When I lived in Pakistan I was part of the 1.6 percent who are Christians in this predominantly Muslim country which has an estimated 203 million people. In Pakistan many Muslims have hardly ever met a Christian and certainly do not know anything about the Christian faith.

Though she herself readily admitted that she couldn't sing, Gloria participated in the church choir every Sunday. When teased about it, she would laugh heartily and respond that if God wasn't pleased with the voice that He had given her, then He ought to do something to fix it!

Gloria worked the night shift at a family-owned convenience store. Generally, she worked six nights a week because she and her husband were determined to have the financial resources required to educate their four teenage daughters.

Over the course of several years, many of the store's customers came to know Gloria, not just as a courteous and efficient worker but also as a friend. At first, they were charmed by her warm greeting and bright 

As part of my process of priestly formation, in 2015 I was assigned to Taiwan to perform my First Missionary Assignment (FMA).

I went to China because we used to get The Far East magazine (the magazine of Columban missionaries published in Ireland). I was the eldest of six children: four girls and then two boys. We grew up between Roscommon and Castlerea in Ireland.

I grew up with nothing but fear and distance from my father. It seems there was a mountain between us. I envied my friends who had great relationships with their fathers. But this changed. I grew up. One of the last few things we did was climb the highest peak in Iligan City.