Who are the Columbans?
The Columbans are a missionary society of priests who work in 15 countries: Australia, New Zealand, Brazil, Britain, Chile, China, Fiji, Ireland, Japan, Korea, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Taiwan and the United States. St Columbans Mission was formally founded in 1918 and takes its name from St Columban, Ireland's sixth century missionary to Europe.
The Columbans work in cooperation with Columban Sisters and lay people from a standpoint of solidarity with the poor and the integrity of creation. Solidarity with the poor means that we recognise the moral challenge of worldwide and local poverty. It means supporting the struggle of the poor for real participation and against injustice.
We go in the name of the Church to announce, by deed and word, the good news of Jesus Christ.
Our objectives are:
- To promote justice, peace and creation from a standpoint of solidarity with the poor.
- To promote dialogue between Christians and those from all other religious traditions.
- To facilitate interchange between local Churches.
- To help local Churches grow into evangelising communities open to all peoples.
- To establish the Church where the gospel has not been preached.
We see solidarity with the poor and commitment to the integrity of creation as essential elements of our missionary commitment. We strive to identify with Jesus of Nazareth who said, "He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to proclaim liberty to captives, and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free and to proclaim the Lord’s year of favour". (Lk 4:18)
Within this framework, we often find ourselves working with and accompanying people who are suffering great injustices. We believe that the gospel of Jesus Christ demands that his followers i.e. the Church, challenge the scandals of poverty and violence.
