Columbans help Catholic ethnic minorities develop faith communities in Southern California.
By Fr. Charles O’Rourke

I dreamed as a child and later as a seminarian about traveling to China to work with people who had never heard about God and his great love for us.

Within a year after being ordained as a Columban priest, I instead was appointed to South Korea where I worked as a missionary for 27 years. The work was very fulfilling; it gave me a sense of my own worth as a priest.

Fr. Charles O’Rourke chatted with a visitor at a vocations fair at a Los Angeles church.

When I came to the United States on a break in 1985, I was asked by the Columbans to work in the Korean apostolate in Chicago. I agreed to do so, but with much concern. I asked myself many times if it would be worth it. Shouldn’t I be working in Korea?

But after a few years in Chicago, I realized the importance of working with immigrant Koreans. We Columbans who had been in Korea had much understanding, compassion and encouragement to offer them during their times of stress, depression and misunderstanding that come with living in a foreign culture.

The number of parishioners in Chicago kept growing along with those who came to us for help and counseling. There were many problems in family relationships: husband and wife problems; parent-child conflict; teen-agers in trouble with the law; poor people out of work. These problems exist with many families, of course, but they seem to be more prevalent among ethnic groups such as Korean immigrants.

Heading West

After my apostolate in Chicago, I was appointed to serve a Korean community in California's San Fernando Valley. Again, I found parishioners struggling to adapt to life in the United States.

But despite their frustrations, each of these Korean communities was most inspiring. Their enthusiasm, deep faith and loyalty and support for each other were truly admirable. I felt swept along by this spirit of love and sacrifice as a priest serving the Korean communities over the past 46 years.

Now, I am in Los Angeles where Columbans work in five ethnic parishes: one Filipino, four Korean and one Hispanic-Filipino. Columban priests here had served in these mission countries, so we were able to help the Archdiocese of Los Angeles with these parishes. Again, the need is great, and we are happy to be part of this important work. As in the days of my own ancestors, there is an important role that the clergy and laity can play in lending stability to the faith of newcomers to our land.

Nearly 20 Columbans work on mission in Southern California, serving ethnic parishes and different apostolates in Los Angeles, Fontana, Canoga Park, Rowland Heights, Westminster and San Diego.

We are grateful to our benefactors and friends in these communities who respond so generously to our work. The people we serve are the greatest sign of God’s love and presence in our world.

With the support here and from our good Columban friends nationwide, we are inspired and empowered to be instruments of God’s love and care to the world.

Fr. Charles O’Rourke of Council Bluffs, Iowa, was ordained in 1957. He is the superior of the Columbans’ central mission house in Los Angeles.