“I’m appointed as a formator in the seminary, but I have no training for it. We are expected to help young men to become spiritual leaders, but we don’t know how to go about it. Can you help us?”

Fr. Michael McGuire and Sr. Alice

This was the appeal of the rector of a diocesan seminary in Myitkyina, Myanmar, to Fr. Eamon O’Brien after a retreat in 2001. Fr. O’Brien won the support of Bishop Paul Grawng for this initiative. They formulated a proposal for a team of Columban formators to run a three year course for local formators and spiritual guides. Bishop Paul got the approval and backing for this proposal from the Conference of Bishops of Myanmar.

Thus a team consisting of Columban Fr. Michael McGuire, from the Philippines, Fr. Frank Hoare from Ireland and Columban Sister Mary Ita O’Brien, who was working already in Myanmar, began a four week intensive summer school in March 2003 in a diocesan center in Yangon. Twenty-two local formators—eleven Sisters, one Brother and ten priests—began the course.

Classes were held each morning on the psychology of vocation and the psychology of human development and spirituality. Difficulties were expected and experienced by both the students and the instructors. English was the third language of the participants, and they found the technical language of psychology and spirituality difficult to understand.

2009 formator group

The staff was frustrated when the participants spoke in inaudible whispers. However, everyone involved found ways to help one another. The participants, led by their more experienced members, often gathered in small groups in the evenings for a tutorial in Burmese language on the day’s classes. This spirit of cooperation strengthened the community spirit among them.

Unfortunately, the standard of education has deteriorated badly in Myanmar since the military takeover in 1962. Rote learning and parrot-like reproduction is demanded at all levels of education. Critical thought and creative expression are penalized even at the university level. All of this meant that we had to be realistic with our expectations of the participants even as we encouraged a different approach.

We were delighted by the openness of the course participants to the vocational growth conversations that we offered twice a week. In-depth sharing is difficult in Myanmar, because privacy and confidentiality are not a cultural priority. Fear of revealing deeper aspects of oneself are compounded by the informer system operated by the government in the country. However, the participants willingly grasped the opportunity of confidential sessions. In the second year these conversations moved towards counseling while in the third year the sessions were used for spiritual direction. Milltown Park Institute of Philosophy and Theology in Dublin agreed to credit the three-year course. It offered a Pontifical graduate certificate for participants with primary degrees who passed the summer school tests and completed essays during the year after the summer school. A Pontifi cal diploma was offered to students who, in addition to passing the tests, completed shorter projects between summer schools.

After the summer schools, the course participants met three times for one or two day workshops at which they shared experiences, practiced accompaniment skills and discussed their essays or projects. While living and working in Myanmar, Sr. Mary Ita was able to attend these sessions. The participants discussed plans for improving their formation programs and for supporting each other.

Fr. Michael McGuire and Sr. Mary Ita O’Brien

In 2004 during the second summer school we taught courses on counseling, sexuality and celibacy and introduction to spiritual direction. We offered counseling twice a week to the participants. In afternoon sessions they also practiced counseling each other in groups of three using the Burmese language.

We were happy to have the opportunity to conduct a one day workshop in March 2004 and a two day workshop in March 2005 for bishops, congregation leaders and some of the course participants. These took place immediately before the summer schools and promoted understanding and dialogue on formation issues between Church leaders and formators.

At the request of the participants, we moved the third summer school in March 2005 to the Salesian seminary in the cooler environment of Pyin Oo Lwin, two hours from Mandalay. This area previously was called Maymyo when it was a summer hill station retreat for the British colonial officers in the Raj.

During this final phase we taught courses on the “Message of Jesus,” “Personality Styles,” and the “Practice of Spiritual Direction.” Each participant had the opportunity of giving spiritual direction with supervision to two novices, Sisters or lay people living in the locality. The staff supervised by facilitating discussion in small groups of the verbatim interviews written by the participants. At the end of this summer school, three of the participants accepted invitations to join us on the staff of the next “Course in Religious Formation,” which began in March 2006. The participants of this fi rst course worked hard and recognize the benefit of the course for them. As one of them said, “I came to know myself better and I am more confident now of being able to help young religious to grow humanly and spiritually.”

The graduation of the first group of students was held at the Catholic Bishop Conference headquarters in Yangon on March 10, 2006. We continue the program with new participants and an expanded staff which includes Sr. Clara Chiang, a psychologist from Taiwan, as well as the three local graduates of the first course.

Fr. Frank Hoare lives and works in Fiji.

This article first appeared in the August / September issue of Columban Mission.

Anna, David and son Josh

Ask questions to David and Anna Draper about their mission, their region, their faith in respects to their mission life, and their favorite stories.

The chat begins at 10 a.m. Central on Tuesday, September 14. Sign up to receive an email reminder below. If you can’t make it, you can still submit a question by using the form below, and you can visit this page after the chat to read the conversation.

Following is a brief update about the ongoing flood situation;

There is still serious flooding in Sindh, as you probably see from pictures in the news. The good news is that the water level is receding, though it is still very high near Kotri barrage on the opposite side of the river from Hyderabad city.

Hyderabad is out of danger. But further south, waters continue to flood from the river near Thatha. This has flooded the towns of Sajawal which is in Badin parish. Waters have reached to within 50 km of Badin city and at this stage it looks like the city will escape. The government has set up relief camps around Badin city.

Nearby is Jati, a small parish which is administrated from Hyderabad parish. It is where Columban Fr. Robert McCulloch does some of his ministry. Fr. Sabir Sadiq, diocesan priest based in the Cathedral parish in Hyderabad, is from Jati. For the past week, before the flood waters arrived to engulf the town of Jati and the surrounding lands, Fr. Sabir has been helping with the evacuation. The crops and homes of his family and all his Christian and Muslim neighbors have been lost. They did manage to get their animals out. Tragically, when people were evacuating through the flood waters, four young children of one family were drowned when they fell into deep waters. So far their bodies have not been found. Jati people estimate that it will be at least two weeks before they can begin to move back, as the flood waters are expected to linger that long. Most of the Christian community in Jati have evacuated to relatives in Karachi.

Emergency relief and medical help are being provided by many sources. These include the parish team in Kotri parish led by Franciscan Fr. Mohan Victor, St. Mary’s Girl’s High School in Hyderabad ,where both staff and students are helping out, Columban Sisters and their team, Columban Fr. Felisiano Fatu and the Badin parish team, Sr. Rosey Yaqoob, FMCK, in Sukkur parish and the Outreach team from St. Elizabeth’s Hospital in Hyderabad, where Fr. Robert McCulloch is director.

All of these have received funding that has come in from Columban sources. This relief work will continue for some time. According to the Prime Minister, from the government side of things, this first phase of relief work will continue until the end of October.

That is a brief summary of the present situation. The attached photos are from Fr. Mohan Victor showing the relief work being carried out in Kotri area.

Sincere thanks for your help and support.

Peace,
Columban Fr. Tomas King

She will impart her knowledge of the country, the language, and most importantly the culture. After leaving Washington, D.C., I will spend a short time with family and friends then off to Omaha, Neb.

For me, the Columban Companions Gathering includes more preparations including a missioning mass celebrated by Father Tom Glennon, which, to my delight, will be attended by my parents.

In the time that remains, I have to plan what I should bring with me for the next six months, given strict baggage regulations, changing Taiwan seasons, and my penchant for excessive packing.

But as I think about the ministry that awaits me in Taiwan with migrant workers, I can’t help but feel that my worries are trivial compared to their experiences of leaving their families for an even longer, unknown period of time.

Although I can’t begin to imagine the depth of their experiences, I hope that the slight difficulties I will encounter may serve as a basis for shared learning and love.

Lima, Peru, is a city which has grown rapidly over the last 50 years from around one million inhabitants to nearly nine million. Thousands of new families are still coming in from the country or moving out from overcrowded suburbs closer to the city. There has been no overall city planning, with the result that the newcomers quickly buy or simply squat on empty lands, no matter how barren, sandy, rocky or sloping the terrain may be. Almost overnight hundreds of new reed matting huts spring up, and a new human settlement begins. Often it is a little beyond previous settlements, so at first it has no water, sewerage, lighting or roads, let alone a school, medical center, community center or chapel.

An annointing

For more than 50 years, the Columbans and our associates have been devoting their time to these new and generally very poor settlers. Great emphasis has been placed on inviting and empowering the newcomers themselves to share actively in forming a new Christian community. At the same time, they are encouraged to reach out to all newcomers and work together with them to obtain the basic services for their “young town.” As a result, they come to appreciate how the reign of God calls all Christians to play their part in public life, such as in the areas of health, education, the economy, local and national political life.

Aparecida now stands for the General Conference of Bishops from all Latin America and the Caribbean, which was inaugurated by Pope Benedict XVI in May 2007, in the pilgrimage city of Aparecida, Brazil. Aparecida’s final recommendations have put into inspiring words what the Church sees as its mission and its pastoral plan to meet the urgent needs of this “new epoch,” for which the “old skins” are no longer adequate.

Accompanying Newcomers

In fact they are already bursting. For instance, Aparecida has urged that the parish in Latin America and the Caribbean should be “a community of communities.” In other words, a parish will encourage smaller communities to form in each distinct geographic area but join together on special occasions as a united parish. Aparecida also calls on each and every Catholic to be a “missionary disciple,” first to others in their neighborhood and then carrying the Good News far beyond their own boundaries.

Over the past ten years the Columbans have also been encouraging committed youths and adults to go out each Sunday from their own parishes to new fringe settlements. These driven young adults, who are known as “Columban Missionary fellowworkers,” have completed formation courses on the Scriptures, theology of God’s kingdom and daily living. They have become true “missionary disciples.” For them the word of God as proclaimed through the Scriptures and enriched by tradition is the heart of their mission.

Usually they gather the people in the open air or in some provisional shelter, where they can lead the liturgy of the word of life, explain it as applied to daily life and distribute the Bread of Life. Others may start up classes of preparation for Baptism, First Communion and Confirmation and invite local people to get involved in that ongoing mission. As Paul says to the Corinthians, the body of Christ has all kinds of different members with different ministries entrusted to them. Yet each one has a vital role in continuing the mission of Jesus with the wisdom, love and energy of the Holy Spirit.  The group really does share actively in the mission of Jesus as prophet, pastor and priest.

Schools kids gather for a photo

Three years ago I was happy to be invited to celebrate a monthly Mass in one of those little emerging communities at Las Laderas, located just north of Lima. Las Laderas means “the hillsides,” an accurate name for the sides of some Andean foothills where these newcomers have set up their new homes.

The Christian community there had been started by a Columban Missionary fellow-worker, Genaro Choque, from a previously established Columban parish in Las Palmeras. Genaro went from door to door inviting the locals to come along each Sunday for a liturgy of the word and Communion. Later another fellow-worker, Laura Marqez, from a parish where Columban Father Dermot Carthy is pastor, joined Genaro each Sunday to share her faith with the children. In the beginning, they gathered with about 30 people in a flimsy, temporary chapel on borrowed land. I was thrilled to find that within a year they had managed to obtain a few hundred square yards of a rocky hillside on which they had already erected a light wooden chapel.

Some of the local people were also involved in organizing a Bible group, liturgies, baptisms and a choir. One strong grandpa, Augustino, was devoting much of his week to pounding away with a sledge hammer at the rocky hillside to level more ground for an extended chapel. Augustino’s son Augusto and Augusto’s wife Marilyn are also constantly helping to strengthen the new community in line with their local parish organizations. Of great importance
also is their ability to involve these Catholics in the wider community projects to work together to procure roads, light, water and sewerage, schools and health services, etc., for their village.

In 2009, Genaro kept going to that community until a few weeks before he died of cancer. His apostolate was continued by two fellow-workers, Victor Araoz (from Tupac Amaru where Columban Father John O’Connell is pastor) and Georgina Barrientos (from Condevilla parish where she was leading a parish youth group when I was pastor there 30 years ago). They prepare children for First Communion and the youth for Confirmation. In early December 2009 their efforts were rewarded as the groups received those sacraments in the presence of many relatives and friends. Fr. Bernie Lane had the joy of conferring Confirmation on behalf of the bishop.

Some of the youths just confirmed want to become pastoral agents among their local communities. The Sunday congregation has grown to around 70 people with fresh enthusiasm to raise funds to extend their chapel. We are confident of being able to hand over full responsibility by the end of 2010 to this vibrant faith community and their local pastor. Our team of Columban Missionary fellow-workers will then be free to move on and accompany some other group of newcomers on the outskirts of Lima.

Fr. Chris Baker lives and works in Peru.

This article first appeared in the August / September issue of Columban Mission.

For many years the inhabitants have also dabbled in smuggling and drug trafficking on behalf of the local Cartel called “La Linea.”

As of two years ago the Cartel de Sinaloa has been in competition to gain access to the U.S. market. Hence, a very bloody war has broken out in the aforementioned Valley with very heavy loss of life. Some of the priests there have celebrated up to 100 funerals each; so the toll amongst the rural families has been extraordinary.

The two preceding parish priests of a small town called Porvenir have both had to leave after having their lives threatened. The neighboring parish priest, Pablito by name, is a friend of mine and I have been concerned for his physical well-being. Not only does he attend his own parish but has to bear the added weight of a Mass schedule in Porvenir.

Recently I inquired if he needed some help, to which he effusively replied in the affirmative.

Three weeks ago I, along with some very committed people from the Parish of Corpus Christi, where the Columban Fathers have the privilege of serving the People of God, headed out on a Sunday morning bound for Porvenir.

Upon leaving the city we were stopped by a large Patrol of the Federal Police and questioned severely about our intentions. Finally, we were allowed to proceed the 80 kilometers further on to Porvenir, sharing nervous, jocular anecdotes and saying Rosaries as we wound our way through the surprisingly lush countryside, so different from the harsh desert which surrounds our Columban Parish.

There were a goodly number of people for confession and after some light-hearted banter with the folks we commenced a packed Sunday Mass. Our visit to Porvenir was a small gesture of solidarity given the violence which has affected the rural communities all throughout this Mexican State of Chihuahua.

On concluding the Sunday Eucharist, we bundled back into our truck for the speedy trip back to Juarez, passing many military checkpoints and the remains of burnt out houses which have been destroyed in the struggle for profits from drug trafficking across the Border. It was with some relief that we arrived back to “our” part of the city unscathed.

As I enter my tenth year here in Ciudad Juarez I am constantly reminded of the bravery of the people here and the strength that their Catholic faith gives them to think and care for others, when all are being affected in this, the world’s most violent city. Please pray for them … indeed for all of us.

Peace and God bless,
Columban Father Kevin Mullins

Joseph Fitzgerald

JOSEPH FITZGERALD was born in Jersey City, NJ, U.S.A. in 1929. He died suddenly at Dalgan on 19 March 2000. When his family returned to Ireland Joe studied at Ss. Peter & Paul’s, Cork and at North Monastery C.B.S. He was ordained at Dalgan in December 1955 and assigned to the Philippines. In 1964 he was assigned to Ireland where he served as Dean in Dalgan. In 1975 he was reassigned to the Philippines but returned to Ireland later that year. Joe is buried at St. Joseph’s Cemetery, Cork City.

Robert Sweeney

ROBERT P. SWEENEY was born in Niagara Falls, NY, in 1935. He died unexpectedly at St. Mary’s Hospital, Seoul, on 29 July 2000. Bob studied at Silver Creek, Bristol and Milton where he was ordained in December 1959. Having acquired an L.C.L. in Rome he did mission animation work in the Chicago area until 1964 when he was assigned to Korea. There he worked in the dioceses of Kwangju and Pusan until he was appointed Regional Director in 1984. From 1988 until his death he worked in a poor rural community in Taejon Diocese. “All his missionary life he was committed to the struggle for justice, leading by the example of a simple lifestyle and not shunning controversy, even with his own race.” Bob is buried at Yong In Cemetery, Seoul.

John Healey

JOHN C. HEALEY was born in 1913 at Newburyport, MA, U.S.A. He died on 22 October 2000 at Roger Williams Medical Center, Providence, RI. After ordination to priesthood at the Cathedral, Providence, in 1939 he was assigned to Hanyang and spent over four years in house arrest in Zikawei. In 1947 he returned to the U.S. and taught at Silver Creek where he was Dean from 1952-’56. He went to Omaha in 1958 working in the offices, mission-promotion and lay-retreats. Eighteen years later (1977) he went as chaplain to the Columban Sisters’ Retirement Home, Silver Creek. Soon his health deteriorated and he underwent a number of operations. From 1992 until his death he resided at St. Columban’s, Bristol. John is buried at East Providence, RI.

William Hennessy

WILLIAM G. HENNESSY was born at Providence, RI, in 1912. He died in Kinogitan, Misamis Oriental on 11 January 2001 having been in failing health for many months. Having studied at Silver Creek and Omaha, Bill was ordained priest at St Columbanʼs Nebraska on December 1935 and then went to Rome for postgraduate studies in Canon Law. Assigned to the Philippines in 1939, he lived in the hills of Mindanao throughout the Japanese occupation and played a major part in the rebuilding of the Christian communities in Misamis after the country was liberated. Bill became the first Director of the newly constituted Region of the Philippines in 1952 and served in that position until 1959. He is buried at Kinogitan.

Edmond Bahl

EDMOND G. BAHL was born in 1918 at Buffalo, New York. He died on 14 May 2001 at Lakeshore Nursing Facility, Silver Creek, NY. In preparation for priesthood, he had studied at Bristol, Silver Creek and Omaha and was ordained on 18 December 1943. After serving for two years in a Buffalo parish Eddie was assigned to the Philippines in 1946. There he soon saw the value of schools, seeing them as “the only way to reach the kids”. Later, he became president of St. Columbanʼs College, one of the schools he had founded. He was instrumental in bringing the Sisters of Mercy of the Buffalo Diocese to the Philippines. This led to many Philippine women answering the vocation call to become Sisters of Mercy. Eddie is buried at St. Columbanʼs on the Lake, Silver Creek, NY.

James Roddy

JAMES RODDY was born at Roxbury, MA, in 1915. He died at Bristol, RI, on 20 June 2001. He was a brother of Columban Charles Roddy. Having studied at Silver Creek, Bristol and Nebraska, Jim was ordained in December 1941. During World War 11 he worked in Ogden, UT. and in Buffalo, NY. His first overseas assignment was to Philippines in 1946 where he worked in and around Manila for twenty five years. Assigned to the U.S. in 1972 he did a short stint on promotion and then went to the Virgin Islands in 1978. From 1980 onwards, except for a period in our Filipino Parish in Los Angeles, Bristol was to be his home. Jim is buried at East Providence, RI.

James Hastings

JAMES HASTINGS was born at Geneva, New York, in 1945. After a three year battle with cancer, he died on 21 June 2001, at the home of friends in Canton, MA. Jim’s struggle with cancer inspired all those he came in contact with during his illness. Having studied at Silver Creek, Oconomowoc, Bristol and Milton, Jim was ordained in May 1972 and assigned to Japan. He was reappointed to the U.S. in 1982 to do formation work and served on the staff in Formation Houses at St. Paul and Chicago for nine years. He then did mission education and vocation work, while serving as Education Officer for the U.S. Region. In 1994, he assumed the role of Manager of the General Mission Office, Omaha, and completed the restructuring of the Fund Raising Programmes. Jim served as Vice-Director of the U.S. Region for two terms, beginning in 1995. He was buried at Canton, MA.

Rudolph Hoza

RUDOLPH HOZA was born in the parish of Uniontown, PAin 1918. He died on 24August 2001 in Rose Hawthorne Hospice Home, Fall River, MA. Having studied at Silver Creek, Bristol and Nebraska, Rudy was ordained priest in December 1942. It was wartime so his first appointment was to parish work in Detroit. His first overseas assignment was to the Philippines in 1946 where he worked in Mindanao. From 1956 onwards Rudy worked in the U.S., in pastoral and mission education assignments. He was in retirement in Bristol when he was diagnosed as having cancer. Rudy, a brother of Columban Frank Hoza, is buried at E. Providence, R.I.

Richard Cannon

RICHARD CANNON was born in 1928 at Buffalo, NY. He died in a Los Angeles hospital on 11 March 2002. Dick had a varied and fruitful life. His first contact with Columbans was in 1944 at Silver Creek. Part of his formation for priesthood was at Dalgan as an exchange-student. After ordination at Milton in 1954 he obtained his doctorate in Canon Law in Rome and then taught at Silver Creek and Milton until 1963 when he was appointed to our school in Whitby, England. He graduated June 1960 from Boston College with a B.A. in Math. With the closure of Whitby, Dick was assigned to the Philippines where “he saw education as the way out of the poverty trap and laboured to provide the best facilities for high school and college”. From 1975 to 1983 he was Director at St. Columban’s College, Olongapo. He spent almost thirty years in Zambales where he was District Superior for two terms. From 1995 he served as Regional Bursar for five years. He returned to the U.S. in 2001 where he was house bursar in Los Angeles. Burial was at Silver Creek, NY.

Patrick Cashman

PATRICK CASHMAN was born at Bayonne, New Jersey, in 1917. He died on 27 September 2002 at Silver Creek, NY, where his formation for Columban priesthood began seventy-one years earlier. From Silver Creek he went to Bristol in 1936, to Nebraska in 1939 and was ordained in Providence, RI, in December 1942. Assigned to promotion work, Pat worked from Perryville, Silver Creek, Nebraska and Chicago before being assigned to the Philippines in 1950. From 1972 to 1978 he did promotion work in Australia and then returned to the U.S. where he was Guest Master at St. Columbanʼs, San Francisco. The Virgin Islands was his next assignment. Eight years later [1987] he was assigned to the U.S and lived in semiretirement in Bristol, RI. From 1990 he resided at Silver Creek, in indifferent health. Pat is buried at St. Columbanʼs, Silver Creek, NY.

David Richers

DAVID RICHERS was born at Altoona, PA, in 1924. He died at Roger Williams Hospice, Providence, RI, on 19 November 2002. Before joining the Columbans at Silver Creek in 1946, Dave had served with the U.S. Army in Europe during World War 11. He was ordained priest in December 1952 and assigned to Korea where he ministered in the Kwangju Archdiocese for ten years. Assigned to the U.S. Region he did vocation work from West Chester and in 1970 was appointed Superior in the San Francisco House. From 1971-77 he was Director of Vocations in Omaha when he became Superior and Bursar at Bristol. After a period in ministry in Kansas, Dave served in the Omaha office until 1997 when he returned to Bristol to retire. Dave is buried at East Providence, RI.

James McCaslin

JAMES McCASLIN was born at Omaha in 1927. He died in Hospice House, Omaha, on 16 September 2004. Having graduated from Creighton University, Jim served with the U.S. army in Japan [1946-48] and joined the Columbans in 1950. Ordained in Omaha in 1954, he was assigned to the Philippines where he worked briefly in S.C.A. and then in parish work. Having done a yearʼs course in spirituality at Washington D.C., he was appointed to a variety of roles – Socius and Probation Director at Bristol, Retreat Master and Vicar at Derby and retreat work in Omaha. Returning to the Philippines in 1980, he continued his retreat work in Manila ʻtil 1985 when he went to Dalgan to do research on our foundersʼ spirituality and then went back to the Philippines. From 1995 he worked with the Hong Kong Filipino community until his health failed. Jim is buried at Omaha.

Ernest Sullivan

ERNEST SULLIVAN died on 29 November 2003 at his sisterʼs home in Scituate, MA, where he was recuperating from surgery for lung cancer. Born in 1933 at West Roxbury, MA, Ernie graduated from the New England Institute of Anatomy and Embalming in 1952 before entering St. Columbanʼs in 1954. Having been ordained priest in 1961, he was assigned to Korea where he served in Chunchon, Wonju and Cheju. Then in 1980, Ernie was assigned to the U.S. Region and worked in St. Edwardʼs, Seattle, the Virgin Islands, Kew Gardens, San Francisco, Los Angeles and Quincy. His last assignment before retiring in 2002 was at Magnolia Avenue, Chicago. Ernie is buried in a family plot at West Roxbury, Ma.

Joseph Murrin

JOSEPH MURRIN was born at Parnell, Iowa, in 1916. He died on 22 December 2002 at Catholic Memorial Home, Fall River, MA. His first contact with Columbans was at Silver Creek in 1932 where, having completed philosophy studies, he went to Omaha for theology and was ordained there in February 1944. His adaptability is reflected in the variety of his assignments – the Columban Westminster Parish, CA, where he served as pastor in mid-sixties; bursar in Omaha; planner and supervisor of building Milton, Turramurra and Kwangju seminaries. He stayed on in Korea for six years to assist in building a number of churches. He recruited vocations, helped with mission education programs and pastoral assignments. He befriended many who were struggling with sobriety. Joe is buried at East Providence, RI.

Hugh O'Rourke

HUGH O’ROURKE who was from Providence, Rhode Island, was born in 1927 and died there on 19 March 2004, having been in declining health for some years. After ordination in Omaha Cathedral in 1952, Hugh did a Masterʼs in sociology at Fordham University and was on the teaching staff at Silver Creek from 1955-ʼ60 when he went to Burma. A government decree that all missionaries who came to Burma post 1948 would have to leave in 1979 resulted in Hughʼs departure six years after his arrival in Burma. Appointed Vice-Director in the U.S. in 1967 and Director in 1971, he was elected to the Superior Generalʼs council at the 1976 Chapter. Returning to the U.S. in 1982 he did advanced studies at Loyola College and at St. Lukeʼs Institute, MD. From 1994 ʻtil his retirement to Bristol in 2000 he ministered at St. Theresaʼs, Pawtucket, RI. A brother of Columban Paul OʼRourke and Columban Sister Clare, Hugh is buried at East Providence, RI.

James Needham

JAMES NEEDHAM was born at St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1935. He died unexpectedly in his home parish on 7 October 2004. When Jim had completed his secondary education at Silver Creek, NY and Milton, MA, he began his studies for priesthood in Milton and was ordained priest there in 1961. He was assigned to Japan and in 1970 he requested and received permission to join the Chaplainsʼ Corps in the U.S. Army. Jim was discharged from the army in 1995 and retired in St. Paul. He was buried at the Military Cemetery, Fort Snelling, Minnesota.

William Bourke

WILLIAM BOURKE was born in 1929 at Providence, RI, U.S.A. He died in Kent Hospital, Warwick, RI, on 24th October 2004. Prior to coming to St. Columbanʼs, Bristol, in 1947 he had studied at St. Columbanʼs, Silver Creek. In 1950 he was sent as one of four exchangestudents to Dalgan and was ordained at Boston in 1954. Assigned to the Philippines in 1955, Billy served in Ozamis where he was Chancellor of the Archdiocese from 1988 unti his death. He was a genuinely welcoming host to all visitors in his parish, the archdiocesan offices and in the central house in Ozamis where was house manager. He was known among Columbans as a passionate lover of sports and among the people for his kindness and generosity. He is buried at Pawtucket, RI.

Quentin Kalick

QUENTIN KALICK was born at Buffalo, NY, in 1918. He died on 23 November 2004 at Manila Doctorsʼ Hospital where he was a regular patient in the months prior to his death. His formation for priesthood took place at Bristol, Silver Creek and Nebraska before being ordained at Providence, RI, in 1942. Unable to go on overseas mission due to the war, Quentin did pastoral work in San Diego and Redlands, CA. In 1945 he was a member of the first post-war group to go to the Philippines where he worked until his retirement to Singalong in 1991. Despite indifferent health throughout much of his life Quentin will be remembered for his wit and bright companionship. He is buried at Manila.

Paul Casey

PAUL CASEY was born at Buffalo, NY, in 1927 and educated at St. Josephʼs High School and St. Josephʼs Collegiate Institute. As a student it was said of him “he is a tremendous worker, guided by an iron determination to do the job well.” Having served two years in Korea with the U.S. Army, Paul went to St. Columbans, Silver Creek, then to Bristol, Nebraska and Milton where he was ordained in 1954. His first appointment was to the Philippines. In 1981, during a period of ill health in Manila, he studied German which led to his taking a pastoral assignment in Osnabruch, Germany. Returning to the U.S. in 1985, Paul was assigned to Bristol and later to Omaha where he was archivist He died on April 20, 2005 at Midlands Hospital, Papillon, NE, following surgery and is buried at Holy Sepulchre Cemetery, Omaha.

Cornelius Boyle

CORNELIUS BOYLE was born in 1918 at Bayonne, Newark, NJ, U.S.A. He died on 9 February 2006 at Navan Hospital after a brief illness. In the early 1920s his family returned to Ireland and lived at Dungloe, Co. Donegal, where Neil received his early education. Having completed his secondary education at St. Eunanʼs, Letterkenny, Neil came to Dalgan in 1937 and was ordained in 1943. Due to wartime travel restrictions, he worked in the diocese of Nottingham until 1946 when he went to Shanghai and studied Korean. After a brief period in Chunchon, Neil became Regional Bursar in Korea and in 1962 was appointed Regional Director. Appointed Bursar General [1971-ʻ83] he was assigned to the Irish Region and worked in the diocese of Raphoe. “A great example of a dedicated and faithful priest throughout his life,” Neil is buried at Dalgan.

John Clifford

JOHN CLIFFORD was born in Chicago in 1927. He died on 14 March 2006 at San Diego, CA. After his studies at St. Leoʼs, Collegeville, Jack began his preparations for priesthood at Bristol [1947- ʻ48], Omaha [1948-ʻ50], Dalgan [1950-ʻ53] and Milton [1953-ʻ54]. After ordination in 1953 he did a Credit Union Course in University of Wisconsin. Appointed to the Philippines, Jack served in Zambales, Negros and Malate.Assigned to the U.S. in 1984, he worked briefly with the PhilippineApostolate in Chicago and then transferred to San Diego for parish work. Jack is buried at Holy Cross Cemetery, San Diego, CA.

J. Donald Devine

J. DONALD DEVINE was born in 1926 at Buffalo, N.Y. He died at Bristol, Rhode Island. on 11 August 2006. Educated at Buffalo and Silver Creek, N.Y., he joined the Columbans and was ordained in 1954. Assigned to Korea, Don worked in the Kwangju area and in 1959 he was appointed secretary to Mgr. Harold Henry, later becoming his chancellor, both in Kwangju and in Cheju. After the death of Harold Henry in 1976 Don was appointed to the mission office in Omaha, Nebraska. He retired to Bristol in 2004. Don is buried at the family plot in Lackawanna, New York.

David Sheehan

DAVID SHEEHAN was born at Medford, Mass, in 1926. He died in Chicago on 3 January 2007 after a long battle with cancer. At a young age his familymoved to Evanston, IL., where his Primary and High School education were completed. Having attended the University of Wisconsin for two years, Dave studied at St. Columbanʼs, Bristol, and Milton. He was ordained priest in 1953 and assigned to Korea. There he acted as chaplain to the Columban Sisters in Mokpo and while there he was recommended by Fr. Pat OʼConnor to be the Korea correspondent for NCWC News Service. Due to indifferent health, Dave concentrated solely on pastoral work, in Illo and in Kang Jin where he built a church. In 1986, Dave was appointed English professor in the Kwangju Seminary. Later he returned to Kang Jin, his former parish, and served as chaplain to the Seton Sisters. In 1996 he published his life-story “A Columban Missioner – Forty Years in Korea.” He was diagnosed with prostate cancer in 2001 but carried on enthusiastically, boasting in 2005 that “Benedict XV1 is just my age as he begins his reign as our Holy Father. He is a brave man to take on that momentous task at his age!” Dave is buried with his family at All Saints Cemetery, Des Plaines, IL.

Thomas Normanly

THOMAS V. NORMANLY was born in Holy Trinity Parish, Buffalo, in 1928. He died at Sisters Hospital, Buffalo, on 22 May 2007. Tom studied at Silver Creek, Bristol and St. Columbans, Nebraska. He was ordained in 1952. He received his Masters Degree in French and Spanish from Georgetown University. Tom was appointed to teach in Silver Creek and was then assigned as dean in Milton in 1962, until he went as spiritual director at Oconomowoc where he was in charge of the language laboratory. In 1969 he was assigned to the Virgin Islands. Then in 1975 he was assigned to Peru. Four years later Tom was assigned to the GMO in Omaha until 1989 when he went to reside in Buffalo for pastoral ministry. In 2004 Tom retired to Silver Creek. Known as a dedicated priest, strong in spirit and humble of heart, he is buried at St. Columbanʼs, Silver Creek.

Joseph Crehan

JOSEPH CREHAN was born at Dorchester, MA, in 1929. He died at Silver Creek Nursing Home, Bristol, RI, on 1April 2008.After his ordination to priesthood in 1954 Joe was assigned to Japan where he studied the language and became assistant-bursar in Tokyo. In 1970 Joe returned to the U.S. on compassionate leave. He was appointed Bursar and Dean at the Columban Major Seminary in Milton, MA. In 1979, Joe undertook a pastoral assignment at Everett, MA, where he was loved and respected as a prayerful, humble priest with great devotion to the sick and dying. He retired in 2000 to the Columban Fathersʼ Retirement House, Bristol. “Joe lived his life for others. He was a great promoter of the Columban Mission, just like his friend and mentor, Fr. Owen McGrath.” He is buried at St. Maryʼs Cemetery, Bristol.

Thomas Dowd

THOMAS F. DOWD was born at Roslindale, MA, USA, in 1931. He died on 24 July 2008. Having completed his secondary education at St. Columbanʼs, Silver Creek, NY, he studied philosophy in Bristol, RI, theology in Dalgan and was ordained priest in 1957 at Milton, MA. Assigned to Japan, he worked in the dioceses of Osaka, Fukuoka and Tokyo. In 1964 he underwent serious surgery in the U.S. Assigned to the U.S. Region in 1980, he resided in his native Massachusetts. Tom is buried at Rural Cemetery, Walpole, MA, USA.

Thomas O'Rourke

THOMAS P. O’ROURKE was born in the parish of Upperchurch, Co. Tipperary, in 1901. He died of a brain tumour on 1 Jan 1988 at Silver Creek, NY. T.P. received his secondary education at Mt. Melleray, Co. Waterford [1916-19], and then went to Dalgan in September 1919. He was ordained priest on 22 December 1924. He went to Hanyang in 1925 and, apart from one break in Ireland [1935-36], he worked there until 1947. After leave in Ireland he was assigned to the U.S. in 1948. T.P. did promotion work in St. Paul, San Diego and Denver [1948-77]. He was Superior at St. Columban’s, Denver, in 1975. He retired to St. Columban’s, Bristol, RI, in 1977. T.P. is buried at Silver Creek.

JAMES O’BRIEN was born in Dorchester, Mass. on Nov. 16, 1931. He was ordained in 1956, and died on March 20, 2009.

MICHAEL CODY was born on October 14, 1946 in Dorchester, Mass., and died on April 21, 2009. He was ordained in 1962.

RAYMOND NICHOLAS was born on April 22, 1924 in Chicago, Ill. and died on September 21, 2009. He was ordained in 1949.

JAMES SHIFFER was born on November 11, 1939 in Cleveland, Ohio and died on July 30, 2010. He was ordained in 1965.

ACTION ALERT

Pakistan: not only drowning in floods, but in a 49 billion dollar debt that is expected to rise due to international loan plans.

BACKGROUND

The Columban mission began in Pakistan in 1979 and ever since Columbans have been ardently working to combat a 50% illiteracy rate, vastly deficient health care structure, and an entrenched cycle of poverty. Currently, Columban Fr. Robert McCulloch and eight other Columban priests and lay missionaries are working in the Hyderabad, Pakistan region helping those affected by the floods. However, as the flood waters continue to rage, 1500 people have lost their lives and 20 million people have lost their homes and livelihoods.

With a third of the country under water, Pakistan needs billions of dollars to begin the long road to recovery, and yet the international community has been slow to respond. All the while, Pakistan already pays $3 billion a year in debt service, carrying a foreign debt totaling $54 billion. Presently, Pakistan risks a new debt crisis in the face of the worst natural disaster in its history. That is, unless we take action now.

ACTION REQUESTED

Join the Columban Center for Advocacy and Outreach and Jubilee USA Network, an alliance of more than 75 religious denominations, human rights groups, and development agencies, in raising concern over the World Bank and Asian Development Bank’s recent announcements to provide Pakistan with a $900 million and $2 billion loan, respectively. Help Pakistan recover without new debt.

Sign petition

Please sign our petition calling for a freeze on Pakistan’s debt payments and an increase in grant assistance. http://salsa.democracyinaction.org/dia/track.jsp?v=2&c=i5xAHGB9%2BC1VpKIGftSX91pQLJqJCoL5

QUESTIONS, CONTACT:
Michelle Melcher Knight, MSW

Advocacy/Outreach Associate

301-565-4547

mmknight@columban.org

Columban Fathers: When parents see their child begin to improve in school, what do you say? Are they happy, excited, surprised, or something else?

Cristina: First they say, as I do, that they are happy, it’s not easy because of all the needs that we have in our schools. And especially in their homes, but despite everything, the parents, the children and I strive to succeed.

CF: What is it that prevents some students do their best? Are they distracted by something? Or have never had the interest to do well in school?

Cristina: First of all, I think what the children and youth need the most is moral support from their parents and primarily money to give their children a good education. But seeing the reality of the situation, many of these families would not be able to educate their children without the help of our project.

CF: How do you feel when a student demonstrates success in school? How can we help them do better?

Cristina: Well I am very proud because I struggle with them, always involved in their studies and their lives. I am in the schools to see if they need something, and it’s not only materials but also giving moral support. I believe that the most important thing for my kids is to feel that they are very important for their families but also for me. I love them very much, several of them have grown very close to me because they have been attending the Library since they were very young.

To help the children become better people, we need to raise their awareness of the importance of a good education. Make them aware that if they study, they will be better people not only in their own lives, but in their community. But above all talking to them about love, discipline and being persistent in what they want to achieve, in a nutshell fighting for your dreams.