“Lord, may your promise of a New Creation become a reality in our lives and our world.”
As a Columban missionary who spent 27 years in Chile, I am particularly drawn to the Far East article by Fr. Gonzalo German Borquez Dias, a Chilean Columban working in Korea. His call to mission with a diverse migrant community in Gwangju diocese is a call to see what life is like for those living on the periphery of society and to discover why they can change society for the better. “By being with people, sharing their food, by listening and sharing God’s Gospel with them”, Fr. Gonzalo experiences the presence of Jesus in a community that understands humankind as one family.
The experience of being called to cross-cultural mission has helped Columbans to recognise the importance and value of creating space for people to gather, pray and share together. In communion, we can discern and choose well our response to the crises we face, and have the strength and courage to act for the common good. Your support to Columban Mission is an investment in this precious time, which gives birth to change that is as attentive to the roots of injustice and poverty as it is to the ailing branches and leaves that we witness to each day in the communities we serve.
The Season of Creation (1 September to 4 October) is a time when Churches globally are inviting Christian communities to unite in prayer and reflection, to lay a foundation for changes in the way we live and relate to one another and to the natural world. Columban missionaries are part of this journey with Christian, Hindu and Muslim communities in Pakistan, the indigenous Subanen community in the Philippines, the intellectually disabled in Korea, parishes in Peru and Chile, and schools in Britain. We will participate in the COP26 meeting on climate change in November and the launch by Pope Francis of the Laudato Si’ Action Platform on 4th October. Lord, hear our prayer.
Earlier this year many of you donated to support Fr. Eamon Sheridan and the building of a new centre for women recovering from addiction, the first of its kind in Kachin State, Myanmar. Following political turmoil in the country, the building work has resumed and Fr. Eamon is hopeful that many women can now “come out of the shadows and find recovery” thanks to Columban donors.
We are pleased to announce that Subanen Christmas Cards are now available to order and we invite you to promote our new Schools Media competition on the theme ‘Anyone can make a difference.’ Thank you!
Yours in the peace of Christ,
Fr. Peter Hughes SSC
Columban Director in Britain
