Below are stories from past issues of Columban Mission magazine. The Columban Fathers publish Columban Mission magazine eight times a year. Subscriptions are available for just $10 per year. Sign up to receive our next issue. Read more about Columban Mission magazine.
Fr. Teakare Betero was ordained a Columban priest on Saturday November 30, 2019, the Feast of St. Andrew. He was ordained on his island home of Rabi by Fiji’s Archbishop, the most Rev. Peter Loy Chong.
I’ve recently returned to Peru after my sabbatical year, and have been able to see first-hand progress made during 2019.
Sometimes a line of poetry or the words of a hymn can stay in our mind for many years. Something in the turn of phrase resonates in our heart. For some reason, these lines have stuck with me over the years.
“They came to Capernaum and, once inside the house, Jesus began to ask them, “What were you arguing about on the way?”
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 the history of the Columban presence in his book, The Turning Wheel.
“We need to be on our way now” were the words of Columban Fr. Pat Colgan even though the rain continued to heavily pour in Korovou village, Fiji.
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 time learning so much more from them in return.
“Why did you choose to join the Columban missionaries and not some other missionary organization?” is a question that I’m often asked. My simple response is, “A letter from God!,” which generally leads to the other person becoming even more inquisitive.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.