From the Director - A splendid cause
18.11.2008
Who has a blade for a splendid cause, a cause that is good and true?
Every St Columban's Day when I was a seminarian we would sing this song and dream of China, Asia, Latin America and the "splendid cause" to which we were giving our lives.
The song captured the spirit of our Founders. They were totally convinced of their cause - the conversion of China. They had few doubts; their anxiety for the conversion of China gave them boundless energy. Fr Edward Galvin one of our founders, was bishop in Han Yang, China, through poverty, civil war, the threat of bandits and terrible floods. Yet at night he would write letters to supporters and articles to The Far East and Catholic Press throughout the world. He did everything he could to make the needs of China known.
After he and his co-founder Fr John Blowick, won the approval of the Irish Bishops and the Vatican, many of the brightest priests and students at the National Seminary in Maynooth joined the Columbans. By 1923 they had 57 missionaries in the field in China and foundations in Ireland, the United States and here in Melbourne.
The first Columbans to come to Australia were Fathers Edward Maguire and James Galvin. They arrived in January 1920. In April two Melbourne priests, Romuald Hayes and Luke Mullany joined and shortly after them William McGoldrick from Brisbane also joined.
There is much to admire about these young men. As I reflected on our history the issue that most interested and troubled me was their total conviction that they were living and dying for the grandest thing. They, like most missionaries up until the Vatican Council believed there were two worlds, one Christian, the other a realm of darkness and ignorance. Our world is not so black and white; we do not have the same certainties. We have many questions that tend to rob us of our motivation; it is more difficult to maintain our confidence, conviction and courage in a greyer, less clear cut world.
However, the needs of the world are still pressing and Jesus and His kingdom still remain a splendid cause, something worth singing about, living and dying for. It may demand even more idealism, courage and conviction from us.
Fr Noel Connolly
director@columban.org.au
