provide a small, fixed income for those men who were the most vulnerable.

Thanks to the genuine concern and persistence of the church committee, some months later, one of the homeless men moved into a

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small, but neat apartment. Having spent more than a decade sleeping under the verandah of the church, he was jubilant at having a room to call his home, a place where he could lay down his head and feel safe and warm.

During the months that followed, a small number of other homeless men were equally joyful when they were told that the church committee had also found apartments for them. The members of the church committee

In short, since they did not belong anywhere, they felt isolated and lonely. were indeed very pleased that their efforts were bearing fruit.

However, a month later, one of the men was found dead in his apartment.

The cause was suicide. Then, some weeks later, another man died in similar circumstances. Everyone went into deep shock. How could this happen? There seemed to have been enough reasons for these men to despair when they had been homeless, but not now when they had a home and a reasonably secure life.

During the weeks that followed members of the church committee

As the committee members came to know the men and developed a deeper understanding of their plight and their pain, they began to wonder if they could do something more to assist them. visited the other men who had moved into apartments in order to discover what was going on. Over and over again, they listened to stories about how these men struggled to adapt to their new life. While they had been homeless they had several things to strive after each day – making sure that their meagre belongings were not discarded by someone who considered them garbage; waiting at the back of a particular restaurant for the food bins to be put out; returning to the church on time to secure their preferred place under the verandah for the night.

In contrast, after they moved into an apartment, they no longer had a daily sense of purpose and quickly became depressed. Furthermore, their new neighbors ignored them because they despised them for having been homeless. On the other hand, due to their changed circumstances, they themselves no longer felt that close bond they once had with the other homeless men at the bus station and the church. In short, since they did not belong anywhere, they felt isolated and lonely.

What a surprise learning this was for the members of the church committee! They had responded generously to the physical poverty of those homeless men by providing them with food, clothing and accommodation. Now, however, they felt a new calling to respond in the same generous manner to their emotional and spiritual poverty. CM Columban Fr. Timothy Mulroy is the director of the U.S. Region. He lives and works in St. Columbans, Nebraska.

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They Died in Their Parishes Columbans Who Died Violently on Mission

By Fr. Donal O’Keefe

A

t the end of WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel.

Tensions between the two parts erupted into armed clashes which eventually ended with the invasion of the South by the North on Sunday morning June 25, 1950.

Columban Fr. Anthony (Tony) Collier was born in Ireland in 1913.

He went to St. Columban’s College, Dalgan Park, was ordained in 1938 and assigned to Korea in 1939. Fr. Tony had barely finished language studies in Korea when along with other Columbans he was placed under house arrest when Japan joined the war in 1941. Released in 1945, he was appointed in 1949 as the first parish priest of the new parish of Soyangno, Chuncheon city.

After Sunday Mass on June 25, 1950, the escalation of violence was the main topic of conversation.

People talked of fleeing and wanted the priests to come with them. In Chuncheon that afternoon, Fr. Tony Collier met Columban Frs. Tom Quinlan and Frank Canavan to discuss the situation. An American officer offered to take the priests to safety, but they declined. Fr. Thomas Quinlan later wrote that Fr. Tony refused saying, “I want to be with my parishioners.”

Two days later, Fr. Tony and parish worker Gabriel Kim were arrested by North Korean soldiers. Accused of being spies, they were tied together and shot. Fr. Tony was killed instantly, and Gabriel was injured. When falling to the ground, Tony fell over on Gabriel.

The soldiers left them believing both had died. Gabriel eventually escaped and gave an account of Fr. Tony’s death 22

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to the Columbans. Fr. Tony was the first foreigner to die in the Korean conflict. He was 37.

Meanwhile, in the coastal city of Samcheok, the second Columban to die, Fr. Jim Maginn, had celebrated Mass that Sunday. Born in 1911 in Butte, Montana, his family returned to Ireland where he went to school.

He was ordained in 1935 and assigned to Korea in 1936. Like Fr. Tony he was placed under house arrest when Japan joined the war. Released in 1945, he was appointed pastor to a new parish in Samcheok city in 1949.

The parishioners pleaded with Fr. Jim to flee but, as many of them testified later, he declined saying, “As pastor I am staying here in the church.” He divided up the money in the safe giving it to the people. He was arrested some time later and eventually shot on July 4, 1950. He was 39.

In the parish of Mukho, it was a similar story for Fr. Patrick Reilly.

He was ordained in Dalgan in 1940 and assigned to Korea. However, due to WW II he was unable to travel

until 1947. After language studies he was assigned as the first pastor of the new parish of Mukho to the north of Samcheok.

After Sunday Mass the people tried to persuade Fr. Paddy Reilly to leave but as they later attested he told them, “A pastor cannot desert the flock.” He did move from the presbytery to stay in the home of the catechist where he celebrated Mass frequently for the remaining believers. However, he was arrested on August 29. Later, his body was found on a mountain path. He had been shot through the chest. He was 35.

All three were buried close to where they died. Their bodies were later reinterred behind the Cathedral in Chuncheon. All three made conscious decisions to stay with their people even though they had ample opportunities to flee. For that reason the Korean Church views them as martyrs and is promoting their beatification. CM Columban Fr. Donal O’Keefe lives and works in South Korea.

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An Easter Surprise!

W

hen the last group of Columban missionaries left Myanmar in 1979, they did so with heavy hearts.

Having spent a major part of their lives ministering to the Kachin tribe there, they had grown old, while some of them had developed health issues.

Their sadness in saying goodbye was deepened by the fact that no one was coming to replace them; the military-socialist government had long decreed that no new missionaries were welcome. Therefore, both Columban missionaries as well as the Kachin tribe mourned the end of an era.

However, during the succeeding decades the Kachin people treasured the Gospel message, as well as the memory of those Columban missionaries who had lived among them.

Then, in 2015, in response to an invitation

by Bishop Francis Daw Tang, Columban

FROM THE DIRECTOR

By Fr. Tim Mulroy missionaries returned to Myanmar and prepared to resume their ministry among the Kachin people.

However, while the political situation had begun to improve, they still had to deal with various restrictions on their ministries. Nevertheless, they were delighted to see that the seeds of the Gospel sown by their Columban colleagues several decades previously were still bearing fruit. Consequently, they decided to invite Kachin youth to consider a Columban missionary vocation. To their surprise,

However, God was already planning this Easter surprise for our centennial year! within a short time five young men entered the Columban seminary.

Among these five Kachin seminarians, two have the baptismal name Columban. From different villages, both Columban Hkun Myat Aung and Columban Aung Li were born more than a decade after the earlier group of Columban missionaries had said goodbye to Myanmar. However, their parents and families wished to keep their memories alive by naming their sons Columban. When they did so, could they possibly have imagined that one day they would become Columban missionaries?

While growing up, those two boys listened over and over again to stories told by their parents and relatives about Columban priests who had drawn them closer to God. Time and time again they had heard from their neighbors and local diocesan priests about the sacrifices that Columban missionaries had made to strengthen the faith of their Kachin tribe. Consequently, without ever meeting Columban missionaries, they came to know and admire them‌and would later decide to follow in their footsteps.

Leaving Myanmar in 1979 seemed like a Good Friday chapter in Columban history. However, God was already planning this Easter surprise for our centennial year!

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“I praise you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, because you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned, and revealed them to the little children.” — Matthew 11:25 God makes what appears to us to be unlikely choices. He may even be calling you to mission. We would be happy to discuss it 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

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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