Last month the Columban Mission Society held what we call a General Assembly. It occurs once every six years and as our Columban Constitutions say, "it is a special moment in the life of the Society". Columban delegates came from around the world.
It was a time to evaluate the state of the Society. One revelation was that Columban missionaries are getting older in age, decreasing in number but becoming more diversified by nationality. A young Korean Columban delegate present was going to work in China after the meeting; a young Fijian Columban delegate was returning to Chile where he is parish priest of a vast parish; a young Filipino Columban who has an important role in seminary formation in the Philippines was returning to continue that work. So the former missionary countries are producing the next generation of leaders for the Society.
Three women were present at our meeting. They are the leadership team of the Columban Lay Missionaries and are our partners on mission. These women were from the Philippines, Korea and Fiji. Some theologians commented that the Church in the 21st century belongs to the laity. We have been working together for over two decades with our lay missionaries and it is our preferred way of doing mission.
It was also a time to plan for the future, to decide where our resources should be placed because we cannot continue to do everything that we have done in the past. On the other hand, we do not need to continue as before. One of our purposes as missionaries was to help Churches overseas mature until they were able to evangelize their own and other peoples. That goal has been achieved in the Philippines and Korea. It is a source of pride for priests that spent years, in some cases their lives, to know that that work is done.
There is a Latin phrase ‘Missio Dei’ which means the ‘Mission of God’. We are a part of God’s mission for the world; the Church itself is in the service of God’s plan. What is the Holy Spirit calling the Columban Society to do through the Church and the changed circumstances of our world? These are not easy questions to answer.
Columbans have been involved in ecology with a natural off shoot in global warming for many years; millions of poor people are at risk from this new phenomenon. Politically the issue is impossible but scientifically the evidence continues to accumulate. It is not only a political or economic issue but also an ethical and religious.
Migration is an experience we share with others; we are involved with workers in places like Taiwan where we have opened Hope Centres to assist migrants who are abused or need expert advice. The work of inter-faith dialogue especially with Muslims has been an important work for us also. We have a lot of experience in these areas and we are involved because the Gospel of Jesus Christ impels us to make a response to the struggles of his people, especially those who are poor and on the margins of society.
Celebrating the Eucharist together, praying together, supporting each other, a sense of communion with each other was pronounced as the Columban way to live into the future.
Fr Gary Walker
director@columban.org.au
As we go to press:
It has been announced that Fr Kevin O'Neill from Geelong, Ausralia, has been elected as the new Superior General of the Missionary Society of St Columban. The Vicar General is Fr Arturo Aguilar from America and the Councillors are Fr Patrick Colgan from Ireland and Fr Darwin Bayaca from the Philippines. Congratulations to Fr Kevin and his new team. (more)
Read more from The Far East, October 2012
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LISTEN TO: From the Director - It is God's plan (Duration: 5.23mins, MP3 2.5Mb) |