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Jesus, in these last few days leading up to Easter,
as I recall Your passion and death,
let me remember that, above all,
I am called to feed Your sheep.

 

Flowers are blooming, signs of hope and joy. 
Dear Jesus Your rising from the dead gives 
the promise of new life. 

 

Lord God, whose blessed Son our Savior
gave his body to be whipped and
his face to be spit upon.
Give us the grace to accept joyfully the sufferings

 

By Fr. Donal O'Keeffe

On Good Friday last year, the Columban formation community in Seoul, Korea, participated in the Good Friday liturgy organised by the Korean branch of the Global Catholic…

 

Lord, You teach us to love with all our being
and to serve those in need.
Please open my eyes to see how I may lovingly
serve those I meet today.

 

Almighty and ever-living God, 
in Your tender love for the human race 
You sent Your Son Jesus Christ 
to take upon him our nature,

 

By Fr. Robert McCulloch

A holy memory from my childhood remains with me. I was five years old, and I remember going with my father through the mud and slush of early 1950’s suburban, Melbourne,…

 

Heavenly Father, we come before You on Palm Sunday
with hearts full of gratitude and reverence.
Today, we commemorate the triumphant entry

 

Lord, hear our plea for our Holy Father Pope Francis,
for bishops and clergy, and for all who are engaged
in religious or secular callings.

 

May the most holy,
most sacred, most adorable,
most mysterious and unutterable Name of God
be always praised, blessed, loved, adored, and glorified

 

Gracious and Holy Father,
Please give me:
intellect to understand You,
reason to discern You,
diligence to seek You,
wisdom to find You,

 

Dear Jesus, at times I feel empty within. 
Slowing down and remembering all the things 
for which I am thankful, gives an opening to real prayer 

 

I should be too ungrateful, O my Jesus,
if I loved You but little, after so many graces.
You gave Yourself all to me;
I give myself all to You.

 

Blessed Saint Joseph, your intercession
can make possible impossible things,
come to help me in these moments of anguish and hardship.

 

Blessed Lord and Savior Jesus Christ,
We recommend to You all persons dear to us.
We pray for the sick, the suffering,
the hungry, the homeless.

 

By Fr. Tim Mulroy

“I’m the last of the Wanaurnys in the USA” …. a chuckle …. “and maybe the last in the entire world!” Th is was how Fr. John Wanaurny mused from time to time during the…

 

O great apostle of Ireland, glorious Saint Patrick,
to whom, under God, so many are indebted
for the most precious of all treasures,
the great gift of faith.

 

Father in Heaven, You made me Your child
and called me to walk in the Light of Christ.
Free me from darkness and keep me 
in the Light of Your Truth.

 

O Mary, Mother of grace and of mercy,
defend us against the wicked spirit,
reconcile us with Your Son,
commit us to His keeping,

 

O Lord, I pray for the grace and the strength
to remain faithful to Your teachings
and to the sacramental life of the Church.

 

Dear Jesus, Days grow longer and hopefully a bit warmer. 
Lent is upon us, a time for renewal and new life. 

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

On Saturday, August 19, 2023, Deacon Vincent Tawake CM was ordained priest by the Archbishop of Suva, Dr. Peter Loi Chong. Some 30 priests attended the ordination. I had…

 

Loving Jesus, accept the love of a soul
that has offended You so deeply.
Show me Your immense good,
that I may love You exceedingly.

 

O my God, who are infinitely good to me,
I am sorry, and beg pardon for all my sins,
and detest them above all things,

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

It has been a while since the parish youth ministry prepared for a big event. After arriving back in Myanmar (formerly Burma) from my home vacation, the youth ministry…

 

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous;
teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not count the cost;
to fight and not to heed the wounds;

 

Holy Spirit, You gave St John Ogilvie
light to know Your truth,
wisdom to defend it,
and courage to die for it.
Through his prayers and example

 

Illustrious Saint Frances of Rome,
you who was led by divine Providence
through various stations in life,
that you might be a patron of every virtue,

 

Dear St John, you ran away from home
when you were young.
We ask you to intercede for all runaways,
that they may meet those who will help them,

 

Merciful Lord Jesus, Our Savior,
hear the prayers and petitions of Your unworthy
sinful servants who humbly call upon You
and make us all to be one

 

A shimmer of light I saw
Beckoning me to go…. Ah! HOPE
To freedom I go
Out of this dark, cold, filthy tunnel
Where fear, anguish and chaos exist.

 

O good Jesus!
O Jesus our Redeemer,
do not abandon us as our sins deserve,
but hear our humble prayer
and grant what we ask
through the intercession

 

Behold, O good and sweet Jesus,
I fall to my knees in Your sight,
and with the most ardent desire of my soul
I pray and ask You to fill my heart

 

By Fr. Leo Schumacher

In 2020, Fr. M was looking forward to celebrating his 25th ordination anniversary. Ordained in 1995, he was one of the first priests from Myanmar (formerly Burma) to…

 

I hope to love You for all eternity. O Eternal God!
Oh that I had always loved You!
Oh that I had died rather than have offended You!

 

God our Father, You made each of us
to receive our gifts in the Body of Christ.

We ask that You inspire young people
whom You call to the priesthood and

 

Lord, we entrust to Your care the concerns
of our planet, praying for the protection
of the environment and the responsible stewardship

 

By Fr. Don Hornsey

Jesus told His disciples, "You must be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect." How can we be perfect, we ask, as we are so painfully conscious of our own…

 

By Fr. Gary Walker

Palm Sunday commemorates Jesus’ entrance into Jerusalem. It is a happy occasion, a planned entry into Jerusalem which gathered disciples and followers to hail Jesus.

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

Some months ago, a migrant friend here in Hong Kong texted me with the request that the Columbans hold her husband’s cremains in our chapel until she could bring them back…

 

Fr. Tim Mulroy

Even though it was my first time to visit to Fiji, my short stay in Holy Family Parish in Labasa felt like a homecoming! Situated among the sugarcane plantations, I…

 

Heavenly Father, on this World Day of Prayer,
we come before You with hearts united in faith and love.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I attended a Marian procession in Newtown, a suburb of Suva City, Fiji.

 

Lord, this time of fasting has opened to us the gates of paradise.
Let us accept it by praying and asking that on the day of resurrection

 

When I’m not feeling well,  
and tired, I can get so down,  
down with others,  
down with myself,  

 

Favor this dwelling, Lord, with your presence.
Far from it repulse all the wiles of Satan.
Your holy angels, let them live here,
to keep us in peace.

 

Lord, You are compassion and forgiveness.
Teach me Your ways that I may be
compassionate as You are compassionate.
Show me how to walk gently

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

Some words in Japanese are hard to translate. The reason is that there are many, many years of cultural feeling and experience behind the words. One such word in Japanese…

 

Father, our source of life,
I reach out with joy to grasp Your hand;
let me walk more readily in Your ways.
Guide me in Your gentle mercy,

 

O Holy Spirit,
Spirit of truth, come into our hearts;
shed the brightness of Your light upon the nations,
that they may please You in unity of faith.

 

Lord, make this person a true evangelist of Yours,
by having repented and given up all sin and sinful ways,
by having accepted Jesus as the only Savior,

 

Grant to us, O Lord our God,
the power to implore Your healer and bishop,
St. Polycarp the wondrous.

O Lord Jesus Christ,
the Son of the Living God,

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

Racism is a specific form of discrimination and exclusion faced by minority groups. It is based on the false belief that some races are inherently superior to others of…

 

Lord, just as a flower can radiate its precious beauty,  
and cast its fragrance everywhere, so I ask You  

 

O humble St. Margaret of Cortona,
when you decided to follow Jesus
by embarking on a life of penance,
your father and your stepmother did not help you

 

Lord, during this Lenten Season,
nourish me with Your Word of life
and make me one with You in love and prayer.

Fill my heart with Your love

 

By Sr. Rebecca Conlon

Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to Iraq in the midst of the pandemic as a Pilgrim Penitent and as a Pilgrim of Peace put me thinking. Age and diminishing health did not stop…

 

Most Holy Trinity,
Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
I adore You profoundly
and I thank You for the apparitions
of the Most Holy Virgin in Fatima.

 

Gracious Lord, we ask that God guide
our president with spiritual wisdom
and understanding to lead our nation.
Surround him with wise counsel

 

By Reins O. Mosqueda

When I was young, my family was not religious or active in the parish. My father had a different belief and hated the Catholic faith, especially the priests. My Mom just…

 

O God, in Your providence
You inspired blessed John of Fiesole
to portray the beauty and sweetness of heaven.
By his prayers and the example of his virtues,

 

Lord, You desire to be with me
and walk with me along life’s journey.
Awaken in my heart a desire and commitment
to be with You in prayer.

 

Lord, You are the mercy and compassion
of God in the world.
During Lent, soften my heart
to be more sensitive to the needs of others.

 

Heavenly Father,
look upon me and hear my prayer
during this holy Season of Lent.
By the good works, You inspire,
help me to discipline myself

 

Lord, time is so precious. 
Time to heal and be healed, 
time to sort myself out, to understand, 
to get it all together, to see Your hand.

 

By Lani Tamatawale

The world faced devastation during the time of the coronavirus pandemic. Millions of people have died, and many others have suffered and continue to suffer. Their lives…

 

Almighty and merciful God, grant us the grace
to turn our hearts toward repentance and renewal.
May the ashes we receive today be a sign

 

God of love, You gave us St. Valentine
as an example of love.
On the eve of celebrating the feast
of this loving and caring saint,

 

By Fr. Leo Schumacher

“Education for our children, we have to teach our children.” This was the message that we heard at our discussion about supporting the Church in Myanmar, formerly Burma.…

 

O holy St. Apollonia, model of unwavering faith
and endurance in times of suffering,
we turn to you in our moments of distress.

 

Immaculate Virgin of Lourdes,
in compliance with your loving invitation,
we kneel before you in the lowly grotto

 

O God, who adorned St. Scholastica with the gift
of fervent prayer and a deep love for You,
grant that, through her intercession,

 

O Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church,
to you we entrust our life.
We are your children and in your hands
we place all our needs.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

“Wa Jau ngai hpe hkan ya rit.” “Father come and follow me. This is a short way to the top!” It was a rainy day. The road was muddy and steep.

 

Dear St Josephine, you were taken
from your family at an early age
and lost your entire identity.
We pray for all those children
who have been abducted

 

Lord, I made a vow to my spouse and to You. 
It was never my desire to undo this vow.

 

By Fr. John Burger

Recently I found myself really enjoying catching up on developments in the Columban world. I realized I had not been contributing anything about what I have been doing…

 

O God, You were pleased to institute by heavenly direction,
through St. John, the order of the Holy Trinity,

 

Holy Spirit, Divine Consoler,
I adore You as my true God,
with God the Father and God the Son.
I adore You and unite myself to the adoration

 

By Fr. Kevin O'Neill

There are no accidents. Twin brothers Kevin and Peter O’Neill were born on 23 November, the feast of St Columban, in 1962. In 1962, their parents, John and Ruth, had…

 

O Saint Agatha,
who withstood the unwelcome advances
from unwanted suitors, and suffered pain and torture

 

O Lord, on this day,
You miraculously protected
and preserved the image of the Mother
of Your beloved Son
from the destruction of fire

 

St. Blaise gracious benefactor of mankind
and faithful servant of God,
who for the love of our Savior
suffered so many tortures with patience

 

Lord, so great is our love for You
that even though we walk in a world
where speaking Your name can mean certain death,
Your faithful still speak it loudly.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I woke up scared. I didn’t want to get out of the bed. I was due to begin a 3-day workshop on intercultural living with the Columban priests working in Korea. Most of…

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

Over a hundred years ago, a small group of Irish priests working in China decided they needed to listen to what God wanted them to do. These men had the desire to live…

 

O Glorious St. Brigid,
Patroness of Ireland and Mother of the Church,
protect the Irish Church and preserve
the true Faith in every Irish heart,

 

Baptized and confirmed, in your word formed, disciple and missionary it is the gift of your calling. You make me go through every town that you have…

 

By Irma Cantago

I am Irma Lara Cantago, a Columban lay missionary for many years. A high school teacher by profession, I was teaching for fifteen years and at the same time was involved…

 

Lord, bless us in our reflections and ideas:
No matter the doubts they are seeds 
seeking nourishment, sunshine and life-giving water.

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

I remember many years ago, around 1979, I was up in the village of Navala, in the parish of Ba, Fiji. In those days, the village had a population of around 600, almost all…

 

St John Bosco, who loved Christ
in the Blessed Sacrament so deeply
and spread that love to so many,
help me to understand this mystery

 

Holy Mary,
help those in need,
give strength to the weak,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for God's people,
assist the clergy,
intercede for religious.

 

Heavenly Father,
You have called us all to holiness
which means sharing in Your divine life.
Fill us with a sense of our true dignity

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

In high school, English grammar was never my thing! Years later, in writing my theology thesis, my director advised me to re-write the text eliminating all the split…

 

Heavenly Father, Lord of the Harvest,
call many members of our community
to be generous workers for Your people
and to gather in Your harvest.

 

O Lord God, You restored St. Angela’s sight
when she was blind.
Help us to see Your love among us,
and to never be blind to our Faith.

 

O adorable Lord, in three distinct and equal Persons One God,
who requires the homage of our reason
by the belief in mysteries which are above our understanding,

 

O glorious St. Paul, obtain for our priests
the grace to labor strenuously
to bring the faith to others
and to accept any trials and tribulations

 

Lord, as a water lily 
opens itself to the sun, 
so may we open our hearts to you, 
to give you thanks and praise.

 

Divine Savior,
we come to Your sacred table
to nourish ourselves,
not with bread but with Yourself,
true Bread of eternal life.

 

Immaculate Mother,
through your intercession,
we resolve from this moment on
to use our talents, education, resources,
health, sickness and trials,

 

By Mavic Mercene

Like any bride should be, she looked radiant and blushing on her special day. Her groom was waiting anxiously for his first love to arrive. Everyone was excited, some…

 

Lord, look upon me with eyes of mercy,
may Your healing hand rest upon me,
may Your lifegiving powers flow
into every cell of my body

 

St. Agnes, vessel of honor,
flower of unfading fragrance,
beloved of the choirs of Angels,
you are an example of the worth
of virtue and chastity.

 

Our Lady of the Miracle, never was it said
that God's blessings of miracles were denied
through You when Jesus was glorified

 

God of life and love,
fill us with love for Jesus,
holy Mary's son.

Jesus, holy Lord,
help us to follow You now
as Mary followed.

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

From 1990 to about 2015, I generally served in the priest-less islands of Kadavu at Christmas, Easter and August 15. Kadavu is a set of islands about eight hours out of…

 

Often, instead of loving You, I seem to fear You.  
I move away from your gaze, not sure, not ready to trust You.   

 

Lord, You called Your people
from slavery into freedom.
Give us strength and courage to seek out
those who need justice.

 

O gentle and loving St. Anthony,
a saint of miracles whose heart
was ever full of human sympathy,
whisper my petition into the ears

 

O God, through the intercession of Saint Joseph Vaz:
Give us the discerning spirit and gifts of the Holy Spirit:
love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness,

 

Praised be to you, O Blessed Virgin of the Poor!
And praised be He who deigned to send you to us,
what you have been and are to us now,

 

Jesus, Divine Infant, my companion, confidant and friend,
I come eagerly and often to unite myself closely to You.

 

Almighty God and Father,
in my life, I owe You a most particular duty.
It is to make my every thought and word speak of You.

 

Heavenly Father, look upon our community of faith
which is the Church of your Son, Jesus Christ.
Help us to witness his love by loving

 

Heavenly Father, thank you for the gift of our family.
Enlighten our hearts and minds that we
may live more fully in this vocation to love.

 

So much in life makes me feel small, even trivial.  
I feel so dwarfed by this world, powerful things, powerful people.   

 

Father of love, hear my prayer.
Help me to know Your Will
and to do it with courage and faith.
Accept my offering of myself,

 

Lord Jesus of Nazareth, Your cross
proclaims the wonder of Your love.
Teach us to reflect on Your suffering,

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

Brothers and sisters, Iquique is a land of dreams ( for so its name means that in the Aymara language). It is a land that has given shelter to men and women of different…

 

Almighty, eternal God,
when the Spirit descended upon Jesus
at His baptism in the Jordan,
You revealed Him as Your own beloved Son.

 

St. Angela, you led a life of selfishness
and sin before making a confession
that changed your life forever.
Pray that more people may be led

 

O holy Magi,
you were living in continual expectation
of the rising of the Star of Jacob,
which would announce the birth
of the true Sun of Justice,

 

St. John Neumann, obtain for me from the Father,
through the merits of Jesus Christ,
the intercession of the Virgin Mary,

 

Oh, God our Father,
glorify here upon earth your servant,
St. Elizabeth Ann Seton,
by manifesting the power of her intercession

 

God, open up our hearts to be filled with love.  
Open them up. Fill them with faith and hope,  
and chase away our anxieties and fears.  

 

O Eternal Father, as we venerate
the Most Holy Name of Jesus,
mercifully grant us, Lord,
that, savoring its sweetness in this life,

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I had been studying the Fijian language for almost three months. It was great to have a chance to learn the Fijian language and culture after spending three years working…

 

O God, You sent the Holy Spirit upon the apostles
as they were united in prayer with Mary,
the Mother of Jesus.
May the Queen of Apostles,

 

By Fr. Alvaro Martinez

My name is Alvaro Martinez, and I am a Columban priest who has always been fascinated by photography. Through my experiences with photography, I find a connection with…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

Today I remember my mother. As a woman of tolerance, she could put up with a lot of things she did not agree with. But there was one thing she could not tolerate and that…

 

A Columban Missionary who lives in a country where a foreigner who professes their faith in Christ can be expelled. Life is made up of stories, and each of us has a…

 

Come, Holy Spirit,
Spirit of the Risen Christ, be with us today and always.
Be our Light, our Guide, and our Comforter.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, who,
being made subject to Mary and Joseph,
consecrated domestic life by Your ineffable virtues;
grant that we, with the assistance of both,

 

O Miraculous Virgin of the Cloud!
Mother of Jesus and our Mother,
we greet you with all the affection of our hearts.
We desire that on this day we should

 

O God, for the sake of whose Church
the glorious Bishop Thomas
fell by the sword of ungodly men:
Grant, we ask You, that all who implore his aid,

 

By Fr. Dan Troy

Every two weeks, I usually meet Li Qiong at the apartment where she grew up. The second-floor residence is located just 200 meters from the intersection of lines 1 and 7…

 

We remember today, O God,
the slaughter of the holy innocents
of Bethlehem by King Herod.
Receive, we pray, into the arms of Your mercy

 

O Glorious Saint John,
you were so loved by Jesus that you merited
to rest your head upon his chest,
and to be left in his place as a son to Mary.

 

We give You thanks, O Lord of glory,
for the example of the first martyr Stephen,
who looked up to heaven and prayed

 

Praise to You, Lord God!
You have become one of us.
You have become a human being,

 

By Fr. Cyril Lovett

In the old days there was a myth that new-born babies could not see for some time after birth. Now we know better: within hours of being born a tiny child is focusing its…

 

O Divine Infant,
after the wonders of Your birth in Bethlehem,
You wished to extend Your infinite mercy
to the whole world by calling the Wise Men

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
You taught us through Your Apostle:
“Love each other mutually with brotherly love.”
We humbly ask You,

 

God sent His angels to shepherds
to herald the great joy of our Savior’s birth.
May He fill us with joy
and make us heralds of His gospel.

 

O God, origin and dispenser of all wisdom,
You made the production of books
for the spiritual and general benefit of mankind
part of Your Divine Providence,

 

Lord, You alone are God.
As Christmas nears, open my eyes, ears, and heart
to experience Your loving presence each day.
May I seek opportunities to share

 

All-powerful God,
increase our strength of will to do good
that Christ may find an eager welcome
at his coming and call us to his side

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

In December 2022, I was getting ready to celebrate Christmas for the third time since I came north to work in Alto Hospicio, a municipality located near the city of…

 

All glory and praise to You, Heavenly Father:
we thank You for sending us Your Son Jesus
to be our Brother.

 

St. Miriam, we honor you
as one of the most influential Saints
among the stories in the Bible.
It was you, throughout your life,
that impacted and guided

 

Heavenly Father, give me a positive outlook on life.
Help me to lessen the stress and anxiety in my world.
May Your Spirit empower me

 

Lord, You are the compassion of God in the world.
You never forget any of Your people.
Give me the courage to be
the compassion of God for others.

 

Great St. John of the Cross,
model of patience and generosity,
for the glory of God, you endured
grievous trials and undertook heavy labor,

 

Saint Lucy, your beautiful name signifies light.
By the light of faith which God bestowed upon you,
increase and preserve this light in my soul

 

Our Lady of Guadalupe,
through your powerful and motherly intercession,
over seven million Aztec Indians
came into the Church in eight years.

 

O God who is the only source
of health and healing, the Spirit of calm
and the central peace of this universe,
grant to me such a consciousness

 

By Fr. Dan Troy

Last Christmas, Fr. Paul began the Vigil Mass on Christmas Eve by gently encouraging the congregation to be grateful for the opportunity to gather to celebrate the…

 

Blessed mother, pray
to Jesus for all the world,
pray to Him for us.

Hear our prayers for help,
holy mother of Jesus:
pray for us always.

 

St. Juan Diego, our first saint 
from the Americas, pray for us.
We ask God the Father to pour forth 

 

Father, the image of the Virgin is found in the Church.
Mary had a faith that Your Spirit prepared
and a love that never knew sin,
for You kept her sinless

 

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal king,
God and man, crucified for mankind,
look upon me with mercy and hear my prayer,
for I trust in you.

 

Dear St. Nicholas, so kind and true,
on this special day, we turn to you.
With gifts and joy, you fill our hearts,
bless us now as this day starts.

 

Lord, help me to slow down and become more aware
of my rushing aimlessly from place to place.
Quiet my mind and steady my heart that I may

 

Most Holy Mother, Your lips savor the words of God
and rejoice in their Divine sweetness.
Your most pure heart, free from all stain,

 

By Fr. Gabriel Rojas

In the diocese of Carabayllo (Peru) the Christmas carol contest is becoming customary for Christmas holidays. Every parish is invited to participate with its parish choir…

 

Lord God of compassion and mercy,
you opened a door in the East for St. Francis Xavier
when You sent him to preach Your Gospel in Japan.

 

Heavenly Mother,
As we each personally receive a mission
on behalf of the Church and the world,
aid us in discovering and fulfilling
our personal calls.

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

A characteristic of a classic is that it is able to say far more than the original author intended. This is evident in Paul's letter to the Romans (8:18-25). I see that…

 

By Fr. Vinnie Busch

The Subanens are an indigenous people whose ancestral habitat is in the mountains of the southern Philippines. Inspired and guided by the Subanen Ministry of the Columban…

 

Come to me, O Divine Savior,
to be born in my heart.
Grant that, taught by Your example,
and assisted by Your grace,

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

A sick and aged man was looked after for many years by his son and daughter-in-law. However, as the years passed their patience waned. One night the son put his father on…

 

By Fr. Noel O'Neill

For the first 18 months of Covid-19 both South Korea and Hong Kong did such a good job in managing the spread of the virus that they were looked upon as success stories.…

 

By Sr. Rebecca Conlon

Advent is a time to pause, listen and look back on the past year. There is much to ponder. Mother Earth is suffering. There have been droughts and famine in some places…

 

O good cross, made beautiful
by the body of the Lord,
long have I desired you,
ardently have I loved you,
unceasingly have I sought you,

 

Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You King of the universe.
All that has been created has been made for You.
Make full use of Your rights over me.

 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of the faithful,
and kindle in them the fire of Your love.
Send forth Your Spirit, and they shall be created;

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

Sister Hilary’s message, given to me many years ago, still influences me. That influence comes alive when I read, or relate, the scene in the Gospels where Jesus meets the…

 

O Immaculate Mary, you know
how often our souls have been the sanctuaries
of your Son who hates iniquity.
Give us then, a deep hatred of sin and a purity

 

Oh Blessed Columban, who in your zeal to follow Christ  
left your homeland as a wanderer and spent your life  
in suffering and exile.

 

Almighty and eternal God!
With lively faith and reverently worshipping
Your Divine Majesty, I bow before You
and ask for Your supreme bounty and mercy.

 

Dear Saint Viviana,
through your fasting and prayer
you were given the grace
to endure suffering and torment
at the hands of your persecutors.

 

Father in Heaven, creator of all and source
of all goodness and love, please look kindly upon us
this Thanksgiving Day and receive our heartfelt gratitude.

 

By Columban Missionaries in Japan

On Sept 8, 1993, in Beppu City on the Island of Kyushu, Our Lady prophesied through Fr. Stefano Gobbi that soon Japan will be a Christian country. She called it a miracle…

 

O God, who gladdens us with the yearly festival
of blessed Cecilia, Your virgin and martyr,
grant that we who honor her during the Holy Mass,

 

Father in Heaven,
we praise You for giving us Your Son
to be our Savior and Lord.
Bless us all as we gather here today
and let us live happily in Your love.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

I met John Paul when I first arrived in Myitkyina, a diocese in the northern part of Myanmar (formerly Burma). Together with his committee, he helped me to organize the…

 

Faithful Shepherd, You are not a laborer
who runs away at the sight of danger,
but Your fidelity was tested and proven
on the wood of the Cross.

 

Our Lady of Providence,
I place in your hands our beloved home.
As you were Queen of the Holy Family at Nazareth,
be Queen of our home.

 

Saint Raphael Kalinowski, the highest tribute
we give to God for having called you to such
a high holiness, and having set you on Polish soil

 

Mary, our Lady,
pray to your Son for us all,
pray for us today.

Holiest mother,
look on God's children with love
and pray for us all.

 

Dear Saint Hugh of Lincoln,
as Bishop and shepherd of the faithful,
your virtues shone brightly as you labored
for the honor of God and the salvation of souls.

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

In the late 1980s I was finishing my studies in Rome. I was not able to engage full time in pastoral work, as I would like, so I worked two hours a week with the…

 

My Jesus, by the sorrows You suffered
in Your agony in the Garden,
in Your scourging and crowning with thorns,

 

Dear God, give me courage,
for perhaps I lack it more than anything else.

I need courage before men against their threats
and against their seductions.

 

By Michael Javier

“Sir, are you aware of what is happening to our country?” That was the question put to me by my students in Bhamo, my mission place in Myanmar (formerly Burma). On the…

 

Lord Jesus, eternal and infallible Truth,
since You said that You are present
in the holy Eucharist, I believe it firmly.

 

Be merciful to us, O my God,
and reject not our prayers,
when amid our afflictions,
we call on Your Name
and seek with love and confidence

 

Lord, on this Veterans Day we come before you
with hearts filled with gratitude and reverence
for those who have served our nation

 

O Lord, we thank You for giving us
Pope St. Leo the Great
as an example of holiness.
Help us to imitate the devotion to You

 

By Fr. Dan Troy

November 23 is a special day in the Columban calendar. It is the Feast of St. Columbanus, and it is also the birthday of Columban co-founder, Bishop Edward Galvin. Fr. Dan…

 

Jesus, Mary and Joseph,
Holy Family of Nazareth,
we bless and venerate you.

We commend to your care and protection

 

O Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity,
in your great love for God,
you were always close to your friends in their needs.

 

O blessed Winefride, pure virgin and glorious martyr,
so especially chosen, so divinely graced
and so wonderfully restored from death to life!

 

Our Lady of America, you said,
“My dear children,
either you will do as I desire and reform your lives,
or God Himself will need to cleanse you

 

By Marvin A. Salarda

Very often, when we are confronted by unexpected or unpleasant situations, we hear from most people or even from ourselves the comforting words “God has a purpose for that…

 

Heavenly Father, bless your Church
with an abundance of holy and zealous priests,
deacons, brothers and sisters.

 

Preserve Your Church, O Lord,
under the continual protection of Your glorious
Confessor and Bishop, St. Charles Borromeo,

 

Glorious Saint Malachy,
ardent yet gentle shepherd of God’s people,
we come before you seeking your intercession
and protection in this time of trial.

 

O Lord, we humbly entrust our brothers and sisters.
In this life You embraced them with Your tender love;

 

Lord, as the saints in Heaven adore You for eternity,
I beg for their intercession.
Saints of God, please come to my aid.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

The village catechist came to me recently and told me that Iowane had been living with Maria Rosa for about 18 years. They had five grown up children and now they wanted…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

Sometime in the late 1970s, I was invited to stay overnight with a family in a village in the parish of Ba, Fiji. A member of the family had died 10 days previously. Early…

 

By Sr. Rebecca Conlon

A “thin place” according to the late Irish philosopher and poet John O’Donohue is about a place or time where heaven and earth meet and we have access to “light” or the…

 

By Fr. Ray Husband

Traditionally we Irish have dealt with death in a positive and hands-on manner. The Irish wake is known for its celebration of the deceased person's life. In the midst of…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

History was made on November 23, 2022, when leadership of the Columbans in Fiji passed from Caucasian Columbans to Columbans from the Pacific and Asia. Fr. John McEvoy…

 

God bless all the people whom we will meet.
Let our visit with them be a pleasant treat.
Whatever the costumes we wear tonight,

 

I venerate and glorify you,
O Most Blessed Trinity,
in union with the ineffable glory
with which God the Father,
in His omnipotence,

 

O my God, I beg You,
in the name of Your Divine Son,
to give me the grace of knowing,
hating, and making up for my sins and failures
in Your service.

 

Most holy apostle, St. Jude,
faithful servant and friend of Jesus,
the Church honors and invokes you universally,
as the patron of hopeless cases,

 

As down in the sunless retreats of the ocean
Sweet flowers are springing no mortal can see,
So deep in my soul the still prayer of devotion,

 

By Jao Resari

Since the Covid pandemic began, we’ve experienced Sunday Mass cancellations whenever new cases spiked. This has impacted activities in my ministry because most of them…

 

Lord Jesus, open our hearts and minds
to the guidance of Your Spirit.
Help us to discern the Father's will
for Your Church today.

 

O Jesus, come into my sorrows,
anxieties, mental troubles
and to every stage of my growth and formation.
Deliver me from the painful memories of the past.

 

St. Anthony Mary Claret,
during your life on earth
you often comforted the afflicted
and showed such tender love
and compassion for the sick and sinful.

 

Gentle mother of our redeeming Lord,
Star of the sea and portal of the skies,
unto your fallen people help afford,
fallen, but striving anew to rise.

 

By Sihyeon Bae

When I began my longterm commitment as a Columban Lay Missionary, I took on the role as a diocesan catechist. Bishop John Lee of the Diocese of Hsinchu asked me to study…

 

Dear John Paul, you told us:
I plead with you, never, ever give up on hope,
never doubt, never tire and never become discouraged.
Be not afraid.

 

By the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, accept, O God,
the prayers offered to You through the intercession
of Saint Ursula, faithful imitator of the virtues

 

Mary our mother,
teach us to love your Jesus
as you have loved Him.

Mother of our God
and Savior, Jesus our Lord,
pray for us to God.

 

Lord, I am angry with You, 
my life has taken a turn, 
and it seems You are not there to even care.

Does all that we have been through not 

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

On May 14, 1987, people in Fiji were shocked when the army overthrew the elected government in a coup d’etat. The army claimed that it was saving the indigenous Fijian…

 

O beloved St. Luke, a physician of both body and soul,
we ask you to intercede on our behalf.
Pray for us that we may grow in faith, love, and service

 

Heavenly Father,
On this feast day of St. Ignatius of Antioch,
we honor the memory of this holy martyr and bishop.

 

O St Hedwig, in this world,
you rejected the honors of the Court,
its pomp, luxury and pleasures,
and went to be with the poor to help them

 

By Fr. Edward O'Connell

Ana Cristina Pallin Figueroa, a young person from the community of San Benito has been actively participating since her childhood in the Columban program “Warmi Huasi”…

 

O my God! Source of all mercy!
I acknowledge Your sovereign power.
While recalling the wasted years that are past,
I believe that You, Lord,

 

O Most Holy Heart of Jesus,
shower Your blessings in abundant measure
upon the Your Holy Church,
upon the Supreme Pontiff
and upon all the clergy;

 

Dear Lord Jesus,
May we stand before you in our brokenness,
our weakness and our fragile humanity.
We are sorrowful for all the times we've disappointed You.

 

Mary, Our Lady of the Pillar,
we give you praise
because you opened the door of the human race,
to allow the coming of your son,

 

By Sr. Rebecca Conlon

The explosions of grace that took place in St. John the Apostle Church in Latifabad, Hyderabad.Pakistan, throughout Holy Week and the Easter season of 2022 should not go…

 

O Mary, your name has been on my lips
and in my heart from my early infancy.
When I was a child
I learned to love you as a Mother,
turn to you in danger,

 

Let us offer praise and thanksgiving
to the Most Holy Trinity,
Who has shown us the Virgin Mary,
clothed with the sun,
the moon under her feet,

 

Comforted with the holy Mysteries
of Your precious Body and Blood,
we ask You, O Lord, that by the example
of Saint John Leonardi, Your Confessor,

 

By Fr. Cireneo Matulac

I have been a Columban missionary priest for many years now. I first worked on cross-cultural mission in Chile, China and Taiwan. Now I am working in my home region in the…

 

Lord Jesus Christ, who,
being made subject to Mary and Joseph,
hallowed domestic life by Your ineffable virtues;
grant that we, with the assistance of both,

 

Our Lady of the Rosary of Fatima,
may true devotion to your Rosary
quickly spread throughout the world.
May we learn to love those little beads.

 

My God, through Mother Marie-Rose Durocher's
boundless confidence in Your goodness,
support our faith in Your infinite power.

 

Jesus, You gave Your servant, Saint Faustina,
the gift of deep reverence for Your unending mercy.
I ask You if it be Your Holy Will,

 

By Fr. John Boles

On the night of September 7, 1651, things were looking bad for Charles Stuart, the future King Charles II. Four days earlier, his Royalist army had been destroyed by…

 

O Lord, let Your Heavenly grace,
enrich Your Church, which You have given
to make illustrious by the glorious merits

 

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water flowing from the side of Christ, purify me.

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

I, and the Columban missionaries, are in our last month of ministry in Ba, before we hand over the parish to the Archdiocese of Suva. As the “last standing” Columban here…

 

Dear Angel at my side,
my good and loyal friend,
you have been with me since the moment I was born.
You were given to me by God as my guide and protector,

 

Eternal Father,
Since You have given me my inheritance
the adorable Face of Your Divine Son,
I offer that face to You and I beg You,

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I attended Sunday Mass on mission Sunday morning at the parish near Catholic Theological Union, Chicago, when I was on sabbatical.

 

By Elena Venzon Wood

Amparo, you have passed over to the other side of life. I know I will see you again but in the meantime, I know you will continue to look after me as you always did. It…

 

By Latai Muller

As I reflect on the past three years of my life as a Columban Lay missionary assigned in the Philippines, I am overwhelmed with a flood of emotions. The journey has been…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

The prophet Habakkuk wrote his book not long before the siege and capture of Jerusalem in 586 BC, at a time when the Babylonian army was on the march towards Jerusalem.

 

By Fr. John McEvoy

At the end of 1952 and the beginning of 1953, (70 years ago) the Columban missionaries took over the spiritual administration of Ba Parish in Ba, Fiji. Our relationship…

 

O St. Jerome Emiliani, patron of orphans,
our country is in such need of your
powerful intercession before the throne of God.

 

O holy princes of Heaven,
Michael, Gabriel and Raphael,
I praise you for the love
that the Most High has loved you

 

O St. Lorenzo Ruiz,
You brought honor to your country,
having been a level-headed
and prudent father of the family,
a witness of Christ in your life

 

O Glorious St. Vincent de Paul,
the mention of your name,
suggests a litany of your virtues:
Humility, zeal, mercy, self-sacrifice.

 

Holy Mary, help the helpless,
strengthen the fearful, comfort the sorrowful,
pray for the people, plead for the clergy,

 

We praise You, O God,
for forming Mary to be
mother of Your Son.

Jesus, holy Lord,
we praise You and follow You,
and honor Mary.

O holy Mary,

 

By Mereani Nailevu

During my time of fear, I realized that people around me helped me from the culture of fear to the culture of care…

 

Providence of God, You who gave Emilie
a compassionate charity for all those
who are suffering, remember her faith,
brighten with Your light the road

 

O Blessed Padre Pio, holy bearer
of the Wounds of Christ, accept us this day
as your spiritual sons and daughters
and keep us always on the narrow path

 

St. Thérèse, privileged Little Flower of Jesus and Mary,
I approach you with childlike confidence and deep humility.
I lay before you my desires, and beg that

 

Jesus, I trust in You.
Please grant through Your mother’s intercession
that I may always bring Your hope into my family.

Jesus, I trust in You.

 

O God, who led Your holy martyr Eustache
safely through many trials and dangers
to the glorious crown of martyrdom,

 

From the depths of my heart
I thank You, Dear Lord, for Your
infinite kindness in coming to me.
How good You are to me!

 

By Fr. Maurice Hogan

We are fortunate that in our lifetime we enjoy a quality of life which would have been unthinkable just a few generations ago. Thanks to advances in science and technology…

 

Dear St. Joseph of Cupertino,
you were an unwanted child
and were thought worthless
even by your own mother.
Intercede for all unwanted children

 

Father, You have given all peoples one common origin.
It is Your will that they are gathered together
as one family in yourself.

 

Mary, Mother of God, I turn to you
in all my pressing needs and difficulties
as to a most sure refuge.
I implore the help of your protection

 

Mary, Queen Assumed into Heaven,
I rejoice that after years of heroic martyrdom on earth,
you have at last been taken to the throne

 

O good and dearest Jesus,
I kneel before Your face.
With all my heart
I ask You to place in my heart
more faith, hope and charity.

 

O God, who by the preaching
and teaching of Saint John Chrysostom
has given us an example of fortitude
in the face of persecution and political corruption,

 

O Almighty God, who sees Your servants
earnestly desirous of placing themselves
under the shadow of the name and protection

 

It was You, O God, who commanded us
to honor our father and mother.
In Your kindness have mercy
on the souls of our parents,
and forgive them their sins.

 

By Fr, Brian Vale

After presiding at the Japanese Catholic Community’s Sunday Eucharist February 5, 2023, I attended a celebration of World Religion Day hosted by believers of the Spiritual…

 

Jesus, loving companion of Your children,
You have extended Your friendship to all.
You opened Your arms without discrimination,

 

O God, You called St. Peter Claver,
to minister to the slaves of West Africa 
that he might help them survive, and 

 

Most lovable Mother Mary,
our Father in Heaven created you with delight.
You are His creature whom He made worthy
to become the holy Mother of His Son.

 

Bless the Lord, all you His angels.
You who are mighty in strength and do His will,
intercede for me at the throne of God.
By your unceasing watchfulness

 

Remember, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart,
the great things the Lord has done for you;
He chose you for His mother,
He wanted you close to His cross,

 

O Saint Teresa of Calcutta, 
Jesus called you to bring the light of His love 
to those who live in darkness. 

 

Gracious God, as we celebrate Labor Day,
we lift our hearts in thanks for the gift of work
and the opportunities it brings to grow, contribute,

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

In 1986, St. Pope John Paul II pronounced Fiji ”the way the world should be” — a country with different ethnic and religious communities living together in peace. However…

 

O Tender Mother of the afflicted!
Grant me under my present necessities
that special protection You have promised

 

Most lovable Mother Mary,
our Father in Heaven created you with delight.
You are His creature whom He made worthy
to become the holy Mother of His Son.

 

Father, on the World Day of Prayer for the
Care of Creation, we come before You
with grateful hearts, for the beauty and harmony

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Today I escaped from my Hindi studies to visit two veteran French missionaries, Frs. Cocereau and Debois at Naililili mission station. I was impressed by the fine old…

 

By Lee Ji Young "Tina"

I have been working in the Community Living Services of the St. Joseph Social Service Welfare Foundation Center in Hsinchu (Taiwan) diocese for four years. The Center…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

Recently we had a Mass at the Home of Compassion for the Fiji community of the greater Wellington area. It was a wonderful occasion during which members of our community…

 

Mary our mother,
teach us to love your Jesus
as you have loved Him.

Mary, our Lady,
pray to your Son for us all,
pray for us today.

 

Almighty God, I thank you for your past blessings.
Today I offer myself - whatever I do, say, or think -
to your loving care.
Continue to bless me, Lord.

 

Most holy and immaculate Virgin,
Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother,
being his Mother, you shared in His universal kingship.

 

Give me Yourself, O my God,
give Yourself to me.
Behold I love You,
and if my love is too weak a thing,
grant me to love You more strongly.

 

By Fr. Ed O'Connell

When things are not going well, like the situation of Peru in these present years, people can lose hope. During the pandemic, a lot of people lost their jobs, although…

 

Dear Saint Monica,
once the sorrowing mother of a wayward son,
please present our petition to the Lord God
of heaven and earth.

 

O Almighty and merciful God!
You have given the Church
a wondrous help and defense
in the most holy Virgin Mary
and You have honored Her sacred image

 

O Lord, King of kings, Jesus Christ,
Who loved St. Louis and led him
into the heavenly Kingdom:
Grant that by his intercession and good works,

 

By Sr. Ann Gray

Earlier this year the Columban Sisters looked back to February 1922 when a group of young women came together in Cahiracon in County Clare. These women became the first…

 

O glorious St. Bartholomew the Apostle,
our perfect example of enduring hope
and consuming charity, we trustingly
raise our minds and hearts to you.

 

Glorious Saint Rose of Lima,
you who knew what it was to love Jesus
with such a fine and generous heart.
You, who since infancy, despised

 

O Mary Immaculate Queen, look down upon 
our distressed and suffering world. 
You know our misery and our weakness. 

 

O St. Pius X, holy shepherd of the Church,
you faithfully led God's people
with unwavering zeal and love.
Through your humble and compassionate heart,

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

From Jan 8 to 14, 2023, I had the privilege of leading the diocesan priest’s retreat in Tarawa, the chief island of Kiribati. It was a joyous occasion for me as nearly all…

 

I believe that You, O Jesus,
are in the most holy Sacrament.
I love You and desire You.
Come into my heart.
I embrace You.
Oh, never leave me.

 

O angels, and saints of Jesus Christ,
pray for me, that our loving Savior may give me 
new grace and a new love for him, to devote

 

Father Alberto Hurtado, Apostle of Jesus Christ,
servant of the poor, friend of children, and teacher of youth,
we give praise to God for your passing among us.

 

Almighty Father, as we embark on a new school year,
we come to You in prayer, full of hope and cheer.
Bless the children, dear Lord, with Your divine grace,

 

I adore You, O my God,
present in the holy Eucharist,
as my Creator, my Preserver,
and my Redeemer.
I offer You all that I have,
all that I am,

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
You have destroyed the power of death
and given the hope of eternal life in body and soul.

 

By Sarah MacDonald

“I found the Columban missionaries through the internet,” John Paul Seung-Jun Ro recalls. He was at a crossroads in his life. Working in an Italian restaurant in Korea, he…

 

O St. Maximilian Kolbe,
inflamed by the love of God
you dedicated your life to the practice of virtue
and to works of the apostolate.

 

Lord our God, remember Your daughter Sister Irma,
the Blessed Sweet of the Poor,
whose heart burned with love for You
and for her brothers and sisters,

 

O great Saint Jane Frances
who, to follow the inspirations of the Holy Spirit,
when you were called to the religious state,

 

O glorious Saint Clare!
God has given you the power
of working miracles continually,
and the favor of answering the prayers

 

O loving Mary, Mother of Mercy 
and refuge of sinners,
attracted by your beauty and sweetness,
as well as by your tender compassion,

 

Dear St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross,
child of the Day of Atonement,
Yom Kippur, daughter of Abraham,
bride of Christ, seeker of truth,

 

O God, who has enlightened Your Church
by the eminent virtues and preaching
of St. Dominic, Your confessor and our Father,
mercifully grant that by his prayers

 

Br Fr. John Boles

The seafront at Ramsey on the Isle of Man boasts some impressive structures, but pride of place must go to the Catholic church. Dating from 1910, it is legally protected…

 

Holy Child Mary of the royal house of David,
Queen of the Angels,
Mother of grace and love,
I greet you with all my heart.

 

You were transfigured on the mountain,
O Christ, showing Your glory to all.
Let Your eternal light shine also upon us sinners.

 

O Mary, Mother of Jesus,
you were with Jesus at the beginning
of His life and mission.
You stood beside Jesus when He

 

O most holy Virgin Mary,
assure me of my eternal salvation.
Never let me despair of the mercy of God.
Help me to overcome the evil spirits.

 

God, I live the words spoken in the book of Job: 
“A shiver of horror ran through me 
and filled all my bones with fright.” (Job 4: 14) 

 

Deliver me, Jesus,
from the demon of pride,
impurity, discord and complacency.
Deliver me from the cares and worries
of life so that with a pure heart

 

O Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to you.
Holy Mary, pray for us!
Immaculate Heart of Mary, pray for us

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I have been in Nacemaki village now for almost two months. It is a great place for practicing Fijian after my six-month course in Suva.

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

I think the Gospel of Luke 12:35-40 is mistakenly interpreted as a call to be prepared to meet the Son of Man at the time of death. This passage reminds us of the words of…

 

By Columban Missionaries

In our modern world many people who were born Catholic and Christian proclaim that they are now atheist.

 

By Lee Ok-Bun Gertrude

How are you? My name is Gertrude, and I live close to the sea in Samcheok, Korea, listening to Songs of Praise from the seagulls and the waves. I was baptized by the late…

 

By Fr. Cireneo Matulac

When I am at home, I say Mass in our barrio chapel (kapilya) on Sundays.

 

Soul of Christ, sanctify me.
Body of Christ, save me.
Blood of Christ, inebriate me.
Water from the side of Christ, wash me.

 

Lord God, you gave to your saint, Bishop Justin,
the grace to become all things to all men
in order to preach Your good news.
May his intercession help us

 

O admirable Saint Martha, help me in my trials.
In thanksgiving, I promise to spread this devotion everywhere.

 

Heavenly Father, as we embark on this season
of leisure and rest, may we use our time wisely,
cherishing moments with loved ones

 

By Fr. Bernie Lane

At the beginning of August 2022, Larry Duerme from the Philippines, and Jeongrak Lee (Vera no) from Korea arrived with us in Lima, Peru. Then, during the second week of…

 

O Jesus, through the Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I offer You all my prayers, works,
and suffering of this day:
For all the intentions of your Sacred Heart,

 

Good St. Anne, you were especially favored by God
to be the mother of the most holy Virgin Mary,
the Mother of our Savior.

 

O Glorious Saint James,
because of your fervor and generosity
Jesus chose you to witness his glory on the Mount
and his agony in the Garden.

 

By Fr. Bary Cairns

Proverbs are the ancient wisdom of a country’s culture expressed in pithy sentences — and often with humour. Proverbs give us expatriates an indication of how our adopted…

 

Saint Christina, pray for me that I, too,
may one day glorify the Blessed Trinity in heaven.
Obtain for me your lively faith,

 

Lord God almighty, bless our grandparents
with long life, happiness, and health.
May they remain constant in Your love
and be living signs of Your presence

 

Mary Magdalene,
as you ran back to the tomb you knew to be empty,
your heart and mind were in turmoil.
Pray for those who fear the worst,

 

Our Lady of Kazan, healer of eye diseases
and giver of illumination you gave birth to the Savior
Whom Himself gave sight to the blind

 

Glorious patriarch, St. Elias:
you who are the living model of justice,
mirror of Sanctity, defender of the Faith,
advocate of the poor, vindicator of widows,

 

Heavenly Father, bring healing to our lives,
that we may protect the world and not prey on it,
that we may sow beauty, not pollution and destruction.

 

St. Camillus, you lived in faith
and in fidelity to Our Lord Jesus Christ
despite the many trials of your own life.

 

O God, You gladden us with the annual feast
of Blessed Alexius, Your Confessor;
mercifully grant, that we may imitate his example,

 

By Gertrudes C. Sampson

The four of us Columban lay missionaries live in the presbytery attached to the St. Joseph’s church in Nechells which is surrounded by cemetery on all sides. The place is…

 

You give us hope, O Mother of Mercy,
that through your Scapular promise
we might quickly pass through the fires of purgatory
to the Kingdom of your Son.

 

Pierce, O most sweet Lord Jesus,
my innermost soul with the most joyous
and healthful wound of Your love,
and with true, calm and apostolic charity,

 

St. Kateri, Lily of the Mohawks,
image of purity and devotion,
as you so faithfully stood by Christ
in the Holy Eucharist while on earth,

 

O God, who on this day, called blessed Henry
Your confessor from his earthly throne to an eternal kingdom:

 

O God, come to my aid.
O Lord, make haste to help me.
Glory be to the Father
and to the Son
and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning,

 

Glorious Saint Benedict,
sublime model of all virtues,
pure vessel of God’s grace,
behold me humbly kneeling at your feet.

I implore your loving heart

 

All-powerful God, You are present in the whole universe  
and in the smallest of Your creatures.  

 

By Matang M. Rotitaake

My name is Matang, and my biological parents are Moaniba Rotitaake and Tokanikaiatetaanga Tumeka. I was adopted by Maeke Batiata and Eritia Ibeata. I am 24 years of age…

 

You gave each one of us
a mission to fulfill in our lives.
Help us to find it, to use it and share it with others.

 

St. Gregory Grassi, a devoted martyr and missionary,
you gave your life with 28 others to serve God
and our fellow brothers and sisters,

 

My Holy Angel Guardian,
ask the Lord to bless the journey which I undertake,
that it may profit the health of my soul and body;
that I may reach its end,

 

O Holy Virgin, in the midst of all your glory,
we ask you not to forget the sorrows of this world.
Cast a look of pity upon all

 

Saint Anthony Zaccaria,
helper of the poor and the sick,
you who devoted your life to our spiritual welfare,
listen to my humble and hopeful prayer.

 

Heavenly Father, on this Fourth of July,
we are filled with gratitude for the blessings
You have bestowed upon our nation.

 

Most holy Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing, I love You.
With a lively sorrow for my sins
I offer You this poor heart of mine.

 

By Fr. John McEvoy

It is an honor for me to write a few lines about St. Agnes Parish, Samabula. I do so on behalf of the Columbans and myself.

 

Lord, young people nowadays  
are changing in different ways.  
We ask Your guidance upon them  

 

By Maopa Dulunaqio

My name is Maopa Dulunaqio, a former lay missionary who worked in Peru for three years from 2001-2004. I was in the CLM Fiji group 7, which included Serafina Vuda (…

 

By Fr. Patrick Raleigh

Luke 10: 25-37 is the deeply touching story of the Good Samaritan. He was considered as an outsider and yet he was moved with compassion for the person left for dead on…

 

O God, in Your ineffable mercy,
You chose Saint Junipero Serra
as a means of gathering many peoples
of the Americas into Your Church.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

A couple approached me in the parish hall after Mass. “Are you Fr. Frank Hoare?” the lady asked. Something about the timber of her voice stirred a memory.  “You used…

 

May you walk with God this summer
In whatever you do, wherever you go.

Walking with honesty and courage,
walking with love and respect

 

O Lord, holy Father,
omnipotent and eternal God,
we give You thanks
and we bless Your holy name.
You created man and woman in your image

 

Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and Immaculate Heart of Mary,
I consecrate myself and my whole family to You.
I consecrate to You:

 

O God, who made the Bishop St. Cyril of Alexandria
an invincible champion of the divine motherhood
of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary,

 

By Fr. Bill Morton

One of most intriguing yet mysterious images that Jesus uses in His proclamation of the Good News is, “The Kingdom of God!” It is within you! It is among you! It is…

 

O Virgin Mary, in the tender love shown you
by Father Jacques Ghazir Haddad,
so dedicated to you, and the maternal love of you

 

St. William of Vercelli, you left behind worldly privileges
and set your heart on God alone.
Prince and peasant sought your wisdom.

 

O God, who made this day to be honorable in our eyes
by the commemoration of blessed John the Baptist,
grant to Your people the grace of spiritual joy,

 

O tender and merciful Mother,
intercede for those who are dear to us.
Heal the sick, comfort the dying
and have pity on the faithful departed.

 

O St. Thomas More, help me to emulate 
your steadfastness and commitment to the truth, 
even when it is difficult or unpopular.

 

O most innocent and pure St Aloysius Gonzaga,
by your illustrious merits
we ask your gracious intercession
before the throne of Almighty God,

 

I believe that You, O Jesus,
are in the most holy Sacrament.
I love You and desire You.
Come into my heart.
I embrace You.
Oh, never leave me.

 

Bless and praise You O Lord,
hear our prayers and answer us.
You, our Savior,
are the hope of all the ends of the Earth
and the distant seas.

 

By Fr. John Boles

On a recent Columban promotional visit to the Isle of Man I chanced upon a line of holy statues outside the Catholic church in Ramsey. I recognized all the images apart…

 

Heavenly Father, we thank You
for the gift of fatherhood,
and for the blessings that come with it.

We pray for all fathers, that they may have

 

Dear, merciful Mother,
look with a mother's love and pity on the poor,
sinful, suffering children of the whole human family.
Do not turn them away.

 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus, for whom it is impossible
not to have compassion on the afflicted,
have pity on us miserable sinners and grant us

 

Lord Jesus, Carpenter and King,
supreme Sovereign of all men,
look with tender mercy upon the multitudes of our day

 

Omnipotent and eternal God,
the everlasting salvation of those who believe,
hear us on behalf of Your servant,
for whom we beg the aid of Your mercy,

 

Dear Saint Anthony,
After all these years in the school of Christ,
I still haven't learned the lesson of true humility.
My feelings are easily ruffled.

 

O God, grant me the serenity
to accept the things I cannot change
the courage to change the things I can
and the wisdom to know the difference.

 

By Letawa Naaiti

My name is Letawa, and my parents are Naaiti and Raakai. I’m 25 years old, and I was born on the island of Aranuka, which is in the Republic of Kiribati, an island chain (…

 

Oh Lord Jesus Christ, we come before You today,
we thank You for the gift of Your Holy Body and Blood

 

Father, hear our prayers for the salvation of the world.
Grant Mercy to all souls that turned away from You.
Open their hearts and minds with Your light.

 

O Lord, Master of my life,
grant that I may not be infected
with the spirit of laziness and questioning,
with the spirit of ambition and vain talking.

 

God of wisdom, in your desire
to restore us to Your friendship
after we had lost it by sin,
You chose the Blessed Virgin Mary
as the seat of Your Wisdom.

 

Dear Jesus, I try to read slowly the story  
of Your birth as written in the Gospels  
of Sts. Matthew and Luke. 

 

O God, who raised up St. Norbert, your bishop,
to be a servant of Your Church and an example of holiness,

 

Dear St. Boniface, as a missionary and bishop,
you tirelessly worked to bring the message of Christ
to those who had not yet heard it.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

Manau dance is a dance of diversity and unity. The Kachin peoples, composed of seven different groups, usually perform the Manau dance for different purposes: to celebrate…

 

Most holy Trinity, Godhead indivisible,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
our first beginning and our last end,
You have made us in accord

 

Saint Kevin,
You were privileged to live in the Age of Saints,
being baptized by one saint, taught by another
and buried by a third.

 

O God, grant us through the intercession
of Your dauntless bishop and martyr Erasmus,
who so valiantly confessed the Faith,

 

By Salome Rabuli

The pandemic brought many changes in our lives, economically, socially and personally as well as in our communities and in our line of work. We were not able to travel to…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I was standing by the bed of a Hindu ascetic dying of cancer in a monastery in North India. He shared with me the call he heard from God to leave behind his university…

 

Come, O Divine Spirit,
fill my heart with Your heavenly fruits,
Your charity, joy, peace, patience, goodness,
faith, mildness, and temperance, that I may

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I have been renting a room from a Fijian family in Kinoya for the last few months while I continue to teach at the Pacific Regional Seminary. My landlady is a widow with…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

1 Kings 17:7-16 tells the story of the hospitality of the widow of Zarephath who provided for the prophet Elijah even though she barely had enough for herself and her son…

 

By Fr. Joe Ruys

My name is Fr. Joe Ruys, and I live and work in the parish of San Andres de Checca in a small district high up in the Southern Andes of Peru. The greatest issue here is…

 

O God, You sent the Blessed Virgin Mary
to visit her cousin Elizabeth and to share
with her the joy of Your Son’s coming.

 

Glorious St. Joan of Arc,
Filled with compassion,
For those who invoke you,
Filled with love
For those who suffer,
Heavily laden

 

Ever living Father, on this Memorial Day,
we pray for those who courageously laid down
their lives for the cause of freedom.

 

By Marea Lyn Almiranez

In 2017, when Sr. Joyce Arevalo, OSA, our pastoral coordinator in Hsinchu Cathedral asked me to be the directress of the Filipino Legion of the Mary, the only answer I…

 

The Spirit came and Your Church was born,
in wind and fire and words of power.

The Spirit came blowing fear aside,

 

Holy Father,
You have given us in St. Augustine of Canterbury,
a great witness of Christian faith,
grant through his intercession

 

Great Saint Philip Neri,
you who did prefer a life of poverty and obscurity
to one of ease and comfort
which was yours by inheritance,

 

O Pope St. Gregory VII, grant that all may understand
how vain it is to strive against that faith which has
always conquered and is destined always to conquer:

 

By Columban Sisters

People’s activity is usually their response to the historical situations in which they find themselves. In 1918, Lady Frances Moloney had in mind “some kind of Sisterhood…

 

Mary Most Holy,
Mother of goodness and mercy,
who with your visible help oftentimes
freed the Christian people from the assaults
and brutality of others,

 

My heart holds a prayer that carries you friend
so close to God’s loving heart.
I lay out my hope that you’ll know his touch,
and be healed by the Lord above.

 

By Ferbie M. Gonzales

Two years ago, I was invited by the staff of the Al Jia Development Center to help prepare two students to receive the Sacrament of Baptism. Although they also have…

 

Be favorable, O glorious St. Rita, to my petition,
showing your power with God on my behalf.
Be lavish to me,
as you have been in so many wonderful cases

 

Grant, we ask You, almighty God,
that we will believe Your only-begotten Son our Redeemer
to have ascended this day into heaven,

 

Jesus, a name full of glory, grace, love and strength!
You are the refuge of those who repent,
our banner of warfare in this life,
the medicine of souls,

 

Eternal Father,
I desire to rest in Your Heart this day.
I make the intention of offering to You
every beat of my heart,

 

Dear Jesus, in reflecting on All Saints
and All Souls Feast Days,
I recall St. Thomas More's prayer,
"Pray for me, as I for thee,

 

By Fr. Patrick McMullan

The Catholic Church has, over the last 100 years, undergone a complex shift in its population distribution, and consequently its institutional identity and place in the…

 

O God, Who has glorified blessed Paschal Your Confessor
by a wonderful love for the sacred mysteries
of Your Body and Blood:

 

All you blessed Angels and Saints of God,
pray for me, a most miserable sinner,
that I may repent from my evil ways,
that my heart may henceforth

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

Sisilia Sigatabu, born on August 16, 1942, began life at a settlement at Nadarivatu (the deep interior of Fiji) because her father Valerio was a carpenter there. She was…

 

O God, who taught Adam the simple art of tilling the soil,
and who through Jesus Christ, the true vine,
revealed Yourself the husbandman of our souls,

 

Good and gentle God, bless every mother
and every grandmother with the finest
of Your spiritual blessings today.
Confirm in her heart and spirit

 

My God, I believe, I adore, I hope
and I love You. I implore Your pardon
for those who do not believe, do not adore,
do not hope and do not love You.

 

O glorious St. Pancratius,
I beg you to obtain for me
all the graces that I need,
but especially health and work,
so that I may appear before you

 

By Joan Yap

During the pandemic, gatherings are not allowed so as to limit the spread of the COVID-19 virus. It was difficult for everyone, especially being locked down. There was a…

 

God of grace,
today we raise our voices
to magnify Your holy name,
and, in our own generation, to call her blessed

 

Dear St Damien,
when you first arrived in the leper colony
you were revolted by the patients,
but you didn’t let them see this

 

By Latai Muller

See God everywhere, and we will have a deeper and deeper faith in Him. See Him in the sunrise and sunset, in mountain brooks and the mighty oceans, in storm clouds and…

 

My Jesus, l love You with my whole heart.
I repent of having in the past so many times
displeased Your infinite goodness.
I purpose with the help of Your grace

 

O Blessed Rosary of Mary,
sweet chain which unites us to God,
bond of love which unites us to the angels,
tower of salvation against the assaults of Hell,

 

By Beth Sabado

I have traveled here in the U.S. on several occasions, but I didn’t get the chance to visit Omaha during those travels due to limited time. I am glad to have been granted…

 

Mary, we ask for your powerful presence this day,
just as you shared it
with the frightened disciples in the Upper Room.

 

Dear St. Dominic Savio,
you grew under the supervision
and care of St. John Bosco.
Witnessing the zeal of your mentor
you shared his desire

 

Dear Jesus, at times I feel empty within.
Slowing down and remembering all the things
for which I am thankful provides an opening

 

By Jhoanna Resari

When I joined the Columban Lay Missionaries I was 24 years old. My first mission assignment was to Taiwan, and my ministry was in the field of HIV/AIDS. I journeyed for…

 

O Lord, into Your hands
and into the hands of Your holy angels,
this day I entrust my soul,
my relatives, my benefactors,
my friends and enemies,

 

Mary, in the brilliant light of Easter,
teach us, too, that nothing is impossible with God.
All our struggles with self and others,

 

O God, the Rewarder of faithful souls,
grant that by the prayers of St. Athanasius,
Your confessor and bishop,

 

By Fr. John Boles

Columban supporters rarely become famous, but they just MIGHT know people who do. I recently had the good fortune to deliver an appeal on behalf of the Columbans at “…

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

It was only recently that I first heard of “everyday mysticism.” It is such a perfect way to describe how many live. So often we think of mystics as people who have…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

When Pakistani people first meet me wearing a shalwar kamiz (long shirt with loose fitting trousers) they think that I am a Pathan, from the north of Pakistan. A Pathan…

 

Glorious Saint Joseph,
you are the pattern of all who work.
Obtain for me, please,
the grace to work conscientiously
and to put devotion to duty

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

“I really only understood the Our Father when I became a father myself,” said the Anglican vicar to me. I believe he was just sharing something of his spiritual experience…

 

By Fr. Don Hornsey

There is an old saying, which some attribute to St. Teresa of Avila, which says that God writes straight with crooked lines. It means that though our human life often…

 

By Sr. Anne Carbon

The pandemic has shown how unequal our world is, particularly for those suffering with a mental illness. Though mental illness is considered a long-term illness,…

 

O St. Pius V, O blessed Pontiff!
No mortal ever labored with such zealous vigor
to promote God's glory on earth as you did;

 

O St. Catherine of Siena, humble Doctor of the Church,
in 33 years you achieved great perfection
and became the counselor of Popes.

 

Mary, Mother of grace, Mother of mercy,
provide me your sweet protection 
and shield me from the enemy.
Intercede for me with your son 

 

Almighty Lord,
before You I come with all my faith,
begging You for comfort.
Do not forsake me, my Lord.
Open Your doors,

 

It is sweet music to the ear to say:
I honor you, O Mother!
It is a sweet song to repeat:
I honor you, O holy Mother!

 

Lord, please put Your peace in my heart.
I'm worried and anxious.
My mind races and obsesses.
I can't help thinking about my problems.

 

By Nathalie Marytsch

Last January, the newly elected Chilean president, a 35-year-old former leader of the students movement, announced who would be accompanying him to govern the country in…

 

Lord, You invite all who are burdened to come to You.
Allow Your healing Hand to heal me.
Touch my soul with Your compassion for others;

 

My Lord and my God!
I offer up to You my petition in union
with the bitter passion and death
of Jesus Christ, Your Son,
together with the merits

 

Dear Jesus, I get so caught up in my doings
that I am scarcely aware of Your presence.
Yet when things go wrong or when I just seem

 

O blessed Lord, You have commanded us to love one another, 
grant us grace that having received Your undeserved bounty, 

 

Lord, I thank You for those who try to make others well
and care for those in suffering and pain.
Give them wisdom in caring.
For all they have done,

 

God, our Father,
You have granted to Your church
the gift of St. Gianna Beretta Molla.
In her youth she lovingly sought You

 

O Divine Heart of Jesus,
grant eternal rest to the Souls in Purgatory,
the final grace to those who are about to die this day,
true repentance to sinners,

 

St. Benedict Joseph Labre, you gave up honor,
money and home for love of Jesus.
Help us to set our hearts on Jesus
and not on the things of this world.

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

I first came to Japan 66 years ago. My appointments after language school were to remote country villages. The people at that time were still in shock after defeat in war…

 

O Blessed Face of my kind Savior,
by the tender love and piercing sorrow
of Our Lady as she beheld You in Your cruel Passion,

 

Help me to understand, Lord,
that what counts is not the road traveled,
but simply putting my hand in Yours
and journeying side by side with You, Lord Jesus,

 

O Glorious Saint Lydwine of Schiedam,
you were chosen by Christ
to suffer immense pain for poor sinners
and to offer up all your sufferings to Him.

 

Most loving Heart of Jesus,
bring me health in body and spirit
that I may serve You with all my strength.
Touch gently this life which You have created,

 

Flowers are blooming, signs of hope and joy.
Dear Jesus, Your rising from the dead
gives the promise of new life.
Help me be aware of other people’s needs,

 

Most Holy Virgin of the Revelation,
you who are in the Divine Trinity, we beg you;
turn your merciful and kind glance toward us.

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
I ask today to forgive everyone in my life.
I know that You will give me the strength to forgive

 

By Fr. Jude Genovia

On the night of Palm Sunday, when all my pastoral activities in the Migrant Center were done, I arrived home, got a simple dinner and yet instead of getting myself ready…

 

O Lord Omnipotent,
Who permits evil so You may draw from it goodness,
hear our humble petitions, as we beg of You
the grace of being faithful to death,

 

Glorified Lord, Your resurrection pierces 
the darkness of doubt and fear. 
May the power of Your resurrection help me 

 

We adore You, O Christ, and we bless You
because by Your holy cross You have
redeemed the world.
Christ, You died once for our sins,

 

All-powerful, eternal God,
You have chosen to give mankind 
a model of humility; 
our Savior took on our flesh,

 

Father Almighty, You are the loving,
humble servant of God.
Give me the grace to be loving
and humble like You in the World.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

It is amazing how things, situations, history and peoples can be so connected and tied with one another. We moved to the north of Myanmar (formerly Burma) from Yangon to…

 

Glorious Saint Vincent Ferrer,
let not our hope and confidence 
in your protection be deceived.
Intercede for us before the throne of God.

 

O God, Son of God, You took on Yourself
our nature and suffered death on the cross for us.
By Your Passion You have set us free
from eternal death.

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

Today was Palm Sunday, and a very busy one for me, serving as the lone priest here in Christ the King, Ba, Fiji. We have three Masses each Sunday, one in the main town…

 

Heavenly Father,
You are one in solidarity with the poor.
Open my eyes to the suffering of the poor
and give me the willpower to make a difference.

 

Lord, You are the model of nonviolence 
and unconditional love. 
On Palm Sunday, may Your example inspire me 

 

Heavenly Father, I set aside this time
on April Fool’s Day to pray for Your help
in preventing me from doing foolish things in my life

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Diary cover While studying Hindi at the Columban Center House during my first year in Fiji, I was saying Mass at the Home of Compassion nearby. The Sisters, elderly…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

This year the celebration of Palm Sunday here in Aotearoa-New Zealand will be more somber because of the COVID 19 restrictions. I will be the celebrant at St. Peter and…

 

By Ana Flores

After 13 years of being assigned to the Philippines, I am now back in my own country doing mission in one of the areas where the Columbans are located at San Martin de…

 

O God, I feel Your presence in the earth
coming to life as Spring begins to take away
Winter’s cold.
Warm our hearts that we may appreciate

 

Lord, You are the face
of God’s compassion in the world.
Give me a compassionate heart
to embrace my suffering brothers and sisters.

 

Father of love, source of all blessings,
help me to pass from my old life of sin
to the new life of grace.
Prepare me for the glory of Your Kingdom.

 

O Mary, Mother of God
as you are above all creatures
in Heaven and Earth,
more glorious than the Cherubim,
more noble than any here below,

 

Jesus, my sweet Master, I love You so much,
help me to be like You want me to be.
I am so small and poor, but You, Jesus,
who are my Master, can help me,

 

By Fr. John Boles

These are the words inscribed on a plaque in Edinburgh’s Royal Mile. They come from the pen of George Mackay Brown (1921-96), regarded by many as Scotland’s greatest…

 

Dear God, I spend so much time reliving yesterday
or anticipating tomorrow that I lose sight
of the only time that is really mine,
the present moment.

 

Generous and loving God, like Your daughter Mary,
help me to know and do Your will in this life and in the next.

 

Lord, give me the courage to accept the painful,
ugly realities of life and become Your advocate
of truth and justice in the world.

 

Dear Sacred Heart of Jesus,
I love You so much
and I give You my heart.
Help me to love God.
Help me to love my neighbor
as a child of God.

 

O my God, I beg You,
in the name of Your Divine Son,
to give me the grace of knowing,
hating, and making up for my sins
and failures in Your service.

 

Dear Mother Mary,
we entrust to your Immaculate Heart of hearts,
our family and our entire future.
Lead us all to our homeland which is Heaven.

 

Glorious Saint Joseph,
foster-father and protector of Jesus Christ,
to you I raise my heart and my hands
to implore your powerful intercession.

 

By Frank Hoare

On Saturday July 23, 2022, Columban seminarians and their formator held two Come and See programs together in Fiji. The day long face-to-face program was conducted at the…

 

By Fr. Jason Antiquera

After a two-year hiatus due to COVID, face-to-face Art Recollection was back in 2022! The first communities that got to pray and reflect on their faith life through visual…

 

Come Jesus, Come!
My poor soul calls for You and awaits You.
Comfort my poor soul distressed
Come and dwell within my breast,
My Savior, Jesus, come to me.

 

Bless the Lord, all you His angels.
You who are mighty in strength and do His will,
intercede for me at the throne of God.
By your unceasing watchfulness

 

May the Strength of God guide us.
May the Power of God preserve us.
May the Wisdom of God instruct us.
May the Hand of God protect us.

 

Lord, give me a deeper love and respect for life.
Deepen my awareness of and respect for
Your presence in creation and in the people 
around me.

 

O Dearest Mother Mary, teach us
as a mother teaches her children,
for our souls are soiled
and our prayers are weak
because of our sinful hearts.

 

Jesus crucified, accept the homage
I wish to render You as a token
of my sincerest appreciation
for the sorrows and sufferings
You have willingly borne

 

Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of Your faithful.
Enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
Send forth Your spirit
and they shall be created,

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

“Sister, this is the call of God that I have been waiting for. I had a sense of having a call and not knowing what it was.” This was Mrs. Theresa Nath’s reaction, at the…

 

O my God,
who are infinitely good to me,
I am sorry, and beg pardon for all my sins,
and detest them above all things,

 

Heavenly Father, author and inspirer of all things holy,
hear our prayers for our Church.
Send forth Your Spirit that we may humbly

 

God our Father, fountain of all blessing,
We thank You for the countless graces that come to us
in answer to the prayers of Your saints.

 

Come O Virgin Most Pure,
and embrace us with Your motherly mantle.
Make our hearts whiter than snow
and as pure as a spring of fresh water.

 

O glorious Saint Frances of Rome,
by the abundant merits you gained
by suffering for Christ and His Church,
and through your powerful intercession,

 

Dear St John, you are the patron 
of all who suffer heart disease.
We pray for them that they may 
find help for their illness.

 

Hail, sweet Jesus!
Praise, honor, and glory be to You, O Christ,
who chose to embrace death,
giving up Your life for Your sheep,

 

O merciful Redeemer,
consent to regard me as a perpetual adorer
of Your Most Precious Blood,
and be pleased to accept my prayers,

 

My Jesus, I salute Your Most Loving Heart,
and for these three reasons:
First, in thanksgiving for this great gift.

 

Lord, You are the center of my life.
Give me a trusting heart to remain faithful
to You and myself in times of self-doubt
and personal struggles.

 

Lord, on World Day of Prayer,
may our homes, our nation, and countries
around the world become havens of peace.
Give us grace to see every human being

 

Divine Savior, we come to Your sacred table
to nourish ourselves, not with bread
but with Yourself, true Bread of eternal life.

 

O God, who graciously bestowed on Your
Bishop Saint David of Wales the virtue of wisdom
and the gift of eloquence, and made him

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I have returned to Fiji from holidays and met with Fr. Theo I was anxious to get the news of a marriage case I had been involved in investigating and writing up for the…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

The Gospel of Mark 10:28-31 is connected to the original question of the rich man who desperately wanted to follow Jesus - “Good teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal…

 

By Fr. Frank McKay

During my sixth year in the Columban seminary in Sydney, Australia, my classmates and I were asked where we would like to work after ordination. Up to that time, the…

 

By Sr. Rebecca Conlon

The explosions of grace that took place in St. John the Apostle Church in Latifabad, Hyderabad, throughout Holy Week and the Easter season of 2022 should not go unnoticed…

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

It has always struck me that the Fijian translation of Good Friday is simply and literally, “Day of Death.” No massaging, no theological euphemisms, just saying is “as it…

 

Heavenly Father, You watch over me
and love me as Your child.
Help me to see all people as Your children
and treat them with gentleness, love and respect.

 

O St. Gabriel of Our Lady of Sorrows,
obtain for our young people
the grace of following Jesus with generosity.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Columban Fr. David Arms has a gift for languages. He used his Ph.D. in linguistics to research the Parkari Kholi language in Pakistan and the Subanen language in the…

 

Lord, open my ears to hear Your invitation
to listen to Your Son in the Word of God
and my heart to discern what it means to be
Your humble servant.

 

Lord, release me from any unforgiveness
I’ve harbored in my heart,
and bitterness I’ve allowed to linger,
any resentments I’ve allowed to simmer,

 

Lord, You answer when I call for help.
Help me to put Your golden rule into practice
that I may be a source of healing and love for others.

 

We are happy to offer this new Stations of the Cross for the Care of Creation. We hope that it will be of help to you in your Lenten preparations for Easter, and also help…

 

Gracious God,  
You hear the prayers of Your children.  
Thank You for the privilege of bringing to You  

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

“I won’t be buying green bananas again!” was Fr. Bernard’s greeting as I approached his hospital bed. He had phoned me earlier that day, requesting that I come to visit…

 

Lord God almighty, Father of Jesus Christ,
Your dear Son through whom
we have come to know You,
God of the angels and powers,
God of all creation,

 

Gracious God, on Ash Wednesday we begin
a period of inner reflection and examination. 
The days of Lent stretch before me 

 

My dear Savior,
I unite all my affections with the affections
of Your most loving Heart,
and I offer them with You to Your Eternal Father

 

Lord, we offer our prayers on behalf of our president.
Draw him into a strong relationship with You.
Thank You for this one who has pledged his life

 

By Fr. Daniel Harding

Jefferson lived in the transit lounge of the international airport in Santiago for the whole of January wondering if he would be deported. Jefferson was 35 years old when…

 

Majestic Queen of Heaven
and Mistress of the Angels,
you received from God
the power and commission
to crush the head of Satan;

 

Blessed are you,
Mother of my Lord,
for you have believed the Word of God.

In faith and love, you have pondered
the Words and actions of God

 

O Lord Jesus Christ Who,
in order to renew the memory
of the sorrows of Your most blessed Mother,
has through the seven holy founders

 

By Fr. Paul McMahon

The theme of the upcoming 16th Synod of Bishops in October 2023 is, “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission.” Reflecting on the theme of participation…

 

O good and tender Mother,
you shall forever be our hope
and the object of our love.

O Mother of God,
send forth the holy Angels to defend me

 

Mighty Lord You have set us down 
in the middle of Your creation 
and given us work to do. 
Give us also the things of the new creation 

 

Jesus, I believe in You,
Jesus, I hope in You,
Jesus, I love You.

I believe in You for those who do not believe.

 

O holy and immaculate Mother,
we pray that your intercession
may protect us and all people
from hate and discord,
and direct our hearts into the ways

 

Sweet Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.
I trust in You for all, with all, in spite of all,
and forever.

O Mary, Mother of my Jesus,

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

On August 15, 2022, on the Feast of the Assumption, the Catholic Student Action Myitkyina opened its Student Learning Resources Center (SLRC), which is located on the…

 

O my Divine Savior, transform me into Yourself.
May my hands be the hands of Jesus.
May my tongue be the tongue of Jesus,
Grant that every faculty of my body

 

O Holy Mother, in the years 
following your appearance at Lourdes,
do not forget the sorrows of this earth.
Cast a merciful glance upon those 

 

By Fr. John Boles

“A land lost in the mists of time” might reasonably describe Sanday, an eerily beautiful speck of land set in the Atlantic at the northern edge of Scotland’s Orkney…

 

Jesus Christ, Lord of all things,
You see my heart;
You know my desires.
Possess all that I am, You alone.
I am Your sheep;

 

O Most Amiable Child Jesus,
You Who said: “Ask and you shall receive,”
graciously hear my petition
and grant me the favor I ask of You,

 

Holy Father You fashioned the universe 
and made order from chaos. 
Thank You for bringing order to our lives. 

 

Come, Holy Spirit, fill the hearts of Your Faithful;
and enkindle in them the fire of Your love.
Send forth Your Spirit and they shall be created,

 

By Sarah MacDonald

St. Verano is not one of those popular saints whose name trips off your tongue.

 

Blessed Jesus,
I dedicate myself to You
in health, in illness,
in my life, in my death,
in all my desires, in all my deeds.
So that, I may never work

 

Bless us all, O Lord, we pray,
for loved ones, here and near, and far away.
And everyone for whom we pray.
Keep us safe each night and day,

 

By Fr. John Hegerty

In 1492, Columbus sailed the ocean blue in search of treasured spices from the Philippines, but in a lost state managed to bump into the Americas and pick up buckets of…

 

Lord God, You showered heavenly gifts
on the virgin Agatha.
Hear the prayers of those who recall 
her devoted life and who ask her to intercede 

 

O Father of mercies,
from whom comes all that is good,
I offer my humble petitions to You
through the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
Your dearly beloved Son,

 

Dear St. Blaise, bishop and lover of souls,
you willingly bore heavy crosses 
in faithful imitation of Jesus.
Similarly, with Christlike compassion,

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

Readers of these pages may be getting used to the name of Xavier College, Ba, after being handed over to the Parish of Christ the King on Jan 1, 2021, and from the…

 

The angels beheld the wonder of Jesus
and they said: O Wonder.
The Virgin enters into the Holy of Holies.
O Mary, you are the precious Ark of God:

 

God You have called us from among the peoples 
and nations of the world to be Your own. 
Thank You for the love that You have shown us 

 

O most holy angel of God,
appointed by God to be my guardian,
I give you thanks for all the benefits
which you have ever bestowed on me
in body and in soul.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Miriam was married to Raju and they had six children – all girls. I liked Miriam because she was kind and gentle. She always had a cup of tea for a priest visiting…

 

By Fr. George Hogarty

Modern day Korea has undergone massive cultural and technological changes. At first glance, it seems that Koreans, in their rush to embrace modernity and all things…

 

by Teresa Chuah Hyi Ling

As a Columban lay missionary, I have been living and working in Britain for two years.

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

Mark’s Gospel 9:41-50 is about taking responsibility for one’s own actions. When we have done wrong, Jesus urges us to undergo radical change - using the strong images of…

 

By Fr. John Boles

In 2019 I had the honor of being one of the Columban representatives at the canonization of Cardinal Newman in St. Peter’s Square in Rome.

 

O Mary, powerful Virgin,
you are the mighty and glorious
Protector of the Church.
You are the marvelous
help of Christians.
You alone have destroyed

 

Saint Michael, your heart was filled
with great charity for God and man.
Our Lord returned your love
and allowed you to exchange mystically

 

Eternal God,
You have revealed Yourself
as the Father of all Life.
We praise You for the Fatherly care
which You extend to all creation,

 

Grant me grace, O merciful God,
to desire ardently all that is pleasing to You,
to examine it prudently,
to acknowledge it truthfully,

 

Father All-holy, I thank You
for the life of Blessed George Matulaitis,
totally dedicated to the cause
of Christ the Savior, in which he persevered

 

Saint Timothy, pray for me that I, too,
may one day glorify the Blessed Trinity 
in heaven.
Obtain for me your lively faith,

 

O St. Paul, the Apostle,
preacher of truth and Doctor of the Gentiles,
intercede for us to God, who chose you.
You are a vessel of election,

 

Guardian Angel,
watch over those whose names
you can read in my heart.
Guard over them with every care
and make their way easy

 

Immaculate Mother of God, 
Queen of Apostles we know 
that God's commandment of love
and our vocation to follow Jesus

 

By Fr. Eamon Sheridan

When I arrived in Myitkyina, Kachin State, Myanmar (formerly Burma) in 2017, I was very conscious that I was following in the footsteps of the early Columban missionaries…

 

O my God in Your goodness
and mercy, may I regain all the graces
which I have lost through
my carelessness and folly.

Permit me to attain the degree

 

St. Agnes, patron saint of children,
watch over the children of the world;
keep them safe from harm;
be with them in their hour of need;

 

O God, who in Your ineffable protection,
chose Your priest, Blessed Basile Moreau,
to imitate the virtues of the Holy Family

 

O God, bountiful in forgiving,
and lovingly desirous of man's salvation,
we humbly ask Your mercy on behalf
of our friends, relations and benefactors,

 

Heavenly father,
through the obedience of Jesus,
who offered His Life in the service of all,
help me with Your Kindness.

 

Father, I belong to You.
I place myself anew in Your hands
and acknowledge You as Master
and Lord of my life.
Grant me the gift of a forgiving heart

 

O God of Justice, in Your wisdom
You create all people in Your image,
without exception.
Through your goodness, open our eyes

 

By Gertrudes Samson

In the Bible God spoke to Moses through the Burning Bush in Exodus Chapter 3 giving him a special message. I never thought that God would also relay His message to me…

 

Lord, I believe:
I wish to believe in You.
Lord, let my faith be full and complete,
and let it penetrate my thought,
my way of judging Divine things

 

Jesus Christ my God,
I adore You and I thank You
for all the graces You have given me.
I offer You my work
and all the moments of this day,

 

St. Hilary of Pointiers, impart to us,
the meaning of the words of Scripture
and the light to understand it,
with reverence for the doctrine

 

O Eternal Father,
I offer You the Most Precious Blood
of Your Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses
said throughout the world today,

 

Permit us, O Jesus,
to dedicate to You
each member of our family.
Accept each one of us,
and may every beat of our hearts
be an act of love for You.

 

Lord, from You flows true and continual kindness.
You had cast us off and justly so,
but in Your mercy You forgave us.
You were at odds with us,

 

How great is your name, O Lord our God,
through all the earth!

When I see the heavens, the work of Your hands,
the moon and the stars which You arranged,

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

Luke 9:7-9 is the story about Herod the tetrarch, the Roman-installed ruler of Galilee and Perea. He was the son of Herod the Great who was responsible for the slaughter…

 

By Fr. John Boles

Columban lay missionary Mauricio Silva stands in the shadow of a giant mural featuring Cillian Murphy, star of the television show “Peaky Blinders” which has captivated…

 

By A Columban Missionary

Palmer Avenido worked in a machine-assemble factory in Taoyuan County, Taiwan, for six years before returning to his home in the Philippines. While in Taiwan he…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Recently I went for a visit to Ba Parish, Fiji.

 

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless
and the treasury of compassion
inexhaustible, look kindly upon us
and increase Your mercy in us,

 

St. Raymond of Pennafort, you were the confidant
of the Heart of Mary, the Queen of Mercy,
and she made you share with her

 

Since the damaging floods last monsoon season, the villages that were affected here in Badin parish have recovered remarkably well. My last visitation to Tajeli village,…

 

Lord our God, friend of the lowly,
who gave Your servant, Saint André Bessette,
a great devotion to St. Joseph and a special

 

Lord, in these days of pride and display,
the humble ways of Your servant,
Bishop St. John Neumann, inspire us
to imitate Your own Divine example.

 

O Father, the first rule
of our dear Savior’s life
was to do Your Will.
Let His Will of the present moment
be the first rule of our daily life and work,

 

Jesus, Name full of glory, grace, love and strength! 
You are the refuge of those who repent, 
our banner of warfare in this life, 

 

At the close of 2022 (At the dawn of 2023) we look back in gratitude not only on the year gone by, but also on the life of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI who has now completed…

 

By Fr. Bill Morton, Cristina Coronado, Wesley Cocozello and Cynthia Gonzalez

For more than 25 years, the Missionary Society of St. Columban has worked in one of the most impoverished areas of the U.S./Mexico border: Rancho Anapra, located on the…

 

To you, O Mary, we turn our gaze
with stronger trepidation, to you we hasten back
with more insistent trust in these times

 

Lord, You make all things new
You bring hope alive in our hearts
and cause our Spirits to be born again.
This year, help us embrace truth and peace,

 

Heavenly Father, Almighty God,
You chose St. Sylvester to be Your pope,
who would guide Your Church
into an era of peace.

 

God, in Your Divine wisdom and care for mankind,
You instituted marriage for the human race
and for the mutual happiness of men and women.

 

Eternal Father, I offer You
the most precious blood of Jesus Christ
in atonement for my sins, and I
humbly ask for the holy souls in Purgatory,

 

Receive into the arms of Your mercy
all innocent victims; and by Your great might
frustrate the designs of evil tyrants
and establish Your rule of justice,

 

My most loving saint, St. John the Apostle,
behold me kneeling at your feet,
asking you with all the affection of my heart
to grant me your special protection,

 

O Divine Child Jesus, give me Your love
and send me Your blessing, now and for all eternity.
Be generous with Your aid and consolation,

 

By Fr. Dan Troy

Holy Trinity Church in Xiantao, China, was filled to capacity for the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve last year, the presence of face masks a solemn reminder that the previous…

 

God of love, Father of all,
the darkness that covered the earth
has given way to the bright dawn 
of Your Word made flesh.

 

Loving God, help us remember
the birth of Jesus, that we may share
in the song of the angels,
the gladness of the shepherds,

 

Lord Jesus Christ, have compassion
on Your Church suffering.
Temper Your justice with pity
and open the gates of Heaven
for the souls in Purgatory,

 

O Mary, loving Mother of Jesus,
and our Mother,
pray to Jesus for my family,
for all the families of the world,
to guard the cradle of the newborn,

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

The liturgical life of the Church tells the story of what God is doing in the world. This may seem like a strange thing to say. Most of us grew up thinking that Mass was…

 

Dear Doctor and Defender of the Church,
to you the Master must have said:
"Well done, composer of books
which have taught and inspired 

 

God our Father,
may we always profit by the prayers
of the Virgin Mother Mary,
for You bring us life and salvation
through Jesus Christ her Son

 

God, my Father, may I love You
in all things and above all things.
May I reach the joy which You have
prepared for me in Heaven.

 

By Fr. Euikyun Carlo Jung

I received a letter at the beginning of Advent last year inviting me, along with the youth of the parish, to “a Christmas feast to commemorate Christmas.” Fijian people…

 

Receive our prayers, dear Lord,
for those who have none to pray for them.
They departed this life without loved ones
to mourn their going.

 

Father, Your Love never fails.
Keep me from danger
and provide for all my needs.
Teach me to be thankful for Your Gifts.
Confident in Your Love,

 

Father in Heaven,
when the Spirit came down upon Jesus
at His Baptism in the Jordan,
You revealed Him as Your own Beloved Son.
Keep me, Your child,

 

O dear Jesus, I humbly implore You
to grant Your special graces to our family.
May our home be the shrine
of peace, purity, love, labor and faith.

 

O my beloved Father St. John of the Cross,
your continual prayer merited for you
the name of Ecstatic Doctor,
favored with special graces

 

Relying on Your goodness, O God,
we humbly ask You, through the intercession
of Saint Lucy, virgin and martyr,
to give perfect vision to our eyes,

 

God of power and mercy,
You blessed the Americas at Tepeyac
with the presence of the Virgin Mary of Guadalupe.
May her prayers help all men and women

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Maybe it was because I wasn’t wearing the required red robes or lacked a white beard, but the reaction of the male children to being offered a soft toy animal was not what…

 

Grant, we pray, O Lord, that we 
may constantly exalt the merits 
of Your Martyrs, whom Pope St. Damasus 
so venerated and loved.

 

Our Lady of Loreto,
I implore your Holy Name,
in union with your Holy Son,
our Lord Jesus Christ and your
Holy husband St. Joseph,

 

Almighty and merciful God,
who granted blessed St. Jane Frances,
so inflamed with the love of You,
a wonderful degree of fortitude

 

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, prepared 
a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,

 

Gracious God of majesty and awe,
I seek Your protection,
I look for Your healing.
Poor troubled sinner that I am,

 

God Our Father we pray,
that through the intercession of St. Nicholas,
You will protect our children.
Keep them safe from harm,
and help them grow,

 

Daughter of Israel, glory of all people.
Immaculate Maiden, joy of God.
Jesus has given you for our mother.
You are our Queen, pure and sinless.

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

Each year, at the beginning of December, as those around him begin preparing their Christmas shopping list, Ben begins preparing his fishing gear. Then, as family members…

 

Thank you, O Lord, for doctors.
Give them insight and knowledge
tp understand and diagnose.
Steady their hand by Your strong hand.

 

My God, I love You;
not because I hope for heaven,
or fear being eternally lost.
You, O my Jesus,
embraced me upon the cross;

 

Pour forth, Your grace into our hearts O Lord;
that as we know the incarnation of Christ,
Your Son by the message of an angel,
we may be brought to the glory

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

In seeking the language to talk about God and those places where God’s presence is mostly keenly felt, in other words “the kingdom of God,” Jesus relied on two sources:…

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

The Columban parish of Sagrado Corazón de Jesús is located on the “pampa” (desert plains) above the port city of Iquique in a municipality called Alto Hospicio. When the…

 

O Lady of Light, owner of all graces,
cover us with your mantle resplendent,
for you are the Light that Guides us
through darkness.

 

By Fr. John Marley

December 6, 2022, is the feast day of St. Nicholas, whose gifts to the poor made him the model for our modern-day Santa Claus.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Massage is a common traditional healing practice in Fiji and the Pacific. Young people massage the feet, legs or bodies of their elders.

 

By Sr. Abbie O'Sullivan

She was a young Jewish girl who was engaged to the young village carpenter. Her parents, Anna and Joachim, were very happy with her choice.

 

O Christ, our Lord,
Who beautified the most blessed Andrew
with the grace of apostleship,
and the crown of martyrdom,
by granting to him this special gift,

 

We beg You, Lord, to be our help and our support.
Free us from our troubles; take pity on the lowly;
raise up those who have fallen;

 

Father of Mercy, forgive my failings,
keep me in Your Grace, and lead me
in the way of salvation.
Give me strength in serving You
as a follower of Christ.

 

By Junghae Roberta Kim

Foggy and grey. These are the words that come to my mind when I think of London as in the films or books which I came across in my childhood. They showed me the London of…

 

Dear Jesus, Advent begins
on the last Sunday of November.
We prepare ourselves for Your coming
among us – for Your first coming

 

Lord, glorify Blessed James Alberione in your Church.
Let him be for all of us a light, guide and support
in the work of our sanctification and in our apostolate.

 

Lord, may everything we do this day
begin with Your blessing and continue with Your help.

May everything we say this day

 

O Christ, our Morning Star,
Splendor of Light Eternal,
shining with the glory of the rainbow,
come and waken us
from the greyness of our apathy,

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

“Do this in memory of me.” Following Christ’s command, on Easter Sunday, April 2, 1972, Bishop John McCormack of Meath ordained John McEvoy and his nine classmates into…

 

Eternal Father,
turn away Your angry gaze from our guilty people
whose face has become unsightly in Your eyes.
Look instead upon the Face of Your Beloved Son,

 

Glory to You, O Lord our God,
Your love calls us to be Your people.
By sharing our many and diverse gifts
we share in Your mission.
We ask You, Lord,

 

By Angelica Escarsa

Researching the difference between the words “change” and “transformation” recently, I came across the following statement: “Change is a response to external influences,…

 

Jesus, I firmly renounce the devil
and detest all sin that has torn me
from Your loving friendship.
I pledge my loyalty to You, my Savior,

 

O glorious saint, who chose to die
Instead of denying your King.
We pray you please to help us
As His fair praise we sing!

 

O God, whose ever-watchful Providence rules all things,
we humbly implore You through the prayer
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the mother of Your son,

 

St. Rose Philippine Duchesne, you were
a pioneer woman, called to join a pioneer endeavor,
to explore, to begin, to expand the educational frontiers

 

Heavenly Father,
Help our family to stay together in joy
and sorrow in family prayer.
Teach us to see Jesus in the members of our families,

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

The Kachins love to fish. During the rainy season, when the river and stream waters are high and when empty dry ponds are filled with water, the fish seem to grow in…

 

O Eternal Father,
I offer You the Most Precious Blood 
of Your Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said 
throughout the world today,…

 

Mother of Grace
"Do not be afraid, Mary,
for you have found favor with God."
For note, Mary,
for you have found grace,

 

By Fr. John Boles

Augustus Welby Pugin (1812- 1852) was arguably the greatest architect-designer of 19th century England. The son of a refugee from the French Revolution, he pioneered the…

 

Jesus, help us to ponder in our hearts
over the many ways You show Your love in our lives,
and lead us to walk with Your mother
as we follow you each day.

 

Loving Savior, infinitely generous,
seeking only our interest,
from Your Sacred Heart,
came these words of pleading love:
“Come to me all you that labor

 

Everyday of my life belongs to You, O my God
and every action of my life
should be performed with the pure intention
of honoring You alone.

 

Dear well-beloved St. Martin of Tours,
you were first a soldier like your father.
Converted to the Church,
you became a soldier of Christ,

 

O my God,
I believe that You are here present;
and that Your observe all my actions, all my thoughts,
and the most secret motions of my heart.

 

By Fr. Daniel Harding

According to recent reports from the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 5.9 million people have fled Venezuela in the last few years. This flight from…

 

Every day of my life belongs to You,
O my God, and every action of my life
should be performed with the pure intention
of honoring You alone.

 

Dearest Lord,
teach me to be generous;
teach me to serve You as You deserve;
to give and not to count the cost,
to fight and not to heed the wounds,

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

It was just before midday on Holy Thursday when the Archbishop called to say he would be around shortly to say farewell to Fr. J.J. Some time later, he arrived. The…

 

Jesus, our brother and our Lord,
you have come to save us
because God loves us with a deep and unending love.
You have given us Mary, Your mother,

 

Lord Jesus Christ, take all my freedom,
my memory, my understanding, and my will.
All that I have and cherish You have given me.

 

Dear Jesus, I try to come to You as I am,
though I know that I do try to give a good appearance,
to show off my best self.

 

O glorious St. Charles Borromeo,
the father of the clergy,
and the perfect model of holy prelates!
You are that good pastor, who, like your divine Master,

 

Saint Martin de Porres,
your concern and charity embraced
not only your needy brethren,
but also the animals of the field.

 

By Kim Sunhee Sunny

It was in November 2020 that I first met Mike (not his real name). I was going to my office after home visitation in the urban areas of the Malate parish (Philippines) to…

 

I give You thanks, O Lord,
for granting me time even now to atone for my sins.
My good God, I am heartily sorry for having offended You.

 

By Sr. Caroline Vaitkunas RSM

This year International World Ocean’s Day ( June 8) focused attention on the theme Revitalization: Collective Action for the Ocean.

 

By Lanieta Tamatawale

During this pandemic, the deaf people are more isolated in their own world; they only know what is going on in the world through things visual, like watching TV news and…

 

By Sophia Chee Tzu Ting

As the coronavirus pandemic sweeps across the globe for over two years now, it does not seem to deter the fear of thousands of people wanting to flee their own country for…

 

Today, dear friends in heaven,
we celebrate your feast.
We celebrate again the feasts
of all the saints we know,
and whom we honor day by day

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

It was a big occasion for me. But I wasn’t happy. The young man’s father had told me that the wedding was fixed for the school holidays in May. 
“But I will be in…

 

By Fr. Don Hornsey

I once visited Papua New Guinea and accompanied my friend, a patrol officer on his 1ten days of administrative rounds. He hired men from the village to carry his equipment…

 

Dear Lord,
Give us the grace to put on the armor of God,
that we may be able to resist on the evil day and,
having done everything, to hold our ground.

 

O Jesus, You suffered and died for us;
You understand suffering;
Teach me to understand my suffering as You do;
To bear it in union with You;

 

I adore You, O Jesus, true God and true Man,
here present in the Holy Eucharist,
humbly kneeling before You and united

 

St. Jude, glorious Apostle,
faithful servant and friend of Jesus,
the name of the traitor has caused you 

 

Breathe into me, Holy Spirit,
that my thoughts may all be holy.

Move in me, Holy Spirit,
that my work, too, may be holy.

 

By Marilou Borje

Something people would be surprised to know about me is that I was a Columban lay missionary for three years in Peru. It was there that I was able to discern my vocation…

 

Almighty God, Father of mercies
and giver of all good gifts,
we come before You to honor You
in your servant, Peter of Alcantara,

 

O Virgin Mother,
In the depths of your heart
you pondered the Life of the Son
you brought into the world.
Give us your vision of Jesus

 

St. Anthony Mary Claret, during your life on earth
you often comforted the afflicted
and showed such tender love and compassion
for the sick and sinful.

 

By Fr. Dan Harding

More than one-sixth of the population of Venezuela, 5.6 million out of 30 million, has left the country since 2015. Previously one of the richest countries in Latin…

 

O God, who through St. John of Capistrano
enabled Your faithful people
to triumph over the enemies of the Cross
by the power of the most Holy Name of Jesus:

 

O Immaculate Virgin,
Mother of the true God and Mother of the Church,
who from this place reveal your clemency and your pity

 

By Son Seon-Yong Catharina

Recently, I chanced upon an interview on YouTube that instantly grabbed my attention. A young Irish woman was speaking about her ordeal back in 2013 when she was arrested…

 

Father in Heaven,
You made me Your child
and called me to walk in the Light of Christ.
Free me from darkness
and keep me in the Light of Your Truth.

 

Grant me Your grace, most merciful Jesus,
that it may be with me, and work with me,
and continue with me even to the end.

 

By Columban Fr. John Boles

I’d passed the church three times before recognizing it. The voice of the “satnav” lady kept insisting that, “you have arrived at your destination,” but all I could see…

 

O Mary, I wish I could see how
you used to behave toward father and mother,
especially toward St. Anne;

 

Most charming and saintly Physician,
you were animated by the heavenly Spirit of love.
In faithfully detailing the humanity of Jesus,

 

By Sr. Mary Ita O’Brien

Before making my final profession, I made a retreat. During this retreat I had to decide whether to finalize my commitment as a Columban Sister or to take another way of…

 

God our Father,
In Your wisdom and love You made all things.
Bless our father.
Let the example of his faith and love shine forth.

 

Dear Jesus, at times we get caught up
in the tasks of doing things.
The busyness of our lives may harden us.
We act as if our value and worth

 

Lord, grant that I may always allow myself
to be guided by You, always follow Your plans,
and perfectly accomplish Your Holy Will.

 

Mary, Mother of Mercy, watch over all people,
that the Cross of Christ may not be emptied of its power,
that man may not stray from the path of good

 

We bless You,
God of Seed and Harvest
and we bless each other
that the beauty of this world
and the love that created it

 

By Fr. John Boles

“In a hole in the ground there lived a hobbit…and his name was Baggins.”

“My name is Teresa Chuah Hui- Ling. I am from Penang in Malaysia.”

What could…

 

Heavenly Father, today is one of those days
when I want to reach out with You
and touch a bright, distant star,
to hold it in a quiet, loving way,

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
who are called the Prince of Peace,
who are yourself our peace and reconciliation,
who so often said, "Peace to you," grant us peace.

 

Dear God,
We come to you today humbly praying
that You will empower us to use our vision
and our ability to explore new frontiers

 

By Sr. Rebecca Conlon

Not long after celebrating my Golden Jubilee with my fellow Columban Sisters in Magheramore, Ireland, I found myself on the plane back to Pakistan. The Jubilee was a…

 

May God give: For every storm, a rainbow.
For every tear, a smile.
For every care, a promise,
and a blessing in each trial.
For every problem life sends,

 

Almighty God,
Thank you for the beauty and majesty we see in Your creation.
Thank you for the opportunity to care for the world You have made.

 

By Fr. Sean McNulty

I am hoping that the Synodal Pathway will provide the Church with an opportunity to put in place processes that would see the Church becoming a better version of itself. I…

 

My dearest Mother Mary,
behold me, your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you
in accordance with your requests at Fatima,

 

My God, through Mother Marie-Rose's daring faith
direct our lives on the road which leads to You
and grant us the favor we solicit from You.

 

By Fr. Cireneo "Dodong" Matulac

I met a Filipino couple in Chicago, and they have two children. Both of the parents both work as nurses. In my few years there, they would invite me to go out with the…

 

O Jesus, who filled Your handmaid Sister Faustina
with profound veneration for Your boundless Mercy,
design, if it be Your holy will,

 

Let everyone be struck with fear,
the whole world tremble,
and the heavens exult
when Christ, the Son of the living God,

 

Almighty God, Grant peace to the nation of Myanmar,
and to every heart made fearful by conflict and tension.
Give wisdom and compassion to leaders

 

By Fr. Robert McCulloch

In early 2019, a group of young Muslim men discovered a large, monumental carved marble cross on the mountain side above their village in the Kavardo Valley in Skardu in…

 

Bless the Lord, all you His Angels!
You who are mighty in strength and do His Will,
intercede for me at the throne of God.
By your unceasing watchfulness,

 

By Fr. Don Hornsey

As Columban missionaries, we have lived in other countries where we have worked closely with people from Asia, South America and Oceania. We have learned not only to value…

 

I live in an apartment building in Quezon City (Philippines). On my floor are four apartments separated in two wings. The other apartment in my wing has been empty since…

 

By Sr. Abbie O'Sullivan

In our modern world many people who were born Catholic and Christian proclaim that they are now atheist. On the other hand, many who never embraced the Christian faith…

 

May the Heavenly Mystery, O Lord,
inflame us with the fire of that love
by which Saint Teresa, Your Virgin,
offered herself to You

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

We conducted an intercultural workshop here in Ba (Fiji) parish this past weekend. About 50 people attended, mainly indigenous Fijians and ethnic Indians. Scripture input…

 

St. Jerome, through your anger and confrontations
you remind us that we all have a duty
to challenge others from time to time.

 

Glorious Prince of the heavenly hosts
and victor over rebellious spirits,
be mindful of me who am so weak and sinful
and yet so prone to pride and ambition.

 

Lord Jesus, may everything I do begin with You,
continue with Your help,
and be done under Your guidance.
May my sharing in the Mass free me from my sins,

 

Noble Saint Vincent DePaul,
beloved servant of the poor,
may we follow your example and do good works
among those whom society has abandoned,

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

Heavy rain began in Ba, Fiji, on the night of February 4 and continued right through Saturday and on/off on Sunday until about midday. The town was inundated. Somehow, we…

 

Heavenly Father, we thank You
for raising Your Servant, St. Paul VI,
to be numbered among the Saints.
May his example of faith,

 

Good morning my Lord,
I can't believe it's morning again!
It seems that I'm always busy and rushing around.
But no matter how rushed life may be,

 

God the Father,
I thank You for creating me.

God the Son,
I thank You for redeeming me.

God the Holy Ghost,
I thank You for sanctifying me;

 

Dear God, You have hast generously blessed
Your servant, St. Pio of Pietrelcina,
with the gifts of the Spirit.
You have marked his body

 

Blessed Saint Joseph,
holy guardian of Jesus and Mary,
assist us by your prayers
in all the necessities of life.
Ask of Jesus that special grace

 

Eternal Father, we offer You
the precious Blood of Jesus,
shed for us through exceeding love,
and with exceeding pain
from the wound of His right hand;

 

Take from us our sins, O Lord,
that we may enter with pure minds
into the holy of holies.
Through Christ our Lord.
We beg You, O Lord, by the merits

 

My dear sisters and brothers in Puerto Rico, With the recent hardships created by Hurricane Fiona, Columbans express once again, our longstanding solidarity with you…

 

By Bernie Durangparang

St. Paul describes love as the highest of all the gifts (1Cor 13:1-13). Its qualities include patience and kindness. It is always ready to excuse, trust, hope and endure…

 

Lord God, by the Precious Blood
Your Son Jesus suffering shed
in His Garden Agony,
overcome with terrible dread,

 

O holy Joseph of Cupertino, who loves to bestow
your favors upon all in need of your assistance,
I implore your help with my studies

 

St. Robert, scholar and friend to the poor, 
you devoted your life to the study of Scripture 
and Catholic doctrine.

 

Mary, My Mother,
how shall I stand before my Judge
at the day of judgment?
How shall I answer for the wasted days and years

 

O holy mother,
most afflicted by the bitter sorrow
which you endured at the foot of the Cross
during the Three Hours’ agony of Jesus:

 

O Lord Almighty! You have suffered death
at the cross for our sins.
O Holy Cross of Jesus! be my true light.

 

Most Glorious and Venerable St. John Chrysostom,
grace shining forth from your lips like a beacon
has illumined the universe.

 

O Almighty God, Who beholds Your servants
earnestly desiring to place themselves
under the shadow of the name and protection

 

By Fr. Jim Mulroney

A carving out of wood with little artistic merit, yet adorned in robes of kingly magnificence, the Santo Niño is a source of religious myth and fable dating back to the…

 

Dear Holy Spirit,
You are my friend.
I give myself to You.
I ask You to dwell deeply inside of me
and make me holy.

 

O merciful God, take pity on those souls
who have no particular friends and intercessors
to recommend them to You, who,

 

Dear God, give me courage,
for perhaps I lack it more than anything else.

I need courage before men against their threats
and against their seductions.

 

Behold, O good and sweetest Jesus,
I cast myself upon my knees in Your sight,
and with the most fervent desire of my soul

 

I will go to the altar of God.
To God who gives joy to my youth.
Judge me, O God, and take up my cause.
Free me from the unjust and deceitful man.

 

Mary, Virgin forever,
most worthy Queen of the world,
pray for our peace and salvation,
for you are the Mother of Christ,
the Lord and Savior of all.

 

Lord, on this Labor Day,
we thank You for the blessing of work.
We ask for strength to complete each day.
We ask for rest when we are weary.

 

By Fr. Kevin O'Neill

The Catholic Church in China today continues to be a vibrant witness to God’s love. Whether in large cities or rural villages, Catholics of all ages are active in their…

 

Jesus, we, Your followers, live in an in-between world.

We know by Faith of Your victory over sin and death
through Your Life, death and Resurrection.

 

St. Gregory, you are known for your zeal
for the Catholic faith, love of liturgy,
and compassion and mercy toward those in need.
Please help and guide us

 

Holy Mary, my patron,
I ask you to pray for me to Jesus your son.
Through your constant prayers,
may God continue to guide my paths

 

By Fr. Don Hornsey

The story about paying tax occurs only in Matthew (17:22-27), not surprisingly, as he was a former tax-collector. At the time of the writing of his Gospel, the question of…

 

O Lord, grant us the grace to respect
and care for Your creation.
Lord, hear our prayer.

O Lord, bless all of your creatures

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Our committee president in Naleba was very interested in Tirikuttu. It is a South Indian dance drama – a form of ritual and social entertainment and a medium of social…

 

By Fr. Kevin O'Neill

On the 4th Sunday of Easter – Good Shepherd Sunday – the universal church celebrates Vocations Sunday.
The word vocation means “to call.” Every baptized Christian is…

 

Queen of the Most Holy Rosary,
in this tragic hour of the world's history,
we entrust and consecrate ourselves 
to your Immaculate Heart,

 

O Mother of Perpetual Help,
grant that I may forever invoke
your most powerful name,
which is the safeguard of the living
and the salvation of the dying.

 

Gentle Mary, My Mother,
I place before you the worries,
hurts and hopes of my heart.
They shrink my soul
and I feel heavy and hopeless.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Thirteen young Columban priests arrived in a hot, humid and hurricane-ravaged Suva, the capital of Fiji, more than 70 years ago on February 22, 1952. They were given a…

 

Frail is our vessel,
and the ocean is wide;
but as in Your mercy
You have set our course,
so steer the vessel of our life

 

Dear St Monica, troubled wife and mother,
many sorrows pierced your heart
during your lifetime.
Yet you never despaired or lost faith.

 

Our Father, may everything I do
begin with Your Inspiration,
continue with Your Help,
and reach perfection under Your Guidance.

 

O holy King St. Louis,
worthy son of our Holy Father St. Francis
and patron of the Third Order,
intercede for me with our Heavenly Father.

 

O Lord, show Your mercy to me
and gladden my heart.
I am like the man on the way to Jericho
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.

 

Glorious Saint Rose of Lima,
you who knew what it was to love Jesus
with such a fine and generous heart.
You, whom since infancy, despised the world’s

 

Father, You have given us the mother of Your Son
to be our queen and mother.
With the support of her prayers,

 

by Fr. Frank Hoare

Western foreign missionaries beginning with the Marist Fathers, have nourished the Catholic faith in Fiji since 1844. This era is almost finished. There are no Columban…

 

O Heart of Mary, source of true love,
fill our selfish hearts with Divine charity
and with that true brotherly love
without which there can never be peace.

 

Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary,
that never was it known that anyone
who fled to your protection,
implored your help,
or sought your intercession,

 

O Mother of mercy, beg your divine Son 
to have mercy on me.
Atone for my failings, offering Him on my behalf
all the love and glory you ever gave Him,

 

O Christ Jesus, when all is darkness
and we feel our weakness and helplessness,
give us the sense of Your presence,
Your love, and Your strength.

 

O Holy Spirit,
I humbly implore You,
be with me always
so that in all things,
I may act under the influence
of Your holy inspiration.

Amen.

 

O Jesus! for love of Your Most Holy Mother,
grant me the grace to love You as She does:
above all things,
so that I may do Your Holy Will better,

 

Father in heaven,
all creation gives you praise,
for all life and all holiness come from you.
In the plan of your wisdom
she who bore the Christ in her womb

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

There are some incidents in life, sometimes trivial, that make a deep impression. Here is one that stays forever vivid in my memory. The following scene happened 36 years…

 

O dearest Saint Joseph,
I consecrate myself to your honor
and give myself to you,
that you may always be my father,
my protector and my guide

 

My Queen and my Mother,
I give myself entirely to you;
and to show my devotion to you,
I consecrate to you this day my eyes,
my ears, my mouth, my heart,

 

Loving Father, I am determined to leave all to You,
taking nothing except keeping myself in peace
in Your arms, desiring nothing except

 

O glorious Saint Clare!
God has given you the power
of working miracles continually,
and the favor of answering the prayers

 

Help me, dear St Lawrence,
to live and die as a faithful child of God,
to run in the sweetness of His loving will

 

Lord, God of our fathers,
You brought St Teresa Benedicta
to the fullness of the science of the Cross
at the hour of her martyrdom.

 

I am 27 years old and studied at the CTU from 2018 through the end of 2021. I was born and raised in a Latina Catholic household in San Antonio, Texas. In my free time, I…

 

Wonderful Saintly Founder
of the eloquent Order of Preachers
and friend of Saint Francis of Assisi,
you were a fiery defender of the Faith

 

O glorious St. Cajetan,
you studied to be a lawyer,
but when you felt that the Lord
was calling you to his service,
you abandoned everything

 

O Lord, You call us to go to the mountain top with You
and we follow, not quite sure of what is to happen,
but we like mountain tops, 

 

Father, You hear me when I call on You.
Grant me the faith to turn to You
when my life seems empty and lacking
in meaning for Your love heals all.

 

O most holy Virgin Mary,
always present before the most holy Trinity,
to whom it is granted at all times
to pray for us to your most blessed Son,

 

By Fr. Tom O'Reilly

We are familiar with adversarial debate in our government systems. The government is expected to present policies and pursue its agenda with vigorous determination. The…

 

Saint Peter Julian, obtain for us your own devotion
toward Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament,
that we may learn from that dear Divine Mother

 

Dear Jesus, You are our brother.
You have taken us by the hand
and lead us to join with You
in the work of justice, mercy and healing.

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

We have allowed dualism to color the way we have traditionally interpreted the saying of Jesus that is found in Matthew 19:23-30. To see the world in terms of competing or…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

When I first arrived in Myanmar (formerly Burma), I had to learn the Burmese language for almost year. I attended daily classes with local teachers. One of them is Saya…

 

Mother of my God, and my Lady Mary;
as a beggar, all wounded and sore,
presents himself before a great Queen,
so do I present myself before you,

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I met the fishermen last night as I crossed the Nacamaki village green on my way to a dance practice. The dau ni vucu (composer) was teaching me a vakamalolo meke (sitting…

 

By Marea Lyn M. Almirañez

“Man man” is a Chinese word meaning slowly.  I often come across this word when I’m out and about in Taiwan. Oftentimes, I would see this word written on the road.…

 

Long warm days.
The pace of life slows.
A time for picnics and rest in the shade.

Lord, help me to rest a while
in the cooling shade of Your presence.

 

Keep us, good Lord,
under the shadow of Your mercy,
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,

 

O glorious Saint Martha,
I run to your protection and aid,
comfort me in my difficulties
and intercede for my family

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

Recently, I was on a Zoom call with some of the Columban leaders in countries such as Korea, Peru and Myanmar. There was much talk

 

Dear God, please keep my family and loved ones safe.
Watch over us and protect us with Your love
and shower us with good health, blessings and happiness.

 

Lord Jesus, may everything I do begin with You,
continue with Your help, and be done
under Your guidance.
May my sharing in the Mass free me from my sins,

 

O holy guardian angels,
heavenly friends of my children,
full of confidence I turn to you.
Those whom the Lord has entrusted to me

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

The morning after Pentecost, as I opened the curtains of my bedroom window, the bright red flowers in the garden next door grabbed my attention. In some mysterious way,…

 

O glorious Apostle, Saint James,
who by reason of your fervent and generous heart
was chosen by Jesus to be witness of His glory

 

Lord, I wish to believe in You.
Lord, let my faith be full and unreserved,
and let it penetrate my thought,
my way of judging Divine things and human things.

 

O Jesus! Mirror of eternal splendor,
remember the sadness which You experienced,
when contemplating in the light of Your Divinity

 

Mary Magdalene, woman at the tomb.
You did not yet know what awaited you
but felt confusion, doubt and loss.
Pray for those whose feelings 

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
During Your earthly sojourn
You went sleepless at times
and spent whole nights in prayer.
But there were many other times when You slept.

 

Lord, You are love.
Grant me the gift of awareness
that my words, actions and attitudes may reflect
Your way of peace and harmony.

 

Heavenly Father, in my present need,
help me to believe that You are a wave
of my anxiety and will do what is best for me.
Give me the strength to trust You

 

By Teresa Sihyeon Bae

It has been slightly over one year since I was assigned to Taiwan as a lay missionary by the Missionary Society of St. Columban. I remember the first time I began life as…

 

Most merciful Father,
in many ways You have shown Your love
and care to Your people,
especially to the poor and the sick.

 

Our Lady of the Prairies,
Mary Immaculate, Our Queen,
Our Mother, obtain for us,
we humbly pray,
the gifts of the Holy Spirit.

 

O God, who has honored the Order of Carmel
with the special title of Your Blessed Mother Mary,
grant in Your mercy that we who keep her memory this day

 

We beg the all-merciful Father through You,
to send upon us from His treasure-house
the Spirit of sevenfold grace, who rested upon You
in all His fullness:

 

O St. Kateri, the daughter of an Iroquois chief, 
at age 19 you chose to be baptized and treated 
as a slave among your people. 

 

O God, whose abundant grace prepared Saint Henry
to be raised by you in a wonderful way
from the cares of earthly rule to heavenly realms,

 

O my Jesus! would that I could be entirely spent for You,
as You spent Yourself entirely for me!
If I had died while I was in sin, I could no more

 

O exalted Father St. Benedict,
guide and patriarch of the monastic life,
you are the hope and consolation
of all who cry to you from their inmost heart.

 

By Fr. Jim Mulroney

Two boys from the farm in the southern echelons of the Philippines knelt before Bishop Honesto Ongioco in the bright and airy chapel of the Columban Student House in…

 

O Jesus, who in the very first days of Your
earthly life was compelled, together with Mary,
Your loving Mother, and Saint Joseph,

 

Eternal and ever living God,
I am involved in a major change
in my life, and it is quite unsettling.
I know that for us creatures,

 

O Mary, Mother of Sorrows, I as you,
by the bitter agony you endured
at the foot of the Cross
offer to the Eternal Father, in my name,

 

O Mother, you know the sufferings
and hopes of the Church and the world:
come to the aid of your children in the daily trials
which life brings to each one,

 

Dear Little Saint Mary!
You were ready for the moment of martyrdom
because your short life was given over
to daily and heroic self-denial.

 

Saint Anthony Zaccaria,
helper of the poor and the sick,
you who devoted your life to our spiritual welfare,
listen to my humble and hopeful prayer.

 

Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage: 
We humbly beseech you that we may always prove ourselves 

 

From Your heart, Holy One,
to the suffering heart of Ukraine,
to a world both beautiful and broken,

 

Heavenly Father, this summer we pray
for a refreshment of mind and body.
We pray that we count our many blessings.

 

By Reina Mosqueda

Being a part of the Filipino Catholic Community here in Taiwan is life-giving for me as a missionary.  I feel so blessed to have built a close relationship with the…

 

By Fr. Don Hornsey

Yesterday, I sat on the floor of a young man's house. I don't think he was rich, but somehow he had acquired the use of a house in disrepair. Before he repaired and…

 

God, Our Father,
We ask You to look with mercy and love
on the Supreme Shepherd You have chosen for us.
Give him health and strength

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Here in Nacamaki village on Koro Island, where I am practicing the Fijian language by living in the village, there are many blessings. But there is one frustration.

 

O Mary,
look upon the church,
look upon the most responsible members
of the Mystical Body of Christ
gathered about you to thank you

 

Gracious Lord almighty, Jesus Christ,
let Your sufferings aid us,
and defend us from all pain and grief,
all peril and misery, all uncleanness of heart,

 

St. Irenaeus, Great Doctor, Martyr, and Father of the Church,
O God, who did grant that blessed Irenaeus,
Your martyr and bishop, should both overcome heresy

 

By Ana Flores

I have been working with the youth at Our Mother of Divine Mercy Village (the Philippines) for some years now. The last few years have been beyond compare. I remember…

 

We honor you, O Mary, Mother of God,
treasure of the universe, inextinguishable flame,
scepter of the true faith, indestructible temple,

 

Lord, You show me
endless kindness and compassion.
Give me a thankful heart
that I may find Your love and goodness
in all that I experience.

 

O Heavenly Mother, Queen of Heaven and earth,
I recognize the glory of your highest title,
The Immaculate Heart of Mary!

 

O most Sacred Heart of Jesus,
fountain of every blessing,
I adore You, I love You
and with true sorrow for my sins,
I offer You this poor heart of mine.

 

O most zealous St. John the Baptist, who,
without working any miracle on others,
but solely by the example of your life of penance

 

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life,
you were a model of diligence.
You shunned procrastination,
applied yourself with fervor to your studies,

 

St. Aloysius Gonzaga,
I, your most unworthy client,
commend to you most earnestly
the chastity of my mind and body.

 

Soft and blue are your robes, my Mother,
Azure and clear as an angel's eyes -
Let me hide in them, oh, my Mother -
Radiant Queen of the summer skies!

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

During my years here in Chile, I have been always been interested in catechetics. The Chilean Church was among the first local churches in Latin America to promote family…

 

Oh Lord Jesus Christ, we come before You today,
we thank You for the gift of Your Holy Body and Blood
through which we get strengthened body, soul and mind.

 

Heavenly Father, You entrusted Your Son Jesus,
the child of Mary, to the care of Joseph, an earthly father.
Bless all fathers as they care for their families.

 

Lord, source of eternal life and truth,
give to Your shepherd, the Pope,
a spirit of courage and right judgement,
a spirit of knowledge and love.

 

O St. Germaine, look down from Heaven
and intercede for the many abused children
in our world.
Help them to sanctify these sufferings.

 

O Jesus, come back into our society,
our family life, our souls
and reign there as our peaceful sovereign.
Enlighten with the splendor of faith

 

O God,
who by the resurrection of Your Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, has granted
to make glad the whole world, great,

 

Compassionate St. Anthony,
you are called the “Miracle Worker”
by those who have been blessed by your special friendship.

 

By Sr. Mary Greaney

Irish missionaries have a long history of leaving their footprints in many countries worldwide. When I returned to Ireland some years ago, I responded to the promptings of…

 

Glory be to the Father,
Who by His almighty power and love created me,
making me in the image and likeness of God.

Glory be to the Son,

 

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us
St. Barnabas as an example of holiness.
Help us to imitate the love of You that led him

 

Father, I dedicate this new day to you;
as I go about my work.
I ask you to bless those with whom I come in contact.

Lord, I pray for all men and women

 

St. Gregory Barbarigo, you had all the skills
for a successful life in politics, but instead
dedicated yourself to serving the Church.

 

St. William of Vercelli,
You were a father to your monks
and a shepherd to your people.
Pray for us that we might have our sight restored,

 

Dear Lord,
Today is one of those days when I want
to give You my tears and let You hold them
in Your heart, knowing that they are the sign

 

By Jao Resari

In early October 2021, Pope Francis formally opened the synod process at the Vatican with the theme: “For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission,” that…

 

Lord, You light my way when all grows dark,
when I grow anxious or confused.

You are my solace at night
my comfort when I’m down,
my light, my guide.

 

O Jesus! I offer You this day
and all that I will do
and suffer in it,
for the love of You,
for the Holy Father,
for the conversion of sinners,

 

Risen Lord, Your Spirit moves
within the hearts of all people.
May I let Your light, love, faith and hope
lead me all the days of my life.

 

O Immaculate and wholly-pure Virgin Mary,
Mother of God, Queen of the world,
hope of those who are in despair:
You are the joy of the saints;

 

Holy Mother of the Good Shepherd,
turn your motherly care to our diocese.
Intercede for us to the Lord of the harvest

 

By Sr. Anne Carbon

In 2021, the Philippine Church celebrated half a millennium, 500 years, of Christianity. According to 2015 statistics, the population of the Philippines is more than 100…

 

Merciful God, Jesus calls us
to be as you are - full of compassion.
We ask that we be helped to let go of hatred
before it begins to warp our lives. 

 

By Hazel Angwani

The sweet and minty smell of the mountain air. The sound of glacier water flowing from the melting ice. The thunderous sound of an avalanche

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Election fever is at a high pitch. Just a couple of weeks to go. Ordinary people are usually fearful in the run-up to any election in Fiji.

 

By Sr. Abbie O'Sullivan

If I could stand before the crucifixion of Jesus on Calvary what would I feel or think? What would I do or say? What would you do or say? The connotation of the word “…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

In Genesis 44-45, we hear the story of Joseph’s emotional reconnection with his brothers. This familiar Old Testament story reminds me of the time an aging Fijian Catholic…

 

Dear Lord, thank you for our mother Mary.
In haste Mary set out to visit her cousin.
She was attentive to the needs of another 

 

St. Joan of Arc,
in the face of your enemies,
in the face of harassment,
ridicule, and doubt,
you held firm in your faith.
Even in your abandonment,

 

Sr. Cecilia Cuizon

The Community of Hope Special Education Center is a religious and charitable organization run by the Columban Sisters. It delivers services to children and young adults…

 

Dear St. Madeleine Sophie Barat,
you consecrated yourself to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and spent your life opening Schools

 

Mary, most holy Virgin and Queen of Martyrs,
accept the sincere homage of my affection.
Into your Heart, pierced by so many swords,

 

Thank You dear Lord, for protecting 
and preserving me during the night
and for giving me this new day.
Good morning Heavenly Father,

 

Great Saint Philip Neri, you who wished
to live in a lowly station rather than to be advanced
to the highest dignities of the Church,

 

By Fr. Peter Woodruff

My mind was significantly shaped by mathematics, logic and informal debate. Thinking things through, stating a position and articulating the case for a position has been…

 

Heavenly Father,
you have given us the model of life
in the Holy Family of Nazareth.
Help us, O Loving Father,
to make our family another Nazareth

 

Deliver me, Lord Jesus Christ,
from all my iniquities and from every evil,
make me hold fast to Your commandments
and never allow me to be separated from You.

 

O invincible defender of Holy Church's freedom
Saint Gregory of great renown,
by the firmness that you showed in maintaining

 

By Sheryl Lou Capili

Coming back to Taiwan as a second term lay missionary, I was very excited to go back to serve in the migrant ministry. I have a new assignment which is to help out in…

 

Dear God, I spend so much time reliving yesterday
or anticipating tomorrow that I lose sight
of the only time that is really mine,
the present moment.

 

Lord, we thank You for our parents,
without whom we would not be here.
We thank You for their sacrifices,
the many they have made.

 

O Lord Jesus Christ, who granted
to blessed Bernardine, Your Confessor,
a surpassing love for Your Holy Name;
we ask You by his merits and intercession,

 

O Holy Spirit,
I humbly implore You,
to be with me always
so that in all things,
I may act under the influence
of Your holy inspiration.

Amen.

 

By Lee Su-Bin Matilda

A few months previous, his health started getting worse, and he needed to have an operation because there was a tumor on his neck. The doctor, his family and the staff…

 

O Lord, I thank You for allowing me
to have these very special people in my life.
I have been truly blessed by their presence,

 

Saints of God,
who owe your happiness to the Blood of Jesus;
Angelic spirits, who sing Its glory and power,
august Virgin, who to It owes the privileges

 

O glorious St. Margaret, you embarked
on a life of penance and poverty
after you repented of your sins.
Jesus touched your heart, and after

 

By Fr. Peter O'Neill

In 2007, during one of my weekly visits to the Hsinchu City Immigration Detention Center in Taiwan, I met Ani and Siti (not their real names), two young women from…

 

Sweet Child Mary,
destined to be the Mother of God
and our sovereign and loving Mother,
by the prodigies of grace you lavish upon us,

 

Most Holy Virgin,
who has stooped to come to Fatima
to reveal to the three little shepherds
the treasures of graces hidden 

 

Lord, this Easter season I ask You
to bless my home, to make it a place
where Your goodness dwells,
where Your presence can be felt.

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

French Catholic missionaries first arrived in Fiji in 1844 at Lakeba, Lau. Missions were established in 1851 at Ba and Rewa on the island of Viti Levu, and at Solevu on…

 

By Sr. Rebecca Conlon

Pope Francis’ pastoral visit to Iraq in the midst of the coronavirus pandemic as a Pilgrim Penitent and as a Pilgrim of Peace put me thinking. Age and diminishing health…

 

Heavenly Father, as I sense Your goodness within me
may my body feel whole, so that it may savor Your peace
and goodness within the innermost center of my being

 

Dear St Damien,
you loved your parents but you loved God more.
You knew God was calling you to the priesthood
and you answered that call

 

O Mary, Mother of Mercy,
pray to your Divine Son for me, a poor sinner;
beg Him to make me humble.
Oh, how humble you are, the purest of Virgins;

 

By Fr. Daniel O'Connor

I met Loweza in the village named Mundiala Virka many years ago when I was on mission in Sheikhupura Parish in Punjab Province, Pakistan. She arrived at their simple…

 

There is but one and only one,
Whose love will fail you never.
One who lives from sun to sun,
With constant fond endeavor.

There is but one and only one

 

O God,
Who has chosen the apostles to propagate the faith
and to establish His Holy Church through the world,
we earnestly beseech You to bless Your church

 

Heavenly Father,
You are the bread of life
that satisfies my life.
Help me to be more attentive
to the health of my spiritual life.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

The young people of the Pacific are the ones who have contributed least to planetary destruction, but they will suffer its consequences sooner and more than those who are…

 

Virgin Mary, most loving Mother,
please give me a heart like yours,
firm in its attachments and of unshakable loyalty,
an affectionate heart which radiates

 

Risen Lord, Your grace and love are all I need.
Help me to do Your will today.
You shine Your kindness on all people everywhere.

 

O Most Holy Virgin and Our Mother,
we kneel before You
to manifest the sorrow we feel
for the grievances that people cause You,
and to atone by our prayers

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

A youth march to highlight the climate crisis was suggested by Atelemo Cakaudrove, a student from the Fiji National University, Nasinu Campus, at a zoom meeting with other…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

“Go home.” These can be tough words for foreign missionaries and sometimes people can bluntly tell us to go back to where we came from. Such words can be said when what we…

 

It is becoming for you, O Mary,
to be mindful of us, as you stand near Him
who bestowed upon you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

A week ago, I heard on the coconut wireless that two men here in Nacamaki village had noticed a small shark in shallow water off the coast. They quickly took shovels from…

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

A parishioner, whose husband had died two years before, had now lost her only son. He had died of a heart attack while hiking in the mountains. His car was found in a…

 

By Fr. Malachy Hanratty

Jesus had a good following in Galilee but going into Judea towards Jerusalem He was meeting much resentment, opposition and obstruction from the religious authorities. He…

 

Mother of God, who contained the infinite God
under your heart, whom no space can contain:
through you the most Holy Trinity is revealed,

 

O God, Who You were pleased to break the teeth
of them that hate Your Church,
and to restore again the solemn worship of Yourself,

 

Holy Spirit, come into my heart;
draw it to You by Your power,
O my God, and grant me charity with filial fear.
Preserve me, O ineffable Love,

 

O Jesus, living in Mary,
Come and live in Your servants,
In the spirit of Your holiness,
In the fullness of Your might,
In the truth of Your virtues,

 

Release me, Lord, from all the negative feelings
that sin has left within me,
all unforgivingness I’ve harbored in my heart,

 

Risen Lord, Your resurrection renewed the face
of the earth and gave us hope.
Make me eager to use my gifts and talents

 

O glorious St Mark,
through the grace of God our Father,
you became a great Evangelist,
preaching the Good News of Christ.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

The latest letter of Pope Francis, the Encyclical, Fratelli Tutti, Brothers and Sisters All, should touch every heart, stimulate all minds, awaken consciences, warm our…

 

O Blessed Trinity,
abundantly assist me in becoming
that which You intended me to become
when You created me,
for in that perfection

 

O St. George,
faithful servant of God and invincible martyr;
favored by God with the gift of faith,
and inflamed with an ardent love of Christ,

 

O persecuted shepherd whose flock
repeatedly drove you from their midst
but who accomplished great
work of conversion among them …

 

My most merciful Lady,
what can I say about the fountains
that flowed from your most pure eyes
when you saw your only Son before you,

 

Dear God, give me the courage to begin again,
to overlook the difficulties,
to overcome the obstacles
and to stay open to the moment as best I can.

 

God our Father we praise You
and we bless You
because in St Gianna Beretta Molla
You have given us one who witnessed to the Gospel

 

By Fr. Robert McCulloch

A holy memory from my childhood remains with me. I was five years old.

 

Risen Lord, You are my help and my hope.
Give me the courage to empty myself
of all that prevents me from knowing
Your goodness and kindness.

 

Lord, bless us this Easter time;
Bless us with faith, guard us in doubt;
Bless us with hope, uplift us in despair;
Bless us with love, keep us from harm;

 

O Lord,
Your sorrowing Mother stood by Your Cross;
help us in our sorrows to share Your sufferings.
Like the seed buried in the ground,

 

O Jesus, it is not the heavenly reward
You have promised which impels me to love You;
neither is it the threat of hell
that keeps me from offending You.

 

O Merciful Lord, 
through the intercession of blessed Isidore,
farmer and confessor,
we may forego the pride of worldly wisdom,

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
in Your ardent love for Your apostles
You desired to share the Passover meal with them
on the night before You suffered.

 

By Fr. Donal O'Keefe

On Good Friday 2021, the Columban formation community in Seoul participated in the Holy Friday Liturgy organized by the Korean Branch of the Global Catholic Climate…

 

Dear Jesus, sometimes the challenges of life seem to dim
our eyes and we see things in a narrow view.
Yet You appreciated the beauty that surrounded You.

 

Lord, You never turn Your back on Your own.
Help me to remain faithful to myself in times of trouble.
Give me a spirit of faithfulness so that I may fast

 

God the Father,
I thank You for creating me.

God the Son,
I thank You for redeeming me.

God the Holy Spirit,
I thank You for sanctifying me;

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

The wrapping on the small parcel resembled a brown paper bag rather than an envelope while Fr. Elmer’s name and address were written in bold, clear letters. Perhaps it was…

 

All praise and glory are yours, Lord our God.
For you have called us to serve you and one another in love.

 

Mercifully, O Lord,
work Your sanctification within us
by means of Your mysteries;
may they both cleanse us from earthly vices,

 

Jesus, my Lord,
I confess that I am a sinner.
But in Your goodness
You invite me to approach Your Holy Table
and to partake of Your heavenly banquet.

 

O God, You chose your blessed confessor Jean-Baptiste
to give Christian education to the poor
and to confirm young people in the way of truth,

 

Lord, open my heart to believe Your word.
Guide me as I learn to play my part
in creating Your vision of peace and love.

 

O Saint Vincent Ferrer, our guardian,
because God, our eternal Father,
has blessed you with an inexhaustible
fountain of grace and blessing,

 

By Monalisa Esteban

A few months ago, I had this strange experience of having my hands washed by an old lady in the village. She grabbed my hands and started washing them. I did try to stop…

 

Blessed St. Isidore, help us to understand
that in the Mass we offer ourselves to God
with Christ by the hands of the priest.

 

Our Father, sometimes the cares of the day
seem to multiply, while the blessings fade so quickly.
Our bodies grow tired and our minds even more tired.

 

Lord, You are the Word of God that shows me
what is good, right and true.
Make me a faithful witness to Your Word.
Lord, You are the source of love,

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

I recall the story of a missionary who went to Africa with the stated intention of bringing God to a people whom he thought had never heard of God before.

 

By Joan Yap

There is so much to tell about missionary life, but one thing to never miss to mention is that missionaries go where God sends them. It is often said that the family is…

 

Lord, may we strive each day of Lent
to deepen our friendship with You
so as to make this time of Your grace,
a season of Your favor.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

When I was back for the first time in Ireland after four years in Fiji, it was great to be home. My mother had knitted me a warm sweater now that my blood had been thinned…

 

Dear Jesus, I have been doing some good things,
but at other times just spinning my wheels. 
Gradually, I have come to realize

 

Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness.
In Your compassion, blot out my offence.
O wash me more and more from my sin
And from my sin, cleanse me.

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
eternal and merciful God,
Creator and Redeemer of all,
listen to my prayer.

For the love You bear
to those who ask forgiveness,

 

I ask You, Lord, to unlock the chains of my guilt
that stop me from believing that You want
what is for my good.

 

By Elbert Balbastro

The celebration of 500 years of Christianity in the Philippines was a momentous event that needed to be celebrated and remembered.

 

O Glorious Mother, assist me by the wings of your prayers,
so that on my exit from this valley of tears
I may be able to advance without torment

 

Hail, Mary, my joy, my glory, my heart and my soul!
You are all mine through your mercy, and I am all yours.
But I am not yours completely enough.

 

I greet you, ever-blessed Virgin,
Mother of God, Throne of Grace,
miracle of Almighty Power!

I greet you, Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity

 

Heavenly Father, like St. Oscar Romero,
inspire us be courageous enough to speak out
on behalf of those who face injustice, no matter the cost.

 

Saint Turibius, pray for us
that we will use our abilities fully,
to share the teachings of Jesus with others.
Grant that we may always receive new growth

 

Infinitely merciful Father,
I offer You by the Sorrowful and Immaculate Heart of Mary
with St. Joseph, the nine choirs of Angels

 

All praise and glory are Yours, almighty Father:
You have given us Your Son Jesus to save us from sin.
We praise You for choosing Mary to be His mother,

 

By Fr. John Boles

Born on St. Columban’s Day, baptized by a Columban priest, ordained by a cousin and namesake – it seems I was marked out from the start

 

Lord, strengthen my resolve to be faithful
to Your covenant of love and be more compassionate
and generous toward all people.

 

Glorious Saint Joseph,
pattern of all who are devoted to toil,
obtain for me the grace to toil in the spirit of penance,
in order to atone for my many sins;

 

Dear Jesus, during Holy Week,
we come to reflect on Your suffering and death.
You were true to Your Father’s desire for the full life

 

O glorious Saint Patrick, Apostle of Ireland!
I praise, bless, and glorify God for your sanctity,
your zeal, your charity, your labors,

 

Lord, support us all the day long,
from the early dawn as the world awakens
and the sun peeks over the horizon
till the shades lengthen and the evening comes,

 

O Gracious God,
Saint Louise devoted her life
to helping Saint Vincent de Paul
serve the needs of the poor.
She often taught:

 

Let me pause as I begin this new day to give it to You, Lord.
Before the tumult of activities breaks in;

 

By Fr. John Boles

The ripening corn sparkled in the sunlight as we set off. Birds chattered in the bushes around the fields. Two copses of trees perfectly framed the tower of a mediaeval…

 

Lord Jesus, Son of God,
our brother and our savior,
we give You glory.
Protect Your Church and make us one.
Send Your Spirit to guide us

 

Loving Father,
faith in Your Word is the way to wisdom.
Help me to think about Your Divine Plan
that I may grow in the truth.
Open my eyes to Your deeds,

 

God we thank You for all Your gifts to us.
Especially for the precious gift of our Catholic faith.
Grant that our country may be united once again

 

Favorably regard Your people,
we ask You, O Lord, and grant
that they who You command
to abstain from carnal food,
may also cease from hurtful vices.

 

St. Frances of Rome, you desired to serve God
in a wholehearted way from the time you were a child.
You wanted to serve Him in religious life,

 

Good Saint John,
lover of those who suffer
and special Patron of the Sick,
how patiently you bore the sufferings of your own disease!

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Fiji’s Archbishop Peter Loy Chong, like many others, realized the importance of social media when COVID-19 caused all churches to be closed down. English is seen as the…

 

I ask You, Lord, to release me from any slavery
to sin, any attitudes, habits, compulsions,
or ingrained ways of thinking, speaking, or acting

 

Lord, You call me by name and invite me
to be Your disciple.
Give me a courageous heart to leave everything
and follow you.

 

God, Father and Creator,
we thank You for all the gifts you have given us,
Especially the gift of Your Son.
 
During this holy season of Lent,

 

Enjoy your well-earned rest in heaven, O Casimir!
Your life was short, but full of merit.
The remembrance of heaven made you forget the earth.

 

Ever loving God, You called Saint Katharine Drexel
from a life of wealth to become a missionary
and teach the message of the Gospel

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

Steven Ram Narayan (universally known as “Sonny Boy” or “Uncle”) was born in April 1947 to Ram Garib and Marion Bennion of Elevuka, Ba, Fiji. That was both an interfaith…

 

Compassionate and Holy God,
stir the dust of our lives and help us remember who we are.
Scatter this dust upon the field of our fear

 

By Jhoanna Resari

My ministry work includes providing education, training and assistance to enable church leaders and migrant communities in the Hsinchu diocese to respond to the realities…

 

God of infinite mercy,
grant that we who know Your compassion
may rejoice in Your forgiveness
and gladly forgive others

 

By Fr. John Marley

Some journalists were fascinated by the fact that Pope Benedict XVI freely surrendered his infallibility in giving up the Papacy. However wonderful Papal infallibility may…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

I vividly recall the first coup in Fiji. It took place on May 14, 1987. Shortly after the takeover of Parliament and the imprisonment of government members, soldiers…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

The Catholics of Naleba settlement held their annual Church AGM while I happened to be there on a return visit. Some young teachers who had just completed three-week…

 

O Mary, implore for the world
the grace to see everything as the gift of God
and the virtue to work with generosity

 

Hear, O Blessed Virgin,
the prayers which we address you,
Our Lady of Rest,
as we are mindful of that maternal love
in which you receive your children.

 

O Virgin, fair as the moon,
delight of the angels and saints in heaven,
grant that we may become like you
and that our souls may receive a ray of your beauty,

 

Dear Jesus, You were faithful to Your mission
for the Kingdom of God.
Some did not listen.
Your disciples did not fully grasp
what You were about.

 

By Kim Sun Hee

Finding and determining any new ministry involvement always comes with an interplay of many emotions such as nervousness, excitement and even worry. Whatever decision to…

 

Give me Yourself, O my God,
give Yourself to me.
Behold I love You,
and if my love is too weak a thing,
grant me to love You more strongly.

 

O Saint Polycarp, the protector of our hearts,
come speedily near us,
free the precious member of your body
from the hands of the unrighteous,

 

O Lord, Jesus Christ,
Redeemer and Savior,
forgive my sins,
just as You forgave Peter's denial
and those who crucified You.

 

Jesus Christ,
Son of God made Man,
Crowned with thorns, bearing a scepter of a reed,
Wearing a royal cloak purpled with Your Precious Blood,

 

By Lenette Toledo

Pope Francis announced that 2021 would be dedicated to St. Joseph, husband of Mary and earthly father of Jesus Christ. This story was shared to me by Anna Sut Pan, who…

 

O God, give me a strong faith.
Help me to believe with lively faith.

O God, all-good and all-merciful,
I sincerely hope to be saved.

 

O Mary, your name has been on my lips
and in my heart from my early infancy.
When I was a child
I learned to love you as a Mother,
turn to you in danger,

 

Blessed John of Fiesole,
Thank you for using your artistic talents
to honor the Lord.
I pray for all involved in the arts
especially those that use them

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

In 1969 I was due for my first vacation in Ireland after spending five years in the Philippines. As the time drew near I was excited. We got an allowance for holidays that…

 

As Morning breaks, I think of you, O Lord,
and my desire is to serve You joyfully.
With gladness, I consecrate this day to Your Sacred Heart,

 

O Mary, under your patronage
we find peace in the midst of earthly tribulation.
You are the quiet certainty of the strong soul,

 

Your name, O Mother of God,
is replete with all graces and Divine blessings.
You have contained Him who cannot be contained,

 

O glorious advocate and protector, St. Valentine,
look with pity upon our wants,
hear our requests,
attend to our prayers,
relieve by your intercession…

 

By Fr. John Boles

“Die from Covid or die from hunger. Not much of a choice.”

 

O My God,
I place my trust and confidence in You,
who will reward the good and punish the wicked.
I believe in You and accept everything

 

Almighty God, who has given us this good land for our heritage;
We humbly beseech You that we may always prove ourselves

 

O Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Mercy,
you are the refuge of sinners,
the health of the sick,
and the comfort of the afflicted.
You know my wants,

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

Francis Xavier La Aung Nbwi and Peter Kyaw Zaw (pronounced Cho-zo) are the first Myanmar seminarians to come through the Columban seminary system. They both grew up in the…

 

O God, to show us where innocence leads, 
You made the soul of Your virgin Saint Scholastica 
soar to heaven like a dove in flight. 

 

Good and gracious God,
I thank You for all the gifts and graces of this day.
My God, I am truly sorry for any sin in my life today:

 

God of goodness and mercy,
rewarder of the humble,
you blessed St. Josephine Bakhita of Sudan
with charity and patience.
May her prayers help us,

 

I desire to love You without reserve,
and to do all that I know to be pleasing to You.
I love Your good pleasure
more than all the pleasures of the world.

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

When the Columbans arrived in Fiji on February 22, 1952, a number of them went immediately to Xavier College in Ba, to take over its administration, as a way of outreach…

 

O Mary, you are praying for us,
you are always praying for us.
We know it, we feel it.
Oh what joy and truth,
what sublime glory,

 

O God, who among the other marvels of Your power,
has granted all the victory of martyrdom;
mercifully grant: that we who celebrate the Heavenly birthday …

 

Lord, I ask Your mercy and Your favor
in a special way on me today.
I ask the gift of healing both spiritual and physical,

 

By Elbert L. Balbastro

Life is always a journey of knowing ourselves which hopefully leads to knowing God.

 

O God, deliver us through the intercession
of Your holy bishop and martyr Blaise,
from all evil of soul and body,
especially from all ills of the throat;

 

O Blessed Mother,
the sword is already in your heart.
You knew the future of the Fruit of your womb.
May our fidelity in following Him

 

Dear Jesus, we pray that Your Spirit may continue
to give new life to Your Church.
Some have fallen away.
Enlighten their hearts to find You and accept

 

By Fr. Brian Vale

Early in September 2021, a small group of us Columbans visited the Buddhist Tsz Shan Monastery in Tai Po, Hong Kong. In this era of restrictions on our mobility it was…

 

By Fr. Donald Hornsey

In Matthew 12: 38-42, the scribes and Pharisees tell Jesus that they want to see a sign from Him. He rebukes them and says that the only sign they will receive will be…

 

By Sr. Abbie O'Sullivan

We are now entering a New Year. It doesn’t seem long ago since we entered a new millennium. How time has flown by.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I am teaching and counselling seminarians at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva.

 

By Fr. George Hogarty

In the book of Ecclesiastes, the sacred writer of this Old Testament wisdom book alludes to the continuous changes that determine our lives saying there is “a time to keep…

 

O Mary, powerful Virgin,
You are the mighty and glorious Protector of the Church.
You are the Marvelous Help of Christians.

 

Dear Jesus, I get discouraged when I see people,
communities, nations that cannot or do not
want to get along with one another. 

 

For all You have given, Thank You God.
For all You have withheld, Thank You God.
For all You have withdrawn, Thank You God.

 

Virgin full of goodness, Mother of mercy,
I entrust to you my body and my soul,
my thoughts and my actions,
my life and my death.

 

May the Virgin St. Angela never fail to commend us
to Your compassion, O Lord, we pray, that,
following the lessons of her charity and prudence,

 

Lord, You blessed St. Timothy with Apostolic virtues.
Through his intercession, may we be filled with the desire

 

O Glorious St. Paul, after persecuting the Church
you became by God's grace its most zealous Apostle.
To carry the knowledge of Jesus, our Divine Savior,

 

Do not look forward in fear to the changes in life;
rather, look to them with full hope that as they arise,
God, whose very own you are,

 

O Lord Jesus, gentle and humble of heart,
full of compassion and maker of peace,
you lived in poverty and suffered persecution
for the cause of justice.

 

Dear Lord Jesus, May we stand before You
in our brokenness, our weakness and our fragile humanity.
We are sorrowful for all the times we've disappointed You.

 

St. Agnes, although you were only a child,
you believed that Jesus was always with you;
help us to remember that he is also with us,

 

Dear Father, shine Your light upon me
so that I may see my true vocation.
Give me the grace to hear Your word
and be an example to others of Your love for us.

 

Eternal God, in whom mercy is endless
and the treasury of compassion inexhaustible,
look kindly upon us and increase Your mercy in us,

 

My Jesus, by the sorrows You suffered
in Your agony in the Garden,
in Your scourging and crowning with thorns,
on the way to Calvary,

 

By Sainiana Tamatawale

Nine days before Christmas, the Christian community where I live takes part in what they call the “Posada.” It’s an annual tradition of faith practice among the Mexican…

 

Great and glorious God, my Lord Jesus Christ!
I implore You to enlighten me
and to disperse the darkness of my soul.

 

To you we cry in our tribulations,
O Blessed Saint Joseph,
as we confidently invoke your patronage,
after that of your most holy spouse,

 

Dear Jesus, at times, painful experiences
crop up in our lives,
the loss of someone beloved, illness,
economic loss, and other woes.

 

Good and gentle Jesus,
Whose loving Heart was ever troubled
by the sorrows of others,
look with pity upon the holy souls in Purgatory.

 

Father, through the intercession of St. Hilary,
keep us from vain strife of words.
Grant to us constant profession of the Truth!

 

God of Love,
I thank You for the people in my life
who are easy to love.
I thank You for my family and friends
who understand my actions,

 

I humbly salute you,
O you faithful, heavenly friends of my children!
I give you heartfelt thanks
for all the love and goodness you show them.

 

With each new day that dawns I am growing up, O Lord.
It's not too soon to start thinking of what I want to be.
It's very hard, I think,

 

By Latai Muller

Christmas is a time of peace and happiness within the family, but Christmas 2020 during the coronavirus pandemic had some disruptive twists resulting in a unique but…

 

I offer You, Lord, my thoughts: to be fixed on You;
my words: to have You for their theme;
my actions: to reflect my love for You;

 

O God of this new year that stretches before me,
teach me the secrets of wisdom.
Purify me with the hyssop until I am clean;

 

Faithful St. Raymund, dispenser of the Mystery of reconciliation!
It was from the Heart of an Incarnate God,
that you drew the sweet charity,

 

St. Andre, I come to you in prayer for healing.
You were no stranger to illness.
Plagued by stomach problems,
you knew suffering on a daily basis,

 

St. John Neumann,
obtain for me a solid faith
in all the teachings of the Catholic Church,
along with the light to know

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I was shocked when a daughter of close Indo-Fijian friends eloped 45 years ago. I sought her out at that time begging her, in vain, to return to her family. Her mother was…

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

It's not every day a member of your parish brings home a gold Olympic medal! I was very happy therefore to finally meet Waisea Nacuqu, from Votua, after his 2 weeks'…

 

By Fr. Bill Morton

After four years as an air traffic controller in the U.S. Navy, I began my journey with the Columban Fathers in St. Paul, Minnesota, in 1975 and was ordained in my…

 

By Fr. John Boles

Deep in the industrial heartland of northern England, Columban Fr. John Boles encounters a parish with a remarkable tale to tell.
"Every picture tells a story," goes…

 

O Father, the first rule of our dear Savior’s life
as to do Your Will.
Let His Will of the present moment
be the first rule of our daily life and work,

 

Jesus, the very thought of You
With sweetness fills the breast!
Yet sweeter far Your face to see
And in Your presence rest.

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

Atil Kumar Singh (aka Bobby) is an Indo-Fijian carpenter who lives beside a Fijian village called Natunuku, in the parish of Christ the King, Ba.

 

Arise, shine, for the Light of the World has come!
Darkness covers the earth and its people,
but the radiance of God's Light
burns away its shadows,

 

O God, who through the fruitful virginity of Blessed Mary
bestowed on the human race the grace of eternal salvation,

 

O admirable St. Sylvester, you lived
through the persecutions of Diocletian
and not only survived but flourished.

 

Mary, Mother of the Church,
we pray to you for your sons
chosen and sent by your Son Jesus
to prolong his ministerial priesthood.

 

Almighty God, you granted your martyr,
Thomas Becket, the grace to give his life willingly
for the freedom of your Church.

 

Heavenly Father, You walk in communion
with all of humanity.
Open my eyes, ears, mind and heart to Your Presence.
Heal whatever prevents me from knowing

 

O God, who sees that on every side
we are afflicted by our evils;
deny us not, we ask You,
the safeguard of the glorious intercession

 

By Patrick Colgan

On December 19, 2020, 29 years and three days after his burial in Lautoka, Fiji, a small group went from Ba parish to investigate the condition of Fr. Keelan’s grave, and…

 

O Mary, Blessed Mother of Jesus,
grant to our children a place in your pure maternal heart!
Spread over them your protecting mantle

 

Almighty God and Father of light,
a child is born for us
and a son is given to us.
Your eternal Word leaped down from heaven

 

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
in which the Son of God was born
of the most pure Virgin Mary,
at midnight,
in Bethlehem,
in the piercing cold.

 

Lord, the light of Your love
dispels the darkness in my life.
Wrap me in Your love and tender care,
and shine Your light of truth upon me.

 

By Fr. Vincent Busch

The Subanens are an indigenous people whose ancestral habitat is the highlands of Western Mindanao in the Philippines. Guided by the Columban Sisters who had been living…

 

Most Holy Virgin Mary, Mother of God,
I am not worthy to be thy servant.
But moved by thy marvelous compassion
and my own desire to serve thee, here and now,

 

O God you endowed Your priest, St. Peter Canisius,
with holiness and learning for the defense of the Church.
Through his intercession,

 

Dear Jesus, You give each of us a special call to follow You.
Yet, we are not called merely singly,
but as members of the communities in which

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

We are sharing with you some of the highlights of the work of Preda Foundation and wish you all a blessed Christmas. As many as 100 children have been saved and recovered…

 

Gracious God, You have given us
many healing remedies that are a benefit
to us when we are sick.
Through the miraculous intercession of St. Anthony,

 

O Mother of our Advent,
be with us and see to it
that He will remain with us
in this difficult Advent
of the struggles for truth and hope,

 

Father, source of light in every age,
the virgin conceived and bore Your Son
Who is called Wonderful God,
Prince of Peace.

 

Lord Jesus! You, who in the most bitter moments
of Your passion showed an ardent thirst for souls,
grant that we may share in this thirst.

 

By Fr. Jim Mulroney

Ping-pong played an instrumental part in thawing the freeze between the People’s Republic of China and the United States of America in the 1970s. While far from being the…

 

Lord, when I’m not well I lose confidence,
get confused, become anxious and frightened
about all kinds of things,
about the past, and about the future,

 

O glorious St. John of the Cross,
through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified,
you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer,

 

By Fr. Liam O'Callaghan

Christmas greetings to you, and I hope this finds you and your loved ones well and in good health. It is hard to believe that another year is almost over. I would like to…

 

Relying on your goodness, O God,
we humbly ask You,
through the intercession of St. Lucy, virgin and martyr,
to give perfect vision to our eyes,

 

Lord, we are all a part of Your divine body.
When I judge others, I judge myself.
Forgive my lack of unconditional love.

 

O Saint Damasus, Bishop of Rome
who guided the bark of Peter through difficult waters,
who kept her on the course set for her by the Lord

 

Lord, I believe:
I wish to believe in You.
Lord, let my faith be full and unreserved,
and let it penetrate my thought,

 

You who were chosen by Our Lady of Guadalupe
as an instrument to show your people and the world
that the way of Christianity is one of love,

 

By Mavic Mercene

As I write this, it is the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. A few days from now would already be Christmas day. This is the most holy and meaningful occasion of the…

 

Father, you prepared the Virgin Mary
to be the worthy mother of Your Son.
You let her share beforehand
in the salvation Christ would bring by His death,

 

May the life of Blessed Mary be ever present 
to our awareness.
In her, as in a mirror, the form of virtue 
and beauty of chastity shrine forth.…

 

By Nathalie Marytsch

We are about to enter the Advent season. This is a unique time of waiting, a time of preparation, much as it would have been for Mary carrying a baby in her womb.

 

O good St. Nicholas, you who are the joy of the children,
put in my heart the spirit of childhood, which the gospel speaks,

 

Almighty and merciful God,
Who has commissioned Your angels to guide and protect us,
command them to be our assiduous companions,

 

Holy Mary, daughter of King David
and Mother of God, the universal King;
All your desires are centered
only on what merits to be sought

 

Eternal God, Creator of all things,
remember that You alone
have created the souls of unbelievers,
which You have made according to Your Image and Likeness.

 

Dear Jesus, when we look back on our lives,
we see the depth of Your care for us.
It forms a pattern unique to each

 

By Jennifer "Jake" Lunor

Being a stranger in a foreign land isn’t always easy, in terms of learning and adapting to the culture, as well as the language.

 

By Fr. Jim Mulroney

“Ask about the labor, not the label,” Australian troubadour, Dermot Dorgan, says in his award-winning song on responsible consumerism. The same question can also well…

 

Lord, I am hungry for so much.
Teach me to trust that You
are meeting my every need.
Bless me with the compassion
to reach out to others who are

 

By Fr. Alo Connaughton

People sometimes ask “Why did you become a missionary?” What made about 12 of my 45 classmates in secondary school decide that they wanted to be missionary priests?

 

By Marjorie C. Engcoy

Today, I finally set foot in Navala village. For a number of times, previous plans of going to Navala have been postponed because of one reason, the weather. But today was…

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

I like Christmas lights. In many suburbs of Australia there are marvelous displays of Christmas lights. In the northern hemisphere I enjoyed the lights with the snow and…

 

O good cross, made beautiful by the body
of the Lord, long have I desired you,
ardently have I loved you,
unceasingly have I sought you,

 

O God, who gave us joy by the yearly festival
of Your blessed martyr and bishop Clement;
grant that we who keep his birthday

 

By Sr. Abbie O'Sullivan

At the waning of the year November comes dark and somber. The days shorten, and the nights grow long. All the abundance and richness of Autumn are stored in our barns. The…

 

O angel of Christ, holy guardian and protector
of my soul and body, forgive me everything
that I have offended you every day of my life,

 

O Lord Jesus Christ, in presenting ourselves
before Thine adorable Face to ask of You
the graces of which we stand most in need,

 

Oh, St. Columban, who in your zeal to follow
Christ left your homeland as a wanderer
and spent your life in suffering and exile,

 

Jesus, each time I look at the sacred Host,
sanctify my eyes, that they may close
more and more to all that is merely earthly.

 

Holy Mother, you were given to us
in the hour of your greatest grief
that you might be mindful of our frailty
and the evils that press upon us.

 

By Fr. Michael Riordan

In our Hill of Grace Shrine on Isidore we have a park with a series of sculptures showing some of the events of the life of Christ. One of the events depicted is the…

 

Holy Mary, help the miserable,
strengthen the discouraged,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for your people, plead for the clergy,

 

Columban Fr. Chris Saenz was appointed Director of the Columban Fathers in the United States by the Superior General of the Missionary Society of St. Columban after a…

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

This time last year, I wrote an article entitled “How to be People of the Eucharist, when there is no Eucharist?” It was during the time of Fiji’s first coronavirus…

 

O Eternal God, who gave us,
in the person of St. Cecilia, a powerful protectress,
grant that after having faithfully passed our days,

 

Blessed Virgin Mary,
who can worthily repay you with praise
and thanks for having rescued a fallen world
by your generous consent!

 

There are times when I realize I’ve complained
too much and others seem to avoid me.
It’s just that I feel so low at times, so exhausted,

 

O loving, sweet Mary,
Where do I aspire?
It is my hope to love thee,
This is my desire.

I would ever be near thee,
Queen most fair and sweet!

 

Lord, You alone are the Center in which I find rest.
Give me Your arm to support me,
Your shoulders to carry me,
Your breast to lean upon,

 

By Fr. Noel Mackey

For the past fourteen years Korea has been honoring individual immigrants who have made significant contributions to the country declaring them “Immigrants of the Year.”…

 

St. Elizabeth, although you were born into royalty,
you saw God in the poor of your country.
With your wealth, you cared for the poor

 

O God, Who in the heart of the holy virgin Gertrude
provided for Yourself a dwelling well-pleasing to You:
through her merits and intercession, in Your mercy,

 

By Fr. Noel O'Neill

I took the call and an excited voice came over the phone. “Sinbunim, (Father) I have passed the college entrance exam.” It was 22-year-old Kim Youn Cheong on the phone. I…

 

God of Truth You endowed our brother Albert
with the gift of combining human wisdom with divine faith.
May the pursuit of all human knowledge

 

Star of the Sea, light our way
Star of the Sea so radiant
in the glory of God’s Love,
Your crown outshining all the stars
of heaven up above,

 

O Mother Cabrini, woman after God’s own heart,
Universal Patroness of Migrants, for whom this world,
too small a world, held lands for boundless work,

 

Intercede O Mother of Sorrows,
for us and all who are near and dear to us,
that we may ever do the Will of your Son,

 

Glorious Saint Martin,
you who worked miracles and prodigies,
who with joy, amiability and the most
exquisite goodness won over the hearts of all

 

By SunHee Kim (Sunny)

As a precautionary measure to limit the spread of Covid19 in the Philippines, the enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) was set March 17, 2020. Most establishments had…

 

Dear Lord, we thank You for giving us
Pope St. Leo the Great as an example of holiness.
Help us to imitate the love of You he showed

 

Lord, I ask Your favor in a special way today.
I ask the gift of Your healing love,
I do so with confidence, knowing that You love me,

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

The spacious and peaceful grounds of St. Columbans in Nebraska are greatly favored by many species of wildlife. However, the whitetail deer that roam freely there get the…

 

O Mother of Sorrows, you,
who beneath the Cross of Jesus
were given to us as our Mother,
look down with pity on us,
your children, who weep and mourn

 

O Almighty and everlasting God,
Who by Your wonderful providence
choose the weak things of the world
to confound the strong:

 

Almighty Lord God,
You keep on giving abundance
to men in the dew of heaven,
and food out of the richness of the soil.

 

Dear Jesus,
Sometimes, I get caught up in the dos and don'ts
of religious practice.
It comes to feel almost too mechanical.

 

O Holy Mother of God,
pray for the priests
your Son has chosen to serve the church.
Help them by your intercession,
to be holy, zealous and chaste.

 

By Hang Eun-Yeal Columba as told to Noel Mackey

Columba Chang was a Missionary Society of St. Columban lay missionary. In June 1990 she was a member of the first Korean regions lay mission team appointed to the…

 

O God, who has given us in Your humble Son,
Our Lord Jesus Christ, the model of all virtue and perfection, 
Grant to us the virtue of humility.

 

Heavenly Father, on this day we pray
for all our loved ones who have died.
Thank you for the memories and the lives
we shared with them on earth.

 

By Fr. Gonzalo Diaz

In the early part of 2019 I was living in Mokpo, South Korea, and investigating opportunities in university chaplaincy at Mokpo Catholic University. One day in April, I…

 

How shining and splendid are your gifts, O Lord
which You give us for our eternal well-being
Your glory shines radiantly in Your saints, O God

 

By Fr. Don Hornsey

After the stoning of Stephen, a severe persecution began against the community in Jerusalem, led by Saul, who entered houses and dragged off men and women to prison.…

 

By Kurt Zion Pala

In the past few weeks, I’ve started to post a challenge to us priests, religious and lay people who consecrate our lives to the service of God’s people.

 

By Fr. John Boles

Overseas missionary work brings many surprises, but a 12-day obligatory quarantine period in a secure facility near London Airport was a “first” for me.

 

By Kim Sun-Hee "Maria"

Before I was assigned to a regional mission unit as a Columban lay missionary, I was attending the orientation program, and in the seminar held on “the Day of Overseas…

 

Almighty God, in whom is no darkness at all:
Grant me Your light perpetually,
and when I cannot see the way before me,
may I continue to put my trust in You;

 

My Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Most Holy Sacrament.
I love You above all things,
and I desire to receive You into my soul.

 

Glorious Queen of peace,
grant us peace in our hearts,
harmony in our families
and goodwill throughout the world.
Immaculate Mother,

 

O God, Who, through Your blessed Apostles Simon and Jude,
have brought us to the knowledge of Your name,
grant that we may celebrate their everlasting glory

 

By Rose Basada

When the pandemic started to escalate, and the U.S./ Mexico border needed to impose restrictions, the ministries where I was involved in Juarez, Mexico, were in lockdown,…

 

Blessed Bartholomew, despite many oppositions
and obstacles in your life, you remained faithful
to God and your ministry to His people.

 

O Jesus Christ,
I acknowledge You as universal King.
All that has been made,
has been created for You.
Exercise all Your rights over me.

 

Keep us, good Lord, under the shadow of Your mercy,
in this time of uncertainty and distress.
Sustain and support the anxious and fearful,

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

For Holy Week 2020, I found myself in Bellevue, Nebraska, where I found refuge in the U.S. headquarters of the Columban Fathers after my sabbatical program at the Oblate…

 

May You always be my hope,
my trust, my riches, my delight,
my joy and gladness, my rest and quiet,
my food, my refreshment, my refuge and help,

 

O my God, I firmly believe that You are
really and corporally present
in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.

 

O Blessed Trinity, we thank you for having graced the Church
with St. John Paul II and for allowing the tenderness

 

O kind and loving Jesus, I kneel before You
and earnestly beg You to fill my soul
with deep faith, hope and love.
Give me also true repentance for my sins

 

By Sophia Chee Tzu Ting

I am a new Columban lay missionary commencing my first term assignment in the region of Britain. Together with my companion, Ling, we arrived here in Birmingham on…

 

O glorious Saint Paul of the Cross,
on earth you were a mirror of innocence
and a model of penance!
O hero of saintliness,

 

Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
We praise You and give You glory:
We bless You for calling us to be Your holy people.

Remain in our hearts,

 

Help us all, good Saint Luke,
to imitate very closely the life
and virtues of our Blessed Mother Mary,
about whom you wrote so beautifully,

 

By Patrick Colgan

Xavier College was established in 1953 as a boys school by the Catholic Archdiocese of Suva, Fiji, to provide Christian education, particularly to Indian youth in the…

 

Dear God, we pray for the laity
in our Church throughout the world.
You sent out Your disciples to proclaim the Gospel
to the laity because You want us

 

May the offerings of Your people be accepted by You, O Lord,
and grant that we may be inflamed by that Divine fire
which coming from the Heart of Your Son,

 

By Fr. Jason Antiquera

I am generally not so enthusiastic about explaining my artworks.

 

Let nothing disturb you,
Nothing frighten you.
All things are passing.
God never changes.
Patient endurance attains all things.

 

My Jesus, I love You with my heart.
I grieve for offended your infinite goodness
so many times.
I strive by Your grace to never more offend You

 

By Fr. John Boles

“For me, life began at 40,” laughs Fr. Tony Coney, remembering how he arrived in Lima on his fortieth birthday. In addition, the date was August 30, providentially the…

 

My Lord Jesus Christ,
who for the love You bear us,
remain night and day in this Sacrament,
full of compassion and of love,

 

Lord Jesus, our Savior,
You have made Your mother Mary
a faithful follower of God's law
and a chosen member of Your Church.

 

By Fr. Edward O'Connell

It was going to be the best of years! At least that was what I thought in January 2020. The Warmi Huasi project teams had their plans of action in place with the local…

 

O Mary, you are praying for us,
you are always praying for us.
We know it, we feel it.
Oh what joy and truth,
what sublime glory,

 

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I love you.
Save souls.
St. Joseph, foster father of Christ,
pray for us.
St. Joseph, head of the Holy Family,
pray for us.

 

O God, Who conferred Your saving faith
on the people of France
through Your holy bishop and martyr Denis,
and glorified him before and after his martyrdom

 

Lord, when illness strikes
my life seems to collapse around me.
The work routine crumbles away,
and everything’s just a heap of ruins.

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

I had slept on and off throughout the night. Then, just as dawn appeared at my window, I heard a loud and persistent chirping that pierced my ears and the haze that…

 

O Virgin Mary, grant that by reciting your Rosary
each day, in the midst of my many duties,
I will develop a habit of internal prayer.

 

O my God, in union with the Immaculate Heart of Mary
I offer You the Precious Blood of Jesus
from all the altars throughout the world,

 

Most holy and immaculate Virgin,
Mother of Jesus and our loving Mother,
being his Mother, you shared in His universal kingship.

 

Praised be my Lord and God,
with all His creatures, and especially
our brother the sun, who brings us the day
and brings us the light; fair is he,

 

By Lillibeth Sabado

Who would have thought that one day we would just awaken and everything had to stop, everything had to change, to be reconfigured? As I write this, we are now entering the…

 

Dear Jesus,
We hope for many things - success, adequate resources,
health for ourselves and for those dear to us,
and other genuinely good desires.

 

O Holy Angel, attendant of my wretched soul
and of my afflicted life, do not forsake me, a sinner,
or depart from me for my inconstancy.

 

By Arlenne Villahermosa

During difficult times, we may find ourselves asking, “To what or to whom do we hang on or cling to? What keeps us moving?”

 

I greet you, Saint Therese of the Child Jesus,
lily of purity, ornament and glory of Christianity!
I salute you, great saint, Seraph of Divine Love.

 

By A Columban Missionary

October is to be celebrated as Mission Month.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

The claim of a number of political leaders in the recent past to be protecting the Judeo/Christian civilization has not gone unnoticed. However, when this claim is…

 

By Fr. Noel Doyle

When I arrived in Japan the Columban missionaries had almost 50 parishes scattered over four different areas. Of those most of them were in cities with the exception of…

 

By Lanieta Tamatawale

I began to search for my vocation in high school. I belonged to a “Young Vinnies” group made up of students from the Catholic high schools in Suva, Fiji.

 

O Lord, show Your mercy to me and gladden my heart.
I am like the man on the way to Jericho
who was overtaken by robbers,
wounded and left for dead.

 

Heavenly King, You have given us archangels
to assist us during our pilgrimage on earth.
Saint Michael is our protector;
I ask him to come to my aid,

 

Dear Heart of Jesus:
In the past, I have asked for many favors.
This time, I ask You this very special one.

Take it dear Jesus and place it within

 

Dear St. Vincent, the mere mention of your name
suggests a litany of your virtues:
humility, zeal, mercy, self-sacrifice.

 

By Elbert Balbastro

The Philippines is an archipelagic country where diversity in culture, language, tradition, and customs is visibly felt and seen. Since the country is divided into almost…

 

Lord Your wonderful gifts are all around me
if only I open my eyes to see and appreciate them.
Give me the grace to recognize You, Your care

 

Heavenly Father,
we are reminded by the Second Vatican Council
that our family is a domestic Church
where family prayer and mutual affection

 

O my God, holiness becomes Your House,
and yet You made Your abode in my breast.
My Lord, my Savior, to me You came,

 

Dear God, You generously blessed Your servant,
St. Pio of Pietrelcina, with the gifts of the Spirit.
You marked his body with the five wounds

 

O most merciful and almighty God,
You bestowed as gift to Lorenzo Ruiz
the strength to withstand
the overpowering forces of death

 

O Holy Tabernacle!
You enclosed the precious Bread of heaven,
the food of angels, the eucharistic manna of the soul.

 

Dear Lord,
as my life declines
and my energies decrease,
more than ever hold me by Your Power,
that I may not offend You,

 

By Fr. John Comiskey

The Catholic faith came first to the Philippines as part of Spain’s colonial expansion with Magellan’s circumnavigating the globe. As in that and later journeys the friars…

 

O my God, I thank You for having preserved me today
and for having given me so many blessings and graces.
I renew my dedication to You and ask Your pardon for…

 

Weary after walking, You sat down to rest.
Thirsty at the well, You asked for a drink.
Exhausted in a boat, You slept in the storm.

 

O God, who adorned Saint Robert,
Your Bishop and Doctor,
with marvelous learning and virtue
to expose the deceptions of error

 

O sweetest Jesus,
You came into the world
to give all souls the life of Your grace,
and who, to preserve and nourish it in them,

 

O Blessed Virgin Mary,
Immaculate Mother of God,
who endured a martyrdom of love and grief,
beholding the sufferings and sorrows of Jesus!

 

Oh, Holy Cross, fill my soul with good thoughts.
Oh, Holy Cross, ward off from me all things that are evil.

 

O Lord, my God,
I am not worthy that You should come into my soul,
but I am glad that You have come to me
because in Your loving kindness

 

By Sainana Tamatawale

The year 2020 was one of the most difficult and stressful years in the history of the last hundred years of the world and the church! In Christmas 2019, I already had my…

 

O most holy, O most benign,
O noble and glorious Virgin Mary,
who was worthy to bear in your sacred womb the Creator of all,

 

Gracious God, our world changed with the 9/11 attacks.
We have seen how easily buildings can fall
and how quickly lives can end.

 

Come, Holy Spirit, Divine Creator,
true source of light and fountain of wisdom!
Pour forth your brilliance upon my dense intellect,

 

O God, St. Peter Claver devoted himself
to the service of the slaves,
declaring himself their servant.
Who in order that slaves might come

 

Most Holy Mary, daughter of Israel,
the Redeemer of the world loves you
with the singular love of a Child for His mother.

 

O Blessed Virgin,
through the grace which you have found before God,
through the favor which you did merit,
through the mercy which He has granted you,

 

By Sr. Margaret Moran

“Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” 1 Peter 4:10

 

Heavenly Father, on this weekend,
when we rest from our usual labors,
we pray for all who shoulder the tasks

 

O Blessed Virgin, grant that we may come to your Son
through you, who have found grace, engendered life,
and art the Mother of salvation.

 

Most holy Virgin and Mother,
whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow
in the Passion of your Divine Son,
and Who in His glorious Resurrection

 

Dear Jesus, when I look back at my life
I recall the many people who have influenced me.
Things that they did or said struck me

 

Holy Mary, help the miserable,
strengthen the discouraged,
comfort the sorrowful,
pray for your people,
plead for the clergy,

 

All-powerful God, You are present in the whole universe
and in the smallest of Your creatures.
You embrace with Your tenderness all that exists.

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

During my years in Fiji, I sometimes wondered how and why I got caught up in certain things or got involved with particular groups.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

The words of the poem by Grace Nichols depict a situation existing not just in Jamaica and the Caribbean but around the world where women have to leave home and children…

 

By Fr. Tom Rouse

The story about the encounter between Philip and the eunuch (Acts 8:26-40) is remarkable.

 

Father, in Your goodness
grant me the intellect to comprehend You,
the perception to discern You,
and the reason to appreciate You.

 

Hear us, O God, our Savior,
and by the prayers of glorious Mary,
Mother of God, and ever-Virgin,
of St. Sebastian, Your martyr,
and of all the saints,

 

By Jung-Hae Roberta Kim

Since last August, I have been volunteering at a community garden here in Birmingham, Britain, run by one of the ecology organizations.

 

O God remember forever my dear ones,
who have gone to their eternal rest.
May they be at one with the One Who is life eternal.

 

Blessed Virgin Mary,
who can worthily repay you with praise
and thanks for having rescued a fallen world
by your generous consent!
Receive our gratitude,

 

Great St. Monica,
patroness of fathers and mothers,
please take our children,
especially those who have turned
from the ways of God and His Church,

 

Glorious Queen of peace, grant us
peace in our hearts, harmony in our families
and concord throughout the world.
Immaculate Mother, as patroness

 

O God, Who exalted blessed Louis Your Confessor
from an earthly realm to the glory
of Your Heavenly kingdom:
grant, we pray to You, that by his merits

 

O Eternal God and loving father,
you have given us the glorious Apostle Bartholomew
as our beloved Patron Saint
and powerful advocate in heaven.

 

Admirable Saint Rose,
you were truly a sweet flower blooming
on a rugged soil;
you were indeed a rose among thorns,
bearing with meekness and patience

 

An Interview with Fr. Cathal Gallagher by Fr. John Boles

Fr. Cathal Gallagher recalls the incident vividly. “It was in 1998. I was working in a poor parish in Lima. I got a call from a local clinic, run by the Mercy Sisters,…

 

Lord, for all the doctors and nurses, 
for all family, friends and neighbors, 
for all who care about me when I’m down 

 

Glorious St. Joseph,
model of all those who are devoted to labor,
obtain for me the grace to work conscientiously,
putting the call of duty above my many sins;

 

Run, hasten, O Lady,
and in your mercy help your sinful servant,
who calls upon you,
and deliver him from the hands of the enemy.
Who will not sigh to you?

 

O Blessed Virgin, Mother of my God and Savior,
I honor and revere you in the first moment of your life.
I honor and revere the dispositions of your holy soul,

 

At a time like this, the prayer, “hearken to our prayer
and attend to the sound of our pleading”, is most appropriate. 

 

We fly to your patronage, O holy Mother of God;
despise not our petitions in our necessities,
but deliver us always from all dangers,

 

Lord, You have chosen the weak to shame the strong.
As St. Paul says about God working through him
“My grace is sufficient for You, for my power

 

By Kevin Sheerin

There is an old Chinese proverb that says “a man without a smiling face must never open a shop.” This is pretty sound advice. If you can’t smile and be friendly, then it’s…

 

Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Jesus and our Mother,
we believe in your triumphant assumption into heaven
where the angels and saints acclaim you as Queen.

 

O Lord Jesus Christ, who said,
"greater love than this no man has
that a man lay down his life for his friends,"

 

O Jesus, remembering Your death and resurrection,
those elected offer to You the bread and the chalice,
giving thanks to You, who has made them worthy

 

O my Savior, I resolve with Your Divine assistance,
to follow Your desires and Your ordinances,
without regarding or examining why You did this rather than that;

 

Dear St. Clare, patroness of communications,
we ask you to hear our prayers in our present-day crisis.
Awaken us to the dangers our families are exposed to.

 

O Glorious St Lawrence, model of Christian fortitude,
I implore you in your loving kindness
to pray for me before the throne of God.

 

By Fr. John McEvoy

Jonathan Kunau and Hilda Vukikomoala had planned their wedding a year in advance. Since both of them were members of big families, they wanted a big celebration of their…

 

O Prince of Peace, to all who receive You,
You bright light and peace.
Help me to live in daily contact with You,

 

We turn to you for protection,
holy Mother of God.

Listen to our prayers
and help us in our needs.

 

O glorious St. Cajetan,
you studied to be a lawyer,
but when you felt that the Lord was calling you
to his service, you abandoned everything

 

O God, who on the holy mount revealed
to chosen witnesses Your well-beloved Son,
wonderfully transfigured, in raiment white and glistening.

 

Lord, I am truly sorry for having offended You.
How often have I professed my love for You
and how often I have failed miserably.

 

Dear Saint John Vianney,
your childhood dream was to be a Priest,
to win souls for God.
You endured years of toil and humiliation
to attain the Priesthood.

 

Lord, You touched the suffering
when others kept their distance,
to make them whole again.

Touch me now with Your healing love,
make me whole again.

 

In You, O Lord Jesus, have I hoped;
let me not be confounded forever.
You alone are good.
You alone are powerful.
You alone are eternal.

 

By Sainiana Tamatawale

The blessings I’ve had being a Columban Lay Missionary are when I journeyed with the Filipinos in my ministry in the Malate Parish, Philippines, for three years, and with…

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

When I see the newly arrived children – all victims of human right violations and sexual abuse – healing and recovering in our Preda Foundation home and striving to be “…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

The marriage ceremony was almost finished. It was time for the civil wedding. The groom’s younger brother had informed me that the witness from the bride’s side would be…

 

O Mary, look upon us who are your children,
look upon us who are brothers and sisters,
disciples and apostles and continuation of Jesus.

 

By Fr. Gabriel Rojas

In 2017, due to pastoral circumstances, I lived in the parish's most impoverished area, the "Santos Arcángeles" in the district of San Martin de Porres; the "Jazmines de…

 

Lord Jesus, teach me to be generous,
to serve You as You deserve:
to give without counting the cost,
to fight needless of the wounds,

 

O God, who elected the blessed
and illustrious Doctor, Peter Chrysologus,
by a divine direction, to govern and instruct Your Church;

 

Saint Martha, I resort to your aid and protection.
Comfort me in all my difficulties
and through the great favors you enjoyed

 

Father in Heaven,
ever-living source of all that is good,
keep me faithful in serving You.
Help me to drink of Christ's Truth,

 

I admit, Lord, that often I wonder why the pandemic. 
But I believe in you and your fidelity. 
Comfort me with the hope that gives me

 

By Luda Egbalic

I have been sincerely trying to live out those words of Pope Francis. I would say my mission in Korea has been really inspiring, life-giving, self-transforming and truly…

 

Holy patrons of my children, St. Joachim,
take an interest in me their father;
pray for me that through your intercession

 

Help me discover, O my God,
the nothingness of this world,
the greatness of heaven,
the shortness of time,
and the length of eternity.

 

O Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of mercy,
pray for me that I may be preserved this night all evil,
whether of body or soul.

 

By Fr. Michael Riordan

Columban Fr. Michael Riordan, parish priest of Geumak Parish in Jeju island writes about the mural found at the door of St. Isidore Hospice and pastoral its function apart…

 

O Jesus! Heavenly Physician,
raised aloft on the Cross to heal our wounds with Yours,
remember the bruises which You suffered

 

We beseech You, O Lord,
that we may be helped by the intercession
of blessed Mary Magdalen, entreated
by whose prayers You raised up

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

Since the middle of April, I have been watching out for the arrival of a particular kind of migrant, this time a winged one, a swallow. After a few days of peering out…

 

Sometimes I feel so sorry for myself,
so full of self-pity,
thinking no-one understands how I feel,
or what I’m going through.

 

Fires and floods and climate disasters
are all around us. 
And then there is the virus. 
I can’t help but wonder if You, Lord,

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

The crisis was looming. Fr. Hans (Swiss) and Fr. Rudy (Filippino) reacted differently when people came to ask about a marriage or the baptism of a child. Fr. Hans, the…

 

I adore You, my God,
and I love You with all my heart.
I give You thanks for having created me,
for having made me a Christian,

 

Heavenly Father, assist me, that I may
continually labor to overcome nature,
to correspond with Your grace,
to keep Your commandments,

 

Lord, give us all the courage we need
to go the way You shepherd us,
that when You call
we may go unafraid.
If you bid us come to You across the waters,

 

You who, with special mercy,
look upon those clothed in your beloved Habit,
cast a glance of pity upon me.
Fortify my weakness with your strength;

 

Virgin full of goodness,
Mother of Mercy,
I entrust to you my body and soul,
my thoughts, my actions,
my life and my death.
O my Queen, help me,

 

Kateri, favored child and Lily of the Mohawks,
I come to seek your intercession in my present need.
I admire the virtues which adorned your soul:

 

Lord, you filled Saint Henry with your love
and raised him from the cares of an earthly kingdom
to eternal happiness in heaven.

 

Sometimes I wonder, Lord, why You allow so much evil in our world. 
I wonder now why in this pandemic there is so much suffering. 

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

I would like to introduce Mrs. Hanako Nishi. This holy lady had a profound influence on my approach to the crucifixion of Jesus. This influence was born 60 years ago in…

 

Creator of the radiant light,
Dividing day from sable night;
Who, with the light's bright origin,
The world's creation did begin.

 

Lord, we are very much aware our lives are fragile,
that dangers are all around us,
that storms of various kinds threaten us.
We are concerned about health,

 

Heavenly Father, You blessed St. Augustine Zhao Rong
and his companions - the martyrs of China - with the bravery

 

Come, Holy Spirit
Replace the tension within us with a holy relaxation.
Replace the turbulence within us with a sacred calm.

 

Lord, I wonder if this pandemic will ever end. 
How long do we need to suffer it all? 
How long more will You ask us to be patient? 

 

Dear Saint Mary Goretti,
model of loving obedience to parents,
teach me to imitate your example.
Help me to overcome all selfishness and stubborn pride,

 

O God, author of peace and lover of charity,
who adorned Saint Elizabeth of Portugal
with a marvelous grace for reconciling those in conflict,

 

By Elbert L. Balbastro

Most of the fond memories that I have growing up were my involvement in Church activities. Reminiscing, I recalled that throughout the whole month of May, my playmates and…

 

Eternal God, stir our minds and stimulate our hearts
with a high sense of patriotism as we celebrate the Fourth of July.

 

O Mary bright dawn of the new world,
Mother of the living,
to you do we entrust the cause of life:
Look down, O Mother,
upon the vast numbers

 

When sickness is on you,
and health takes a blow
when joys all desert you
and energy is low.
Remember, God loves you.

When pain comes at night,

 

By Fr. Sung Hoon Jung "Francisco"

When I arrived here ten years ago, the people started talking about the need for a resting place, a shelter, for migrant workers. For political and economic reasons people…

 

Saint Junipero Serra, from early childhood
you experienced prolonged pain and suffering,
yet with youthful innocence you did not lose
faith, hope or charity.

 

By Fr. Kwon Taemoon

I am living with an Irish priest and seven Columban seminarians in Manila. These students are from Myanmar, Fiji and Korea, and during the spiritual year they are…

 

By Son Seon Young "Catharina"

As lay missionaries, when we are sent to another country for mission, the first thing we do is to learn their language. Since I joined the Columban lay missionaries in…

 

By Kim Chong-hwan "Ignatius"

When I was experiencing major difficulties in my life I was greatly consoled and encouraged to keep going by numerous Columban priests. As I recall my meetings with those…

 

Lord, I am not worthy to receive You in my heart,
so full of unkindness, but only say the word
and I shall be renewed.

 

O Holy Apostle, because you are the Rock
upon which Almighty God has built His church;
obtain for me I pray you,
lively faith, firm hope and burning love;

 

Father, give perfection to beginners,
understanding to the little ones,
and help to those who are running their course.
Give sorrow to the negligent,

 

By Fr. John Hegerty

When Covid-19 appeared on the scene, Columban missionaries all over the world had to react to the emergency. We all had to ask ourselves, “How can I carry on serving the…

 

Hail, Mother and Virgin,
Venerable Treasure of Creation,
crown of virginity,
support of the true faith,
on which the Church is founded throughout the world.

 

O God, You desire that all men should be saved
and come to the knowledge of Your truth.
Send laborers into Your harvest and grant

 

Inspire, O Lord, and direct our actions
by the aid of Your grace so that every word
and work of ours may always begin from You,

 

O glorious St. John the Baptist,
you announced the coming of the Christ’s Kingdom
and prepared the way for Jesus
through the holy waters of Baptism.

 

While we endure this time of the virus
we might forget the gift of life You have given us. 
Trials test but strengthen our faith. 

 

Dear St. Thomas More, in your earthly life,
you were a model of prudence.
You never thrust yourself rashly into any serious undertaking;

 

O Holy Mary, my Mother,
Into Your blessed trust and custody,
and into the care of your our mercy
I this day, every day, and in the hour of my death,

 

By Son Seon Young "Catharina"

Since I became a lay missionary back in 2000, I learned and began to use English and Tagalog when I was working in the Philippines. I later learned Spanish for my ministry…

 

Lord, my weaknesses, my disabilities,
my misfortunes challenge my trust in you. 
Do I sometimes trust more in false gods,

 

Father, through Saint Romuald
You renewed the life of solitude
and prayer in Your Church.
By our self-denial
as we follow Christ

 

Heavenly Father, today is one of those days
when I want to reach out with You
and touch a bright, distant star,
to hold it in a quiet, loving way,

 

Risen Lord, You guide me in truth and love.
Help me to willingly serve Your people
so that all may know Your goodness and love.

 

Jesus you have authority over all creation and all of us. 
You became one of us to share in our difficulties and our hopes. 

 

O everlasting and Triune God,
I consecrate myself wholly to you today.
Let all my days offer you ceaseless praise,

 

By Kevin Sheerin

I was raised in a Catholic family, and even though I had a deep desire to work as a volunteer in the church, due to my work commitment I did not have the time to do so.…

 

O Mother of Perpetual Help,
grant that I may ever invoke your most powerful name,
which is the safeguard of the living
and the salvation of the dying.

 

When I see flowers fresh in bloom
sprung to life in spring thrill
after the dark night’s winter chill,
I think of the miracle of life

 

Heart of Mary ever Virgin, you are full of grace.
You are the dearest daughter of the heavenly Father,
the tabernacle of the Word made Flesh,

 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
fountain of eternal life,
Your Heart is a glowing furnace of Love.
You are my refuge and my sanctuary.

 

Blood of Jesus, inebriate me!
O Jesus, my Beloved Savior,
ever present in the Tabernacle,
to be the strength,
the joy and the food of souls,

 

Lord, You teach us to love God
and neighbor unconditionally.
Help me to be faithful in showing
love and respect to all people.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, come and save Your people
from this pandemic. 
Heal us in mind and heart.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, King of kings,
you have power over life and death.
You know even things that are hidden or obscure.

 

By Lanieta Tamatawale

In 2003 I met a wonderful lady named Andring Naliponquit whom I fondly refer to as “Nanay” (mother). She was 74 years old when I first met her 18 years ago, an exceedingly…

 

Lord, through Your Body and Blood
You offer me the gift of eternal life.
Help me to make sacrifices and share
what I have with the poor and those in need.

 

O Mary, help me to keep to my purpose of living
as a faithful disciple of Jesus,
for the building up of the Christian society

 

It becomes you to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him who granted you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.

 

Across time and tide, my Lord,
You have shown faithfulness and goodness.
You smiled at me each day in and out.
I thank You, my Lord, with all my heart.

 

By Havel Angwani

With difficulty while speaking in Urdu, I was able to manage to ask this young lady if I could take her picture along with her artwork of Mother Mary.

 

It is summer and we are still suffering under the COVID epidemic. 
Lord help us to take the time to be silent and prayerful

 

O humble St. Justin, patron of philosophers,
help us to use our power to know and understand;
to build a love of Christ within us based

 

By Columban Fr. Warren Kinne

The Church causes distress when it “manifests itself as proud, arrogant, damaging, hierarchical, hypocritical and irrelevant,” and it points out the obvious - that this is…

 

By Fr. Hong Kison-Hijino

The parish of Kogin is the northernmost parish on the east coast of Korea. It is above the 38th parallel and next to the Demilitarized Zone (the DMZ). I am a native of…

 

By Sr. Abbie O'Sullivan

As human beings we are irradiated and nourished by love. We long for the exposure to the “beams of love” yet we fear what they might demand of us when we come within their…

 

By Muhn Sung-Yun Leo

I am working in the diocese of Thaibay at the Chinese Martyrs parish church. Here I am fulfilling my practical training on my first mission assignment having completed my…

 

Father in heaven, by whose grace
the virgin mother of your incarnate Son
was blessed in bearing him,
but still more blessed in keeping your word:

 

The Father is my hope.
The Son is my refuge.
The Holy Spirit is my protector.
Glory to the holy and undivided Trinity,
now and forever.

 

Heavenly Father, we thank you for the witness of Your Servant,
Saint Paul VI, who served You and the Church
as Universal Pastor in difficult times.

 

Come Holy Spirit, fill our hearts with your love
and bring us a cure for the Covid-19 virus.

Strengthen those who study and research

 

Watch O Lord, with those
who cannot sleep or weep tonight.
Tend your sick ones.
Rest your weary ones.
Bless your dying ones.
Soothe your suffering ones.

 

By Angie Escarsa

For months, my family has been faithful in praying the rosary as requested by Pope Francis after the World Health Organization declared Covid-19 a pandemic.

 

O Holy St. Philip Neri, Patron Saint of joy,
you who trusted Scripture’s promise
that the Lord is always at hand

 

Venerable Saint Bede, Patron of Catholic schools,
thank you for being an example of holiness, goodness, and wisdom.

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

In the parish of Hodogaya in Yokohama City, Japan, I was reaching a class of ten who were preparing for Baptism.

 

O Mother of Jesus,
now glorified in heaven in body and in soul,
as the image and beginning of the Church,
which is to have its fulfillment

 

Come, Holy Spirit,
fill my heart with Your holy gifts.
Let my weakness be penetrated with Your strength this very day

 

O glorious St. Rita,
your pleadings before the Divine Crucifix
have been known to grant favors
that many would call the impossible.

 

O Rapturous Joy of Paradise,
Fount of Purest Delight,
My God, give yourself to me
and kindle in my innermost soul
the fire of Your love.

 

Father, You gave Saint Bernardine a special love
for the Holy Name of Jesus.
By the help of his prayers,
may we always be alive with the spirit of Your love.

 

By Monaliza Esteban

It was one fine Friday morning on the 21st of August when a young Hindu couple arrived to the parish’s tuberculosis clinic with their tiny baby. When their turn came to…

 

St. Pope John Paul II said:

"Each individual Christian and every community is called
to be an instrument of God for the liberation

 

Blessed are you, loving Father,
Ruler of the universe.
You have given us Your Son as Your Leader,
and have made us temples of Your Holy Spirit.

 

By Fr. John Boles

The Covid pandemic instigated hardship and tragedy to countless numbers throughout the world. However, it also has had the effect of bringing out the BEST in many people.…

 

O Holy Spirit, most merciful Comforter:
You proceed from the Father
in a manner beyond our understanding.
Come, I beg You,

 

Almighty and eternal God,
You have promised that there will someday
be but one fold and one Shepherd.
Hasten that day, we pray You,

 

St. Isidore, you lived a humble life working the land.
You attended Holy Mass each morning
which jeopardized the employment
that allowed your family to eat.

 

Lord you change my sadness into joy.
If I am weeping when I go to sleep
You bring relief with the dawn.
Strengthen me to remain faithful during the night

 

By Vida Hequilan

2020 marked the 30th anniversary of the Columban Lay Missionary (CLM) program.

 

Most Holy Virgin,
who to came to Fatima
to reveal to the three little shepherds
the treasures of graces hidden in the recitation of the Rosary,

 

O young St. Pancras, you were beheaded
at the age of fourteen for you faith in God.
You tried to be good yourself

 

By Marjorie Engcoy

The Sema Livelihood Program began as a recycling project for the interested women in the parish during the 2019 Season of Creation observation at St.

 

Lord Jesus Christ, you gaze on us with love and care,
Help us to bear the burdens of the day;
the illnesses, the isolation and loneliness.

 

Dear St Damien,
you were sent away to school
in a region where you didn’t speak the language
and people tried to bully you because of it.

 

By Fr. John Boles

This was the scene when the first three intrepid Columbans arrived from Ireland in 1952 to start our mission in Lima. The words are those of one of this gallant band, an…

 

O immaculate virgin,
Mother of God, full of grace,
the One whom you brought forth, Emmanuel,
is the fruit of your womb.
In your Motherhood

 

Breath in me, Spirit of God,
that I may think what is holy;
drive me, Spirit of God,
that I may do what is holy;
draw me Spirit of God,

 

By Antonio Saulo Seeto

The pandemic impacted everyone; I saw it as a crisis, because it limited my experience in Peru.

 

Behold, O my most loving Jesus,
how far Your exceeding love has reached!
Of Your own Flesh and Most Precious Blood
You have prepared for me a Divine table

 

Mary, Mother of mercy, watch over all people,
that the Cross of Christ may not be emptied of its power,
that man may not stray from the path of good

 

By Iowane Najo

My name is Iowane Naio, a Columban seminarian from Fiji, doing my First Mission Assignment program in Lima, Peru, with the Columbans. I live in a multicultural and…

 

It’s wonderful after illness
to feel your strength returning
to feel your old self again,
to start getting on top of things.

 

Risen Lord, you gave me power and strength
through your Holy Spirit.
Show me how to watch over Your flock
with compassion and acceptance.

 

By Columban Fr. Michael Hoban

Columban Father Chris Saenz returned to Omaha after many years as a missionary priest in Chile where he worked among the Mapuche people in the south of Chile and in the…

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

In March 2020, I was enjoying the sabbatical program “Ministry to Ministers” at the Oblate School of Theology in San Antonio, Texas, when the program was suspended due to…

 

By Ling, Chuah Hui

Before I arrived in my mission assignment in Britain, I spent my last few weeks in New Zealand busily saying goodbye to my dear friends, and all the while preparing myself…

 

So many people are hurting during this time of pandemic.
The reports of deaths and sickness brings sadness

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

It is nice to hear someone say to you, “Make sure you stay in touch." You might be leaving to move to another place or to go on mission somewhere overseas.

 

As we read in Ecclesiastes there is a time for everything.
There is a time to weep , a time to laugh,
a time to mourn, a time to dance and so on.

 

By Fr. Raymond Collier

I thought I’d share a few of my reflections with you concerning the COVID-19 pandemic. For me it has highlighted the vulnerability of humanity.

 

We speak to you, O blessed Joseph,
our protector on earth,
as one who knows the value of work
and the response of our calling.

 

Lord You are my refuge and my strength
in times of trial and distress.
When I fail to accept your grace
and go my own way You are there to save

 

Dominican Tertiary and Doctor of the Church,
you were full of wisdom,
the special gift of God,
and you knew how to guide even Pontiffs,

 

O Mary, my Queen,
I cast myself in the arms of your mercy.
I place my soul and body
in your blessed care
and under your special protection

 

Good and Gracious God,
We thank You for the resilience
and grace that You have given us
to bear this time of COVID virus.

 

Gracious and Holy Father,
Please give me:
intellect to understand You,
reason to discern You,
diligence to seek You,
wisdom to find You,

 

Lord You care for me, You protect me,
and You show me how to live
according to Your ways.
This gives me the power and strength

 

Lord Jesus Christ,
grant me the gift of understanding.
Help me to understand the feelings of others,
the desires of others, the goals of others.

 

O God, who granted to Saint George
strength and constancy in the various torments
which he sustained for our holy faith;
we ask You to preserve,

 

Risen Lord, You have blessed me
with the gift of life.
Help me to use this precious gift
to share Your hope, joy, compassion
and love in the world.

 

Mary, I beg you, by that grace
through which the Lord is with you
and you will to be with him,
let your mercy be with me.

 

Lord God you have created us 
and made us to love others.

During this pandemic, we have found
out how much we need each other.

 

O Lord, Jesus Christ,
Redeemer and Savior,
forgive my sins,
just as You forgave Peter's denial
and those who crucified You.

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

I never thought that my photo would be on the front cover of a book – admittedly with fourteen others! All of us, in our 80s, are foreign missionaries still working in…

 

Graciously hear us, O Lord, when we call upon You,
and grant our humble request for a calm atmosphere,
that we, who are justly punnished for our sins,

 

Father in Heaven,
ever-living source of all that is good,
keep me faithful in serving You.
Help me to drink of Christ's Truth,

 

How happy my soul was, good Mother,
when I had the good fortune to gaze upon you!
How I love to recall the pleasant moments
spent under your gaze,

 

How often in the down-sided moments of life
we can lose our sense of fun, and scowl and frown
around us.

We punish others for our lack of peace

 

Risen Lord, You prove the power
of love over death.
Help me to show love
in my thoughts, words and actions.

 

Some of us are very vulnerable at this time
of pandemic. We rely on the assistance of those who
are our neighbors.

 

O glorious St. Joseph, foster father of Jesus,
you provided for the Holy Family.
We commit to your protection all our crops
and farm industries.

 

By Dáire King

Part of life while growing up was the occasional phone call I would receive from my uncle, Columban Fr. Tomás King, who is a missionary priest in Pakistan.

 

Lord, I wish to believe in You.

Let my faith be full and unreserved,
and let it penetrate my thought,
my way of judging Divine things and human things.

 

O Christ, our Morning Star,
Splendor of Light Eternal,
shining with the glory of the rainbow,
come and waken us
from the greyness of our apathy,

 

Mary, we sing our Alleluias today, for Jesus is risen.
Our souls proclaim the greatness of God,
our spirits rejoice in our Risen Savior.

 

Risen Lord, Your life-giving presence
gives me hope, strength and peace.
Help me to be Your witness of love
and compassion in the presence of others.

 

Father, You chose Saint John Baptist de la Salle
to give young people a Christian education.
Give your Church teachers who will devote themselves

 

Heavenly Father, we praise You for Your Love
and Faith which You give to us.

Lead us to remember those who have this virus.

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

During the celebration of the Easter Vigil last year, this verse from the Exsultet resonated deeply within me. As the Paschal Candle, signifying the risen Christ, was…

 

Mary, God has worked a great wonder: Jesus is risen!
No longer are we caught in the cords of death,
For he has loosened our bonds.

 

Today, we are thrilled to go with Mary Magdalen
as she finds her crucified Master now risen from the tomb
where she had expected Him to stay.

 

Lord, Your rising from the dead
increases my faith, hope and love.
May my belief in Your resurrection
change my attitude and behavior toward others.

 

O Jesus, Who by reason of Your burning love for us
has willed to be crucified and to shed
Your Most Precious Blood for the redemption

 

By Fr. George Hogarty

I first considered becoming a priest when I was seven years old. Mysteriously enough I still remember that strong feeling of being called by God.

 

Father, Your Son chose Your will for Him
over His own desires.
Help us to remember Christ’s example,
and give us the strength to do Your will,

 

By Fr. Kevin O'Rourke

After a poem by the Koryo monk Ch’ungji

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

The empowerment of women and girls is a most urgent need in today’s world where discrimination, violence and exploitation of women and girls, especially in the developing…

 

Loving Father,
I stand before You in the midst of confusion and complexities of life.
My future sometimes seems distant and unknown.

 

Take away all fear from my life
and give me a strong faith like Abraham,
our father in faith.
As I celebrate this Eucharist

 

By Fr. John Boles

“Ever seen a mushroom grow? asked our gardener one morning in the grounds of the Columban Center House in Peru, as he pointed out to some of us a particularly fine example…

 

Lord, Jesus, Through Thine infant cries
when You were born for me in the manger,
Through Your tears when You died for me on the Cross,

 

Passion of Christ, strengthen me!
Strengthen me under the pressure of temptation.
Strengthen me when principle is at stake.

 

Give me confidence in the depths of danger.
Give me hope when I am surrounded by fear.
Still my worries,

 

Lord, in Your love for the Church,
You provide bishops, priests, and deacons
as shepherds for Your people,
and You call men and women

 

O most holy Virgin Mary,
to whom God sent the Angel Gabriel
to announce that you should be the mother of His Only-Begotten Son,

 

Lord, I believe:
I wish to believe in You.
Lord, let my faith be full and unreserved,
and let it penetrate my thought,

 

Lord, help me live from day to day
In such a self-forgetful way,
That even when I kneel to pray,
My prayer shall be for "Others"

 

How life has slowed down! 
I used to be engaged in frenetic activity. 
Now I am limited by constraints from Covid-19. 

 

By Fr. John Boles

Music is in Fr. Gabriel’s blood. He was born and raised to the notes of song and guitar. From his home in the high Andes to the teeming cities of Pakistan and now to the…

 

Dear Lord!
Make me remember,
when the world seems cold and dreary
and I know not where to turn for comfort,

 

Almighty and Everlasting God,
You have given the human race
Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility.
He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man

 

Happy, blissful St. Joseph,
heir of the faith of all the patriarchs,
obtain for me this beautiful and precious virtue:
increase in me a lively faith,

 

Father through Cyril of Jerusalem
You led Your Church to a deeper understanding
of the mysteries of salvation
Let his prayers help us to know Your Son better

 

As I arise today,
may the strength of God pilot me,
the power of God uphold me,
the wisdom of God guide me.
May the eye of God look before me,

 

Loving God, in Your goodness You have given us the gift of life.
I ask Your pardon and forgiveness for my own failure
and the failure of all people in this world

 

Today Lord I choose life,
I choose your love and the challenge to live it and share it,
I choose hope, even in moments of darkness,

 

By Fr. Paul Glynn

Like many other Columban missionaries before me, I have devoted many years to trying to promote harmonious relations between Christians and Muslims in the Southern…

 

Thank You, Lord,
for the precious gift of my family.

I ask You to bless them,
protect them, and give them
strength to cope with their own

 

Grant us, we ask You, O Lord,
the help of Your grace:
that duly applying ourselves to fasting and prayers,

 

Almighty God,
from whom all thoughts of truth and peace proceed,
kindle in the hearts of all men the true love of peace,

 

Almighty and Everlasting God,
You have given the human race
Jesus Christ our Savior as a model of humility.
He fulfilled Your Will by becoming Man

 

Imprint, O Lady, your wounds upon my heart,
that I may read therein sorrow and love;
sorrow, to endure every sorrow for you;

 

O almighty and eternal God,
In Saint Frances of Rome
You have given us a model of holiness,
in married life and of monastic conversion.

 

By Fr. Joseph Joyce

Razia is a Pakistani woman of small stature and big heart. She has known the Columbans since about 1985, and from that time, has been involved in bringing education to the…

 

Saint John of God,
heavenly Patron of the Sick,
I come to you in prayer to seek your help in my present sickness.
Through the love which Jesus had for you

 

O what consolation,
what sweetness,
what confidence,
what emotion fill my soul
when I pronounce your sacred name,
or even only think of you.

 

O Heavenly Father,
I commend my children to You.
Be their God and Father;
and mercifully supply whatever is wanting in me
through frailty or negligence.

 

God, teach me to be patient,
teach me to go slow,
Teach me how to wait on You
when my way I do not know.

Teach me sweet forbearance

 

Preserve us, we ask You, O Lord,
from all dangers to soul and body,
and by the intercession of the Blessed
and Glorious Mary ever Virgin, Mother of God,

 

Ever Loving God,
You called St. Katharine Drexel to teach the message of the Gospel
and to bring the life of the Eucharist

 

Lord, for all the doctors and nurses,
for all family, friends, and neighbors
for all who care about me
when I’m down I ask Your
blessing upon them all.

 

Dear Lord I thought this virus would be over by now. 
How long more must I wait? 
How or when is this going to end? 

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Learning a new language is only part of the challenge for missionaries. Local people have their own cultural values and see things differently from outsiders.

 

By Gertrudes C. Samson

We always hear the expression “Time flies!” and indeed that is true. In 2020, I suddenly realized that I was already celebrating my 10th anniversary as Columban Lay…

 

By Lilibeth Sabado

A few years ago, I was enrolled in a university in Wuhan, China.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Savenaca Momo from Nadelei in Ba Province, Fiji, is the epitome of a gentle giant. He joined the first team of Columban lay missionaries to leave Fiji.

 

By Fr. Kevin O'Rourke

In Memory of Cardinal Stephen Kim Sou-hwan

 

By Fr. John Keenan

The village of Parola, Tondo, Philippines, is a shantytown where the Pasig River and Manila Bay waters meet. It has been five years since a huge fire completely gutted it…

 

Teach me, Lord Jesus, to be generous:
to serve You as You deserve;
to give, not counting the cost;
to fight, not heeding the wounds;

 

Good Morning God!
You are ushering in another day,
untouched and freshly new.
So here I am to ask You, God,
if You'll renew me too.

 

Father in Heaven,
You have blessed us with many gifts.
You chose us before the world began,
To be Your adopted sons and daughters,

 

Lord, even the old leaf looks so special
on a frosty morning, when You tinge it with silver.

You made us all special, Lord.

 

By Fr. Thomas Seungwon Nam

My name is Fr. Thomas Seugnwon Nam, and I am a South Korean Columban missionary priest.

 

Lord I believe that you will always care for us. 
As it prays in the psalm “You have created
my inmost being you have knit me
in my mother’s womb.”

 

Dear Mary, my holy mother,
I love you so much
and I give you my heart.
Help me to love God.
Help me to love my neighbor
as a child of God.

 

Lord, like Peter, I am sometimes so afraid,
yet You made him the rock of Your Church.

I long to be closer to You.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

A young girl and her mother went to the riverbank looking for wild vegetables and leaves.

 

My loving Jesus,
out of the grateful love I bear You,
and to make reparation for my unfaithfulness to grace,
I give You my heart,

 

Oh little Jacinta,
look kindly upon these prayers.
Pray for us that we may be humble and gentle of heart
as you were here on earth.

 

Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;

 

Lord as we suffer through this time of the virus
allow us to turn to You for strength and comfort. 
I know that Your saving help reaches out

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

The Columban Interreligious Dialogue Desk in Fiji was initiated in May 2019. I was asked to advise and guide the coordinator, Ms. Priscilla Magdalin.

 

Grant to Your faithful, Lord, a spirit
generous enough to begin these solemn fasts
with proper fervor and to pursue them with steadfast devotion.

 

Lord, send the new light of Your dawn
into my inner self.

Make shadows fade, pull back the blind,
let dazzling light cascade into every corner

 

Almighty God; we make our earnest prayer
that Thou wilt keep the United States in Thy holy protection,

 

By Fr. Jason Antiquera

In his well-received book, The Gospel of Joy, Pope Francis writes: “Each particular Church should encourage the use of the arts in evangelization, building on the…

 

O glorious advocate and protector, Saint Valentine,
look with pity upon our wants,
hear our requests,
attend to our prayers,
relieve by your intercession

 

O Loving Mother,
Through you the heavens exult with joy,
the angels and archangels are glad,
demons are put to flight,

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

God speaks to us through the Scriptures but also through events in our lives.

 

Lord as we suffer through this time of the virus
allow us to turn to You for strength and comfort. 
I know that Your saving help reaches out

 

O Immaculate Virgin Mary,
Mother of Mercy,
you are the refuge of sinners,
the health of the sick,
and the comfort of the afflicted.
You know my wants,

 

By Fr. Larry Barnett

Granny MaHong is the aunt of Vesu the parish catechist here in the mountains of central Taiwan where I work among the indigenous Tayal people.

 

O God, to show us where innocence leads,
you made the soul of your virgin Saint Scholastica
soar to heaven like a dove in flight.

 

May God, who loves us all,
give you his choicest blessings,
and fill your life with joy.
May He guide you in His ways,
and lead you to His glory.

 

St. Josephine Bakhita, you were sold into slavery as a child
and endured untold hardship and suffering.
Once liberated from your physical enslavement,

 

By Animiasi Ravuwai

Since childhood, Holy Thursday for me meant the washing of the feet.

 

You are all fair, O Mary.
And the original stain is not in you.
You are the glory of Jerusalem.
You are the joy of Israel.
You are the honor of our people.

 

We honor you, O Mary,
Mother of God,
treasure of the universe,
inextinguishable flame,
crown of virginity,
scepter of the true faith,

 

Oh, Saint Agatha,
who withstood the unwelcome advances
from unwanted suitors,
and suffered pain and torture
for her devotion to our Lord,

 

By Peter Sut Ring

The Kachin State is located in the northernmost region of Myanmar and is covered with natural resources and thousands of mountains. Every morning begins with waking up to…

 

During this time of the virus so many are suffering
in so many different ways. 
Lord, I am tempted to wonder if you are really

 

O glorious Saint Blaise,
who by your martyrdom
has left to the Church
a precious witness to the faith,
obtain for us the grace to

 

All-powerful Father,
Christ your Son became man for us
and was presented in the temple.
May he free our hearts from sin
and bring us into your presence.

 

O Mary, Mother of God and Mother of the Church,
to you we entrust our life.
We are your children
and in your hands we place all our needs.

 

By Columban Missionaries

The Columban Missionary Society which was originally founded for mission in China finally ordained its first Chinese Columban at the beginning of 2020.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

This video production by Preda Foundation shows the life and recovery of the teenagers who were rescued from human traffickers and the horrors of abuse and …

 

By Fr. Michael Riordan

I suspect that in future years rather than BC and AD we will have BC and PC (Before-COVID and Post- COVID) as this “experience” has had immense effects on all aspects of…

 

By Fr. Neil Magill

In 1970 I was a theology student at our Columban seminary in Ireland and worked in our book store.

 

By Becky Feagan

On April 25, 1921 St., Mary’s Catholic Church, Bellevue, Nebraska, was established as a parish by Archbishop Jeremiah J. Harty Bishop of Omaha.

 

Sometimes Lord I simply get tired of waiting
for things to get back to normal. 
How long more?

Then I remember the well-known plea

 

O Mary, Mother of God
As You are above all creatures
in Heaven and Earth,
more glorious than the Cherubim,
more noble than any here below,

 

Lord, through Your Word we receive
the knowledge and wisdom of God.
May Your Spirit lead me to your
sacred Word and guide me in my search

 

Down in adoration falling,
Lo! the sacred host we hail;
Lo! o'er ancient forms departing,
newer rites of graces prevail;
faith for all defects supplying,

 

Saint Angela Merici,
You were generous and joyful in answering God’s call,
and you happily shared the gifts you had been given.

 

Dear Saint Timothy,
well known for your gentleness,
you were a most faithful disciple of Saint Paul,

 

Lord Jesus, merciful Savior of the world,
we humbly ask You by Your Most Sacred Heart,
that all the straying sheep may turn to You,

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

My doorbell roused me from sleep at about half past five in the morning. It seldom rang at that hour of the morning, as Jamaicans, while early risers, do not move around…

 

Good and gracious God, at this time of pandemic
help us to know that we are not abandoned.

Assist us in bearing this cross of suffering,

 

O God, Who, under this wonderful Sacrament,
left to us the memorials of Your Passion;
grant us, we beseech You, so to venerate

 

Immaculate Mother of God,
Queen of the Apostles,
we know that God's commandment of love
and our vocation to follow Jesus Christ

 

O glorious St. Agnes,
you served God in humility and confidence on earth
and are now in the enjoyment of His beatific Vision in heaven

 

Glorious Saint Sebastian,
you who had great courage,
help us to be witnesses of Jesus
before this unbelieving world
as You have brought others to Christ.

 

When I’m not feeling well,
and tired, I can get so down,
down with others,
down with myself,
down with everything,
my spirit withers within me.

 

By Danish Yakoob

My name is Danish Yakoob and I’m from Latifabad, Hyderabad, Pakistan. I have been working as a Columban co-worker in the Hyderabad Diocese since November 1, 2016.

 

Dear Lord God,
it was steady and predictable
to live in stability for a long time.

Now, there is much uncertainty

 

Grant, we ask You, O Lord Jesus Christ,
that the Most Blessed Virgin Mary, Your Mother,
whose most holy soul was transfixed
with the sword of sorrow

 

Under your patronage, dear Mother,
and calling on the mystery of your Immaculate Conception,
I desire to pursue my studies and my labors:

 

The little drummer boy listens to the music,
concentrates on the sound,
marches in step to beat out the
rhythm on the drum.

In the same way, Lord,

 

Lord, Your Spirit has been poured
into my heart, making me a child of God.
Help me to see every person
as my brother and sister,

 

When I look at Your heavens,
according to my own lights,
with these weak eyes of mine,
I am certain with reservation
that they are Your heavens.

 

As we read in the psalm, “The Lord is kind
and merciful. And slow to anger.”
Never let me forget the gifts you,
Lord, have given me, the mercy

 

By Hazel Angwani

It has been nearly a year since I arrived in Pakistan as a lay missionary. If I were to describe the experience so far, I would have to say it has been very challenging…

 

Good and Gracious God,
guide us to live in harmony
during this time of the coronavirus.

Please grant us strength and courage

 

God of grace and glory,
you call us with your voice of flame
to be your people, faithful and courageous.
As your beloved Son

 

Lord you deliver me time after time
from my weakness and sinful deeds.
Sometimes I judge too quickly
and disregard the feelings of others.

 

Dear Jesus,
Like the apostles who were in a boat on that stormy Sea of Galilee,
we are feeling alone, uncertain, tired and afraid.

 

Excite in our hearts, O Raymond!
that sincere compunction,
which is the condition required of us
when we seek our pardon in the Sacrament of Penance.

 

By Kim Sun-Hee Sunny

Who would have imagined that I would be cooking food and treating people? I was a total stranger to cooking before joining the lay missionary sending orientation program…

 

Lord, you have chosen Brother André
to spread devotion to Saint Joseph,
and to dedicate himself
to all those who are poor and afflicted.
Grant us the grace

 

O Jesus, who on earth commanded and practiced a hidden life,
grant that in these our days of pride
and outward display the example of your servant John Neumann

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

The latest letter of Pope Francis, his Encyclical, Fratelli Tuttii “Brothers and Sisters All,” is one that should touch every heart, stimulate our minds, awaken our…

 

By a Columban Missionary

When we look at the scene of the baptism of Jesus as depicted by Christian artists the important figures seem to be Jesus, John the Baptist and the Holy Spirit descending…

 

By Fr. Tomas King

The Parkari Kohlis are one of many tribal peoples in Sindh, Pakistan, who live in an on-going state of liminality; that is geographically, religiously, economically,…

 

Lord Jesus,
Who was born for us in a stable,
lived for us a life of pain and sorrow,
and died for us upon a cross;
say for us in the hour of death,

 

By Fr. Charles Rue

God takes us beyond what our minds can imagine beyond the limits we put on our hearts knowing that the cosmos and all earth creatures are brother and sister as St. Francis…

 

The word of the Lord came to Jeremiah,
“Before I formed you in the womb I knew You,
before you were born I dedicated You…”

 

St. Gregory, you are known for your zeal
for the Catholic faith, love of liturgy,
and compassion and mercy toward those in need.
Please help and guide us

 

O God, who through the fruitful virginity
of Blessed Mary bestowed on the human race
the grace of eternal salvation, grant, we pray,

 

Dear God, thank You for making
all things new.
Thank You for all that You've allowed
into our lives this past year,

 

Dear Jesus,
You came to show the real meaning of life.
You came to bring forgiveness and healing to a broken world.

 

Father, you confirm the true faith
with the crown of martyrdom.
May the prayers of St Thomas Becket 

 

There is a certain rhythm in our life cycle
of birth, growth, aging and death.

With the pandemic, this passing of stages

 

By Fr. Vincent Busch

The Subanens are an indigenous people whose ancestral habitat is the highlands of northwestern Mindanao in the Philippines.

 

O Jesus, only-begotten Son of the Eternal Father,
we most fervently implore You,
through Mary Your ever-blessed Mother
and St. Joseph Your foster father,

 

O glorious St. Stephen, first Martyr for the Faith,
filled with compassion for those who invoke you,
with love for those who suffer,

 

Dear Jesus,
At Christmas you come to us as the gift of God’s very self.
You embrace us with your love that never fades, diminishes, or weakens.

 

O God, who made this most holy night
to shine forth with the brightness of the true Light,
grant we beseech You, that we who have known

 

These days there can be a feeling
of impending doom, O Lord.

Help us to trust that you will not
abandon us, while suffering flows
around the world.

 

Lord, Your presence makes my life whole.
Take away my pride so that I have the courage
to change the attitudes, habits and behaviors

 

Lord, you gave Saint Peter Canisius
wisdom and courage to defend
the Catholic faith.
By the help of his prayers
may all who seek the truth

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

While the rest of the world shops and parties frenetically in December, the people in Fiji busy themselves too – in providing retreats, carol singing and charitable…

 

O my God, because you are infinite
goodness and worthy of infinite love,
I love you with my whole heart
above all things, and for love of you

 

Jesus, my Lord,
I confess that I am a sinner.
But in Your goodness
You invited me to approach Your Holy Table
and to partake of Your heavenly Banquet.

 

O Queen of heaven, rejoice;
for He who you deserved to bear;
is risen again as He said.
Pray for us to God, Alleluia.

O God, who by the Resurrection

 

Mary, powerful Virgin,
You are the mighty
and glorious protector of the Church.
You are the marvelous help of Christians.

 

By Elbert Balbastro

Christmas always brings joy in my life. As a child, I always looked forward to the coming of that day. However, as time progressed, I realized that Christmas does not only…

 

In the day-to-day routine of life
I take my friends for granted,
I expect them to be good to me
even when I’m in a miserable mood,

 

Lord, you show me how to be just,
compassionate and generous.
May Your grace give me the courage
I need to change all that prevents me

 

Almighty Father, you endowed John of the Cross 
with a spirit of self-denial and a love of the Cross. 

 

By Fr. John Boles

People often boast about having celebrated Mass in churches that are, “centuries old,” such as the great cathedrals of Europe. But, what about celebrating in a place of…

 

Dear Jesus, I thank you from my heart
for the health and safety of my children.
It feels so good to see them full of life and happiness.

 

O our Lady of Guadalupe,
mystical rose, intercession
for us for Holy Church,
protect the Sovereign Pontiff,
help all those who invoke you

 

Saint Damasus, instead of worrying
about the short term of life on earth,
you took God's view and looked
to the things that last.

 

It becomes you to be mindful of us,
as you stand near Him who granted you all graces,
for you are the Mother of God and our Queen.

 

Blessed Juan,
you faced the skepticism and rejection
of a bishop and the crowds
to bring Mary's message to Mexico.
Pray for us that when we are faced

 

O God, who by the Immaculate Conception
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, did prepare
a worthy dwelling place for Your Son,
we ask You that, as by the

 

For You have mercy upon all, O Lord,
and hate nothing that You have made.
Remember how frail our nature is,
and that You are our Father and our God.

 

By Fr. Jung Euikyun Carlo

Last year, at the beginning of Advent, I received a letter. The letter was inviting myself and the youth of the parish to “A Christmas feast to commemorate Christmas.”…

 

Lord, You have created me
for goodness, love, compassion and peace.
Help me to make good use of the gifts
You have given me to make a difference

 

You put up with my moods, Lord,
when it all gets too much,
and others don’t seem to understand,
when I’m lifeless as sand, not at peace,

 

Dear Lord,
This time of pandemic is indeed long.
And the statistics are grim.
Days of social distancing have turned to weeks. 

 

Lord God,
by the preaching of St. Francis Xavier
you brought many nations to Yourself.
Give his zeal for the faith to all who believe in You,

 

Lord, I have become distracted
by the things of this world.
Guide my steps and lead me
safely back home to you.
Help me to respond to the needs of others

 

By Fr. Charles Rue

The providence of God gives earth its seasons.
The equinox sun sets glory over the equator
radiates tempering flowers south and colors north

 

By Ana Flores

I first arrived in the Philippines in December 2007 and have been assigned in Mandanao ever since.

 

By Fr. Rufus Halley

The dawn has broken through
The fears and snares of darkness
Are shattered, scattered, put to rout
Hold your head up high, oh man,

 

Lord help me to forgive as I have been forgiven.
Sometimes I glide over the words
of Your prayer the Our Father.
“Forgive us our trespasses as we I forgive

 

By Fr. George Hogarty

The missionary journey of Jorge Juaregui, called Coco for short, and his wife Rosa Ramirez, began when the Columban Fathers assumed responsibility for the rapidly

 

O glorious St. Andrew,
you were the first to recognize
and follow the Lamb of God.
With your friend, St. John,
you remained with Jesus from that first day,

 

By Fr. Peter O'Neill

Fr. Peter O’Neill, the Columban Leader in Australia and the Columban Peace, Ecology and Justice Coordinator, visited Timorese workers at the Our Lady Help of Christians…

 

Hail and blessed be the hour and moment
In which the Son of God was born of the Virgin Mary,
at midnight, in Bethlehem, in the piercing cold.

 

O God, mercy and forgiveness
are Yours by nature and by right.
Receive our humble petitions.
Though we are bound tightly by the chain of our sins,

 

O Blessed Columban, who, in your zeal for the extension
of Christ’s Kingdom and the salvation of souls,
spent your life in suffering and exile,

 

Lord God, today I am grateful
for the gifts that you bestow.

 

O God, who distinguished Your holy virgin
and martyr Catherine
by the gift of great wisdom and virtue,
and a victorious combat

 

By Evangeline "Jinky" Ucol

I’ve been working in the parish of Christ the King in Ba, which is located in the western part of Fiji, for more than a year now. Near where I live is St.

 

St. Andrew, you provided a wonderful example
to your flock of a life lived totally for God.
Pray that we may dedicate our lives

 

O kind and good Mother,
whose own soul was pierced by the sword of sorrow,
look upon us while, in our sickness,
we arraign ourselves beside you

 

By Atonio Saula Tibema Seeto

Living with a host family was a blessing for me. I lived with the family of Maria Rene Covarrubias Arze in Cochabamba, Bolivia.

 

Christ Jesus, I acknowledge You King of the universe.
All that has been created has been made for You.
Make full use of Your rights over me.

 

Heavenly Father, the Blessed Virgin Mary
was dedicated to You by her parents
when she was three.
Her holiness was very evident,
as she spent her days

 

O Lord our God,
You are the healer of all mankind.
In Your merciful love
you heal us of sin
and the effects of sin in this life
and the next.

 

Father of mercies, God of all comfort,
hear our prayers for the souls of the faithful departed.
Console them in their sorrowful exile

 

By Iowane Naio

My name is Iowane Naio, and I am from Fiji. I joined the Columban Formation Program in 2014, and I studied for two and a half years in the Pacific Regional Seminary in…

 

Lord there are so many reasons
to be fearful in our world today.
Help me to realize that You are always with me.
You created me and sustain me.

 

Shed Your light upon the hearts
of Your faithful people, O merciful God,
and through the glorious prayers of blessed Elizabeth,

 

O Eternal Father, I offer You the
Most Precious Blood of Your Divine Son, Jesus,
in union with the Masses said throughout

 

By Sainiana Tamatawale

Getting to know the people in this community of Rancho Anapra Corpus Christi Parish, Juarez City, México, was my number one priority when I arrived here after learning…

 

The disciples cried out in panic
when their boat was almost sinking,
aroused from Your slumber
You calmed the storm,
and all was peace again.

 

If God wants to place me in vulnerable situations
I accept that God is leading me - whatever happens, happens.

 

By Rosalia Basada

Casa del Migrante (Migrant House) is one of the shelters in ciudad Juárez, Mexico, under the management of the diocese. Migrants usually only stay for a short time, and…

 

Fortify me with the grace of Your Holy Spirit
and give Your peace to my soul
that I may be free from all needless anxiety,
solicitude and worry.

 

Lord, in times of pride I parade my success,
or fame or fortune for all the world to see.

Then in times of illness

 

By Fr. George Hogarty

During a recent visit to Peru, Maritza Upiachiwa and her husband Jorge Sanchez invited me to celebrate Sunday Mass for the community of the chapel of the Sacred Heart of…

 

Dear Lord, Today we honor our veterans,
worthy men and women who gave their best
when they were called upon to serve
and protect their country.

 

God our Father,
you will never allow the powers of hell
to prevail against Your Church,
founded on the rock of the apostle Peter.

 

By Fr. Larry Barnett

The phone woke me from a deep sleep. I turned on the light. The clock read 2:35 a.m., and the caller was Saiyun, a church leader in DaGuan village.

 

My Queen! my Mother!
I give you all myself, and,
to show my devotion to you,
I consecrate to you my eyes,
my ears, my mouth, my heart,
my entire self.

 

Thank You, Lord, for Your great power
and love for all people.
Help us, to constantly praise You
and glorify Your Holy Name.

 

By Fr. John Boles

Even before the Pope convoked the Synod on the Amazon in 2019, and issued his dramatic exhortation, Columban missionaries in South America have

 

Guardian Angel, watch over those
whose names you can read in my heart.
Guard over them with every care
and make their way easy and their labors fruitful.

 

O Saintly reformer, animator of spiritual
renewal of priests and religious,
you organized true seminaries
and wrote a standard catechism.

 

By Fr. Donal O'Keef

In February 2020 some eighteen priests and Sisters participated in the Mission Education Program for Korean missionaries going overseas at our Center House in Seoul.

 

Most glorious Martin de Porres,
whose burning charity embraced
not only the needy brethren,
but also the very animals of the field,

 

O God, the Creator and Redeemer of all the faithful,
grant to the souls of our departed brothers and sisters,
the forgiveness of all their sins.

 

By Fr. George Hogarty

In the Gospel of Matthew 13:52 Jesus describes the Kingdom of Heaven as being like a householder who brings forth treasures new and old from his storeroom.

 

By Fr. Tim Mulroy

During my vacation back home in Ireland, much of my time is spent visiting family members, neighbors and friends in the countryside.

 

By Sunhee "Sunny" Kim

Columban lay missionary Sunhee Kim writes about her ministry to children trapped in deplorable conditions at a dump in the Philippines.

 

Dear God, thank You for the example of the Saints.
I desire to join in their company,
worshiping You forever in Heaven.

 

By Luda Egbalic

My heart was filled with gratitude and awe when I finished my first term mission in South Korea meaningfully and gracefully. Praise be to God and Mama Mary.

 

By Kim Sun-Hee Maria

Thanksgiving Day is called Zhong-Qiu-Jie in Taiwan, which means mid-autumn festival which is held on the 15th day of the 8th month of the lunar…

 

O Maria, transform my heart into yours.
Place around it a wreath of purity,
adorned in virtue.

Take my heart, dear Mother,
consecrated as your own.

 

O God, in the faithful service of our brother Alphonsus
You have shown us the way to joy and peace.
Make us ready and watchful companions of Jesus,

 

O Jesus, I adore You, in union with all Your people
over the Earth, with the holy souls in Purgatory
and with Your angels and saints in Heaven.

 

by Michael Javier

It is part of our daily morning exercise routine for myself and my fellow lay missionary, Lenette Toledo, to pass by the busiest market in Bhamo. Bhamo is a city in the…

 

O Holy St. Jude, Apostle and Martyr,
great in virtue and in miracles,
faithful intercessor of all who invoke
Your special help in time of need.

 

My Jesus, I believe you are present in the consecrated host.
Give me the faith of St. Peter to proclaim, “
You are Christ, the son of the Living God.”

 

By Fr. Finbar Maxwell

The late art critic Sr. Wendy Beckett wrote, “the astonishing thing about prayer is our inability to accept that if we have need of it, as we do, then because of God’s…

 

Sometimes, Lord, I think You are demanding
too much from me.
I wonder if I can really undergo this trial

 

Most Holy Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Spirit,
I adore, praise and thank You for the benefits
which You have given me.
I as You, for all that Your servant

 

God our Father
we come to You in our need
to ask Your protection against the 2019 N-coronavirus
that has claimed lives
and has affected many.

 

God of grace, today we raise our voices
to magnify Your holy name,
and, in our own generation, to call her blessed

 

O God, Creator of the universe,
who extends your paternal concern over every creature
and guides the events of history to the goal of salvation,

 

By Mosese Yacalevu

Sharing my vocation story stirs up mixed feelings within me. On the one hand I think of a vocation as something personal and sacred, but I remember that such stories…

 

Come, Holy Spirit,
fill the hearts of Your faithful
and kindle in them the fire of Your love.
O God, who taught the hearts of Your faithful people

 

We pray You, O almighty and eternal God!
Who through Jesus Christ
has revealed Your glory to all nations,
to preserve the works of Your mercy,

 

By Fr. John Boles

“Hope springs eternal” goes the phrase, even in the saddest of situations, and surely none can be sadder than the case of young Andrea Alvarez.

 

Lord, just as a flower can radiate its precious beauty,
and cast its fragrance everywhere, so I ask You
to cast the sweet fragrance of Your presence over me.

 

Good Saint Luke, we are told that before you met
our dear Lord and became a follower of His
and a writer of His Gospel, you were a doctor.

 

Lord you are kind and merciful.
You lift me up when I am falling.
I deeply appreciate your promise
to be with me in times of distress and sorrow.

 

May the offerings of Your people be accepted by You, O Lord:
and grant that we may be inflamed by that Divine fire
which coming from the Heart of Your Son,

 

By Jerry Lohera

There are many days when I am at home in the tribal villages in Sindh, Pakistan. Although, it might have been upsetting for someone to find out that majority of the…

 

Let nothing disturb you,
Nothing frighten you.
All things are passing.
God never changes.
Patient endurance attains all things.

 

O Heart of Love, I hope all from Your infinite Goodness.
Annihilate in me all that can displease or resist You.
Imprint Your pure love so deeply in my heart

 

Most merciful God,
We come to You in our weakness.
We come to You in our fear.
We come to You with trust.
For You alone are our hope.

 

Blessed are You, loving Father,
For all your gifts to us.
Blessed are You for giving us family and friends
To be with us in times of joy and sorrow,

 

By Elbert Balbastro

Our mission partners and benefactors are very essential in the day-to-day life of the missionaries. They play a significant role in helping the Society proclaim the good…

 

Holy Immaculate Mary,
help all who are in trouble.
Give courage to the faint-hearted,
console the sad, heal the sick,
pray for the people,

 

We turn to you for protection,
holy Mother of God.
Listen to our prayers
and help us in our needs.
Save us from every danger,

 

I take You, O Sacred Heart,
for the sole object of my love,
the protection of my life,
the pledge of my salvation,
the remedy of my frailty and inconstancy,

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

Every Saturday afternoon, Fr. Paul drove off faithfully in the car by himself. For several years, all I knew was that he was heading to a Gamblers Anonymous meeting…

 

My Jesus, I believe that You are present
in the Blessed Sacrament.
I love You above all things and I desire You in my soul.

 

My dearest Mother Mary, behold me,
your child, in prayer at your feet.
Accept this Holy Rosary, which I offer you

 

By Fr. Patrick O'Donoghue

It is almost impossible to describe the appreciation and love that Catholic Kachins in Myanmar have for Columban missionaries, and at times, it can be almost embarrassing…

 

Let me be your witness.
Lord, in whatever I do and wherever I am.
Help me to be humble and accept
that I can speak your praise in my own special way.

 

Lord, just a few moments with You,
a few thoughts shared between us,
the sense of Your friendship can be more healing
and refreshing than a mountain scene,

 

By Lenette Toledo

Myanmar is far behind in terms of education, compared to other countries, having been shut off from the outside world for 50 years by the military junta.

 

Most lovable and popular Saint,
son of a wealthy merchant of Assisi,
you discarded earthly possessions
for the Savior you loved so dearly

 

O Mary, we have exiled your Divine Son from our lives,
our councils, our education, and our families!
Come with the light of the sun

 

My good Angel, you come from heaven;
God has sent you to take care of me.
Oh, shelter me under your wings.
Lighten my path, direct my steps.

 

By Fr. Daniel O'Malley

I had just arrived in the Philippines shortly after ordination. It was 1973 and something unprecedented was happening back home in Ireland.

 

By Rose Basada

I’ve been living here in Ciudad Juarez in the Parish of Corpus Christi in the Northern part of Mexico, Rancho Anapra, for almost eighteen months now.

 

The Depths of the Love of Your Heart
Virgin full of grace,
I know that at Nazareth you lived modestly,
without requesting anything more.

 

By Fr. Noel Connolly

I was ordained in 1969. Those were confident and energetic times. Neil Armstrong walked on the moon a few days later.

 

By Sr. Kathleen Coyle

In the Gospels, there are several accounts of feeding a large crowd from scant supplies. These accounts may be versions of one memorable event for which several accounts…

 

By Fr. Charles Rue

Pulsating through our world, oceans and land
the tropics and artic, our home
flows the presence of God
loving a myriad of creation faces.

 

O blessed St. Jerome, our Patron and our guide,
humbly we ask that you intercede for us before God,
and that our petitions this day will be answered.

 

Blessed Saint Gabriel, Archangel, we beseech you
to intercede for us at the throne of divine mercy:
As you announced the mystery of the Incarnation to Mary,

 

Dear Lord much of what is going on in my life
seems to be of no use.
One day is the same as the day before and on and on.

 

I, a faithless sinner -
renew and ratify today in your hands,
O Immaculate Mother,
the vows of my Baptism;
I renounce forever Satan,
his pomp and works;

 

Breath in me, Spirit of God,
that I may think what is holy;
drive me, Spirit of God,
that I may do what is holy;
draw me Spirit of God,

 

O Mary, grant that this church of Christ,
in defining itself, will acknowledge you
as its most chosen mother, daughter, and sister,

 

Behold me, my beloved Jesus,
weighed down under the burden
of my trials and sufferings,
I cast myself at Your feet, that You may renew

 

Show us, we ask You, O Lord,
in Your clemency, Your unspeakable mercy,
that You may both cleanse us from all our sins,
and deliver us from the punishments

 

Sometimes I am amazed, Lord, at the people
you have chosen to do your work.
But you see beyond the superficial to the hidden goodness

 

 Glorious St. Matthew
through the grace of God,
Our Father, you gave us the Holy Gospel,
which brings us joy and life.
Inspired by your example,

 

By a student from the Mandalay Archdiocesan High Education Center

On Monday morning, September 26, 2016, Sr. Anny, a St. Joseph Religious nun, asked me if I wanted to study in Mandalay.

 

O My God,
I love you above all things,
with my whole heart and soul,
because you are all-good and worthy of all love.

 

Heavenly Father, You protected your faithful servant Januarius
and his companions who were thrown to the bears,

 

O Sacred Heart of Jesus,
to You I consecrate and offer up my person and my life,
my actions, trials, and sufferings, that my entire being

 

God our Father,
You gave Robert Bellarmine wisdom and goodness
to defend the faith of Your Church.
By his prayers may we always rejoice

 

Lord your words are spirit and life.
They give me the strength and wisdom I need
to be open to all the possibilities
that I will encounter today.

 

Hallowed Mother,
do this favor:
Those Wounds that gored my Savior,
deeply on my heart engraved.
Mine it be,
Christ's throes in sharing.
Mine it be,

 

Look down upon me, good and gentle Jesus
while before Your face I humbly kneel and,
with burning soul, pray and beseech You

 

By Fr. Donal O'Keefe

May 2020 was the 40th anniversary of the Gwangju Democratic Movement, an event that has shaped modern Korea history.

 

Heavenly Father, obtain through Your Son,
Jesus Christ, the souls of my parents, friends,
relatives and neighbors, both living and dead.

 

Most holy Virgin and Mother,
whose soul was pierced by a sword of sorrow
in the Passion of your Divine Son,
and who in His glorious Resurrection

 

God of peace, bring your peace to our violent world:
peace in the hearts of all men and women
and peace among the nations of the earth.

 

As we read in Scripture, God’s call may not come
in an earthquake or a fire or some other spectacular event.

 

Lord, for love of you St. Peter Claver
became the faithful servant of slaves.
Through his prayer help us to see
the true dignity of the human family,

 

Jesus, I trust in You.
Please grant through Your mother’s intercession
that I may always bring Your hope into my family.

Jesus, I trust in You.

 

By Fr. Patrick Raleigh

September 2019 was very special as I had the opportunity and privilege to visit Brazil for the first time. In visiting a vast country like Brazil for a short time there is…

 

O God, the creator of all things,
you framed the law of labor for the human race.
Graciously grant, by the example and patronage

 

Keep us, O God, from all pettiness.
Let us be large in thought, in word, in deed.
let us be done with fault-finding
and leave off all self-seeking.

 

Give us a heart as beautiful, pure, and spotless as yours.
A heart like yours, so full of love and humility.
May we be able to receive Jesus as the Bread of Life,

 

O Blessed Mary, in the presence of all the heavenly court
I choose you this day, for my Mother.
I deliver and consecrate to you, as your servant,

 

Mary, you are the vessel
and tabernacle containing all Mysteries.
You know what the Patriarchs did not know;

 

I venerate you with all my heart, O Virgin most holy,
above all Angels and Saints in paradise,
as the beloved Spouse of the Spirit of God,

 

By Joan Yap

There are times in my life when I feel I am at a crossroad, not knowing which way to go.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

A case of gang rape of a 19-year old young British woman in Ayia Napa in southeastern Cyprus by 12 youth 15 to 18 years old in July 2019 received international attention…

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

September 1 has been designated for us as World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

 

Dear Mother Mary, with this virus going around
I ask you to pray to Jesus for my children.
How I would love to make the world safe for them.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

In 1981, Columban Fr. Frank Hoare was at the Namata Ashram running a Hindi-speaking lay leaders course. He shared with us the following story from that time.

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Kim Sun-hee "Maria"

When Maria was first appointed to Taiwan in 2014, she immediately became involved in prison ministry. She worked with both youth and adults that were confined. Since 2018…

 

By Kim Jin-uuk, Columban Seminarian

At the entrance to the chapel in the Columban formation house hangs a large picture that shows all the areas where Columban missionaries were martyred, including the…

 

By Angie Escarsa

In our life we are bound to experience the different stages of life, “from the cradle to the grave.” Whether we accept it or not, there is always an end to everything.

 

By Gertrudes Samson

Some people are uncomfortable when they hear the word “blood.” But for Christians, our faith was founded in the blood of Jesus Christ. During the Eucharist, while…

 

By Sai Tamatawale

The grim realities here at the U.S./Mexico border of El Paso, Texas, and Ciudad Juarez, Mexico, are the twin plights migrants and poverty. We, the Columban missionaries…

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

All is in God and God is in all.

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Kim Sunhee

I recently began my new ministry in Our Lady of Remedies parish in Malate, Manila, Philippines.

 

By Fr. Charles Rue

As a promise, God created a Chosen People
guiding them in deserts, freeing them from slavery
giving them a promised land as their home.

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Latai Muller

Where there is heart there is love; where there is Love there is Joy; where there is Joy there is God, and all things begin with God.

 

By Hazel Angwani

I can still remember that feeling when I first applied to join the Columban lay missionaries. I was not certain of anything, but I definitely pushed myself for it. I was…

 

By Sr. Tammy Saberon

Sr. Tammy Saberon is a Filipina Columban missionary who ministered for many years in Hong Kong, and later in Myanmar.

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

One of the highlights of our week here in the Spiritual Year House is our visit to either the Prison Remand Facility in Suva or the Juvenile Rehabilitation Center also in…

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Febie Gonzalez

It took a long time for me to discern my full-time ministry until I finally found myself working with mentally and developmentally challenged individuals at Ai Jia (House…

 

By By Columban Lay Missionary Marjorie Engcoy

One of my passions is in the area of ecological justice, so I decided to initiate a recycling program in the parish in Raiwaqa, Fiji, where I am assigned and launch it…

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Joan Yap

I work as a shelter supervisor at the Hope Workers’ Center in Taiwan, and I can say that I enjoy the work.  Every day I facilitate activities for the residents in the…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Seventy years ago, if a person wanted to become a Catholic they attended “convert classes.” A priest usually gave weekly talks on the important Catholic dogmas and the…

 

By Mary Ann T. Guial as told to Columban Sr. Bella

I am Mary Ann T. Guial, the youngest and only girl in our family. I have five brothers and the eldest died when he was in grade three. I was not yet born when he died. My…

 

By Mariana Waqa

Fr. Teakare Betero was ordained a Columban priest on Saturday November 30, 2019, the Feast of St. Andrew.

 

By Columban Fr. John Boles

I’ve recently returned to Peru after my sabbatical year, and have been able to see first-hand progress made during 2019.

 

By Columban Missionaries

"They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus began to ask them, "What were you arguing about on the way?"

 

By Fr. Gonzalo Borquez

How many times has someone climbed a mountain only to find that they are still not at the summit? And, in fact, a cliff lies between them and the higher peaks.

 

By Fr. Patrick Raleigh

In 2019, I had the privilege of visiting our mission in Fiji where Columbans have ministered since 1952. Prior to visiting Fiji, I had read Fr. Frank Hoare’s account of…

 

By Chuah Hui Ling

My name is Teresa, but most people here call me Ling. I was born in Malaysia and before coming to Fiji, I lived in New Zealand for eleven years.
Everything went…

 

By Sherryl Lou Capili

I started serving at the Hope Workers’ Center (HWC) last year as a fulltime pastoral coordinator among the Filipino Community of volunteers of the Sacred Heart of Jesus…

 

By Navitalai Paulo

We had planned to go on a picnic on this particular day, to the village where my sister, Paulini Maria, lives with her husband. She was informed of our coming, and her…

 

By Jennifer Lunor

One of the many joys of being a Columban lay missionary is the joy of entering into a new culture and sharing my faith and experience with the people, while at the same…

 

by Fr. Timothy Mulroy

“Why did you choose to join the Columban missionaries and not some other missionary organization?” is a question that I’m often asked.

 

By Fr. Michael Doohan

I grew up on a farm in Co. Clare, Ireland, with four brothers and five sisters. We all did our share on the farm, helping out during the holidays. My brother John, who was…

 

By Seo Min-ah

The city of Wuhan where I live is always changing. We can see new public slogans almost every day. Jobs and government policies change very frequently, and buildings are…

 

By Evangeline "Jinky" Ucol

Na yacamu? Na yacaqu, O Jinky mai, Philippines. What is your name?

 

By Fr. Kwon Dae-mun

Since I was appointed to mission in China I have been constantly asked what kind of ministry I have been involved in given that mission activity is banned in China.

 

By Columban Fr. John Boles

In the Gospel we hear how Jesus performed a miracle by saying to the paralyzed man, “Rise up and walk!” Today He continues to work the same miracle, maybe not directly,…

 

By Jennifer Lunor

Opportunity comes once in a lifetime, and not all of us have the chance to be able to share with others the gifts that God has given to each of us: gifts such as life, our…

 

By Columban Missionaries

A few years ago the Oxford Dictionary’s Word of the Year was “post-truth.” Every day people are subjected to many false words, “fake news,” “alternative truths,” and…

 

By Lily Faunillan

I responded to my baptismal call to become a lay missionary with the Columbans in 2017.

 

By Reina Mosqueda

Talking about gratefulness, many people say that it is all about being appreciative of the good things in our lives.  We appreciate the person who shows kindness or…

 

By Fr. Michael Riordan

After I qualified as a veterinarian, I volunteered to work on an agricultural project in South Korea for two years which was started by Columban Fr. P.J. McGlinchey. While…

 

By Lily Faunillan

In August last year, I arrived at St. John the Apostle Parish in Natovi, Fiji, to begin my ministry, where, among other things I would help facilitate church programs,…

 

By Fr. Joseph Joyce

“How old are you?” is a question that I’m very often asked in Pakistan, and when I tell my age, 75, the response is something like, “You look very fresh,” or “You’re still…

 

By Uakela Tawala

My name is Uakeia Tawaia, and I come from the Kiribati Islands. In 2016, I was studying Accounting at the Kiribati Institute of Technology (KIT) and was focused on…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

The Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, or Udang Poi, is a huge celebration in the Diocese of Myitkyina, Myanmar (formerly Burma), which attracts thousands…

 

By Mereani Naileyu

I believe as human beings we all have a call, a call to be a particular type of person.

 

By Lee Ji Yong "Tina"

In January 2019 I returned to Taiwan with my husband Jung-Woong Bosco as a Columban lay missionary couple.  At the moment, I’m completing month seven of a full year,…

 

By Fr. Charles Rue

God the creator keeps faith with the universe forever
in the evolving journey of planets, plants and animals
loving humanity and guiding our journey

 

By Arlene Villahermosa

Every day in our lives we meet people of various ages and from different backgrounds. Many of them we don’t know but some of them we get to know and interact with. And…

 

By Fr. Patrick Raleigh

After completing my six year term as Regional Director for the Columbans in Ireland I had the opportunity to pay a return visit to Pakistan where I had worked for a number…

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

It started, really, with an invitation from catechist Tobia to come and talk about the Marian Movement of Priests. I checked with the pastor, Fr.

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

Strolling along the path, I turned a corner and suddenly my eye caught a statue. At first, I was unsure if the figure was male or female, human or angelic, but its pose…

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

For the past seven years, I have traveled on Fridays to the Carmelite monastery located in a mountain canyon known as the Cajon del Maipo.

 

By Sihyeon Teresa Bae

On August 1, 2017, I travelled from the height of the Korean summer to an equally hot Philippines to study English.

 

Fr. Shay Cullen

In the dangerous southern island of Mindanao in the Philippine archipelago of more than 7,000 islands, martial law reigns.

 

By Kim Jung Woong

I’m doing missionary work with the mentally and physically challenged individuals at St.

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

"Loneliness has become a silent epidemic; it is, as one doctor wrote, "the most unrecognized health crisis of this generation."

 

By Fr. Patrick McInerney

I feel as much on Columban mission here in Sydney as I ever did in Lahore, Pakistan, if not more so, and it is usually in the ordinary encounters of every day.

 

By Mavic Mercene

Last year, in December, I had the opportunity to attend the mission-sending Mass for Hazel Jean Angwani at Santa Rita de Cascia Mission Station in Bontoc, Montain Province…

 

By Gertrudes "Ger" C. Samson

Time flies! As I write this, it is October again, but I did not notice since the time passed by so quickly. By now, I am already almost one-and-a-half years in my country…

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

August is the month of solidarity in the Archdiocese of Santiago. Each year, there is a pilgrimage of young people to the Shrine of St.

 

By Fr. Colin McLean

In March this year I was one of a group from the Region of Peru to attend a Columban meeting in Santiago, Chile.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Fiji has the highest incidence of diabetes in the world. More than one third of the population suffers from it. It is a lifestyle disease. Fijian men were able to eat big…

 

By Ella Poasa

Returning home for a seminary break is interesting. I usually see it as a great time for relaxation and enjoyment. But I have discovered that it is more than that.

 

by Jennifer "Jake" Lunor

Being a stranger in a foreign land wasn’t always easy, in terms of learning and adopting their respective culture and of course the same goes with the dialect that they…

 

By Michael O'Sullivan

Over recent decades Irish society has been transformed by the number of people who have come from all over the world to make their lives here.

 

By Lee Subin Matilda

"What are you doing in Taiwan?," my friends would ask. "Oh, I work at the HIV/AIDS Center." "What? What did you say?" My friends were confused by my answer…

 

By Fr. George Hogarty

I visited Korea in February earlier this year after an absence of nineteen years. I'd been invited by old friends to return to this mysterious, yet very modern country,…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Mani Ram told me today that he had just had a terrifying experience.

 

By Hyein "Anna" Noh

At last, I am back in Korea, my home country. I returned in March 2019 and threw myself into the surging waves of work awaiting me as the new Columban Lay Missionary (CLM…

 

By Mary K.

I am a butterfly,
Know that I like Flying among colorful flowers But now, I won’t do like this I offer to you…My lord.

 

Fr. Patrick O'Shea

In September 2017 our class celebrated 50 years since we first came to Dalgan Park, Ireland, to follow what we all believed at the time was a call to missionary priesthood…

 

By Nathalie Marytsch

When people ask me about my job, I still hesitate with my answer. I find that I don’t fit in with a conventional category of any job listing.

 

By Kim Sunhee

One day, words on the poster at a local charity shop caught my attention. “…Can you donate two hours of your time to raise funds for people who are blind or vision…

 

By Kevin Sheerin

Simon unfurls his tattered sleeping bag under the shelter of a park pavilion in one of the biggest parks in Hong Kong, a city where sky-high property prices and a yawning…

 

By Fr. Taaremon Matauea

It was a Sunday morning. I was turning the pages of my Mandarin Chinese prayer book looking for suitable prayers for the dead.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

What greater duty does any person of integrity have than to speak the truth about that which is morally wrong, unjust and despicable?

 

Sr. Redempta Twomey

"Quit being a lemon and make some lemonade in these straitened times," a journalist urged in a recent article.

 

By Fr. Patrick Colgan

One of the striking aspects of spending four months in San Antonio, Texas, is the very Hispanic/Mexican feel of the city as well as the way it manages its social…

 

By Fr. Daniel O'Connor

Columban Fr. Daniel O’Connor is part of a small group of eight in the Hyderabad Diocese, Pakistan, where they manage a health and tuberculosis clinic in the Badin Parish…

 

By Sr. Kathleen Coyle

The Christmas/Epiphany cycle offers us generous glimpses into the mystery of the birth and manifestation of Jesus.

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

I would like to share with you one of the most delightful Christmas presents that I have ever received. In the mission parish of Katase in Yokohama Diocese where I was…

 

By Sr. Roberta Ryan

“The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even touched – they must be felt with the heart.” This insight comes from the pen of Helen Keller who,…

 

By Sr. Margaret Devine

The story begins in the early morning hours of December 9, 1531, when a 57-year-old Indian peasant named Juan Diego was walking along the path of Tepeyac Hill on the…

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Christmas is a festival of children. We see images of a child born in a stable surrounded by animals with Mary and Joseph by the crib. Although recalling the birth of…

 

By Fr. Charlie O'Rourke

As Christmas draws near my thoughts go back to 1973 and 1974 when I was in Korea.

 

By Fr. Alvaro Martinez

A couple of years ago, before starting the Christmas Mass, in a chapel in the southern area of the archdiocese of Santiago, Chile, a family arrived with their children.

 

By Sr. Anne Ryan

At Christmastime we are drawn to reflect on our place of belonging, our "home." This sense of being drawn to home may be part of our nature, our cultural heritage and also…

 

By Fr. Vincent Busch

The Subanens are an indigenous people whose ancestral habitat is the highlands of northwest Mindanao in the Philippines. When the Columban Fathers arrived in Mindanao in…

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

Chased from his parish by a volcano! That is the story of Fr. Laurence Lulkon. Little did I think when I taught Laurence as a seminarian in Fiji that I was preparing him…

 

By Fr. Tony Cavanagh

December, January and February are the wedding months. All the Parkari parishes here are busy attending weddings and being involved in some of the preparations.

 

By Vida Amor Hequilan

Every morning on my way to the office I often see a woman with a dog in a small playground outside the Columban office gate in Hong Kong.

 

By Fr. Warren Kinne

I want to tell you about my friend David. Mind you, he prefers to be called Princess. He is known as the “Princess of Paradise.” Since I arrived on the Gold Coast (…

 

By Liliani Losi Ma’afu

"As for me, my life has already been poured out as an offering to God. The time of my death is near, I have fought the good race, and I have remained faithful.

 

By Catharina Son

On my first day of prison visitation, Ate (big sister) Sally accompanied me to Stanley prison where she gave me an introduction to the process from initial registration at…

 

By Fr. David G. Arms

Then a young priest, I was appointed in 1975 to the islands of Kadavu, Fiji, which is about 60 miles from the capital of Suva. Over the years, Kadavu had not been well…

 

By Nathalie Martysch

Situated close to the center of Birmingham, United Kingdom, Fatima House is operated by the Birmingham Archdiocese and the Columban Fathers and offers shelter for women…

 

By Fr. Patrick Raleigh

It was a great privilege to have had the opportunity to visit Myanmar (formerly Burma) this year. As a Columban missionary it is a country that has always fascinated me.…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

The catechumenate is the period of preparation for baptism that adults go through.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

Noisily he made his haggard way 
down the corridor to the departure gate
a gimp exuding anger.
Taking a seat he announced under his breath

 

By Fr. Gonzalo Borquez

The night is ending, darkness making way for light, winter has gone, and spring is here.

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

In her autobiography, St. Therese tells of a dream she had about a year before her death.

 

By Jennifer Lunor

One of the many joys of being a Columban lay missionary is the joy of entering into a new culture and sharing my faith and experience with the people, while at the same…

 

By Fr. Chris Saenz

Let us begin with a story: Equally qualified, Carmen and Diane both sought employment with the same local company. Both prayed to God for help, and the company granted…

 

By Mavic Mercene

Columban lay missionary, Liliani Maafu, shared the story of what happened while traveling to work in a jeepney (bus).

 

By Navitalai Paulo

“What do we do now?” I asked my Indian companions as our boat drifted out to sea. I had been invited by the four young men to go fishing. We left at 5 p.m., leaving dinner…

 

By Sr. Ann Gray

In 1986, when I was in the process of learning Cantonese, a Hong Kong friend took me to Mong Kok on the Kowloon side of Hong Kong where, for the first time, I saw sex…

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

The work of the Columbans over the last 65 years has been blessed by the presence of diocesan priests (associates) who contract with the Missionary Society of St.

 

By Fr. Bernard Smyth

Four Columbans, John Casey, Patrick Ronan, Owen O’Kane and Patrick Reilly, all attached to the Huchow mission in the Chinese Province of Chekiang, were arrested by the…

 

By Michael Javier

I came home for my highly anticipated home vacation in April 2018 after spending the last three years in Chile, feeling incredibly excited to be back among my family and…

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

"People think pleasing God is all God cares about, but any fool in the world can see he is always trying to please us back … always making little surprises and springing…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I have been attending a training of trainers at the Methodist Conference Center. I was unhappy with the sleeping arrangements.

 

By Fr. Joseph Joyce

The easiest way for me to write about prayer is to speak of my own journey with God. I say this because prayer is a particular experience for each person. It is an…

 

By Jennifer Lunor

I was born in a predominantly Christian city in the Philippines.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

The river came out of the ground underneath the rocks
We watched and wondered where it came from
Drank it, used it for cooking
Washed ourselves

 

By Virgie T. Tanate

My missionary journey in Ireland was the highlight of my entire career and my greatest accomplishment in life.

 

By Fr. Patrick O'Shea

Recent Anzac Day commemorations in New Zealand made a special attempt to recognize that “not all wounds bleed.” There has always been great sympathy and understanding for…

 

By Fr. Seamus Cullen

I first met Mr. Ikehata when Rev. Tesshu, a Buddhist priest, took Columban Fr. Bede Cleary and me to meet him on a hot summer day. The four of us were sitting round a low…

 

By Fr. Palanapa Tavo

I arrived in Peru thinking that it wouldn’t be very challenging. I was sent straight away to Bolivia to learn Spanish. When I arrived there my host family was waiting for…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

The parish church of Jimenez is considered a national heritage building one of only two from Mindanao, the Philippines, the other is in Jasaan (next stop). It is said to…

 

By Violeta V. Villaraiz

My journey in Korea as a Columban Lay Missionary can be compared with my first experience of the FOUR SEASONS – Spring, Summer, fall, and winter.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

After spending over a year in India from February 1979 to March 1980 I began to understand the reverence that Hindus gave to the cow and the importance for them of not…

 

By Fr. Young-In Kim

First, I would like to deliver my sincere thankfulness to all the benefactors who support financially and prayerfully the Andean Mountain children in Yanaoca, Cusco. In…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

Shwebo dropped us at our last stop, and he headed off to return to his village, the Shwebo district from which he gets his name. We returned to the Sisters’ house and had…

 

By Lilly Faunillan

I arrived in Fiji as a Columban lay missionary in August 2017. Once in Fiji, I studied the language for three months. Studying a new language for the first time in my…

 

By Luda Egbalkic

One year has passed since I came back to Korea for my second term as a Columban lay missionary. Indeed, time has flown so fast.

 

By Jennifer (Jake) Lunor

Being a stranger in a foreign land wasn’t always easy, in terms of learning and adopting not only the language and local dialect but also the culture. I was thinking about…

 

By Hyein "Anna" Noh

After a 14-hour flight from Korea, with a fierce wind and torrential rain waiting to greet me in Dublin, I realized that I had finally landed in Ireland. It was the first…

 

By Columban Fr. Shay Cullen

We entered the so-called Bahay Pagasa, ??House of Hope.? It turned out to be a children's jail. We brought snacks and drinks to share with the young people in the cells…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I have been studying the Fijian language for almost 3 months now. It is great to have a chance now to learn the Fijian language and culture.

 

By Necita A. Fetalvero

The presence of immigrant spouses in Korea, together with the even larger population of immigrant laborers, has challenged the long-held homogeneous Korean society. With…

 

By Fr. Joseph Joyce

Each of us could write a book on disappointments, because there are so many in our lives.

 

By Sr. Angela McKeever

I have just completed 40 years in Chile and for 25 of these I have been going to the oldest jail in Santiago called the “Peni,” which is pronounced like “penny.” It was…

 

By John Din

More than 20 years ago, I left the Philippines for the first time as a Columban lay missionary assigned to Brazil.

 

By Aurora C. Luceenpo

I arrived in Pakistan in 1994 after joining the Columban lay missionary orientation program which included a focused study on Islam and the Pakistani culture.

 

By Irma Cantago

I am Irma Lara Cantago, a Columban lay missionary for many years. A high school teacher by profession, I was teaching for 15 years and at the same time involved in the…

 

By Columban Fr. Frank Hoare

I have been renting a room from a Fijian family in Kinoya for the last few months while I continue to teach at the Pacific Regional Seminary.

 

By Fr. Robert McColloch

In Pakistan, terminally-ill patients are treated as sources of income by the medical profession and the hospital culture.

 

By Sr. Kathleen Coyle

"Were not our hearts burning within us while he was talking to us on the road?" (Lk 24:32)

 

By Marguerite McManus

As a Columban lay missionary, I have been working and living in a community in Puente Alto near Santiago, Chile. I worked in a parish named after St.

 

By Vasemaca Ratu

Learning a new language is really difficult. One has to become a child again and enter an entirely new culture.

 

By Fr. Kevin O'Neill

As he ends his tenure as Columban Superior General, Fr. Kevin O'Neill, shares that the 2018 centennial was an opportunity to look to the past with gratitude and "to…

 

By Columban Seminarians

I have just completed three months of pastoral work. Every Saturday I went to the Hope Center in Myitkyina. It is where HIV/AIDS patients are cared for, and I met patients…

 

By Sr. Kathleen Coyle

Bartimaeus, a beggar, was sitting on the roadside, outside Jericho, blind, begging, isolated, speechless, mute. When he heard that Jesus of Nazareth was passing by He…

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

Once upon a time a young prince has an extensive and beautiful garden. Above all he loved “Bamboo’’ in his grove and used to visit him frequently. Bamboo reveled in his…

 

By Ariel Presbitero

I suppose what really attracted me to become an associate with the Society of St. Columban as a lay volunteer was  conviction and commitment to the same message that…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I have been studying the Fijian language for almost three months now.

 

By Fr. Trevor Trotter

Recently I have been fascinated by the news of two black holes circling each other and heading towards a massive explosion.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

On February 20, 2016, the strongest tropical storm to hit the South Pacific region converged on the nation of Fiji. With winds reaching 185 mph, tropical cyclone Winston…

 

By Fr. Chris Saenz

As we Columbans enter into our second century of mission to the world, I would not have imagined myself returning to the United States to do home mission.

 

By Fr. Daniel Harding

In recent years, Chile has received hundreds of thousands of desperate migrants from other parts of Latin America. Fr. Daniel (Dan) Harding tells the story of some of…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

I wonder what the first Easter was like. How did the disciples feel about losing their teacher and friend and then realizing the truth of His resurrection? What was the…

 

By Gertrudes C. Samson

In December 2017, a generous Malate parishioner gave the Columbans complimentary tickets to watch Ballet Philippines perform "The Nutcracker" at the Cultural Center of the…

 

By Fr. Eamon Sheridan

Every family in Kachin State in northeastern Myanmar, formerly Burma, seems to be affected by drug and alcohol addiction.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Protecting children from harm is the primary duty of all adults, yet millions of children are hurt and abused in the world these days.

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

From the seclusion of his monastery in Kentucky, the Cistercian monk, Thomas Merton, reached out to the men and women of his time with a wise and compassionate heart.

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

The new Columban century brought us a new Columban priest in Fiji. Deacon Martin Koroiciri was ordained a priest at the Suva Cathedral by Archbishop Chong on the vigil of…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Today I escaped from my Hindi studies to visit two veteran French missionaries, Frs. Cocereau and Debois at Naililili mission station. I was impressed by the fine old…

 

By Gloria Canama

My childhood dream was always to be a religious sister. The seed of this dream must have been sown by the Columban missionaries, Sisters and priests, who were my educators…

 

By Fr. Cyril Lovett

What do we know of the woman we call Mother of God and Mother of the Church?

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

I would like to introduce Mr. Dismas Shigeru Kato. He was born 91 years ago in a small fishing village called Kushimoto in Wakayama Province of Japan.

 

By Fr. Joseph Joyce

In my ministry as a priest I have encountered many experiences of grief and loss, and, like any other human being, I have had to deal with these difficult emotions both in…

 

By Dawn Rosa Chiu

Although my mother uttered her first words in the Philippine Ilocano language, we are a Chinese family and along with my brothers and sisters, I was born in Hong Kong.

 

By Fr. Neil Magill

The Higher Education Center [HEC] is for poor but bright young women and men who cannot afford further education after high school.

 

By Oisĺn Kenny

The scene is one full of children waiting eagerly for their Easter meal. Noise levels reach a climax. In one corner the little ones are playing a game I do not understand…

 

By Columban Missionaries

As he lies in his sick bed, Columban Fr. Frank recalls some of his mission outreach: The first time I went to the leper colony, I traveled with (the late)…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I’m at the Namata Ashram running a Hindi-speaking lay leaders course. I’ve just had a meeting with a Fijian seminarian.  I was supervising him on his cross-cultural…

 

By Rowena Cuanico

It all started as a simple idea. I remember Columban Fr. Dom Nolan and Lourdes de Guzman both of Mission Awareness asking us if we would accept some donations for a garage…

 

By Sarah MacDonald interviews Columban lay missionary, Kevin Sheerin

In 2010, Kevin Sheerin was working in Dublin for the high profile computer software giant Microsoft, earning a good salary and living a comfortable life. That was the year…

 

By Oisĺn Kenny

Sport is always a great way to bring people together. This is especially important when you live in a barrio, an area with a high poverty rate, where there are migrants…

 

By Michael Javier

Language is a basic skill we need to communicate, to express our feelings and to understand others. But, we are divided by different languages used in nations or cities.…

 

By Sihyeon Bae

"Lord, You created me through your love…" This is the first verse of a Korean morning prayer which I pray every morning. This beautiful verse has touched me deeply, and it…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Four of our Columban seminarians are studying philosophy at the Pacific Regional Seminary (PRS). During our community night one Sunday evening someone asked one of them…

 

By Sherry Lou Capill

My grandfather's name was Ireneo, but he was best known and called "Tata" by everyone in the family or Tatay Neo by everyone else who knew him.

 

By a Columban Missionary

The personal experience of loss and grief over the death of a loved family member is universal.  People tend to remember the lives of those who have recently died.…

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

The Philippines is a country with some of the greatest inequality. There are 16 million Filipinos who suffer serious poverty out of population of 107 million. Six million…

 

By Columban Missionaries

Back in 1990 a missionary priest in Taiwan was the parish priest of a small parish that had a small kindergarten attached. The kindergarten was underused and struggling.…

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

During the 1980s, great expectations abounded in the member states of what was then the European Community. We were told that just over the horizon a new European…

 

By Subin Lee

Last April 18, I boarded a plane going to France. Starting in France, I was on my way to Santiago de Compostela in Spain.

 

By Cathal King, nephew of Columban Fr. Tomás King

Last year I decided to go to Pakistan to visit my uncle and get a sense of the work he was doing. Since as far back as I can remember I've been hearing of this uncle who…

 

By Fr. Andrei Paz

"The Columbans are still interested." With those words, Fr. Tom Shaughnessy concluded his letter to Andrei Paz. It was an invitation which put the young philosophy…

 

By Fr. John Boles

The faithful at Santa Rosa chapel in Lima might at times feel they are suffering from double vision.

 

By Oisin Kenny

Sitting down with Patricia Rodriguez amidst a noisy comedor (community center) bustling with activity, boisterous children, cats and dogs, she agrees to tell me about her…

 

By Fr. Daniel Harding

For the five weeks leading up to Christmas 2017, two Adelaide, Australia, diocesan seminarians, Anthony Beltrame and Olek Stirrat, participated in a pastoral experience…

 

By Fr. Michael Hoban

In his Apostolic Exhortation, Evangelii Gaudium (The Joy of the Gospel), Pope Francis put his finger on one of the principal obstacles to spreading the Good News of the…

 

By Virgenia O. Vidad and Columban Fr. Oliver McCrossan

I met a very courageous and determined girl sometime in 2005 in Ozamiz City, Philippines. Maryjoy Tabuco is the eldest among the four siblings.

 

By Columban Fr. Neil Magill

The closing of the Columban centennial in Myanmar was held in Myitkyina where Columbans worked for decades until 1979 before being expelled by the military government.

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

For the gift of this New Year, we say "Thank You." God has already blessed us.

 

Columban Fr. Shay Cullen

The vast majority of Filipinos love their children, they care for them, pamper and spoil them at times.

 

As we prepare for a new century of mission to the world, we recall what inspired the early Columban pioneers and what they achieved, reflect on how their successors…

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Lee Su Bin

Travelling to strange places and leaving familiar things behind entails a mixed feeling of excitement, joy as well as fear.

 

By Gracia Kibad

In my past ministry which was in Ireland, I had on numerous occasions listened to migrant workers share their stories.

 

By Sr. Elizabeth Taaffe

When I lived in Hallim on Jeju Island I knew two delightful old people, namely Mrs. and Mr. Kim. I came to know them through the Isidore Development Association's Social…

 

By Fr. Jack Evans

When the angels went away from them to heaven, the shepherds said to one another, "Let us go, then, to Bethlehem to see this thing that has taken place, which the Lord has…

 

By Maria Elena Venzon-Wood

Way back in 1983, I was sent as a lay missionary to the United Kingdom under the auspices of the Columban Fathers in the Philippines.

 

by Maria Cieleen D. Lambampa

Life itself is a blessing. You will never know what it will bring, but you'll always be sure that whatever life may offer, it will be for the best.

 

By Marea Lyn Almiranex

I am presently working in the Catholic Diocese Hsinchu Migrants and Immigrants Service Center (HMISC).

 

By A Columban Missionary

Personally, the world looked different after the sorrow of my parents' death. All the small disappointments disappeared. Instead, I came to more deeply appreciate and…

 

By Columban Fr. Cyril Lovett

"Where do you find comfort", you asked,
and I found myself at a loss for an answer.
I am accustomed to comforting others
and now, when I need comforting,

 

Fr. Shay Cullen

Recently, we at the PREDA Foundation have opened a new home for troubled boys which was possible with the help of our supporters.

 

By Columban Sr. Redempta Twomey

The joy of Christmas is for everyone – for those who are faithful, loving and giving; for those who are indifferent or hostile; for those who have turned away and walk no…

 

By Fr. Tomás King

Greetings to ALL! I hope all is well. Just a few thoughts to share as we celebrate Advent and prepare for Christmas!

 

By Fr. Liam O'Callahan

Greetings to you from the "land of the pure" which is the meaning of the word Pakistan. I hope this finds you and your loved ones well and in good health.

 

By Jhoanna Resari

Christmas is a celebration of hope and joy as we remember the birth of Jesus, the ultimate gift God has given us out of His infinite love for us.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

You don't have to be a Christian to believe in the values of Christmas. They are universal.

 

By Fr. Erl Dylan Tabaco

The season of Advent gives us an opportunity to prepare ourselves for the coming of our savior in our lives.

 

By Fr. Liam O'Callahan

When Columbans began working in the parish of Greentown, Lahore, Pakistan, in 2007, I tried to build up Christian-Muslim relations, for example hosting Iftar dinners…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Columban Fr. Ed Quinn began the major work of building a new parish center in the bush at Vudibasoga. He has gone on holidays leaving Fr. Theo and myself holding the fort…

 

By Fr. Brian Vale

As I was preparing to move from Sydney to Melbourne to take up the new role of Regional Director of the Australia/New Zealand Columban region I reflected on the many…

 

By Columban Sr. Kathleen

We are united with you in heart and prayer during this very special time of year. This has truly begun as a very graced Advent for us in Myanmar. The coming of the Pope…

 

By Jenanydel Nola

On May 23, 2017, I returned home after three years of being away. I arrived in our village around nine in the evening, and I was expecting people to be in their houses.

 

By Columban Missionaries

At the beginning the primary task was to get a mastery of the Korean language. After that we went to work in parishes; that was our big apostolate at the time. Since the…

 

By Febie Gonzales

Good morning! These are two words that made a big difference in my missionary journey in Taiwan.

 

By Fr. Daniel Harding

After a happy six year break back in Australia as editor of The Far East magazine and working in Columban promotion in Adelaide, I have returned to Santiago, Chile, where…

 

When did you arrive in Korea?

I came here on October 2, 1969.

What were the Columbans doing there at the time you arrived? It was almost 100% parish work. A…

 

By Sr. Mary Dillion

In mid-September 2017, a family of three, Aik Ket aged 30 years old, his wife San Bu, also 30 years old, and their only child Chit Oo Mya, just three years old arrived at…

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Eun-Sook Han (Genovia)

I am from Kwangju in Korea. I had been teaching for a number of years when I heard about the Columban Lay Missionary program and decided to attend some meetings. I was 30…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

My friend Prabhu Dass arrived at the Naleba church just as I finished my meager breakfast.

 

Fr. Daniel O'Connor

Ramadan is the Holy Month for Muslims. This takes place during the ninth lunar month of Ramadan. Muslims are required to abstain from food and drink from dawn till sunset…

 

Sr. Redempta Twomey

The man had never walked. From birth, he was unable to put his two feet under him, but that didn't stop him from going out and joining the crowd that had gathered to hear…

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

They are remembered every day. They are prayed for at Mass, at the Divine Office, during community prayers. Many have died but they are never forgotten. Every day, without…

 

By Luda Egbalic

Allow me to share with you my one-of-a-kind, exciting and meaningful adventure. I am just an ordinary, simple woman. I was a teacher by profession.

 

By Mauricio Silva

I met Raj, a Sri Lankan Hindu asylum seeker, about nine years ago at the the Solihull Welcome drop-in center for asylum seekers when I was attending the home office…

 

By Fr. Brian Vale

I always enjoy returning to my home parish of St. Joseph's, New Plymouth, in New Zealand over the Christmas period.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

The preaching of Jesus and His compassion for the poor and the outcasts was at the heart of the Kingdom of God.

 

By Lorna Canete

If the Philippines have the Chocolate Hills in Bohol, here in the north of Chile we have mountains of "chocolates," no green trees, just all brown soil.

 

By Fr. Jim Mulroney

A faith born in the shadows cast by a single candle in a tightly curtained room of a small farming village in a China emerging from the repression of the Cultural…

 

By Beth Sabado

I first met Amy from the Philippines after she was brought to the Hope Workers' Center in Taiwan.

 

By Monalisa Esteban

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.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

When I was ordained a deacon and later a priest, I worked with young people in one parish in the Philippines.

 

By Gilda Comayas

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.

 

By Columban Missionaries in Fiji

The next day was more adventurous. Fr. Nilton drove us to Navala, a traditional Catholic village in the mountains over Ba.

 

By Fr. Peter Woodruff

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…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

I am half way through my two months stay in Nacemaki Village after my course in the Fijian language. The villagers are very welcoming and friendly.

 

By Columban Lay Missionary SunHee Kim

In January 2015 I began a new ministry in Payatas, the Philippines, known as the second Smokey mountain.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Let us look at ourselves as human beings with dignity, values, and inalienable human rights.

 

By Fr. Noel O'Neill

Come the weekend, Americans have their baseball and football. Australians have their cricket and Australian rules football, and the Irish have rugby. Come the weekend,…

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

Columban history in the Japan mission is behind this stained glass window of the Risen Christ.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

It is interesting to watch those television programs that deal with people passing through customs as they return from holidays or family visits abroad.

 

By Ray Collier

About 18 months ago, after leaving the parish of St. Catherine’s, I felt called to go and explore opportunities of volunteering with groups which are responding to the…

 

By Justice Ju

I am flying like a bird across the ocean
Sometimes I feel debilitated and depressed
I am trying and flying with my wings
Fighting the worst weather

 

By Liezl Ladaran

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…

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Last night Fr. Theo and I decided to visit separate Indo-Fijian families in the same settlement about five miles from town. We borrowed the parish van.

 

By Kim Jung-Woong Bosco

In my opinion love and kindness are the two words that most clearly express the life of Jesus.

 

By Sr. Kathleen Coyle

An African saying is my reminder: "If I go alone I go faster. If I go with others I go farther." This year, I hope to go a little farther so here is a reflection on a key…

 

By Fr. John Boles

Sometimes you come across a bond of love that makes you feel really humble. This is what happened to me when I met Josè and David.

 

By Peter, as told to Columban Fr. Neil Magill

I am Peter, and I am a third year student at Columban Fr. Neil Magill's Higher Education Center [HEC] in Mandalay, Myanmar (formerly Burma).

 

By Fr. Ed O'Connell

"The children, the young children, we have to do something about the children, they are at risk." Warmi Huasi is a small civil association (NGO) I set up with others…

 

Columban Fr. Shay Cullen

We read and see reports about the terrible number of child sexual assaults and how few perpetrators ever get convicted.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

A fund-raising bazaar took place at Raviravi church today. A large multi-ethnic crowd attended, and there were different cultural items presented.

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

The story is told of a good and prayerful woman who claimed to have had a vision of Christ. She went to see the bishop. "Did you talk to him?" he asked.

 

Sun-Hee "Maria" Kim

On October 2017, I returned to Taiwan as a second term lay missionary.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

The last time I crossed a body of water on a boat at night was on my first mission assignment in the Fiji Islands.

 

By Aminiasi Ruvawi

It started out like any other normal evening meal in the formation house in Fiji when we were informed we will be going to Peru for our FMA (First Mission Assignment).

 

By Fr. Neil Magill

If you are from a very poor family living in a remote village with no electricity, no running water and poor transportation, you might feel depressed and feel the world is…

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

Losana Ve'ehala of Tonga passed away unexpectedly at the Columban lay missionary house in Suva, Fiji, on Sunday, December 10, 2017. Tongan Fr.

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

It was a personal joy for me to attend the ordination of Pat Roland Visanti in Suva on St. Columban's Day 2017.

 

By Fr. Donal O'Keefe

Sanjeong Dong in Mokpo was both a parish and also the headquarters of the Columban mission in the southwest province of Chollanamdo in Korea in the 1940s.

 

By Joan Yaps

God calls us in unique and different ways. Before I became a Columban lay missionary, I was happy working in my diocese for nine years.

 

By Fr. Pat Colgan

Apart from my General Council work, I have found myself unofficial chaplain to foreign inmates in five Hong Kong prisons.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Catholic Church leaders have spoken out to condemn the brutal killing of a young priest, Father Mark Anthony Ventura, 37, from Gattaran town in the province of Cagayan on…

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Reina Mosqueda

Before I become a lay missionary, I was a full-time volunteer at Jesuit Volunteer of the Philippines (JVP).

 

Fr. Donal McIlraith

It all started about three months ago when catechist Timoci Matakiviwa turned up on our doorstep offering to compose a Centennial Meke for us.

 

By Fr. John Boles

"When I left Peru to go to the Philippines, I wondered what I'd find there," observed Marisol Rojas, a former Columban Lay Missionary.

 

By Columban Lay Missionary Haiti Muller

As we celebrate the Columban Mission Society's centennial, Columban lay missionary Haiti Muller refl ects on her journey in the prison ministry where she gets inspiration…

 

By Fr Patrick Colgan

In mid-January 2018, I spent a few days with our Columban missionaries in the parish of Badin, Pakistan, before attending a meeting of our Columban missionaries living and…

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

Pat Visanti was born and raised a Methodist on the island of Rotuma. Rotuma is both an island and a nation.

 

Fr. Cyril Lovett

A week-end retreat with the women
from the desolate city slum ??
delight in grass, and flowers and shrubs;
joy, to be free for two whole days

 

Fr. John Burger

The Portuguese have become a part of Rhode Island society, but not at the price of entirely losing their religious heritage.

 

Fr. Bobby Gilmore

In the old world of European empires the mission of the church traveled with the expansive energy as it did previously in the age of trade routes and great migrations by…

 

Fr. Frank Hoare

When I was growing up in Ireland we used to hear about the bogey man – who would snatch naughty children and spirit them away.

 

By Sherryl Lou C. Capili

When I was growing up, I really didn't like reciting the Holy Rosary.

 

By a Columban Missionary

Why visit the prisoners? It seems that it would be a fearful activity to engage in. Columban Sister Joan Sawyer bravely looked that fear in the face and visited prisoners…

 

By Fr. Andrei Paz

In 2012, while I was working in a parish among the aboriginal people called Atayal in the mountains of Taiwan, we organized a pilgrimage to the northern Philippines (where…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

What was the first thing you did when you entered the church today? I assume you dipped your finger in the holy water and made the sign of the cross.

 

By Sihyeon Bae

I live and work in a mountainous area of Taiwan with aboriginal people.

 

Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

My main interfaith experiences in the Philippines were with Muslims; things in Myanmar are very different given the very large majority Buddhist population.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Church and police authorities and non-government organizations (NGOs) came together recently in the Vatican under the Santa Martha Group headed by Cardinal Vincent…

 

Fr. Cyril Lovett

I have discovered
that a buttercup has five petals,
that several colors enliven a patch of moss
that grass comes in near-infinite variety

 

By Marjorie Engcoy

In my new parish assignment, I am blessed to have met wonderful ladies who were named after our Blessed Mother. I would like to share my experience with them.

 

Sr. Redempta Twomey

Some days when it feels that God is far from us we may begin to harbor a real doubt: Is there a God at all?

 

By Teakare (Tex) Betero

Aminiasi and I arrived in Lima on May 20, 2016, for our pastoral experience called FMA (First Mission Assignment). We arrived during winter, above all, at midnight.

 

By Fr. John Marley

On Saturday August 12, 2017, I officiated at the wedding of my grand-nephew Killian to his bride Jenna.

 

By Jenanydel Nola

For more than a year, I spent most of my time visiting the elderly while on mission in South Korea.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

What is the largest organ of our body? The skin. This is probably the reason that among the senses, touch is the first to develop in the human infant, and it remains…

 

By Fr. Donal O'Keefe

At the end of WWII, Korea was divided at the 38th parallel.

 

By Josfa Vasakula

Veidrala village lies on the Northen coast of Nakorotubu in Ra, Fiji.

 

By Fr. Dan O'Connor

When I was told of the death of Asma Jahangir I thought that she may have been assassinated.

 

For Father Donal

Eyes clenched,
I conjure your grave,
White above Boyne grasses,
Stone processing
Like acolytes.
All questions buried,

 

Easter 2017 brought an unexpected challenge to the residents of St. Columban's Retirement Home, Bristol, Rhode Island.

 

By Oisin Kenny

January 6, 2017, was the Feast of the Epiphany also known as in Chile as La Pascua de los Negros (Passover of the Blacks).

 

By Martin Koroiciri

Chile is a country that has its beauty in so many diverse ways that for the two years I had journeyed with the Columbans there I realized there is more to learn about…

 

By Columban Missionaries, Australia/New Zealand Region

You travel a long way from the United States of America to reach Australia which is accurately described as "Down Under." New Zealand is also "Down Under," a little bit…

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

Matt was a bachelor farmer. He was consigned to bachelorhood probably because his mother lived way beyond the Biblical three score and ten.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

Miss Evelyn used to stand on the side of the Long Hill road near the junction. She waited for a lift to Mass each Sunday morning.

 

By Fr. Timothy Mulroy

Since the St. Joseph church compound was close to the central bus station, many homeless men came there. Some requested food, while others slept under the verandahs.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

Archbishop Petero Mataca confirmed about 50 young people at Nabala (Fiji) today. As part of the preparation we priests had invited Beniamino, a blind dau ni vucu…

 

Sr. Redempta Twomey

"Remember your last end," scripture admonishes us. Yet it seems that few people do, or maybe they remember when they attend a funeral or hear of a friend's death.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Journalists, writers, reporters, commentators will just have to curb their passion for speaking and exposing the truth if they want to continue to live.

 

By Columban Seminarian Martin Koroiciri

It was a hot, sunny day in February when we four seminarians and four lay people from the Columban Mission Collaborators (CMC) set out to prepare for a month of mission in…

 

By Fr. Robert McCulloch

After 34 years of missionary work in Pakistan, I came to Rome at the end of 2011 to serve as the procurator-general of the Missionary Society of St. Columban.

 

By Fr. Peter Hughes

As we look back on 100 years of Columban mission worldwide, here in Britain we give thanks to God for all the gifts and challenges which have been showered on us.

 

By Vida Hequilan

In my eleven years of ministering to the Atayal people of Miaoli County in Taiwan, I've listened to numerous stories about how God makes His presence felt in the lives of…

 

By Michael Javier

Chile is one of the developing countries in the world in terms of infrastructure, economy and business with good salary rates that catch the attention of workers in…

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

We Columbans will celebrate our centenary from November 2017 to November 2018.

 

By Fr. Donal McIlraith

My most vivid memory of 30 years in Fiji is that of drifting at sea in a storm. It was January 2003, and Cyclone Ami had done great damage in the north.

 

By Fr. Dan O'Connor

"Allahu akbar, God is greater,' begins the call to prayer from the loud speakers of the thousands of mosques throughout Pakistan.

 

By Fr. Tony Coney

The story of St. Bernadette's Children's Center began with the arrival of Columban Fr. Tony Coney to the parish of Los Santos Archangels in 1995. During those first months…

 

By Sr. Mary Ita O'Brien

The Kachin State is the northern-most state of Myanmar. It is a land of beautiful mountain ranges where the rivers Malika and Maika are born and together form the world-…

 

By Fr. Donal O'Keef

On May 9, 2017, newly ordained Columban Fr. Seok Jin-wook Antonio celebrated Mass for the first time at the Columban formation house in Seoul, South Korea.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

Pope Francis has chosen the motto "Miserando atque eligendo," meaning lowly but chosen; literally in Latin "by having mercy, by choosing Him." I was reminded at a Lenten…

 

By Fr. Jude Genovia

In February 2015, I was appointed vice-rector to the Columban formation program in Korea.

 

By Scott Wright

On this 100-year anniversary of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, we lift up the Gospel values of mercy and justice at the heart of Columban mission.

 

By Arlenne Villahermosa

Movements and changes continue in the Philippines, at this time of celebration of 100 years of the Society of St. Columban.

 

By Sr. An Gray

Our story of the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban traditionally begins with the words, "It was because two people shared a vision and answered a similar call that the…

 

By Amy Woolam Echeverria

Anniversaries frequently have symbols associated with them like silver for 25 and gold for 50.

 

By Fr. Patrick Raleigh

As Columban missionaries celebrating our centennial, we look back with gratitude to God and to you, our benefactors, who have so generously supported us and our work for…

 

By Fr. Eamon O'Brien

The Missionary Society of St. Columban was founded in 1918 for evangelization in China. The first Columban Fathers went to China in 1920 and began work in Hanyang.

 

By Columban Missionaries

Richard Ranaghan was born in Killough, Co. Down, Ireland, in 1889.

 

Fr. Dan Troy

In 1954 Fr. Edward MacElroy became the last Columban of that era to leave China.

 

Fr. Kevin O'Neill

It is truly a joy for the Missionary Society of St. Columban to be celebrating our centenary. We give thanks to God and all those who have supported us.

 

Since our founding in 1918, the Society has published a magazine, first under the title of The Far East, while it is now known as Columban Mission.

 

For 100 years the Missionary Society of St. Columban has faithfully taken God's message of hope and salvation to the poor and oppressed in faraway countries. During this…

 

Fr. Frank Hoare

I did a funeral in a small village near Dogoru a few months ago.

 

By Columban Missionaries

"You are mad to try to organize a foreign missionary society while Ireland is in the throes of a World War," was the warning which met Fr.

 

By Fr. Dermot Carthy

You snubbed me and the others laughed.
You were right in what you said
But were wrong in the sneering way you said it

 

Sr. Abbie O'Sullivan

I Columban
Born and bred
Among the soft roll of hills
in the pasture land of Leinster.
Playing, working, praying in praise

 

Fr. Bobby Gilmore

Joseph got up, took the child and his mother, and left that night for Egypt, where they stayed until the death of Herod.

 

Fr. Peter O'Neill

There was a frantic voice at the end of the phone.  “Fr. Peter our Filipino friend Genalyn is sick in hospital and our Taiwan broker is going to send her back to the…

 

By Fr. Kevin O'Neill

It is with much joy and heartfelt gratitude that I, on behalf of Columban missionaries and co-workers invite you, our benefactors, your families and friends, and the…

 

Jihyun Kim

I have mixed feelings reflecting on my experience of learning the Chinese Mandarin language. This includes happiness, sadness and confusion.

 

By Columban Missionaries

In the middle of the night, with the wedding guests gathered around, the groom is led to a specially-prepared canopy. There, he is seated, facing north.

 

Fr. Taemoon Kwon

I am Taemoon Kwon, a Korean Columban who was ordained a priest in 2010.

 

Minah Seo

When I was asked to write about the meaning of Christmas for a newsletter for Columban lay missionaries, I wished to share with other missionaries about something special…

 

By Sr. Margaret Murphy

As I prepare for Christmas this year, my thoughts are with the people of Myanmar with whom I have celebrated Christmas since 2007. I lived in a community in Mandalay.

 

By Fr. Donald Hornsey

Where will the Christmas Festival for the communities be held this year?" asked Carolina, the Coordinator of the active Christian community of Chosicani, one of 20…

 

Sr. Mary Dillon

Columban Sister Mary Dillon works in Myanmar amongst those living with the HIV virus. We publish below her letter of thanks to her supporters.

 

By Beth Sabado

When I joined the Columban Lay Missionary orientation program in 2002, I knew that my decision entailed a lot of letting go.

 

By Fr. Don Kill

For millions of Filipinos, Christmas is a celebration of the family. They come together from around the world; they delight in the togetherness and sharing of respect.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

I am standing in the center of the spacious main hall, the atrium, of the new Preda children's home for girls.

 

Last year, I was visiting Monasterboice, an Irish monastic settlement that dates back to the fifth century, with a group of Australian pilgrims who were on pilgrimage in…

 

By Columban Sr. Redempta Twomey

Reflecting on his visit to small-town America, one writer listed some of the very appealing traits of that society – the warmth of the people, their politeness, their way…

 

By Br. Reginald Whitely

Retired Christian Brother, Brother Reginald Whitely, shares memories of his Columban brother, Fr.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

Today I officiated the wedding of my sister Karen, who is a talented nurse, to her forever Dodo, who is who is a mechanical engineer.

 

By Fr. Joseph Houston

In 1932, the Yangste and Han rivers overflowed and flooded vast areas in China. The members of the Missionary Society of St.

 

By Fr. Frank Hoare

This evening, I had a good chat with Sukh Deo as we drank yaqona together. Sukh Deo is Hindu, but his wife and children are Catholic.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

I had just came out of the church after celebrating Mass. An altar server came up to me and told me that one youth decided to leave home and wanted to speak with me.

 

By Ellen Teague

When Dan O'Connor first arrived at the Columban House in Lahore, Pakistan, in 1983, he was greeted with "There's a Kiwi in the house!" And indeed he was a "Kiwi" hailing…

 

By Fr. Rafael Ramirez

"I have to be in Myanmar. I have to go. I have to take a risk.

 

Fr. Chris Saenz is a native of Bellevue, Nebraska, and belongs to the Missionary Society of St.

 

By Fr. Charles O'Rourke

During the years between 1972 and 1975, I was pastor of a parish in Seoul, Korea.

 

By Fr. Cyril Lovett

Leprosy - that dreadful word
causing terror in the heart
bad enough to live with rotting flesh
but even worse to be among the living dead

 

By Fr. Joe Brooder

Word came into the church that a homeless man was sleeping rough under Sotohori Bridge, in Japan. The local Church group looking after the homeless went to visit him.

 

Fr. Patrick Colgan

In late January 2017, Columban Fr. Pat Colgan (General Councillor with responsibility for Myanmar) and Columban Fr.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

After every atrocity in the global city there are days of discussion and debate as to why such acts are happening.

 

By Judith Condor

Before sharing some memories of my experience as a lay missionary, I would like to thank the Columban Fathers for giving me the opportunity to live one of the greatest…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

I used to work with the prison ministry as a seminarian, visiting the national penitentiary called Bilibid, a place for the "rejected and discarded," both young and old…

 

By Salustino Villalobos Mondragon

One afternoon while walking from work to the house, I met some people I did not know, and one of them was very helpful. A local deputy asked me where I was going.

 

By Arleene B. Vallahermosa

The generosity of God's love and that of the Columban Fathers who have gone before us starting with Galvin, Blowick and companions up to those who are still with us at…

 

By Louis Ybanez

When I lived in Pakistan I was part of the 1.6 percent who are Christians in this predominantly Muslim country which has an estimated 203 million people.

 

By Marea Lyn Almirañez

I have many aspirations in life. Some of them I have already achieved. I am happy every time I achieve a goal.

 

By Sr. Redempta Twomey

Every new beginning entails a risk and the possibility of change. Not all of us welcome risk or change; we may be fearful or lazy, reluctant to leave our comfort zone.

 

By Fr. Joe Broderick

In 2005 I went to work in the Yakatamachi parish where a group of Brothers and priests, inspired by Charles de Foucald, lived simply and worked among the homeless.

 

By Fr. Gerry Neylon

I was born in County Clare, Ireland, the eldest of seven children, four girls and three boys. I have thirteen nieces and nephews.

 

By John Din

I had the privilege to visit the Punduha ng (Stopover) Mga Dumagat Center in Norzagaray, Bulacan as part of the elaboration of an eco-spirituality module that the Save…

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

I grew up with nothing but fear and distance from my father. It seems there was a mountain between us. I envied my friends who had great relationships with their fathers…

 

Who is she? We asked our grandmother pointing to my mother. “My sister. You are the teacher.” My grandmother mumbled and whispered in her already weak voice.

 

By Fr. Larry Barnett

Adai is a grandmother and faithful member of the Catholic community in TianGou village in the mountains of Taiwan.

 

By Sr. Damien Rooney

I went to China because we used to get The Far East magazine (the magazine of Columban missionaries published in Ireland).

 

By Hyein Noh Anna

I clearly remember the first time I visited Julie Santiago. To reach her house, I had to pass by several narrow lanes in the area where I lived.

 

By Henry Armado Serván Vallejos

As part of my process of priestly formation, in 2015 I was assigned to Taiwan to perform my First Missionary Assignment (FMA).

 

By Fr. John Boles

Milly Hampson is eleven years old. She lives with her parents Darren and Beatriz in a tower block of flats overlooking the River Mersey in a rather unfashionable part of…

 

By Fr. John Burger

This spring a pair of great horned owls took over a large nest in a tree not too far from the Narragansett Bay shoreline.  As one would expect before too long little…

 

By Angelica Escarsa

Since 2014, St. Joseph's Parish in Ballymun, Ireland, started to look at ways to respond to the needs of young people in the parish.

 

By Fr. Shay Cullen

"Houses of Horror" is how one visitor described the centers where children are held illegally behind bars or in cages.

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

Since first coming to Japan as a missionary 60 years ago I have had a cultural curiosity! It is still with me. It makes missionary life interesting.

 

By Sr. Virginia Mozo

One of my many blessings and opportunities as a missionary is to share the Joy of the Gospel.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

"Abba, call me that," my host father responded when I asked him how I should call him. Abba is the Hindi (Indian) word for father.

 

By Jenanydel Nola

For more than a year I spent most of my time visiting the elderly. I would say that meeting the different types of elderly is interesting and enjoyable, but needs a lot of…

 

By Theresa Lee

I met the Columban Fathers for the first time in my hometown, Seoul, during the summer of 1953. Korea was at war then.

 

Fr. Michael J. Hoban

Pope Francis continually reminds us that the Church is missionary and is called to reach out to the poor, to sinners, to unbelievers and to those who live on the margins…

 

By Fr. Felicano Fatu

My only contact with the Columbans before going to the seminary in Suva, Fiji, was when Columban Fr.

 

By Salustine Villalobos Mondragon

The Ai Jia Development Center was founded by the Hsinchu Catholic diocese in Taiwan to help and support mentally challenged adult students.

 

Fr. Timothy Mulroy

Audy was a bright-eyed, smiling three-month-old baby who arrived at church for her baptism in the arms of her proud father, Jason.

 

By Evanglelyn Gawason

My name is Evangelyn Gawason. My friends call me Vangie. I'm a Subanen.

 

Fr. Noel Connolly

Sociologists claim that one of the major problems in much of the world is that nowadays people only listen to, read of and converse with people who think the same as them…

 

By Paulo Rabakewa

​Veidrala is located on the Northeast of Vitilevu under the province of Nakorotubu in Ra.

 

By Michael Javier

Chile is very far from my native land, with different people, language, culture, climate and food. It is a Catholic country which is very abundant in resources.

 

By Sr. Virgie Mozo

One of the many gifts and blessings I experience in the United States as I travel during the summer for the church appeals is the universality of the Church and meeting…

 

By Fr. Donald Kill

The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly on December 10, 1948, was the result of the experience of the Second…

 

By Fr. Colin McLean

The Ocean's (Atlantic) Influence Island life is shaped by the ocean.

 

I once knew a priest who was the life of the party but prone to take over any party he attended.

 

By Andrew Kwangbae Lee and Columban Fr. Seung Won Joseph

The following is an account of a visit by Columban Fr.

 

By Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

I usually spend my summer break walking the sands and enjoying the beach but this time around I decided to walk the hills of Don Victoriano Chiongbian, a town of Misamis…

 

By Lorelei Ocaya

As part of the on-going formation and education of Columban lay missionaries, I was privileged to take a six-month course on facilitating retreats for young people.

 

By Sr. Mary Ita McElwain

It was a great joy for me to be invited, two years ago, to return to Santiago, Chile, to celebrate 40 years of the Columban Sisters' mission in that beautiful country.

 

By Fr. Tim Mulroy

As a teenager I browsed whatever reading materials were left around my home: Sunday newspapers that my father enjoyed; novels that my older brother and sisters considered…

 

By Fr. Barry Cairns

Fifty years ago I was pastor of an "old Christian" community on Amakusa Island in the far south of Japan. By "old Christian" I mean that a Jesuit missionary, Fr.

 

By Fr. Bobby Gilmore

In the 1980s before the onset of cheap air fares and the free movement of people introduced by the European Union Irish immigrants in London were always on the look-out…

 

By Fr. Tim Mulroy

"What do you know about Ireland?" I asked the third grade class that was excited to have just learnt that I was from there. "St.

 

By Columban Fr. Frank Hoare

In my early days as a missionary in Fiji, I worked mainly among the Hindu Indo-Fijians around the town of Labasa.

 

By Angie Escarsa

In the history of human life suffering is what every person will encounter in their lifetime.

 

By Columban Fr. Frank Hoare

Ethnic Indian people are traditionally obsessed with matters of pollution and purity. Purity is a central value in the culture. The caste system in India is based on this…

 

By Sr. Eileen Rabbitte

I still have vivid memories of my first awakening in Lima, Peru, on June 24, 1971.

 

By Columban Fr. William Lee

It was about three in the afternoon on a Tuesday.

 

By Sr. Young Mi Choi

My name is Sr.

 

By Columban Fr. Tomas King

When I was sixteen years old, my father was diagnosed with cancer and died ten weeks later.

 

By Columban Fr. Kurt Zion Pala

Now that I'm home, I realized I do not have a room to call my own. My room is the bag I carry on my back every time I move from one mission to another.

 

By Ger Sampson

I started to write these two poems last year during a workshop training on poetry writing in my ministry with asylum seekers.

 

By Gregg Simon

It's hard to remind yourself to have faith every day. Especially when it comes to having patience or to being confident in God's plan when it is unknown to you.