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Stories from Columban Missions

hand checking a wheat field
The Calloused Hands

When I was younger, people often noticed my hands. Some would remark that they were smooth, unmarked, even beautiful. Others assumed that perhaps…

Construction of St. Mary's Church
St. Mary’s Church

It had been a long time coming. After about thirteen years of active fund-raising, planning, prayer, and hope, the new church of St. Mary’s in…

Child in a wheel chair being pushed by another child on a school playground
A Welcoming Church

In the “Kingdom” at 94, I am a senior citizen. Sometimes I have an experience like this: I see something that triggers images of an event or of a…

Ana during a garden visit with Jenny
Healing and Help from Vegetable Planting

During a mission in the Narulang community of Barra in Misamis Oriental, Mindanao, I met many people, especially women, who face various…

Columban lay missionary Lee Kyung Ja, Christina (center), and friends
Living Among Migrants

I live in a neighborhood where migrants and asylum seekers dwell side by side. One section has already been vacated due to redevelopment, and all…

Fr. Burger's friends by Charles Cathedral
Giving Tension the Brushoff

Before entering the seminary, I was interested in studying architecture. And I still enjoy looking at buildings. I think that the first step in…