Over a 72-year period, 24 Columban missionaries died violently on mission.
Their witness is a reminder of how God works through ordinary people in extraordinary ways.
They were often urged to leave dangerous situations, but, as these stories illustrate, they consistently opted to stay with their people and paid the ultimate price for this choice.
We are delighted to announce the publication of a collection of concise biographies of these 24 Columban missionaries who lived and died for the Gospel.
These stories were written by their Columban companions with a Foreword by our Society Leader, Fr Tim Mulroy.
In the Foreword, Fr Mulroy writes: “Throughout this collection of biographies of Columban martyrs, we find echoes of the Passion of Jesus. Every page reflects a particular aspect of his journey to the cross; each story illuminates a salvific moment of grace for others.”
“There are vignettes of betrayal and ransom. Pleas that innocent bystanders be spared. Death march. Simon of Cyrene and Veronica. Anguish and torture. Forgiveness offered freely.”
“Taken together, these stories are a reminder that Christ continues to live on in his Church, conveying to the world his unconditional love and mercy through the suffering of his followers. By uniting not only their lives, but also their deaths with Christ, these Columban missionaries make tangible God’s goodness and fidelity towards people of every race and language.”
“As cross-cultural messengers of the Gospel, their willingness to suffer and die for people of other tribes and nations was a final act of witnessing to their lifelong belief that, as brothers and sisters of Jesus, all people are infinitely precious to God.”
Learn more about these remarkable Columban Martyrs in this new booklet and be inspired!
Order now!
You can order online here: https://columbans.ie/shop/ or Tel: 00353 46 909 8275 or send a cheque for €10 to Columban Missionaries, Dalgan Park, Co Meath, C15 AY2Y specifying ‘Columban Martyrs 1929-2001’.