The Magazine of the Missionary Society of St. Columban
October 2014
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Volume 97 - Number 6 - October 2014
Columban Mission
o n t e n t s
Issue Theme – Mission in Hard Places
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.
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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 © 2014, The Columban Fathers (Legal Title)
Faith Flowers in the Desert 6 God Proved Me Wrong
An Instant Conversion
8 Hope and Faith
A Prisoner Shares his Faith in a Brighter Future
9 Fabulous at Forty
The Fiji Seminary
18 Family Ma
Helping a Migrant Family in China
20 The Columban Sisters at Work in the World
Celebrating 90 Years of Mission
22 Like a Flower with Petals
Every Child is Born with Rights
Departments 3 In So Many Words 23 From the Director Columban Mission OCT14 final.indd 2
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PUBLISHER REV. TIMOTHY MULROY, SSC DIRECTORUSA@COLUMBAN.ORG EDITOR KATE KENNY KKENNY@COLUMBAN.ORG EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS CONNIE WACHA CWACHA@COLUMBAN.ORG MARCI ANDERSON MANDERSON@COLUMBAN.ORG GRAPHIC DESIGNER KRISTIN ASHLEY EDITORIAL BOARD DAN EMINGER JESUS MANUEL VARGAS GAMBOA CHRIS HOCHSTETLER KATE KENNY REV. TIMOTHY MULROY, SSC JEFF NORTON GREG SIMON FR. RICHARD STEINHILBER, SSC CONNIE WACHA SCOTT WRIGHT
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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Mission in Hard Places
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ne of the privileges of working for the Missionary Society of St. Columban is the opportunity to visit our mission regions throughout the world. In May 2014, I visited Peru accompanied by coworker Chris Hochstetler. Peru, like all of the other Columban mission regions, is a hard place. The poverty, and all of poverty’s accompanying social ills, is pervasive. And while Chris and I saw plenty about which to despair – abused and neglected women and children, lack of educational opportunity, the shunning of the differently abled – there was more to celebrate. Mission in action – to see justice prevail, pain redeemed, hope reborn, and life restored in the hearts of those the world deems to be the most broken – is something to celebrate. Around the world, Columbans seek the broken, the economically poor, the hopeless and the desperate. They live in the communities; they learn the names of people society casts aside. Columbans seek the people living on the margins in the darkness and live with them there. And in living there, in the hard places that know no geographic boundaries, they bring the Good News, the hope In So Many Words that will lead everyone into the light of a brighter Kate Kenny tomorrow. Fulfill my joy by thinking the same way, having the same love, sharing the same feelings, focusing on one goal. —Philippians 2:2
Columbans seek the people living on the margins in the darkness and live with them there.
Through Baptism, we share the call to mission. For some, that call will lead them away from home and family, to live and work in the hard places, to shine the light of promise. Others will stay closer to home offering prayerful support and their time and talent in local parishes and mission centers. Mission embraces our many different roles, unifying us with the one goal – to share the Gospel with everyone, everywhere, no matter how hard the place.
Kate Kenny is the Director of Communications for the U.S. Region of the Missionary Society of St. Columban. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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First Communion Relief and Welcome Fr. G. Chris Saenz
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ayade Constanza Rocha Canales or “Naya,” as her family and friends call her, is a 16 year-old adolescent who suffers from spina bifida. Spina bifida, which literally means “cleft spine,” is characterized by the incomplete development of the brain, spinal cord, and/or meninges—the protective covering around the brain and spinal cord [source: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website ninds.nih.gov]. Naya’s condition has confined her to a wheel chair. Naya is an intelligent adolescent who dreams of being a teacher or a doctor who treats children and adolescents. She enjoys being with her family and going to school. She lives with her grandparents Rosa and Alejo whom
Naya, how did you arrive into the Padre Hurtado chapel? Three years ago I told my parents that I wanted to do my First Communion, and I kept
So what did you do? What happened next? A year later our neighbor, Mrs. Isabel, who participates in Padre Hurtado chapel, invited us to join. She took us to a Mass. Columban Father John Boles was celebrating the Mass [Fr. John Boles was the parish priest at that time]. I really enjoyed it. There I saw good people. They were welcoming and greeted all who arrived. There was a sense of solidarity in the chapel. And Fr. John was very welcoming and a good companion to us, very inviting. We talked to Fr. John about my possibility of joining the First Communion program in the chapel. What did Father John say? Fr. John said in the other chapel [in Chile, a parish consists of several chapels or communities] there is a Special Catechesis program for people like me. That catechesis has only a year preparation. Yet, that chapel was farther away and my being in a wheelchair would make it difficult to attend the weekly classes. Fr. John said I could participate in the
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she affectionately calls “mom and dad.” The grandparents have taken care of Naya since she was born. Naya has a distant relationship with her mother. I first met Naya when I was assigned to work in the parish of Santo Tomas Apostol in Santiago, Chile. Naya was attending first communion classes in the Padre Hurtado Chapel. I observed her as an outgoing, joyful person who enjoyed participating in the chapel. I was curious about her life and faith. Naya agreed to be interviewed.
asking them when, when, when? Eventually, my mother Rosa took me to the parish we were living in. [Technically, Naya lives in another parish that borders our parish]. We joined the first communion program there, but one day my mother could not go to a class because I was having health problems. The parish told her that we could no longer attend the program because my mother missed one class. [In Chile, parents also are required to attend catechism classes]. I really wanted to do my first communion, because I wanted to receive the host, the Body of Christ, and I prayed so much for my family.
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Padre Hurtado chapel, which was closer, but the preparation was two years. He left it for us to decide. We decided to join the Padre Hurtado chapel. How was the experience of participating in catechesis? With the other children we formed a good friendship. What I really liked was the works of charity we did in catechesis. We tried to help those who had no food or place to sleep. For instance, some mornings, as a group, we went out and handed out food to people who didn’t have anything. It was the first time I ever did something like that. It was a very good experience. On the day of your First Communion, how did you feel? I was really nervous but happy to be with my catechesis companions. Also, I was happy to receive Jesus. When I received the Body and Blood of Christ I felt a sense of relief and welcoming. I felt it in my heart and mind. Most of all, I had my family present to share the experience. Now that you have received your First Communion, what do you want to do? I always dreamed of being on the altar. I would like to be an altar server. I want to help you and the other priests on the altar. For me the altar is a great emotion of joy. For you, what does it mean to be Catholic? To be an obedient child. To respect all especially those who love you very much. Always take care of the other. What can you say about the Columbans? Columbans are very joyful priests and good people. They are WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Naya and her grandmother with Fr. Chris
very attentive to the needs of the other. What I like most about them is their support of children who really need help. What message would you like to give to our readers around the world? If you have children, please support them in what they need. If you have family who live far away, find a way to continue to provide and support them. Always make sure your family has what it needs. [I asked her mother Rosa the following] What was it like for you to attend catechesis? It was difficult for me at first. I found it hard to express myself. But in time, the themes of the class
touched daily life and I was able to share with the other parents. We discovered we had a lot in common. Did you see any changes in Naya after catechesis? Yes, before Naya was very impulsive and often grumpy. Now I see she is more serene and tranquil. Naya learned to listen. End Note: We do plan on making Naya an altar server. I have asked the community to build a little ramp to the altar so Naya can go up to the altar. We will work out the logistics of what she will do. Naya is extremely happy to have this opportunity. Columban Fr. G. Chris Saenz lives and works in Chile.
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God Proved Me Wrong An Instant Conversion
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Fr. G. Chris Saenz
onald Daniel Perez Arbazua, or “Ronnie,” as he is known, is a 69 year-old man who was born and raised in Puerto Saavedra in southern Chile. At the age of 15, Ronnie entered the Chilean navy and served for eight years. After, he went to Santiago to work in a pharmaceutical factory. There he lived and worked for 23 years. In 1983 Ronnie returned to Puerto Saavedra upon the death of his mother. In 1995, when I was a seminarian, I was sent to Puerto Saavedra, which was a Columban parish at that time. There I first met Ronnie as a chronic alcoholic. The few times I saw him sober he was timid and shy. The drink always made him aggressive and belligerent. Often, after drinking, Ronnie would enter the church. Sometimes he would cause a disturbance. Twice I had to physically throw him out of the church. I left Puerto Saavedra in 1997 convinced that Ronnie would never change and would die in the streets. In 2001 I returned to Puerto Saavedra as a priest. When I celebrated my first Mass in the town I was surprised to see Ronnie stand up and walk to the altar to proclaim the First Reading. He was clean-shaven and wearing a suit and tie, and sober! I was shocked by this miraculous change. He stopped drinking completely, reformed his life and was an active participant
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in the church. For years I talked about Ronnie in my homilies, but I had never actually sat down and talked to him about his conversion, until now. Ronnie agreed to be interviewed. Ronnie, how did you begin your road to alcoholism? Previously, I drank but nothing heavy, just in some social occasions. In 1983, at the age of 38, I returned to Puerto Saavedra when my mother died. I was an only child, my father had died when I was 23 years old, and my mother was really the only family I had. When she died I entered into depression. That is when I began to drink heavily and continued to drink every day for 18 years. What was the worst thing about alcoholism? The moments when I was sober I had visions of demons pursuing me. I drank so the visions would stop. After I would wake up in the streets and not remember what happened before. It was terrible. So what happened? What made you stop? I remember the day precisely. It was March 26, 2001. I drank so much that I passed out in the street. Somebody rushed me to the hospital. It was the first time in 18 years that I was taken to the hospital. I had passed out in the street before but never taken to the
hospital. This time I was taken to the hospital and in that moment I felt I had “gone away” but then I suddenly returned to myself. When I woke up I saw Columban Father Mike Howe standing over me, praying and anointing me. I did not recognize Fr. Mike [Fr. Mike was the parish priest at that time]. Then the doctor entered the room. He informed me that I had alcohol poisoning and that I had been in the hospital for three days! What more did the doctor say? He said if I drank another cup I would go directly to the cemetery. The exams they did in my body showed the damage of my drinking. The doctor made me swear to never drink again. I did so and also promised to Padre Hurtado that I would never drink again. I put myself under Padre Hurtado’s protection. [Padre Hurtado refers to Saint Alberto Hurtado, a Chilean saint who was a Jesuit priest known for his work with the poor during the 1930’s and 40’s]. And from that moment you never drank again? You stopped “cold turkey” as we would say in United States? Yes, I never had a drop since. After the hospital, what happened next? I was taken to “Hogar de Cristo” [translated “Home of Christ”, an organization founded by Padre Hurtado to help homeless elderly and youth] to begin rehabilitation. There I discovered I had a place to go to. There was a community to share food and life. It was a family that I didn’t have. All prayed for Padre Hurtado to protect me. And it worked! In November of 2001, I returned to the doctor and had my check-up exams. The doctor WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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returned with the results and asked me, “what did you do?” I didn’t know what he was talking about. He showed me the exams and said 98% of my body was completely healed. “It’s nothing short of a miracle,” he said. I than knew it was a miracle from Padre Hurtado. What more did Padre Hurtado do for you? Because of Padre Hurtado I was able to participate in his canonization in Rome in 2005. How did that happen? There was a lottery for “Hogar de Cristo” to send 36 persons from around the country. They were seven spots for volunteers/workers of “Hogar de Cristo” and 29 spots for those who received aid like me. Different names were submitted to the lottery around the country and my name was submitted from the 9th Region [There are fifteen regions or “states” in Chile] with a few others. When the national lottery was held, and the first spot was drawn, my name was on the ticket. I knew than it was Padre Hurtado’s hand again. In fact, I was the only one from our region to go. So what was the experience like, to go to Rome and be at the canonization? First, in Puerto Saavedra, the town raised money for me and gave me a farewell ceremony. I than went to Santiago and joined the group that was going. We had a week of talks, workshops and retreats with the Jesuits. Then we flew to Rome on a military plane accompanied by President Ricardo Lagos, ministers, and other VIPs. But, the highlight of it all was the canonization ceremony. It was beautiful. I got to shake the hand of Pope Benedict XVI. For me it WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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was a great privilege to receive after surviving the hell of alcoholism. But, somehow I knew something like this would happen to me. What do you mean? Well, before all of this, I had a dream. In the dream I was in a large church filled with people. Suddenly Padre Hurtado arrived wearing a black soutane. He came up to me and handed me the collection plate and told me to collect the money from the people. I did, going around all the church and the people gave, than I went to Padre Hurtado to give him the collection. He said, “Give it to him,” and pointed to a person dressed in white sitting on the altar, a popelike figure. Padre Hurtado added, “Give all to him. Not a cent is to go to you because it all belongs to the Church.” And I did. From this dream I understood I was to serve. How do you serve the Church? In Hogar de Cristo I am a volunteer who takes food to the bed-ridden poor. I participate in all the activities of Hogar de Cristo. I even began collecting funds for Hogar de Cristo. I have since retired from that. In the Church, I am a lector and participate in the choir. I always help out in the Month of Mary. Father Ulrich [a diocesan priest who was in Puerto Saavedra after the Columbans] once gave me a watch as a gift for being the “Best Lector.” Many times the priests will ask if I can participate in the parish council and other meetings. What can you say about the Columbans? I admire their work. They are missionaries that leave their culture and proclaim Christ in other lands. And they take a big risk of being
rejected and maybe even losing their life. Also, I admire how they have to learn other languages. For you, what makes Columbans different from other priests? Columbans are very close to the people. They share with all, as the song says “ni importa la raza, ni el color de la piel” [a popular religious hymn that says “race doesn’t matter, nor the color of the skin”]. They share with the whole world. They can’t be just in one place; they go where they are sent. You know several Columbans; who do you remember the most? Fr. Mike Howe. He was my confessor before I went to Rome. He always said to me, “Don’t change. Don’t return to drinking, maintain your faith in God.” Also, apart from the Columban charisma of “being close with the people,” Fr. Mike is a very mystical, spiritual person. He prays a lot. What message do you have for our readers? No one has to feel abandoned; God always gives a helping hand. Also, you don’t have to live in the past, or go back to what was before. End Note: Ronnie is now happily retired. He continues to help the church and at the end of each Sunday Mass, he collects money for church renovations. As a priest, I am blessed to have known Ronnie. I am happy to say I was wrong about Ronnie, “that he would never change and die in the streets.” God proved me wrong and showed me an instant conversion, like Saint Paul. CM
Columban Fr. G. Chris Saenz lives and works in Chile.
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Hope and Faith A Prisoner Shares his Faith in a Brighter Future By Khutso Daniel Makgae
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t the end of every tunnel there is light. I compare that tunnel with your situation right now, and I want to remind you of the light shining ahead of you. I know at times you might feel overwhelmed and distressed, but I still want to encourage you in faith. Everyone was born for a purpose, and believe me, your purpose is NOT to spend the rest of your life in prison, even less to die there; your purpose is greater than you can ever imagine or understand. Nelson Mandela is someone who taught that hope is the sharpest weapon to fight difficult times. After spending 27 years in jail, he emerged to become the President of South Africa. It was no mere coincidence or luck. It was simply the power of hope at work. To hope is to have faith in things that have not yet happened. If you strongly
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believe in something, God will work to make it a reality. I do not know how much time remains for you in prison, but what I know for sure is that hope can shorten your time, give you peace of mind and render you healthy and strong. They might take your freedom from you, but no one can steal your dreams and your heart’s desires. I encourage you with all my own heart – never spend your life regretting your past mistakes. Why? Because everything takes its natural course, and there was nothing you could do to prevent it happening. We cannot change our past. But we can construct a new future. Life without hope is one with no love. Hope alone brings happiness. It gives you an excitement for tomorrow, that it will be better than today. Life always gets complicated when you expect others to believe in you, but
you do not have that own belief in yourself. Life without hope is blind, useless and will fall into a ditch. When you do have hope, you light a lamp to guide you from your tunnel and into a new life. Every single day brings you closer to that light, growing an ant to become an elephant. If you do not have hope now, even life after prison will be the same as it was before, dark and directionless. When we give up on life and lose hope, we are simply accepting failure and inviting further failures on our path. Indeed, the greatest failure in life is not having hope. To return to Mandela, I truly believe that if he had not gone to jail, he would not have become President. Like Mandela, God is preparing you for a bright future and at the same time you set an example for others that with hope and faith, all things WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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are possible. So, my brothers and sisters, have no regrets where you find yourself right now. Forgive yourself and move on. Your life now might be a little difficult, but this is mostly because you have not fully accepted your situation. When I was young, I went to school with whites in South Africa, and it was very hard because of apartheid. Unlike the white children, I was never happy waking up and thinking of going to school. I had nothing to be happy for; my days were full of assaults and insults. My parents said it was the “best school” and not to mind what I was going through. From that day on, I did something that made my days in school bright and joyful. I simply accepted my situation the way it was, and cultivated hope inside of me. At the end of the year, I was first in the class! The same thing can happen to you. I am not writing this to you because I am rich, successful or sitting comfortably in my office.
No, I am in a prison cell, locked up like you. My freedom, like yours, has been taken away from me, and I have no idea how long I will spend here. But I am not worried; I preserve my faith; my life is a battle right now and my only weapons are hope and faith. But these same weapons of hope and faith performed a miracle in my early life and they will do so again! I do not want to look back on these years in jail and regret them. We have what we need for now, we can wake up each morning with a smile. We have only one chance at life, and if we have hope and faith, one chance is enough. Hope will one day open the gates of your prison and make your dreams come true. Hope and faith do not have “favorite people;” they are for each and every one of us. The Bible says that faith can move mountains, so, of what are we afraid? Faith can turn your situation around. Hope and faith produce doctors, lawyers and all kinds of other pioneers and motivators,
from prisoners whom people have written off. I was arrested on May 14, 2013, and since then have learned so much. Prison has taught me love, sharing, better understanding and gratitude. But I will admit that when I first came here, I was emotionally overwhelmed and incapable of continuing on with my life. But I am back on the path! There is an end to every tunnel, for some sooner than others. But for all of us, it will be amazing and bring lasting joy in our lives. Hope and have faith… and seek the purpose of your life from God. I hope to meet you one day and your own testimony about hope and faith. CM Khutso Daniel Makgae, originally from South Africa, currently lives in a Hong Kong prison. He shared his story with Columban Fr. Patrick Colgan.
Fabulous at Forty The Fiji Seminary By Fr. Donal McIlraith
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r. Ioane Gukibau was the first Fijian to enter the Columban Formation Program at the Pacific Regional Seminary (PRS). “I came straight from work and it was quite challenging to get back to study again—but exciting also.” That was twenty eight years ago. Today Fr. Ioane, with 14 years experience in Brazil and Peru, teaches at PRS and is himself in charge of Columban seminarians. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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The Pacific Regional Seminary is now forty years old. It celebrated its 40th anniversary in August 2013. After Vatican II, the vicariates of the South Pacific became Dioceses and one of the first things the Episcopal Conference of the South Pacific (CEPAC) did was to establish a seminary. It actually began with eighteen students in the old Bishop’s quarters in downtown Suva in the middle of 1972. Many October 2014
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of these had been brought back from overseas seminaries such as Holy Cross and Greenmeadows, the New Zealand Diocesan and Marist Seminaries. In 1973 it moved to its present location on Suva Bay. Today its students come from all the Dioceses and religious orders in Oceania. From the beginning Columbans have assisted with the running of the seminary. Most of the founding staff were Marists, but even at the start Fr. Dermot Hurley was one of the Spiritual Directors and Fr. Gerald McNicholas taught church history. Since then some twenty Columbans have been associated with the Seminary. Fr. J.J. Ryan, the present pastor of Labasa, taught systematic theology there for about ten years. Currently three Columbans teach here, Fr. Ioane, Fr. Richard O’Sullivan, who also teaches dogma and myself. I am now in my 25th year teaching scripture here. Fr. O’Sullivan has clocked up 23 years here. Over the forty years some 1,100 students have passed through its doors, and 380 have been ordained priests for the seventeen dioceses or jurisdictions of the South Pacific. In 2013 there were 150 seminarians enrolled in PRS, and these are served by an academic staff of twenty. Previously the South Pacific was served by priests from overseas, from Europe, the United States, Australia and New Zealand. Most of these have now gone, and their places have been takes by young Pacificans. It is a new time for the Church of the South. These are the first generations of local priests and bishops to lead the Church. Vocations abound as young people still hear the voice of Jesus who calls, “Come follow me and I will make you fishers of people.” 10
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“…if we learn to listen carefully we both come to appreciate our own culture and learn to respect and live with the others.” The Academic staff at the Seminary is also nearly entirely local. The rector is a Kiji, Fr. Michael O’Connor but the Vice Rector is a Tongan, Fr. Taukei Tuli. All the local staff are former students—and most of them former students of mine—and they are all graduates of Institutes such as the Gregorian University in Rome, the Ateneo in Manila or the Vijyajyoti Institute in Delhi, India. Nobody can teach here unless they have at least a Masters. This is in order to give a solid and contextualized philosophical and theological education to the seminarians. Six years are spent in the study of philosophy and theology and all spend at least one year on pastoral placement during their time at PRS. They confidently provide the seminarians with an education of which they can be proud.
The students come from every part of the South Pacific. In 2013, 20 came from Kiribati right on the equator, another 20 from Samoa and the biggest number, 35, come from Fiji. I asked Rodrigue Bong, the student president from Vanuatu what is was like to live in such intense cultural diversity. “At first it is very difficult,” he answered, “because everyone comes with their own presuppositions, their own, shall we say, hermeneutic. But if we learn to listen carefully we both come to appreciate our own culture and learn to respect and live with the others. Then it is exciting and fun.” PRS is indeed an exciting and fun place to be, but underneath the fun there is a very serious task being undertaken. One hundred fifty young men of the South Pacific are being trained to be priests for the 21st century. There is a commitment both to the vision of Vatican II, and also the formators take the document of Priestly Formation, Pastores Dabo Vobis, very seriously indeed as they try to prepare both the minds and hearts of these future servants of Christ in the South Pacific. Pat Visanti is one of seven Columban seminarians who attend PRS. Their formation program is being run by two former PRS seminarians, Columban Frs. Ioane and Felisiano Fatu of Tonga. Pat has just been appointed to Pakistan. This will be his First Missionary Assignment. “I think the shock of studying with so many from different cultures, has helped prepared me for what lies ahead. I have to remember our Columban motto: Christi simus non nostri. “Let us belong to Christ and not to ourselves. Surely He will provide.” CM Columban Fr. Donal McIlraith lives and works in Fiji.
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Missionaries of the Future
Technologically speaking, the future is now! What we used to reserve for science fiction films and our imagination is now commonplace—touch screens, social media, texting and more. It appears at times that the world is at our very fingertips. This ease of access to information has brought with it many challenges, but also portends something very good for the spread of the Gospel! The heavens declare the glory of God; the firmament proclaims the works of his hands. Day unto day pours forth speech; night unto night whispers knowledge. There is no speech, no words; their voice is not heard; A report goes forth through all the earth, their messages, to the ends of the world. – Psalm 19:2-5 It is now easier than ever to join the missionary experience. You can visit our website at www.columban.org to hear exciting stories about how your prayers and support help to build God’s Kingdom, and you can visit our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/ColumbanFathers to join in the missionary discussion and share your voice! You can also find out how your support of the Columban Fathers continues as an enduring gift after our life here on earth is complete with a membership in our Legacy Society by visiting www.columban.org and clicking on the Planned Giving link. The website also makes it convenient, fast and safe to donate immediately to the missions. There has never been an easier time in our history to get involved with the missions and fulfill your baptismal calling! We are deeply appreciative for your prayers and support and will always remember you in our prayers and Masses. Columban Fathers P.O. Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056 Phone: 402/291-1920 Fax: 402/291-4984 Toll-free 877/299-1920 www.columban.org plannedgiving@columban.org
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Faith Flowers in the Desert Beauty Grows without Rain By Chris Hochstetler
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he Weather Channel calls it the driest place on earth. It is a place that welcomes only four inches of rain every thousand years and researchers at the Weather Channel believe that it “may have had no significant rainfall in the last 400 years.” It is the Atacama Desert in northern Chile, bordered on the north by Peru and on the west by the Pacific Ocean. It seems completely out of perspective to see this arid place meet the massive expanse of water that is the Pacific, but the salty depths of the Pacific bring no respite to the harshness of this place. The city of Iquique, Chile, rests on this strange pairing of desert meeting the ocean. It is the capital of the province and also the region and home to around 180,000 people. It is a modern city with all the trappings, but a steep climb only a few short miles to the southeast of the city across a massive set of sand dunes called “the dragon,” and you will find a place with few of the trappings of modernity. Alto Hospicio could be called a “suburb” of Iquique, but just like the contrast of the desert meeting the ocean, the term suburb doesn’t
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seem to quite fit either. Around 95,000 people reside here, carving their homes out of the unforgiving Atacama Desert and raising their families in a place that some may describe as forsaken. In places here in Alto Hospicio the rock strewn sands of the desert are eerily tinged with an unnatural shade of green. It isn’t plant life, but rather the copper and sodium nitrate deposits that were once mined here seeping through the sands producing the strange and unearthly tones. The experts at the Weather Channel and National Geographic would tell you that “nothing grows here.” After my visit to Alto Hospicio, I must respectfully disagree with the experts; something does grow in this place. Columban Fr. Michael Howe and two Korean associate priests, Fr. Albinus Jun Hyung Lee and F. Casimiro WoaJin Song, are home here in Alto Hospicio. Their task seems as vast as the enormity of the Atacama and sometimes just as unrelenting. A parish of over 50,000 people, three priests to serve a people afflicted by extreme poverty, crime, violence and depression, at least four chapels to staff, one tiny battered Ford Fiesta
to drive on dirt roads all set against the starkness of the desert creates a picture that many would say is both chaotic and bleak, but the faith of the people, the gentle and caring spirit of Fr. Mike and the strength of his ministry change this chaotic and bleak picture into one of a flowing and peaceful tapestry. I spent some days with Fr. Mike and the people of Alto Hospicio. Fr. Mike is a tall, thinly built and quiet Irishman. He often rejects the use of the car and prefers to walk the ragged dirt trails of the parish from neighborhood to neighborhood, home to home and chapel to chapel. I spent several days on the beaten path with Fr. Mike, learning and sharing with the people. The people here are giving, and hardworking. They face down incredible challenges daily through the strength of their faith, they do not ask for help, but are quite obviously in great need of someone to stand in solidarity with them and Fr. Mike is that someone. Many of the homes in Alto Hospicio are nothing more than shanties, thrown together with scraps of wood, tin and tarpaulins, many without fresh water. Sewerage and electricity are slow in coming. The WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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people work to form a community and eventually build more substantial homes made of block. Services come as the community develops, but the process can take years and is often disrupted by the nature and elements of the Atacama. On April 1, 2014, a massive earthquake of 8.2 on the Richter scale struck Iquique and Alto Hospicio. The more developed Iquique weathered the devastating quake better than the impoverished Alto Hospicio. Primitively constructed shanty homes toppled easily under the force of the large quake and many of the already destitute families were now rendered without shelter. We stopped at one of the larger Columban chapels where families displaced by the earthquake had set up tents on the church grounds. They now live here with their small children while they search for a more permanent place to call home in spite of the often bitterly cold nights. Food and water are in short supply for this group of families and the Columban Fathers feed some 70 children a week at this particular chapel. A couple of young mothers stopped Fr. Mike and me to find WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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some comfort from “Padre Miguel” and to also speak to him about building more permanent homes on the grounds of the church. Fr. Mike is in a tough situation with this one. His heart and spirit cry out to help these families more, but to yield the small parcel of church land as a place to build more permanent structures that likely would never leave, would render its use for catechism, parish functions and even as a place of sanctuary for others tormented by future earthquakes, impossible. A young child leans crying against signs that the families have hung on the church fence reading “We have urgent need for food. We need milk and bread.” International aid has been slow in coming for this disaster, despite their pleas. I listen to Fr. Mike as he ministers to the two young mothers, talking to them about feeding their children and committing to help them find and secure a more appropriate place to build more permanent and safe homes for their families. It would seem that Fr. Mike has found a solution to the problem, albeit he has created yet another complicated task for his already overwhelmingly full schedule.
Every week, in addition to daily Masses in many of the chapels, the pastoral visits and the work of the growing parish, Fr. Mike volunteers to minister and counsel in a rehabilitation center dedicated to those afflicted by drug addiction. He brings faith, hope and hard questions to these forgotten souls. Drugs, alcohol abuse, family violence and crime are prevalent here. Poverty breeds these things, and Alto Hospicio is not immune to the byproducts of this evil. As we walked through the dusty and ragged trash filled streets of the parish, I asked myself how I would personally weather such a place. Could I maintain my faith and my daily courage in the face of the poverty, the earthquakes, and the sheer harshness of the surroundings? Would my own personal faith and judgment be shaken by the enormity of it all if I lived here day in day out, year after year? What if I had to raise a family here, in one of the shacks, making our way in the desert, patiently waiting sometimes for decades, for amenities like sewer, water and electricity to make its way to us? Would I turn to the path of addiction and succumb to October 2014
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despair? As Fr. Mike and I walked and I pondered, we passed by a broken figure of St. Teresa of the Andes sitting amidst the roadside trash. This singular broken item of devotion seemed to symbolize to me my painful question. I turned to Fr. Mike and asked “How is it that the people find a will to go on here, Fr. Mike?” We stood over the broken figure of St. Teresa and Fr. Mike looked down on her. In a quiet voice, almost to himself he said, “St. Teresa of the Andes,” then he turned to me and said “There is a beauty about this place, Chris. It’s the beauty of faith, the beauty of the people. We come here as missionaries as much for ourselves as anything. We come here to be changed.” We stood for a moment on this dirty side street of Alto Hospicio over the broken statue of St. Teresa. I raised my eyes and looked out at the open desert before me. Suddenly, things didn’t seem so desolate or ragged. I began to feel the presence of something growing here, something beautiful, something flowering. We continued down the path to the home of one of the parish catechists, Milizen. Milizen is a young working mother herself; she devotes many hours to teaching children and growing them in the faith. Her own faith is strong and unwavering. She welcomed us into her home in typical Chilean fashion, a warm hug and kiss on the cheek and an offer of a refreshing drink. During my stay with Fr. Mike, I was struck 14
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by the warmth of the people even the poorest of the poor were so giving and welcoming. Milizen was no exception. I listened to Fr. Mike and Milizen talk about upcoming parish business. I also heard Fr. Mike seek her advice and assistance in finding a solution for the families housed in tents outside of the church that we had visited earlier. It was quite obvious that she took her work as a volunteer very seriously and with the tender compassion of someone who truly cares for others. Milizen then offered to show us where the earthquake had disturbed pockets of unstable sodium nitrate in the ground and when broken pipes spilled water into that nitrate pocket a sinkhole was created that destroyed the family’s only bathroom in the home, taking even that simple convenience from their grasp. I was captured by the compassion and willingness to help others that she displayed in the earlier conversation with Fr. Mike, in spite of the huge adversity that her own family faced at the moment. Milizen truly lives Paul’s message to us “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vain glory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also everyone for those of others.” Yes, something is truly growing in Alto Hospicio, something very beautiful. The next day we made our way out on foot once more, this time
to the other side of the mammoth parish. Fr. Mike showed me a few potential locations for new chapels that would serve as places of faith, worship, comfort and human warmth for the shanty towns and growing government constructed apartments surrounding the vacant lots when we have the resources to build them. At one lot, Fr. Mike and I visited a makeshift cross left from the week before where the people who were without a church had created their own Stations of the Cross to pray in grateful worship and celebration. The cross stood as a reminder to me of the strength of faith of these people and how in the absence of a church to worship in, any of God’s ground becomes holy when we gather there as one to worship Him. In that moment, that makeshift cross against the backdrop of desert meeting blue sky seemed to be one of the most compelling Stations of the Cross I had ever seen. We continued our journey to the Capilla Católica San Columbano or Saint Columban Catholic Chapel. This was a special part of the journey for me. I always find a great deal of joy visiting a chapel named in honor of the Patron Saint of the society. This particular chapel has been here for some time; it is a gathering place for the community and like churches everywhere in the world, the entire circle of life happens at the church. Families gather here in the church to worship, WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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develop friendships, discuss and solve the daily challenges that they face. They are married here, their children are baptized here, they take their first communion here and their funeral Masses are celebrated here. The classrooms serve as places to grow the faith as well as community meeting rooms and even emergency kitchens for displaced victims of earthquakes. This special place has fallen on its own needs of late. The roof of the classroom and community room needs replaced and there are no funds in the budget to do so. The harsh desert air has destroyed the bracing in the roof, and it is no longer safe to use the kitchen, the classroom or the community room. The proud people of the parish work hard to raise the money to fix the roof and they may eventually get there, but for now their focus is keeping the sanctuary, the chapel itself, their home up and running. The people of this chapel are themselves a very fitting tribute to St. Columban. Something is flowering in this desert where the experts say nothing grows. As we left the Saint Columban Catholic Chapel, a young man approached Fr. Mike and me and introduced himself. He was new to Alto Hospicio, and he was looking for work. He knew that sometimes, where there was a priest; there may be opportunity for work. Over the next twenty minutes or so I watched as Fr. Mike conducted a quick interview with the young WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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man, asking about his skills, his character and where he could be reached at. It became obvious to me that this was more than just a drill in making the young man feel good. Fr. Mike was adding this young man and his quest for work onto his already staggering list of things to do. I had to ask myself, how does all of this, even in the presence of all this overwhelming faith, not get the better of Fr. Mike and simply wear him out? The weight of his calling, here in this place, must be enormous. When Fr. Mike was finished with his impromptu interview, I asked him, “Fr. Mike, how do you keep the burden of this calling of yours from becoming too much to bear?” In what I was coming to know as typical Fr. Mike thoughtfulness, he looked at me and said, “Do you care if we go somewhere together?” I told Fr. Mike that I was at his disposal. We walked in silence out a side street of Alto Hospicio for some time and into the open desert. The climb into the desert before us looked daunting to me, a somewhat younger man than Fr. Mike, yet he made the climb in his street shoes and sweater without stop. We passed a beautiful solitary cross erected along the way where people had recently made a pilgrimage to light candles in celebration and prayer. We stopped for a moment at the Cross to reflect and Fr. Mike took the opportunity to explain to me where we were going and to answer my question,
“This is where I go on personal retreat Chris. When we had a lay missionary here, we used to come out to the desert, just a little further more up the hill, to spend the day praying and reflecting. This is how I keep the burden from becoming too much to bear. It’s faith, Chris.” With that said, we completed our journey to this special place in the desert, at the top of the next rise. A holy place in the middle of the desert, the view to the east seemed to encompass the enormity of time and space…the seemingly infinite expanse of the Atacama Desert. The view as we turned around to the west, Alto Hospicio, the people and their struggles, their many chapels, Fr. Mike and his powerful ministry and dominant over all of those things, the growing faith. Yes, something beautiful does grow here in this acclaimed place of no rain. Faith grows…it not only grows, it flowers. CM Chris Hochstetler (pictured below left, with Fr. Michael Howe) is the Director of Fund Development in St. Columbans, Nebraska.
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We Are Worthwhile Children of God, At Any Age By Fr. Keith Gorman hree elderly men were travelling on a train that stopped at a station. One man asked, “Is this Wensley?” The second replied, “No, it’s Thursday.” The third said, “So am I, let’s have a drink.” Usually, I don’t like jokes that highlight the foibles and frailties of us elderly folk, but I did enjoy that joke because it’s so true to life, at least mine. When I was chaplain to the Sisters and residents of Nazareth House at North Turramurra, a retirement home in Sydney, Australia, the notion about being worthwhile grew in my heart. Most of the people were quite content but some were not because they thought they could no longer do anything worthwhile. In the past they had cared for their children or had some trade or profession. Now they could no longer do these things; as a result they believed they were not worthwhile in themselves. The idea that towards the end of our lives we are not worthwhile became abhorrent to me. I became convinced of the opposite — we could grow as persons, grow spiritually as long as we live. This is the work of God whom I like to think of as the Divine Potter. The prophet Jeremiah says about God as a potter, “Go down now to the potter’s house, and there I shall tell you what I have to say. I went down to the potter’s house, where I found him working at the wheel. Now and then a vessel he was making from the clay would be spoilt in his hands, and he would remold it into another vessel to his liking.” (Jer 18:2-4)
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I love the saying, “Be patient with me, God hasn’t finished with me yet.” Maybe sometimes the Divine Potter will have to start again, but I am convinced that eventually God will make us into worthy vessels. This conviction that we are worthwhile in ourselves strengthened as I got to know the patients in the nursing section. I saw the help they needed with eating, dressing, having a bath, and going to the toilet. I understood the spirituality of accepting this, but I hesitated to speak of it to the patients because I, myself, was not dependent in this way. One day while we were still together after Mass, one of the assistants, brought it up for discussion. One of the patients, Sadie who was unable to walk, hold a knife or fork, shower herself or go to the toilet by herself because of arthritis, said simply that she had reached the stage where she could accept these services peacefully and gratefully. She prayed for those who did them for her. On another occasion Sadie told me that when she is put into bed at night she usually goes to sleep quickly, but if she is unable to sleep, she spends the time thanking God for the good things of her life. Sadie has been purified by suffering and is like pure gold. (Book of Wisdom 3:5-9) The acceptance of disability such as Sadie’s arthritis will let us enter into the sufferings of Jesus. I heard another beautiful statement in the nursing home. Jimmy had had a stroke and made
a fairly good recovery but was still confined to a wheelchair. I discussed with him why he hadn’t died, and we concluded God wanted him to live longer. “Why did God want you to live longer?” I asked. “To do good,” said Jimmy. “What good can you do?” I asked. Smiling he looked around at the other patients and said, “I can help to make them happy.” When we are young and strong we can care for the physical well-being of others. Later we cannot, but at any stage of our lives we can be loving, kind, sensitive, forgiving, honest and truthful. Even if we lack money, power, strength, even health, we can still be worthwhile, as were Sadie and Jimmy. Fundamentally we are worthwhile, because we are children of God. I often think of fellow Columban Fr. Edward Sherry who died in August 2006. Towards the end of his life he was cared for lovingly by the Sisters and staff of the Little Sisters of the Poor, St. Joseph’s Home, Northcote, Melbourne. Shortly before he died one of the staff who was going away for two weeks said, “I’ll see you when I get back.” To which Eddie replied with a smile, “I may have changed my address by then.” CM Fr. Gorman is living in retirement at St. Columban’s, Essendon, Australia. He was ordained in 1943 and worked as a missionary in Japan.
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Is the Holy Father’s Message of Evangelization Speaking to You? Help Columban Missionaries Share the Gift of Salvation with the World
“The Church…is not a relief organization, an enterprise nor an NGO (Non-Government Organization), but a community of people, animated by the Holy Spirit, who have lived and are living the wonder of the encounter with Jesus Christ and want to share their experience of deep joy, the message of salvation that the Lord gave us. It is the Holy Spirit who guides the Church in this path.” —Pope Francis Join with us today by making your gift of support online – put your gift to work even faster and save time, paper and postage by visiting: www.columban.org/donate To receive a donation envelope, a monthly reminder by mail or to speak to someone about becoming a Columban Mission Sponsor, call us toll free at 877/299-1920, 8:00 am – 4:30 pm CST, Monday through Friday.
Columban Fathers
Missionary Society of St. Columban Toll Free: 877/299-1920 Email: mission@columban.org
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Family Ma Helping a Migrant Family in China By Fr. Warren Kinne
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arly in 2010, the staff of the You Dao Foundation had the chance to get to know two young sisters from Shou Village, Anhui Province. The elder girl, Ma Jing, was then four years old and the younger one Ma Jie was three years old. They were living in a tiny and shabby house in Qing Chun Town. The father of these two girls is a migrant worker. The whole family’s income was around RMB 1600 ($257.00 U.S.) per month. The mother of these two girls had suffered from a mental disorder for more than ten years and relied on continuous medication. The medicine cost the whole family around RMB 600 ($96.00 U.S.) per month. This mother couldn’t work or support herself. On occasions she ran away from home and was returned home by the police. The family needed the mother to take care of these two girls, but in general it was impossible. When the father went to work, they were locked in at home with their mother which isolated them from surrounding people. This poor family’s plight became known to the You Dao staff, and You Dao got in touch with a kindergarten in Qingchun Town and convinced
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the kindergarten to accommodate these two girls. You Dao paid for their scholarships. This also released their father from the heavy burden of worrying about one aspect of taking care of the family. In August 2011, the family welcomed a new baby, Ma Tao. Now this third child put the whole family into an even poorer situation. Also the baby suffered from meningitis and the poor family could not afford the fee for the treatment. At that time, You Dao offered help again and lent this family RMB 5000 ($802.00 U.S.) to help them to get through that difficulty. The mother’s mental situation also improved with the new baby. Their father said that once the mother saw little Ma Tao, she would be smiling – a face full of mother’s love. While previously she tended to leave her two little girls to themselves, she now would take care of Ma Tao, and her former bad temper seemed to have left her. The whole family held some hope in this new situation. You Dao was also relieved. In the beginning of 2012, with Ma Tao growing up, the mother treated her child more and more carelessly. She occasionally went off
and got lost, and her mental state deteriorated. The father needed to take care of all three children as well as his wife. He was dismissed by his employer for too much absence from work and then made a living by collecting garbage. No landlord was willing to rent a house to them since they had so little income and so many children. Their father’s sister was growing vegetables in Qingchun Town, and lent them a tent to live in. They were able to eat some unsold vegetables but rarely ate meat. In July 2012, Ma Jing was at the age to be enrolled in school. However, according to the Education bureau’s regulations, only children with residence permits and official documents could be enrolled in the local school. With Ma Jing and her family living in a tent, it was impossible for them to have a temporary residence permit. You Dao staff knew about the situation and wanted to help the child to go to school. So they visited the police station in Qing Chun Town and explained the poor family’s situation to the police. This aroused the police compassion. They were able to process a temporary residence permit for the family. You Dao also found WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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a sponsor to support Ma Jing’s tuition, and Ma Jing finally became a Grade One student in September 2012. Ma Jing is somewhat introverted, but she is also is very kind, and with the efforts of many she quickly adapted to the new school life. At the end of 2012, when You Dao staff visited this family again, they found the mother carried yet another little baby in her arms. They were very surprised since they just visited her in August and she didn’t appear pregnant. How could she have had another baby in just three months? After inquiring, they saw that it was because of her lack of nutrition – she was so “small” and the family didn’t know about her pregnancy until she was going to give birth. The baby was born at home and named Ma Liang. This shocked the You Dao staff. Was this a good or a bad situation for the family? Was it irresponsible of the father to get his wife pregnant yet again? However, as they learnt afterwards, the children’s father had taken his wife to hospital for tubal ligation surgery, but his wife was very uncooperative and the doctor refused to proceed with the surgery due to safety concerns. The father then took his wife to hospital to get another contraception measure which he thought workable, but it failed and the fourth baby of this family was born. In June 2013, You Dao staff received a call from the father. Ma Jie had fallen down and broke a thermos. Boiling water splashed onto her left leg and the wound became infected due to inappropriate care. They hadn’t money for treatment. You Dao staff hurried to the home, escorted the child to Nanqiao Center Hospital to receive treatment. She now has a large scar which is a pity, but the WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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wound is healed. She then faced another big issue. Ma Jie was now of school age, but due to more strict regulations with local school enrollment, this child was over the quota for a family and had no official documents. Thus she had to stay at home and couldn’t go to school in Shanghai. You Dao suggested they send this child back to the parents’ hometown, where she could still have a chance to receive education, but her father said that they had a lot of debt and no house or land in the hometown. Here in Shanghai he could support the family by collecting garbage, and here they had a tent to live in and unsold vegetables to eat. To go home they would not have any way to survive. The four children are still very young. How was the whole family to survive in Shanghai into the future? Once Ma Tao became kindergarten age, the family asked for You Dao’s help yet again. You Dao needed to carefully consider this situation. Was yet more help the answer? It is a dilemma. The third and the fourth child are a reality. What sort of help was appropriate? If we didn’t help now, what would be Ma Jing and Ma Jie’s current situation? The children are innocent. They were brought into this world by their parents. The least You Dao can do is to help them to receive education and gain more of a chance to control their fate. In September 2013, with You Dao’s help, Ma Tao was enrolled in kindergarten. Being in a healthy kindergarten environment, little Ma Tao improved a lot and could take care of himself with help from the teacher. He got taller and put on weight, and there was no need for special attention from the teacher. His personality also
changed a lot. He became more and more open, was willing to get closer to teacher and other classmates, but he still has language impairment. He can only speak the word “Papa.” The teacher found that little Ma Tao could understand what others say but is himself unwilling to speak. You Dao staff are expecting his improvement day by day through the efforts of many. He has a very pleasant life in the kindergarten. In October 2013, the father cut a tendon in his hand with broken glass while collecting garbage in factory. His condition was very urgent. He reached out to You Dao and asked again for help. The You Dao staff noticed that the father’s wound had a big impact on the whole family’s life. He can’t work and take care of the family. Thus You Dao offered help again. They sent the father to hospital for treatment and bore all medical expenses. In the past four years, You Dao staff members Wang Yanjun and Wangfen visit this poor family regularly and help them to solve their various kinds of problems (e.g. children’s education, shortage of clothes, food and medicine). Beyond the help with material things, they also provide more psychological support to this family to help them to be independent and to support themselves. They also try to help the children to appreciate all those who help them get a chance to study to improve their future prospects. CM Columban Fr. Warren Kinne works with the You Dao Foundation in China. Names have been changed to protect the identity of the family.
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The Columban Sisters at Work in the World Ireland
The Columban Sisters were founded in Ireland on September 29, 1924. The Congregation was officially incorporated into the Church as a public Missionary Religious Congregation. The Sisters came into existence in response to a call to help the people of China especially the women and children.
values and giving service in training front line workers in rehabilitation skills, with a particular focus on children, contributing in the field of third level education through the teaching of English in collaboration with Chinese teachers. They also accompany and support Church personnel in living out and proclaiming their Christian faith.
and to give them opportunity to participate in the mission of the Universal Church through the spirituality of stewardship. St. Columban’s On the Lake in Silver Creek, New York, servicing with great love and care the senior people who are in the retirement home.
China
United States
The Sisters started their ministry in 1939, responding to education and health needs. At present the Sisters are assisting mentally challenged children, supporting and developing tribal ministry, running feeding programs for the
The Columban Sisters founded their first mission in China in 1926. Then everything closed in 1949 when the Communists took over. Today the Sisters are back in China, quietly witnessing to Christian 20
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The primary focus of the work of the Columban Sisters is to raise awareness of what it means to be missionary by educating Catholics about the importance of being a member of the Universal Church
Philippines
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children and uplifting the lives of women and young adults as well as promoting urban garden and educating street children.
Myanmar (formerly Burma)
The Sisters are presently sharing the joys, sorrows, hopes and struggles of the people of Myanmar. Programs for the youth of the diocese, as well as sustaining health and outreach programs to the poor and the HIV/AIDs sufferers in the many villages and mountainous areas where the Sisters minister and conduct training programs for community health workers.
Hong Kong
The Sisters work in the pastoral care of the sick and dying; visit prisoners, especially the female prisoners, assist the faith formation of local Catholics through the Legion of Mary, as well as giving retreats and spiritual direction.
Korea
The Sisters work with children with special needs, and those who for one reason or another, are unable to avail of the current prosperity. They provide medical help for the under privileged and the dying with great care, compassion and love. WWW.COLUMBAN.ORG
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Peru
The Sisters live and work among the people who have settled in huge barrios. The Sisters run parish programs for families, young people and elderly.
Chile
The main ministry of the Sisters is the provision of educational programs for the prevention of alcoholism as well as for those addicted to drugs and alcohol.
Pakistan
The Sisters work among and with the local Christian Communities on literacy and primary health care programs, especially programs that empower the marginalized, particularly women, children and women prisoners. They also conduct an open dialogue with Muslims and Hindus with whom they have daily contact. CM
The Missionary Sisters of St. Columban 1924-2014 Celebrating 90 Years of Mission to the World! Thank you for the many years you have blessed so many throughout the world with your ministries. The long years of sacrifice and dedication by so many Columban Sisters to the Lord is truly appreciated. We wish you more fruitful, joyful, and rewarding years of service to the Master in whatever vineyard He may bring you. We promise to always pray for you, and to reserve a special place in our hearts for you. May God grant you many blessings as you celebrate 90 years of loving and devoted service in the religious life. —The Columban Fathers
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Like a Flower with Petals Every Child Is Born with Rights By Fr. Tony Coney
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dults, whether mother, father, relative, teacher, friend or neighbor, relate daily with children and adolescents. So, it is good to ask ourselves, how do we approach them? Does the relationship that we establish help them to grow? The reality is, we assume different attitudes according to how we see children, and relate to them according to the expectations we have of them. In the Children’s Center in Lima, Peru, just as in St. Bernadette’s Home and School, we assume that children and adolescents are before all else human beings, and as such have rights. We understand that these rights are accompanied with duties and responsibilities, but we believe that duties are learnt in the process of growth as we come to appreciate, through experience, the value of the exercise of our rights and those of others. From this perspective, we propose to create physical and social spaces where these children and adolescents can experience the exercising of, and respect for their rights in daily living, in play, in friendship, in being helped with their homework and in the recreation they find in the different workshops that they are offered. From the Children’s Center, St. Bernadette’s Home and School, we want to contribute, along with their
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parents and teachers, to the growth of the children and adolescents in an integral and harmonious way, so that they feel valued, respected and welcomed. That is to say, that they live as people with rights, and therefore as citizens, who from their condition as children and adolescents, are able to participate in collective projects in the family, schools, groups of friends, local area and country, with which they can identify and contribute to make their rights a reality. To achieve this goal, we have joined our attempts with other institutions both private and public. Through the years we have learnt the importance of social relations and creating networks to achieve common objectives that unite us. At present we coordinate with the National Identification Registrar, Emergency Centers, Child Protection and Social Development Agencies, Free Legal Aid, Health Centers, and
Alimentation Programs among others. Through our work in our own Centers, along with networking with these institutions, we want to contribute so that the children and adolescents experience their right to be protected in an integral way, and when one of their rights have been undermined, that they can receive the attention they deserve and feel that their condition of being subjects with rights is inherent in all aspects of life. CM Columban Fr. Tony Coney started the St. Bernadette’s Children Center, the St. Bernadette’s Children’s Home and the Casa del Ninos in Lima, Peru. The Casa del Ninos is a safe place for children to play in the poor area of Lima. The Children’s Center serves children with learning difficulties, and the Children’s Home helps children heal after sexual abuse.
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Letters from Home
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hen the first group of Columban missionaries set out for China in 1920, they bid sad farewells to families and friends knowing that they would not see them again for ten years. Some of them harbored a secret fear that they might never again see aging parents or sick relatives. In those days of restricted travel and limited communication, ten years of separation must have been daunting not only for the missionaries, but also for their loved ones who carried both the pain of their absence and the anxiety that flowed from knowing little about distant lands. Living in an era of so much uncertainty and so many unknowns, it is small wonder that letters were eagerly anticipated. Back in 1920, writing to Fr. Galvin – one of the founders of the Columbans who had gone to China some months earlier – Fr. McCarthy, a close colleague here in Omaha, expresses his impatience for a news update: “I hope this letter will be
from THe DirecTor By Fr. Tim Mulroy not many days gone when I shall get one from you. I know it is on the way and I am just dying to see what is in it.” A letter from home or from a mission land was considered a treasure to be read over and over again before being carefully stored away. Thanks to their preservation, the spirit of those early Columban missionaries, as well as their insights into their life and mission, continue to inspire and challenge us today. Confiding in a letter to a close friend about the struggles within the Church in China, Fr. Galvin, wrote: “It is gradually dawning on me
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A letter from home or from a mission land was considered a treasure to be read over and over again before being carefully stored away. that we have come to China to do a work of which we little dreamed, and that is to fight for Christianity, and fight for it not against the pagans, but against our own.” The negative effects of tensions among various Church personnel and missionary organizations greatly troubled him. Such disharmony contrasted sharply with the cordial relationships the missionaries had with the local people, as evidenced in a quotation from another of his letters, “Thank God we have begun our work with the friendship and cooperation of the Chinese people. May that friendship grow and may we deserve it more and more as the years go by.” However, despite the hospitality of the Chinese people, there was still a part of Fr. Galvin’s heart that missed his loved ones, as well as the sights and tastes of home. A letter could help fill that gap, while an occasional gift was cherished: “Thanks a thousand times for the candy. It hasn’t arrived yet, but it has been announced by the P.O. and we will have it tomorrow.” The letter from 1920, with this quotation, is in our archives. However, no one has yet succeeded in finding the candy!
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Columban Fathers PO Box 10 St. Columbans, NE 68056
NON PROFIT ORG U.S. POSTAGE PAID COLUMBAN FATHERS
“If you knew the gift of God and who it is who is saying to you ‘give me a drink,’ you would have asked and he would have given you living water.” — John 4:10
If you feel a thirst to spread the word of Jesus, we would love to discuss missionary life with you.
We invite you to join this new generation by becoming a Columban Father or Columban Sister.
Watch the mail for your free 2015 Columban calendar! You can order additional copies for yourself or loved ones by writing to us or sending an email to: missionoffice@columban.org.
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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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