The Way the Lord Leads One
I first considered becoming a priest when I was seven years old. Mysteriously enough I still remember that strong feeling of being called by God. In high school I thought in great depth about that call. If I were to become a priest what kind of priest would I become?
The Empowerment of Women
The empowerment of women and girls is a most urgent need in today’s world where discrimination, violence and exploitation of women and girls, especially in the developing world, is tearing the heart out of society and family life causing human suffering, exclusion, sickness and death.
Boxes
A few years ago, I was enrolled in a university in Wuhan, China. As the class president, one of my responsibilities was to organize and perform, in subtle and creative ways, activities which would bridge understanding of each other’s cultures and beliefs.
Cardinal Kim
In Memory of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan
Dust of snow,
a wind that chills to the bone,
pinched mourning faces,
collars raised, hats pulled low,
the shiver of death everywhere.
Cardinal Kim Suhwan
is lowered to his final resting place.
Seeing the World with Tinted Glasses
Learning a new language is only part of the challenge for missionaries. Local people have their own cultural values and see things differently from outsiders.
Savenaca on Pilgrimage
Savenaca Momo from Nadelei in Ba Province, Fiji, is the epitome of a gentle giant. He joined the first team of Columban lay missionaries to leave Fiji. They were appointed to Ireland. He was assigned to a town called Newbridge about 25 miles from Dublin.
The Blessing of Bishop Paul
In 1970 I was a theology student at our Columban seminary in Ireland and worked in our book store. I was one of the shop assistants, and one afternoon Bishop John Howe came and asked me to send some theology books every three months to a Paul Grawng in Myitkyina.
Go Out to the Whole World
The Columban Missionary Society which was originally founded for mission in China finally ordained its first Chinese Columban at the beginning of 2020. This was a truly significant event and a moment of special blessing for the Society that had just wrapped up its centenary celebrations.
Can Humanity Ever Be United in Doing Good?
The latest letter of Pope Francis, his Encyclical, Fratelli Tuttii “Brothers and Sisters All,” is one that should touch every heart, stimulate our minds, awaken our conscience, warm our emotions and motivate us to do good and make this a happier, just and better world. Can we humans ever unite as one humanity to change the world and together reach out to the downtrodden and the poor? Can we work together to lift from suffering the wounded, the excluded, the marginalized and unwanted, rejected, poor people in our neighborhood, community, town and city? That is the challenge posed by the letter
Living Out the Sacrament of Baptism
When we look at the scene of the baptism of Jesus as depicted by Christian artists the important figures seem to be Jesus, John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit descending in the form of a dove. The paintings all emphasize the intimate relationship between the Father, Son and Holy Spirit.
True Love from a Distance
I first arrived in the Philippines in December 2007 and have been assigned in Mandanao ever since.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.