China here we come
Charles O'Mahony
This year St Columbans Mission Society celebrates its 90th year as a Catholic missionary organisation. Here are some facts about the founding of the Society and about the first band of Columbans who "conquered" China.
When I arrived at St Columban's in 1938 as a 19-year-old seeking to become a missionary priest, I had only a minimal knowledge of the history of the Columban Mission Society. It was only as I began to settle into the place that I learned that it was a new venture in Catholic missionary work. The Society counts its beginning from June 29, 1918, the date on which the Congregation for the Propagation of the Faith officially approved it.
Frs Edward Galvin and John Blowick founded this new Irish Mission Society for the purpose of sending priests to China. They were attracting volunteer priests and seminarians offering themselves to go to China but they were faced with the huge problem of finding the necessary money. They needed a college in which to train young men to become priests; they needed fares to travel to China; they needed a place of residence in China where they could study Chinese.
They turned to the USA and Australia and New Zealand as an extra source of money. In 1920 the first group of missionaries sailed from Ireland for China and two missionary priests came to Australia to look for money. The bishops, who like themselves were Irishmen, welcomed them. They ran a successful fundraising campaign and also got something they did not expect - applications from priests and seminarians to join the new mission to China.
As a result the Columban Mission Society bought a house in Melbourne at Mentone and launched an Australian version of The Far East, which began publication in October 1920.
Several priests volunteered for missionary work in China with the approval of their bishops: Fr William McGoldrick of Brisbane, Fr Gerry O'Collins of Bendigo, Frs Luke Mullany and Rom Hayes of Melbourne.
In 1924 the Columbans as they came to be known, bought a property known as ‘North Park' in Essendon, Victoria, renaming it St Columbans. Australia was ready to accept its first seminarians to be trained locally. By the time I arrived, there had already been an ordination in 1932, in 1933 and in 1934. In 1935 four were ordained. Three of the young priests were from New Zealand.
By this time the Columban Mission Society was well known in Australia and New Zealand through its three arms, The Far East, the Columban Calendar and the mite box.
Fr O'Mahony was in the first band of Columban priests to go to Fiji in 1952. He lives in retirement at St Columban's, Essendon, Victoria.
Fr Charles O'Mahony was Director from 1970-1976.
