The Magazine of the Missionary Society of St. Columban
March/April 2017
The Joyful Spirit COLUMBAN MISSION MA17.indd 1
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Volume 100 - Number 2 - March/April 2017
Columban Mission
o n t e n t s
Issue Theme – The Joyful Spirit
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
Glimmers of Light
12 Be My hands and Be My Feet
4 Breaking the Bonds of Poverty
Education is Key
5 Thief
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There’s a Thief in the Church!
Ditching the Desk
Living Life as a Missionary
8 Resilience Amidst Suffering
Faith is My Stronghold
10 Why is That Day Called “Good” Friday?
The Goodness of God’s Love
16 Adult Baptism by Immersion
Cultural Constraints
17 I Have Chosen Love
Trusting the Missionary Journey
20 Accompanying Typhoon Victims
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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
Opportunity for a New Life
22 No Family to Grieve at Her Going
Finding a Final Home in Her Last Days
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 Sr. Eileen Rabbitte
Compassionate Mission
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still have vivid memories of my first awakening in Lima, Peru, on June 24, 1971. The population all around our mission was made up of thousands of Peruvians from the highlands, who had ventured to the coastal cities looking for a better life for their children. Living in bamboo huts, without light, water, sewer, roads or any kind of security, they literally slaved in the process of building new towns all around the coastal cities of Peru. In spite of the hardships, they succeeded as can be seen today. Now we are in 2016. Enter another side of the story. Sabina Choi, a Columban Sister from Korea, and Eufrasia Garcia, a Columban Sister from Peru, are both missioned in Sicuaine, Cusco, in the Southern Andes. Sr. Sabina recently wrote about her the elderly people scattered around the poverty-stricken villages high up in the Andes. Their sons and daughters who left for the coastal cities and a better life for themselves and their families, did do well, in spite of the aforementioned survival conditions which they had to endure. However, few were able to return, due to the risky nature of their minimum wage employment, large growing families to clothe, feed and educate, not to mention the cost of several hours bus journeys up and down the mountains. Srs. Sabina and Eufrasia find that there is a great need for a compassionate ministry to their friends of the mountains. In the face of the poverty of these elderly people the Peruvian government recently allocated a small amount of money to alleviate their suffering. Many of these people do not have documentation and so for all intents and purposes they do not exist. Furthermore the documented elderly often find it difficult to travel down the rugged mountain paths to receive their bit of money. There is also the fear of being robbed on the way back up. So, the Sisters and volunteers visit them in their mountain villages and bring them food and other vital necessities. Once a month they have a gathering in the parish for the people who are able to attend. They serve them breakfast of oatmeal, milk and coffee and share some Bible stories. Volunteers from the youth group offer their services, washing the old people’s feet, trimming their nails, haircuts and other personal needs. It is a time for sharing stories, enjoying the presence of one another. Lunch includes soup, rice, potatoes and some chicken. Having relished a little nourishment and loads of tender loving service from the Sisters and the young people, the friends from the mountains begin their rugged and difficult hike back up the mountain paths to their poor and lonely little homes.
Many of these people do not have documentation and so for all intents and purposes they do not exit.
Sr. Eileen Rabbitte served in the USA and in Peru, and now lives in Magheramore, Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
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Breaking the Bonds of Poverty
Education Is Key By Sr. Young Mi Choi
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y name is Sr. Young Mi Choi, and I live and work in the parish of Cristo Liberador, (Christ the Liberator), one of twelve parishes which comprise the district of San Juan de Lurigancho in the eastern part of Lima, Peru, in the foothills of the Andes. It is one of the most densely populated districts in all Latin America, with a population of over one million people. Most of the people who live here have come as migrants seeking a better life from rural and mountainous areas over the last 25 to 30 years. In our parish we have a population of about 130,000 people. Those who live in the valleys have basic services, and conditions have improved greatly over the years. However, there are still thousands of people living in
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precarious dwellings on the hills who do not yet have running water or basic services. We have started a number of projects to help educate the migrant population in this area. One is a small preschool for three to five year-olds, with a room for children with special needs. Many are children of very young single mothers who have very little education themselves. We saw this project as a way of giving basic formation to these children, so that they could have more options for life and a better future. We also wanted to have something for special children because there are no services for them in our area. My own background is in Montessori and special education. We have about 80 children in the school.
Each morning they arrive around 8:30 and are with us until 3:30 pm. This gives the mothers the opportunity to work, as many do, in the local market and other areas. We provide breakfast, dinner and a snack for the children before they leave in the afternoon. Three years ago, a little girl named Sandra came to our school. Her mother, a widow with three children, sold pieces of charcoal in the market. She asked me with tears in her eyes if I could take Sandra because she had a hearing problem. Sandra had almost caused a serious car accident that day because she could not communicate with anyone. Sandra stayed with us for three years. We worked with her on her own, and at other times she joined the other children for classes. From being uncontrollable and without even minimal education she has become a caring, confident and beautiful child and is an example to the other children in her class. The director of the local elementary school says, “When I see Sandra blossoming in our school and playing with the children I see the value of inclusive education.� Our task is to maintain the quality of our educational program, to prepare our teachers and to provide education for the parents. We get no government assistance whatsoever for running this school.
Sr. Young Mi and friend
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Our second project is in the Cristo Rey area at one end of our parish where the people live on a series of high hills in extremely poor living conditions with huge social problems of alcohol abuse and family violence. The alcohol abuse and domestic violence coupled with a lack of education—very few adults have completed high school—means that education is not a priority for their children. For example Susana, age 11, is still struggling to read and write because her parents ask her to mind her four younger siblings at home instead of going to school. She asked me to convince her parents to allow her to come to our educational program. Last year we began an educational program in this deprived area as an outreach from our school. The general idea was to build up the community there beginning with the women and children. With our teachers and others volunteering, we began workshops in the afternoons with children of different age levels, helping them
Preschool participants
with their reading and writing skills. On Saturdays we have handicraft and drama workshops for the children and a program for women with a psychologist and social worker. This year we hope to have a threepronged educational program for adult development of practical life skills,
Thief There’s a thief in the church! By Fr. William Lee
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t was about three in the afternoon on a Tuesday. I was seated at my desk in the parish office chatting with a young couple who had come to ask for baptism for their newborn baby. As parish priest of the 90,000 parishioners of San Matias parish on the southern periphery of Santiago, Chile, a large part of my day was spent listening to the concerns of those who came to see me. All of a sudden, I heard the parish secretary shouting, “Thief! There’s WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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a thief in the church. He is still in there.” I jumped up, ran out of the office and into the church. And there he was, trying to help himself to anything that would have any monetary value. The parish of San Matias comprises the main church where the parish office is located and nine smaller churches spread out across the area. This is a poor area with high incidences of unemployment, drug trafficking, domestic violence, suicide,
human development and leadership in the community and chapel, so that they can take responsibility for their lives. We will also continue the work with the children. CM Korean Columban Sr. Young Mi Choi lives and works in the Cristo Liberador parish in the poverty stricken outskirts of Lima, Peru
despair, imprisonment, environmental degradation and family breakdown. There are problems with malnourishment, a high dropout rate from school and little access to health services. Many people have no computer access to be able to prepare a job resume or fill out online forms needed to apply for services. The majority of our parishioners live in overcrowded conditions in government-built apartments and houses, the average size of which is a mere 36 square meters (118 feet). We have only one police station in an area where an estimated 200,000 people live. Of course, police coverage in our area differs significantly from that of middle class areas in the same city. Seeing the thief, I ran into the church and headed towards him. He March/April 2017
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tried to escape through the hole in the wall that he had made in order to enter. But just before he made his escape I tackled him around the legs. He fell to the ground with me on top of him. Being a Fijian who had grown up playing rugby certainly was a big advantage in this situation! I think the thief was surprised that the parish priest had tackled him so quickly and effectively. From the floor of the church, I called out to the parish secretary to call the police, while I continued to hold the thief down. He was about 30 years old, and I sensed that he was a drug addict. As I continued to pin him to the ground, while waiting for the police to arrive, he kept repeating to me, “Father, have mercy on me. Have mercy on me, please Father.” Being in a poor area with a high crime rate, all ten churches of the parish, every evangelical church, every school in the area, every neighborhood center, every hall, every sports club, every small shop and business, every health center and everyone’s home, are all subject to robbery from drug addicts looking for quick cash to buy drugs. We have had many break-ins in our churches. Hardly a month goes by without one or two break-ins. Chalices, patens and metal crucifixes have been stolen. Tabernacles have been smashed, and the Blessed Sacrament thrown on the ground. We have had lectionaries, missals and hymnals stolen. Liturgical vestments such as chasubles, stoles, albs, cinctures and the acolytes’ albs have also been stolen. Sound systems, microphones and speakers are especially sought after. Most of these items are now kept in private homes for security reasons and brought out for Sunday worship. I continued to pin down the thief waiting for the police to arrive while all the time he continued to plead for 6
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Top left: Break in!; Top right: Fr. Willie Lee; Bottom: A parish celebration
mercy. After waiting for around 30 minutes, I decided I had no option but to release him. He thanked me, got up and ran out. I watched him climb over the fence and was then surprised to see a rather fancy car appear out of nowhere to collect him and drive off. In discussion with people in the area who know “things,” and putting two and two together, it seems that our thief would also have been a victim in another sort of way. He most likely would have been a school dropout, uneducated and unemployable. In desperation he would have turned to drugs and soon become addicted. He probably owed money to these unforgiving drug dealers. They must have offered him a solution to pay back his drug debt by driving him around to different locations where he could break-in and steal items and so pay back his drug debt. If he was caught by the police it did not matter
too much, because as a human being he was expendable, and there are plenty of others in the same desperate situation. The police arrived about 30 minutes later. I expressed my frustration and annoyance to them, but I know that they are overworked and understaffed. This incident helped me reflect on the importance of our parish reaching out to those in need. It helped me realize the importance of our pastoral work in the prevention of substance abuse and offering the addicts opportunities for rehabilitation and the hope for a new life. Our parish needs to continue to help those in crime and addiction to turn their lives around. CM Columban Fr. William Lee comes from Fiji. He has spent the last nine years as Parish Priest in Chile and now has returned to Fiji to work in seminary formation for Columban students.
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Ditching the Desk Living Life as a Missionary By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala
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ow that I’m home, I realized I do not have a room to call my own. My room is the bag I carry on my back every time I move from one mission to another. Right after high school I left home to pursue a childhood dream– to become a priest. I joined the college program of the Columbans in Cebu, but after a few years decided to leave the seminary and work. Cebu became my adoptive home for a long time. It was where I completed my degree, worked as a teacher and then in the government, pursued graduate studies and found out that there is more to that. For about five years, I sat before a desktop computer most of the time making reports and presentations, and on my lucky days I would be out in the field. I am grateful for the experience and lessons I learned working with them. I have WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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no complaints because I loved my work. But eventually I was looking for more – a way of life I’ve always dreamt of since I was a young boy. So I decided to ditch my desk and leave a promising career in government service for a much more simple life that of a missionary. Ever since I left my job, I’ve found life to be more meaningful and joyful. There would be days of heartaches and challenges, but it makes the journey a bit more like an adventure. My journey has brought my feet to lands I have never thought I would one day set my feet on – the islands of Fiji, and hopefully Myanmar soon! But to be welcomed into the hearts of people I meet every day is the greatest privilege we priests are blessed with. And so every opportunity, every encounter I have with them I try to be as welcoming and compassionate as Jesus has been with me. I especially
cherish working with young people. They can teach us a lot. After spending a year in Malate Parish Church, working in various ministries of the parish, I am now involved with Vocation and Mission Promotion which includes helping young people discern about their vocation in life and planting the seed of mission in them. If you know a young person thinking about ditching the desk or taking on the adventure of becoming a Columban missionary be it as a priest, Sister or lay missionary, please pray for him or her and tell them about us. Are you up to ditching that desk? Yes, you. Pope Francis challenges you, “Ask Jesus what he wants from you and be brave.” CM Columban Fr. Kurt Zion Pala lives and works in Myanmar (formerly Burma).
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Resilience Amidst Suffering Faith Is my Stronghold
By Angie Escarsa
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n the history of human life suffering is what every person will encounter in their lifetime. Not even Jesus, the Son of God, was spared from pain as He too had to suffer to fulfill the plan of the Father for His people. A mother could never give birth to a new life unless she goes through the pain of labor. No single human being or any creature has ever escaped pain. It is a reality for each and every one of us. One of the known attributes or characteristics of Filipinos is that they have a good disposition about life. Even in the face of disaster, many Filipinos will still smile. It has been proven through the years in the many
unexpected events and occurrences experienced by the Filipino people; calamities, natural phenomenon, illness, accidents and others. The result is of one of the great virtues anyone can have, “resilience.” Resilience is not something we learn from books, it is caught and adopted through the obstacles and challenges thrown at us in life. Many Filipinos would have experienced one way or another a time in life when everything seems to go against them and nothing is going right. In the Filipino language we call it “dagok ng tadhana,” and it can have two effects; make us strong or turn us to misery. With resilience, Filipinos
oftentimes–but not always–become stronger. Our belief and trust in God’s providence is where we get the strength to remain positive amidst the turmoils brought about by natural disasters, illnesses or accidents. Despite the many dagok ng tadhana, we don’t lose faith but rather become stronger in confidence that God is with us no matter what. God’s promise of unconditional love is what makes us strong in moments of suffering. I can attest to this myself not just because I am a Filipina, but because of my lived experience. My trust in the loving kindness and mercy of God is what helped me face two
The fact that each day brings unique situations and experiences teaches of to take life as it comes and not worry about the day before or the day after. Take the day as it comes. Be present to the moment. Angie with her uncle’s family on Christmas Day in the Philippines
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Angie with friends in Inishbofin
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tragic events in the family. First was the death of my then 21-year-old sister who after just finishing college suffered Systemic Lupus E and passed away a year after diagnosis of this rare illness. Eight months after, while in Ireland, I received an unexpected message from home that my father, aged 65, died suddenly due to cardiac arrest. Losing my sister was the darkest day of my life, but going home eight months after to my father’s funeral was the end of the world for me. If I were without faith, these two events could have turned me upside down and could have caused me insanity. Without faith, I could not fathom how this could happen to my family. Faith is the essential ingredient for positive living. Accepting the reality that there are things we have no control of and then embracing those things can bring us happiness. There are realities in life over which we have no control–sickness, aging, and death. These are all part and parcel of what we call life on earth. I learned that quickly enough after the two bereavements in the family, and I know there will be another time when I have to go through it again. Another thing is “take each day as it is.” The fact that each day brings unique situations and experiences teaches us to take life as it comes and not worry about the day before or the day after. Take the day as it comes. Be present to the moment. Every day is to be treated as it is and what it brings. Everything passes. Nothing is permanent in this world, even the good times. Pain and suffering will pass. So if we are suffering now, we WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Everything passes. Nothing is permanent in this world, even the good times…So if we are suffering now, we know that it will pass. All will come to pass so we should not hold on to worldy things. know that it will pass. All will come to pass so we should not hold on to worldy things. In the short time I spent in London this summer, to help on a mission appeal, I was struck by the stories I heard about Filipinos who came to the United Kingdom in the early 1980s.These Filipinos fought a good fight with the help of the Columban missionaries to remain in the country so they can provide for their families back in the Philippines. Many of them endured physical, emotional and psychological abuse and tolerated many insults from their employers calling them names and other verbal abuse. Thirty years after arrival, they are living their life as British citizens and couldn’t have been happier after the suffering they went through in the early years in Britain. In my seventeen years of working in Ireland as a lay missionary, I tried to bring about positive living by my
witness to the life I have chosen. It is the same principle from the Gospel that St. Columban himself took “I have come that they may have life and live it to the full.” Choosing life as a missionary gives me more opportunity to live out the faith that has been my stronghold and helps me to have a positive outlook in life. Recently I was faced with the reality of illness. I was found with a lump in my left breast. This brought concern and could have been a source of stress. However, I knew I could only be certain of its seriousness after a mammogram and biopsy which I had a few days after consulting my physician. From the time of the biopsy up to the day of the result I knew in my heart I have totally offered and surrendered my life to God. I am ready whenever my life on earth is over. But God must have other plans for me. The lump is benign. This experience makes me live out the Gospel more, “live life to the full,” which I already have been doing but this time with awareness that I have to take my part by having a healthier diet and positive attitude. My gentle and calm presence is something I am grateful to say is one of my assets, and it is through these I influence people to live a life free from stress and negativity. It is a gift to be able to stay calm in every situation. It is not always easy. but it is something we can learn as we continue to live each day of our life on earth. CM Angie Escarsa is from Olongapo City, Philippines, and has been a Columban Lay Missionary in Ireland since 1999.
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Why is That Day Called “Good” Friday? The Goodness of God’s Love By Fr. Frank Hoare
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n my early days as a missionary in Fiji, I worked mainly among the Hindu Indo-Fijians around the town of Labasa. I was often invited by head teachers of primary schools to explain to their students the meaning of Good Friday and Easter Monday, since both were public holidays. I gladly availed of these opportunities to share my faith and understanding of the meaning of the passion, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. I used to take along to the schools a scroll of large pictures depicting scenes of the life of Christ. It contained pictures of the trial of Jesus, His carrying the cross and His crucifixion. I used these pictures to help illustrate the opposition to Jesus,
the unjust accusations against Him, the sentence of death and the suffering He endured. I also explained how He forgave His tormentors and promised paradise to the repentant thief. After my presentation in one particular school, the teacher asked the children if anyone had a question. One boy put up his hand and asked, “Why is the day on which Jesus was killed called ‘Good’ Friday? Surely it was a ‘Bad’ Friday.” I remember being struck by the question. I had never heard it asked before, nor had I ever asked it of myself. I realized then that the boy was asking the question out of his own Hindu religious background. Hindus believe that the world goes through
four epochs repeatedly. The first epoch, Satya Yuga, is when truth and virtue rule and people live righteously. In the second epoch there is some decline. The world then consists of three quarters virtue and one quarter vice. In the third epoch, sin and virtue reign equally in the world. The fourth era, Kali Yuga, is so corrupt and vile that a divine being is born into the world to abolish wickedness by destroying all sinful people. The cycle then begins again. For my young questioner, if Jesus was God in human form He should have been powerful enough to restore righteousness by destroying His wicked enemies. I answered the boy by saying that although Jesus was all powerful as God, He loved everyone even sinners, even those evil men who crucified Him. He didn’t want to destroy them but to win them over with His love. Instead of annihilating them, He prayed that their evil deeds would be forgiven and that that, accepting His forgiveness, they too, like the repentant thief, would be given a place in God’s Kingdom. Jesus wanted to overcome violence by non-violence (as Gandhi did afterwards) and to overcome evil and sin with love. And the sign that this actually happened was that God raised Jesus from the dead on Easter Sunday morning. This shows that Jesus has conquered sin and death, our great enemies. So we Christians call that day “Good” Friday because we see revealed there the supreme goodness and extraordinary love of God and God’s offer of salvation to all people through forgiveness of their sins. I don’t know if my explanation of the meaning of Good Friday made sense to that young boy, but his question certainly made me think more deeply about my faith. CM Columban Fr. Frank Hoare lives and works in Fiji.
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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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Glimmers of Light An Ode to Joy By Fr. Tomas King
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hen I was sixteen years old, my father was diagnosed with cancer and died ten weeks later. Soon afterwards, I dropped out of high school to manage the family farm in order to support my mother and four younger siblings. For the next several years I worked on the land, deepening my love of nature, and growing in awareness of God’s presence around and within me. During those years I also become familiar with the life of Columban missionaries through this mission magazine, and nurtured a desire to follow that path myself. I was unsure, however, if the gap in my formal education would prevent me from pursuing my dream. Nevertheless, in my early twenties, I applied to join the Columban seminary, and was accepted. During my seminary program I was sent on mission to Pakistan for two years. There, I experienced a way of life that was not only very different from anything I had experienced in my home country of Ireland, but also a culture that was beyond anything I had imagined! However, the skills that I had acquired while adapting to new and challenging family circumstances as a sixteen-year-old proved very useful now in this strange environment. Furthermore, the lessons that I had learned during my transition from managing the family farm to being a seminarian helped me to be patient with myself as I learned to engage this new world. Two years later, when it was time for me to go home in order to
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complete my academic seminary program, my heart was already set on returning to Pakistan as a Columban missionary priest. After my ordination in 1992, my wish was granted, and since then I have ministered to the Parkari Kohli tribal people, who are among the poorest and most marginalized people in Pakistan. There are many reasons why the Parkari Kohli tribal people feel consigned to the fringe of society. Their ancestors were among the untouchables, at the very bottom of the Hindu caste system throughout a four thousand year span of history. The weight of such oppression still lies heavy on their hearts. While their conversion to Christianity a century or so ago helped to provide them with a sense of dignity, major political and demographic changes in the aftermath of World War II left them as a tiny religious minority within the newly created, predominantly Muslim country of Pakistan. The Parkari Kohli tribal people also share similar burdens with many other Pakistanis, who are familiar with the corrosive effects of poverty, corruption and violence in their community. Limited access to education and a lack of even basic healthcare in many small towns and villages contributes further to a sense of powerlessness and hopelessness. Literacy rates are among the lowest in the world, while one out of every fourteen children dies before the age of one. Despite being surrounded by such dark clouds; I have been surprised
Despite being surrounded by such dark clouds; I have been surprised by glimmers of light in the most unexpected places. by glimmers of light in the most unexpected places. One such moment was the funeral of a one-week-old baby girl. After we had recited the prayers at the family home, in the midst of crying and wailing, the men carried the little body, wrapped in a white cloth, to the graveyard. As is the custom, the women remained at home to mourn there. The little grave was dug and the body placed in it. However, following a cherished tradition, before the closing of the grave the face of the child was uncovered to allow the grieving family members and friends one last look. Since I too was standing at the edge of the grave, I too had the privilege to share that moment with them. To my utter amazement, there before my eyes was the most beautiful WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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All photos: Fr. Tomas King offering Mass and distributing academic awards to school children
smile that I have ever seen on the face of any human being. The scene left me dumbfounded. When the face was covered again, I began to wonder if I had lost my mind by imagining such beauty, yet the image remained printed on my heart. How could it be? This was a child, one of many, who would not have died if a large fraction of the country’s financial resources hadn’t been wasted by corruption and unnecessary military spending, but had been devoted instead to the provision of healthcare services. Clearly, it wasn’t the will of God that she had died; rather she was a victim of many injustices that reign over our world. Yet despite the fact that she was a nobody, she smiled, revealing a mysterious joy. Where did that joy come from? WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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The only answer I can give is that she had seen something that none of us has yet seen. She had broken through the heartache and the injustice of this world and encountered the Mystery of Love. She had seen the face of God and lived. That baby girl had not been given a name, but I call her Mussarrat. It is a name given that is frequently given to girls among the Parkari Kohli tribal people, and in English translates as “Joy.” Recently, while remembering Mussarrat and the unexpected joy that she brought into my life, I felt inspired to write this poem to honor her enduring memory. MUSSARRAT Person of Joy In the midst of suffering and injustice
You smile Injustice does not break you Death does not bind you Your response is not of anger But a smile of beauty Which takes you to the ‘Beyond’ While teaching those left behind to live the Passion that is not over yet In the sure hope of the Resurrection Too which your smile bears witness. This year, as I celebrate with gratitude more than twenty-five years as a Columban missionary priest in Pakistan, I am keenly aware of the mystery of suffering and joy being inseparable in the story of Jesus, in the story of my own life, and in stories of the people around me. CM Columban Fr. Tomas King lives and works in Pakistan.
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Be My Feet and
Be My Feet The poem I wrote entitled “My Feet,” reminded me to be thankful for the gift of being able to walk again. When I was around seven years old, I woke up one morning and suddenly I could not walk. My feet up to my legs suddenly became painful whenever I tried to make some steps. Every day for several months, my father patiently carried me in his arms to the doctor every morning to have my injection of medicine. My mother prayed so hard and even made novenas to beg to God to make me walk again. God heard our prayer, and He made me walk again. Thank you God that you made me walk again, and I was able to use it to reach out to others as You asked me and led me to mission following You.
Be My Hands
Be My Hands My Two Poems By Ger Clarke
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started to write these two poems last year during a workshop training on poetry writing in my ministry with asylum seekers. I thought of polishing it and sharing it here because writing these poems was memorable for me in that it led me to deeper reflection and to recall 14
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important events in my life. It also reminded to be thankful to God for the great privilege of serving Him in mission and the grace to say “Yes” to His invitation. Hopefully these poems give people a glimpse of what I do in mission trying to be feet and hands of Jesus for others.
Recently I remembered one of God’s messages to me in my final discernment retreat in Philippines prior to my coming here to the United Kingdom in 2010. The retreat was several days and on that day, I decided to stay and pray in my room. Usually rooms in retreat houses have a plain cross or crucifix (a cross with an image of Jesus nailed to the cross). I found one in my room, a crucifix on the wall. But then, when I looked at it closely, I was surprised to see a broken cross– the image of Jesus on my crucifix had no hands. Then suddenly I remembered the story about a church with a broken crucifix. People who saw it asked the priest, “Father why doesn’t our crucifix have hands?” The priest answered, “because Jesus is asking us to be His hands in reaching out to others.” And so in a symbolic way, on that day, I believe Jesus said to me, “Be my hands.” Thank you God for inviting me in mission and the grace to allow You to use my hands in reaching out to others. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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My Feet My Hands My Feet took me to places I’ve never been before. My Feet took me to where the needy people are. My Feet took me to pilgrimages with my friend Jesus. My Feet took me to adventures with God helping others. My Feet took me to a journey continually challenging. My Feet took me to a road unfolding, never ending.
Being the Hands and Feet of Jesus in Mission I must admit that being the hands and feet of Jesus in mission is not always easy. Together with the bed of roses comes the thorns too. Together with the joy of mission comes also the tears. There are victories to celebrate, but there are also challenges to overcome. Looking at the life of Jesus, He undergoes the same thing, even He was not spared. He even suffered worse, so I tell myself I shouldn’t complain. You should feel that you are not alone; God is always with you giving you the strength to bear everything and helping you to overcome every trial that comes your way. There is joy in knowing that you are doing the will of God. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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My Hands in mission cooked so many dishes for people to share in table fellowship, hopefully it made others experience Jesus hospitality. My Hands in mission reached out to people in crisis trying to bring comfort, hopefully it made others feel Jesus healing. My Hands in mission wrote some articles which made myself cry, hopefully it made others see the needy in their hearts. My Hands in mission is constantly busy serving others, welcoming, comforting, sharing, teaching... hopefully it made others know my Loving Servant King.
Being the hands and feet of Jesus will take you on pilgrimages where things are unpredictable with turns and bends like going through a labyrinth–the path just unfolds in your eyes as you go through it, and sometimes it also seems endless. I think that no matter how long and challenging the path might be, if you trust in God and do not give up, and surrender things to Him–even at times when it is not easy and we can’t always understand–the time will definitely come when you will reach the center destination where you will meet God at the core of your being, enjoying His peace that comes in trusting in His unconditional love and developing a deeper relationship with Him.
As Jesus said, “Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you. Not as the world gives do I give to you. Let not your hearts be troubled, neither let them be afraid.” John 14:27 CM Columban lay missionary Ger Clarke (pictured below) provided this reflection.
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However, there are complications involved because of beliefs regarding pollution, as I found out when introducing baptism by immersion to an ethnic Indian community in Fiji.
The Origin of Christian Baptism
Adult Baptism by Immersion
Symbols which Highlight the Meaning of Baptism
Cultural Constraints By Fr. Frank Hoare
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thnic Indian people are traditionally obsessed with matters of pollution and purity. Purity is a central value in the culture. The caste system in India is based on this. While ethnic Indians in Fiji don’t
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The baptism of Jesus was the beginning of His public life. Jesus’ first major adult decision was to be baptized by His cousin John who was preaching an ethical purification to avoid God’s punishment of Israel. Jesus’ decision to be baptized by John showed His agreement with John’s message and disagreement with the message of the other major parties in Israel. He rejected the Sadducees’ option for the status quo, the Pharisees elitism, the Zealots’ preparation for rebellion and the Kumran community’s opting out of society. Where John preached a coming catastrophe Jesus preached a blessing — the Reign of God which all in Israel were invited to accept. God’s Reign would involve a society of equality, justice and love. Jesus announced the arrival of the Reign of God by parables and by miracles of healing. Jesus saw His own commitment as leading to a baptism of suffering and death. After His resurrection Christ commanded His apostles to baptize those, who through their preaching, would commit themselves to His Kingdom.
observe the caste system, purity and cleanliness are major values of their culture and have traction in many areas of life. The sacrament of Baptism which is a ritual of washing then has deep meaning for Indo-Fijians.
Baptism makes us disciples of Jesus and members of the community of salvation won by His passion, death and resurrection. We commit to His values and His way of life in His spiritual family. Succeeding sacraments provide further intense encounters with Jesus’ saving action and power to renew our commitment to His Kingdom. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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But for centuries, since baptism became the prerogative of children, emphasis was put on cleansing from original sin and entry to heaven. Fear was involved in baptizing a child within a few days of birth with only a few relatives present. The earlier powerful symbolism of baptism by immersion was reduced and the meaning of the sacrament was impoverished. Vatican II changed that. It recommended longer preparation and baptism by immersion for adults, as practiced in the early Church. The symbolism of baptism by immersion is seen clearly in the words of St. Paul “By our baptism then we were buried with him and shared his death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from death by the glorious power of the Father, so also we might live a new life.”(Rom 6:4) Baptismal fonts were built into church floors in some places and set apart from the nave of other churches. We had a trickle of adult conversions in Naleba, and I saw the value of baptism by immersion. The Archbishop of Suva gave permission.
The font was dug in front of an open hall and to one side of the church. It was concrete and had steps leading down from one end and up to the other end. It would be kept clean and sheltered by a cover of galvanized iron when not in use.
Cultural Obstacles Overcome Next I instructed the community on the history and symbolism of this form of baptism. During discussions with the community some men objected to men and women, even if fully clothed, being immersed in the same water. Fear of pollution from menstrual blood exists in many cultures. That was the case here. This was not spelt out in detail, but it could not be mistaken. One of the church elders tried to support me by saying, “If Father blesses this water, it is clean and cannot harm anyone!” The shrillness softened, but there was still no consensus. Finally a compromise was reached, to which the men could agree. The water would be flowing and the men would be baptized before the women.
There was another cultural obstacle. At that time, Hindi films did not show any parts of the female body. Instead the shapely female form was sexualized by female actresses falling into water and emerging with dress clinging tightly to their skin. Since the ladies would emerge from the baptismal font with wet clothes, we ensured that their sponsor would wrap a large white sheet around them as soon as they emerged from the font. This ensured modesty, and the white cloth also symbolized the new life of Christ which they received in baptism. With these preparations and adaptations in place, two adult men, two young boys, and two adult women were baptized that Holy Saturday night. Since that first occasion, other people in later years have been baptized in this way. It is now taken for granted that this is how adult baptism can best be celebrated. Dialogue on the blood taboo will be a slower process. CM Columban Fr. Frank Hoare lives and works in Fiji.
I Have Chosen Love Trusting the Missionary Journey By Luda Luminhay Egbalic
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remember how I silently uttered a prayer to bless me in my desire to become a missionary when Pope John Paul II visited the Philippines in 1985. Years later when I watched a movie about Mother Theresa’s life I started to feel remiss about something. I had always thought that by virtue of our baptism we are all missionaries wherever we may be. Being a teacher was my mission, and I loved it for WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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the almost ten years during which I taught. However, in 2010 I dared to risk and started journeying into the unknown entrusting myself to God who faithfully loves me. At this point, I have been involved for the past nine months doing mission at Nengguk Church, Uijeungbu Diocese. During that time I have received much support from parishioners, Sisters and priests from the parish.
Here, I wish to share a few of my missionary experiences. One afternoon two Korean kids from my English story reading group greeted me on the street. When I invited them into my house to give them some chocolates and lollipops, on hearing that I was living alone one of them exclaimed, “How lonely!” The retort made me smile. For me loneliness adds another color and dimension to my life. March/April 2017
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Luda (in the red hat) with Columban Fr. Patrick Cunningham (center) and a friend
Luda with children at her “English stories”
Luda and South Korean friends
My favorite ministry is visitation of the sick and the elderly in their homes. Because of my limited Korean language at times I often find visiting to be a challenge. As a result, sometimes I experience rejection or misunderstanding, yet my heart never ceases to give thanks for the gift of understanding I so frequently receive. It is heartwarming when, with a smile on their faces, people tell me, “Take care of your health and come again.” Although learning the Korean language is truly important, it is the language of the heart that has made me more confident and compassionate in my ministry. Even if I spoke Korean fluently, without love I will not be doing mission. I spent Christmas Eve 2015 with a grandmother, aged 73, who had been suffering from pulmonary fibrosis since last year, causing her many health problems. I went to the hospital to collect medication for her and when I returned she thanked me, saying “Luda, the Lord has graced you so much.” I acknowledged this and knew that I had just received God’s blessing through her. Later when I arrived home alone I was not lonely. Sometimes I also serve a fiftytwo year old paralytic woman in her home. She has been paralyzed for almost twenty years as a result of a car accident. While washing her hair one day she exclaimed, “I am happy. I love Jesus.” I was amazed at her faith. As she spoke she told me, “Luda, you are God’s angel sent to me.”
Words uttered with such simplicity and humility that they truly touched my heart. I replied gratefully telling her, “I see Jesus in you as well.” I have received special gifts from God through people who are in pain but carry with them a strong faith and courage. “Have I chosen love?” Ironically, I ask myself this question. I believe God has created me because of love. Thus, everything that I am and do is about love. To choose love is the most complicated but also wisest decision of all.
I have learned that it is not too late to love but too late to commit. I had chosen my first love, namely mission. My life as a Columban lay missionary is filled with varied experiences: learning a complicated language; offering a short prayer during visitation; touching the hands of a forlorn grandmother; reading English stories to children; exchanging smiles and chitchat with young people. Along with many more experiences I have learned that all these things are without worth if there is no love. If it were not for love I would not be here in Korea. We have simply and spontaneously shared our lives with one another. This has been yet another chapter in my meaningful life. When I say meaningful, I refer to something beyond happiness, loneliness and the fulfillment of one’s heart’s desires. It has created a more beautiful person within me. For this I am forever grateful. To my mission parish and Columban family, our loving God continues to grace you with your needs. Life offers a lot of lessons, surprises, complexities and hardships. All of these are opportunities for growth. I believe one healthily grows when in each moment of life we choose to love. CM
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I believe God has created me because of love. Thus, everything that I am and do is about love. To choose love is the most complicated but also wisest decision of all. When I chose to live the Columban lay missionary life, I knew I had to leave my comfort zone. Being assigned in a beautiful country like South Korea is both exciting and interesting but at times not easy. This has forced me to broaden my vision and contemplate my vocation, it has also taught me to fully entrust my family to the care of our loving God Moreover, when I came to realize, in my early forties, that I truly loved someone the words of a song came to mind: “We have the right love at the wrong time....” Learning to let go of this special person has been painful.
Luda Luminhay Egbalic is a Columban lay missionary currently living and working in South Korea.
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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 Missionaries P.O. Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056-0010 Toll-free: 877-299-1920 Email: donorrelations@columban.org
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Accompanying Typhoon Victims Opportunity for a New Life By Fr. George Hogarty
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na Flores Huaman is a Columban lay missionary with nearly eight years of experience, and this is her story. I first knew Ana when she was accepted into the Columban lay mission sending program in Lima, Peru, in 2007. She and her family live in the Columban parish of Our Lady of the Missions (Nuestra Senyora de las misiones) in an area called Puente Camote (sweet potato bridge) just off Carlos Izaguirre Avenue on the north side of Lima where she first met the Columbans. I always found her to be a passionate and outspoken person with a great capacity to empathize with others, especially the poor. It was no wonder then that as a new Columban lay missionary, she found herself appointed to the region of the Philippines in 2008 where she found a new home in Mindanao among the emotionally warm and friendly people who live in the city and Diocese of Cagayan de Oro. Ana now works in Mother of Divine Mercy Village out of Cagayan de Oro City and is a member of the pastoral team led by Fr. Paul Finlayson, a Columban from New Zealand, who is now working fulltime in the village along with Ana to support families who were victims of the typhoon that destroyed many homes and lives in 2011. I asked Ana how she came to work in the village. She relates her story like this: “My first mission experience was in Agusan parish where
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I became involved with the social action program run by the Diocese of Cagayan de Oro. I was also helping the Saint Vincent de Paul Society in Agusan parish with their outreach programs to the poor. One of the groups with whom I formed a special bond was a group of very poor families living in an area called Makasande on the banks of the Calacal River in 2008 when I first arrived. When the typhoon struck in 2011, more than 500 families were left homeless in the Agusan area alone. They ended up being housed under the tin roof of a nearby, open basketball court and were left with only the clothes on their backs. Our first response was to bring food to the victims, but when I discovered that over 120 of these families were the poorest of the poor from the community of Calacal River, my heart went out to them and I decided I had to continue visiting them, bringing them clothes, shoes and medicine. That was the first step that led to my being here in Mother of Divine Mercy Village.” “What happened then?” I asked. “Well, when it became obvious that very little was actually being done to help the victims of the 2011 typhoon on a local level, the missionary
congregations decided to band together and do something. Fr. Paul joined with other missionary groups to form a planning commission, and together they decided to buy land. That was the beginning of the village. When I saw that help was needed I joined in and quickly became involved in the plan to build the newly projected village. However, at that stage we were just beginning the project. A lot had to happen in between before the village became a reality. Things didn’t happen automatically! There was a transition period when we still had to accompany the typhoon victims while the village was being set up. The original 120 families from Makasande on the Calacal River first spent six months in shelters in Agusan parish, then a further year in a government shelter while the different congregations raised the money to begin building Mother of Divine Mercy Village. While we were waiting for the village to be built, I just kept accompanying these families trying to help them get birth certificates and organize communal marriage celebrations. It was a confusing and somewhat anxious period when we weren’t quite
The typhoon not only destroyed the little security they had but brought all this pent-up trauma to the surface again. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Columban lay missionary Ana Flores Huanam (second from left in gray shirt) and villagers
sure what was happening, but I saw my role as that of helping the poor affected by the typhoon become recognized officially as persons by civil and religious society, no mean feat for people who have never been officially recognized as even existing until the typhoon made them visible in all their wretchedness.” My questions continued, “And what challenges did you face when the village finally began to be built and the people began arriving”? “My first job, would you believe it, was to help select the families who could come here before they even left the shelters in Cagayan de Oro! Unfortunately, not everyone is suitable to come to an organized place like the village. For example, many of the poor we’d like to help have never lived in a social system with rules. Some were squatters; others just lived under bridges and most have never even had a private bathroom. Many also have been products of violent families and have been traumatized since childhood. The typhoon not only destroyed the little security they had but brought all this pent-up trauma to the surface again. Hence the biggest challenge at the beginning, and even now, is WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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that of expressing how I feel in their language and being able to guide them in a way that helps them to find solutions to their own problems while allowing them to make their own personal decisions about whether they want to be here or not. Some families too, already had a house outside but only wanted to take advantage of the possibility of getting another house and land without having to pay for it. I did a lot of work in the initial stages interviewing the people in the shelters, making sure they could make the transition to living in the village and really wanted to come here. It wasn’t easy!” Finally I asked, “And now that you’ve settled into your work in the village do you think you’ve made any significant changes to the lives of the people originally affected by the typhoon”? Ana happily was able to respond in the affirmative. “One things for sure,” she responded, “There is never an idle moment in the village. I spend a lot of my time in the day care center which I had to organize from scratch. We now have two teachers paid for by the local municipality working full-time in the center. There’s also a health care
center for malnourished children for which Fr. Paul buys medicine. I’ve also been looking for teachers who can train the women to make curtains and schoolbags so they can earn a little extra income. That’s up and running! I’ve also been involved in organizing beauty courses to teach women who were previously involved in prostitution to become beauticians. We now have ten women earning their living in this way. I also meet with the youth every Thursday to offer them formation on acquiring new life skills. The team and I visit the sick as well teaching their families how to take care of their medical needs. I thank God that as a lay missionary from Peru I’ve been able to make a difference to the lives of the people who are now members of the Mother of Divine Mercy Village. However, ultimately it is not me who has to make the changes necessary to find a new life here; it is the people themselves. Hopefully they can take the opportunity we’ve given them and do just that. CM After many years in Peru, Columban Fr. George G. Hogarty lives and works in Australia.
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No Family to Grieve at Her Going Finding a Final Home in Her Last Days
Shwe Mya By Sr. Mary Dillon
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hwe Mya was a dignified 40-year-old mother of two children. Her oldest son had been sent to a Buddhist monastery when he was six years old because Shwe Mya was too poor to feed him. The younger daughter lived with her grandmother whose village was very far away from Myitkyina. The difficult journey to the HIV clinic in Myitkyina would have taken the grandmother at least two days. Poor Shwe Mya experienced much heartache while she was with us. When she was about two months in our care, she received news that her husband had died. A neighbor coming to the clinic gave her the sad news. This was no ordinary news, and for weeks her heart was torn and her inner pain and loneliness was tangible. Deep in her heart she knew that she had contracted this HIV/AIDS from her
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husband, and she feared for her future and that of her two children. Shwe Mya’s disease was advanced when she first came to the shelter. She had developed a rare growth on her left wrist which continued to develop in size and ugliness. This weakened and distressed her greatly. She began to fear what the future of her recovery might be. She felt that if she was able to receive Burmese herbal treatments that it might help. The doctor advised her to contact her relatives and to encourage them to come for a consultation. Her two younger brothers showed up some days later, visiting her for a short time and then left assuring her that they would return the next morning. Morning came and days followed, but they never returned. They never kept their promise. How helpless we felt as she waited these
long days. To our great disappointment, we discovered that when her brothers left, they had taken her clinic records and her citizen identity card which meant that Shwe Mya could not travel. They had abandoned her. From then on she seemed to lose hope, and the rejection she suffered caused her to cry a lot. Her will to live diminished. Gradually her condition deteriorated, and Shwe Mya died in our care two weeks later. I would like to thank our benefactors who have made it possible for us to care for those like Shwe Mya who have no one to mourn them, no family to grieve at their going. CM Columban Sr. Mary Dillon has worked in Myanmar (Burma) since 2002. She developed a home care health program for people with HIV/AIDS and established a respite house, “Hope Center” to enable people from distant places to avail of medical care.
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The Joy of a Different Vantage Point “What do you know about Ireland?” I asked the third grade class that was excited to have just learnt that I was from there. “St. Patrick was from there” responded a girl in the front row. “So did that mean that he was Irish?” I inquired, my tone betraying an element of doubt. “Yes!” came back a chorus of voices, filled with disbelief that I would even pose such a question. “So what did St. Patrick do in Ireland?” I asked. “He told the people about God. He was a missionary” responded a boy in the third row. “And how was it that St. Patrick knew about God, while the Irish people around him knew nothing?” I inquired. “Because God told him and God sent him” replied a shy girl at the back of the class, unable to endure my frivolous questions any longer. “Let me see if I can get this clear” I dared to say, “St. Patrick, who was from Ireland, was sent by God as a missionary to the Irish? A sea of little heads bobbed vigorously in agreement.
From the Director By Fr. Tim Mulroy It was clear to me by now that these third grade students were unimpressed by my questions about such obvious matters, so I tried to steer the conversation in a different direction. “What else do you know about Ireland” I ventured to inquire. “There are four-leaf clovers there and if you find one it will bring you luck” responded a freckled boy, whose ancestors might well have been Irish. “And why is it lucky to find a four-leaf clover?” I mused aloud. “Because one day when St. Patrick was preaching to the people, he picked up a
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There were times when I sensed that my concerns and questions mattered little to the local people. four-leaf clover and used it to explain the Trinity” he responded enthusiastically. Unable to conceal my amusement, I asked, “What was his explanation?” After a brief silence, the students looked quizzically at one another, puzzled as to why an explanation was necessary! While this conversation took place in a school near to where I now live, it reminded me of many other encounters I had as a missionary in other cultures. There were times when I sensed that my concerns and questions mattered little to the local people. There were other times when I felt that my communication skills were inadequate, or that I lacked the patience and perseverance needed for a meeting of minds and hearts with those who saw the world from a different vantage point. Just as I was leaving the classroom, the freckled boy raised his hand to get my attention and then proclaimed jubilantly, “The four-leaf clover is for the four Gospels that St. Patrick used to tell the Irish about the Trinity …. that’s why it’s lucky …. and that’s why there’s the luck of the Irish!” “Could it be that this boy will one day become a Columban missionary?” I thought, and with that I burst out laughing.
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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 I your Lord and Teacher have washed your feet, you also ought to wash one another’s feet.” — John 13:14 All of us are called to Christian service. But some are called to a lifetime of service to the poor. If you feel attracted to such a life, we are waiting to hear from 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… Sister Virginia Mozo National Vocation Director Columban Sisters 2546 Lake Road Silver Creek, NY 14136 626-458-1869 Email: virginiamozo@yahoo.com Websites: www.columbansisters.org www.columbansistersusa.com
Japan + Korea + Peru + Hong Kong + Philippines + Pakistan + Chile + Fiji + Taiwan + North America
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