Out of 3,558 Catholic churches in the Philippines, more than 800 have the Blessed Virgin Mary as their titular patron. She is a familiar face in almost every Catholic home. Her image or the rosary grace markets, buses, cars, jeepneys, boats and even motor cabs....
Le caoinchead ó / With permission from Coiscéim (coiscéim.ie) agus / and Leo Ó Murchú Rugadh an t-údar i gContae Chiarraí, oirníodh ar 20 Nollaig 1967 agus d’éag sa Choiré ar 4 Meán Fómhair 2020. The author was a Columban priest from County Kerry, ordained on 20...
Following a long period in recovery after hip surgery, I finally succumbed to medical advice to formally retire to the Columban Nursing Home in Dalgan, writes Columban Missionary Fr Michael O'Loughlin. Prior to that I had been enjoying helping out in my local...
Let Him Easter in Us The song, ‘The Dance of the Cherry Trees’ by John Spillane sets the tone for Spring, New Life and Easter whereby the “cherry tree puts on the most outrageous clothes” and sings and dances saying, “we have travelled all around the sun that has...
Celebrating 100 years of the Missionary Sisters of St Columban is one of the most significant milestones for me since I joined the Congregation 27 years ago. Reflecting on what our Centenary means for us as a Congregation, my thoughts were immediately directed to...
As I reflect in our small Columban community of three sisters living in the heart of Mandalay, Myanmar’s second largest city, the words of the hymn, ‘Longing for light, we wait in darkness’ come to mind. We live in a situation where this longing for light is very...
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 nature, people, and, most importantly, God and myself. Nature photography requires patience,...
These days, I live a life of deep happiness in Pakistan, appreciative of many small things. Before I arrived, I was worried about the weather, living in a different culture with different food, and a new community life. But then I realised I was focusing only on my...
“All our cares and troubles cease, as we kneel with love before You ...” Since the month of May and Marian devotion go hand in hand, in this reflection, we pay a personal visit to the Marian Shrine in Knock. There we find our blessed Mother watching for us, waiting...
Proverbs are the ancient wisdom of a country’s culture expressed in pithy sentences – and often with humour. Proverbs provide missionaries with an insight into how their adopted people think and act, writes Columban missionary Fr Barry Cairns. To an aged person (I...