On one of my home holidays in Fiji, I went to my village to spend time with my family and relatives. In one of the talanoa (a process of inclusive and transparent dialogue…
Past Magazine Stories
Below are stories from past issues of Columban Mission magazine. The Columban Fathers publish Columban Mission magazine eight times a year. Subscriptions are available for just $15 per year. Sign up to receive our next issue. Read more about Columban Mission magazine.
October 2024
When I first arrived in Chile, I was still a seminarian, fresh from four months at the Maryknoll language school in Bolivia, which not only introduced me to Spanish…
October 2024
Einsein village can hardly be called a village. It is a large depressed slum area on the outskirts of the city of Yangon in Myanmar (formerly Burma). People live in abject…
October 2024
A phone call from Seoul. It was Pak Hyun Sen wishing me a happy birthday. In the post there was a birthday card from Il Cheong. That same evening Mi Suk dropped by our…
October 2024
Like any other vocation or calling, priestly life is also filled with challenges, difficulties and struggles. Yet, amidst the toils and rough roads on my missionary…
October 2024
In response to the words of an old song, “Go Ye Afar,” on November 15, 1926, a group of five Columban Sisters arrived in Hanyang, China, and were soon busy with language…
Bodily issues are an interesting culture shock in Latin America because people are more upfront about bodily issues than the United States. For instance, in the United…
October 2024
Our newest Columban missionary priest has already lived many different lives. He speaks five languages and has lived in five different cultures and will soon add to that…
October 2024
We are challenged to forgive those who hurt us and to forgive them seventy times seven. I used to take this challenge in my stride. Then some years ago I was seriously…
August/September 2024
Atsui ne, “Isn’t it hot” has become a summer greeting here in Japan. Announcements on our televisions tell us to use air conditioning and drink lots of liquid to avoid…
August/September 2024
Elated by the completion of my Urdu language refresher course, I felt ready to jumpstart into the ministry. It is true that the more knowledge one gained on something the…
August/September 2024
Sr. Bríd Kenny from Coolmeen in Co. Clare, Ireland, joined the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban on April 9, 1942. She got to know the Sisters because her cousin Laura…