The Columban Missionaries are a society of priests who work in 16 countries including Australia, New Zealand, Fiji, Britain, Ireland, China, Japan, Korea, Mexico, Myanmar (formerly Burma), the Philippines, Taiwan, Pakistan, Chile, Peru and the United States of America.
Columban priests work together with the Columban Sisters, Columban Lady Missionaries and lay Co-workers 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 Integrity of Creation from a standpoint of solidarity with the poor.
- Promote dialogue between Christians and those from all other religious traditions.
- Facilitate interchange between local Churches.
- Help local Churches grow into evangelising communities open to all peoples.
- Establish the Church where the Gospel has not been preached.
- Help build a Culture of Peace.
- Promote respect and care for the earth and environment.
Columban Missionaries see solidarity with the poor and commitment to the integrity of creation as essential elements of our missionary commitment. 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, the Church, challenge the scandals of poverty, suffering and violence.
Who Are the Columban Missionaries?
The Columbans are a Catholic missionary society of priests dedicated to sharing the Gospel across cultures and national boundaries. Founded in 1918 as the Missionary Society of St Columban, the Columbans priests were established with a clear purpose: to bring the Good News of Jesus Christ to places where the Church was not yet established and to stand in solidarity with communities experiencing poverty and marginalisation.
Unlike diocesan priests who serve within a particular local Church, we are missionary priests sent beyond our country of origin. Our vocation is international and intercultural. We live and work among people of different languages, religions and traditions, seeking to build relationships of trust, dialogue and mutual understanding.
As missionary priests, we collaborate closely with Columban Sisters, lay missionaries and local Church communities. Together, we serve in parishes, engage in interfaith dialogue, promote Peace, Ecology and Justice and accompany communities facing social, economic and environmental challenges.
At the heart of the Columban Missionaries’ identity is a commitment to live the Gospel in practical ways — through presence, listening, service and solidarity.
The History of the Columban Missionaries
The Columbans were founded in Ireland in 1918 in response to a growing awareness of the need for missionary priests to serve in Asia. Inspired by the missionary spirit of the early Church and named after St Columban, an Irish missionary monk of the sixth century, the Society began with a vision of sending priests to share the Gospel across cultural boundaries.
The first Columban Missionaries were sent to China in the early twentieth century. Over time, the mission expanded into other parts of Asia, Latin America, Oceania and beyond. Throughout periods of political upheaval, war and social change, Columban priests and lay people remained committed to living alongside local communities, often in challenging and unfamiliar contexts.
As the global Church evolved, so too did our missionary priorities as Columbans. While proclamation of the Gospel remains central, the Society increasingly recognised the importance of interreligious dialogue, advocacy for justice and care for creation as essential dimensions of mission. Today, we continue to respond to emerging needs in a changing world, grounded in Catholic social teaching and attentive to the signs of the times.
For more than a century, we have sought to be missionaries who listen before they speak, accompany before they lead and stand with those on the margins of society.
How Do Columbans Live Their Mission?
The life of the Columban Missionaries is shaped by prayer, community and service. As priests and missionaries, we celebrate the Eucharist, proclaim the Word of God and accompany people in our daily lives. Our commitment to mission extends beyond sacramental ministry to include solidarity with those who suffer injustice and exclusion.
As Columban Missionaries, we typically live in community with other missionaries, sharing common prayer, meals and decision-making. This communal life strengthens our capacity to serve across cultures and respond collectively to pastoral and social needs.
Living missionally often requires us to learn new languages, adapt to unfamiliar customs and immerse ourselves in different cultural contexts. We approach this work with humility and openness, recognising that mission involves both giving and receiving. In many places, Columbans participate in interreligious dialogue, building friendships with people of other faith traditions and working together for peace and mutual understanding.
For us Columbans, mission is not only about geographical movement but about a way of living: attentive to the Gospel, responsive to human need and committed to the integrity of creation. We are called to witness to hope in contexts marked by suffering while trusting in the Spirit’s work in every culture and community.
