We live in a period of major transition. The world has never been smaller with millions of people moving into and between countries looking for work, fleeing from war or natural disaster and seeking new homes where they can live and work in peace with dignity.

Catholics in the United States understand that as a nation of immigrants we must come to terms with these dramatic changes and fulfill our mission in this new world: the mission of Jesus Christ. We are called to welcome the stranger and provide for the hungry and homeless, to make space for every person of every culture and ethnic group at the table of the Lord.

In the United States we are proud of our multicultural heritage. Our neighborhoods are woven from people of diverse and numerous cultures, religions and races. For us the world is right around the corner and just across the street.

For generations our experience of the Catholic Church has been as diverse as the surrounding society. In larger cities such as New York and Philadelphia it was not unusual to have an Italian parish on one corner, an Irish one on another, the Germans on a third and the Polish on still another. Today many of these European communities have given way to ethnic parishes of Koreans, Hispanics, African-Americans and Vietnamese, just to name a few.

In Los Angeles alone on any given Sunday the Eucharist is celebrated in more than 40 different languages. As Columbans in this vast and wealthy nation, we feel challenged to call the U.S. Church to become even more truly catholic — which means universal — in our parishes, neighborhoods and dioceses while strengthening our communion with the new global reality beyond our shores.

Challenged To Cross Borders

The U.S. Church has the potential to be a model to the rest of the world because of the richness of its diverse people striving to live and work together as one nation. It is not easy and not always peaceful. Many cannot or will not adjust to the “other,” the alien or stranger, because they are different in their language, customs and appearance.

This is why we Columbans, global missionaries who have been privileged to experience such a variety of cross-cultural situations, have much to share with the Catholic Church in the United States.

In the words of Pope John Paul II, “The world of today is one great mission land, even in countries of long-standing Christian tradition.” Within this U.S. reality Columbans are challenged to cross boundaries of culture, language, religion and class to witness to God’s Kingdom, just as we are in China, Fiji or Peru.

Historically, the Columban mission in the United States was focused on recruiting and forming young women and men as Sisters and priests to enter the traditional mission field overseas. We have supplied these mission countries with financial and spiritual support over the years, and the U.S. Church has responded generously.

The new global reality, however, calls us to a new vision of mission. Of course, the Columbans are continuing to invite U.S. Catholics to mission through our mission education programs, mission appeals, and by sharing our charism through ministries in the local churches.

Welcoming Others To Our Nation

As the United States has become more diverse, the Columbans have actively responded by seeking to accompany immigrant Catholic communities in the country. The following are a few of our U.S. missionary works:

• In Chicago and Southern California, the Columbans have for decades worked as missionaries with the Korean community. Columban priests have developed new Korean parishes, begun a Korean Columban Associates program, published a Korean missionary newsletter and continue to invite the youth to global mission.
• In Chicago, Los Angeles, San Bernardino (California), and along the Texas-Mexico border, Columban lay missionaries and priests work with Latino communities made up of Puerto Ricans, Mexicans, Salvadorans, Dominicans, Guatemalans, etc. As we begin the next century, the greatest percentage of Catholics in the United States will be Latino.
• The publication of our Spanish magazine, Misión Columbana, has played a major role in inviting this growing community to mission.
• Our mission efforts along the border between El Paso, Texas, and Juárez, Mexico, show our commitment to working with the poor in a cross-cultural situation. We have invited young people to this area for mission immersion experiences, which last from three to seven days. During this time, the young men and women live and work with the poor, pray together, learn about Columban mission and learn about the political and economic issues of the border. We believe these experiences will help those who are considering a missionary vocation.
• We continue to work with the growing Filipino community in Los Angeles and focus more effort on fund-raising and mission promotion.
• We have special ministry efforts with our China ministries in Chicago and in the Los Angeles area.
• Hundreds of thousands of parochial and public school students as well as parishes and communities nationwide have learned from the Columban Mission Education programs, which have proven to be good promotional and educational tools for mission. We hope these programs will also create an interest in young men and women to become missionaries.
• Our lay missionary program in the United States consists of foreign missionaries serving here as well as U.S. missionaries serving in Taiwan and Mainland China.
• In Washington, D.C., our Justice and Peace & Integrity of Creation Office helps keep Columbans here and abroad aware of and involved in global issues concerning justice, peace, the integrity of life and the environment.