Columban Pentecost

Columban Pentecost

As the Church prepares for Pentecost on Sunday 28th May 2023, Fr Donal McIlraith considers the Columban Pentecost which has seen between one and two thousand priests, brothers and Lay Missionaries, like Peter, speaking foreign tongues and bringing the good news of the...
China: Tribute to Fr Ignatius Cao Junliang killed in car crash

China: Tribute to Fr Ignatius Cao Junliang killed in car crash

A mere five weeks ago I sat beside Fr Ignatius Cao Junliang at a wedding reception in Wuhan. Although it was my first time to meet him, I had heard about him many times from the grandmother of the bridegroom whose wedding reception we were attending. Born in 1980 to a...
Wuhan: Catching up with people after lockdown ends

Wuhan: Catching up with people after lockdown ends

A phone call this morning from Han Weiwei led to further discussions about our planned meeting later in the week at his side of Wuhan. One year ago, his daily phone calls became a familiar part of the 11 weeks of lockdown. The return to normal life in the city has...
Final professions in Hanyang

Final professions in Hanyang

On 25 March 2021, two members of the Sisters of Our Lady of Hanyang made their final professions at St Columban’s Church in Hanyang, China. It was a joyful day for Sr Fiona Yang Fuli and Sr Columban Zhu Wenjuan. The choir sang with full voice during the Mass on this...