Below are stories from past issues of Columban Mission magazine. The Columban Fathers publish Columban Mission magazine eight times a year. Subscriptions are available for just $10 per year. Sign up to receive our next issue. Read more about Columban Mission magazine.
Not long ago I dared to follow a so called "dream," a dream that became reality when one day I found myself in a place different from my home.
When I was ordained a deacon and later a priest, I worked with young people in one parish in the Philippines. One of my favorite places was the parish youth ministry office. There I was able to meet young people and listen to their stories — of struggles, hurts and rejections.
God is always leading us in every step of our journey. But there are times that we do not recognize His presence because of situations that separate us from Him. This is what I remember every time I find it difficult to understand the things happening in my life.
The next day was more adventurous. Fr. Nilton drove us to Navala, a traditional Catholic village in the mountains over Ba. We got to the bridge just outside the village at 9:30 a.m. A raging torrent kept us from driving over it.
As a teenager Ned Galvin enjoyed seeking out adventure with his friends. During one of their hunting escapades, he threw a lasso over a neighbor's cat that was darting across a roof and pulled him to the ground.
This year we recall with gratitude the living faith of Columbans and others that has shaped our individual journeys and that of our Society for our first 100 years of mission to the world. Individually, we celebrate our own journeys of striving to be missionary disciples of Jesus Christ.
Who may ascend the mountain of the Lord? Who may stand in his holy place? (Psalm 24)
Columban history in the Japan mission is behind this stained glass window of the Risen Christ. In 1979, the architect of the new headquarters for the then almost 100 Columbans in Japan commissioned stained glass artist Hideo Matsuda to create Stations of the Cross for the new chapel.
It is interesting to watch those television programs that deal with people passing through customs as they return from holidays or family visits abroad.
We had our retreat in Nadi Ashram in May 2014. During our retreat I was passing by the road from the house where I stayed to the dining hall, along the way I saw a beautiful bougainvillea. Despite being a very old tree with few leaves on it, I was struck by the beautiful flowers it had.
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.