St Columban and motorcycles

In Language School: Fr Pat O’Shea In Language school with his Honda 100 in 1975. Photo: Fr Pat O’Shea

On the feast of St Columban (November 23), we reflect on his life and mission again. Each time we look at something familiar, like the story of St Columban, it is possible to discover something new. This time around, it was not a surprise to read that a man who wandered far and wide around Europe in the 7th century was the patron saint of travellers. But it was to see he is also the patron saint of motorcyclists; those details did not register with me until now.

How did this come about?  Because of his love for the open road, Columban was suggested as a patron for bikers by John Oliver, the Anglican bishop of Hereford and an avid motorcyclist. Another point of connection was that In the House of Lords, Bishop John often spoke up for environmental protection, and Columban was deeply involved in the natural world.  It seems Bishop John also admired the feisty spirit of Columban, who took on political and church leaders where necessary. One website I came across stated that Columban was associated with Bobbio in Italy, with the Missionary Society of St Columban and motorcyclists. The Vatican declared Columban a patron of motorcyclists in 2002.

Back in the day in the Philippines, when many Columbans were bikers, I was not aware of this other reason to pray to St Columban. We did not ride big, powerful Harley Davidsons but trail bikes, which we needed to get to some of the barrios that surrounded the parish centre.

Tricky Bridge: Sr Julpha Meron and Noni Wong of the Mercy Mobile Heath Team confront a tricky bridge on their way to one of the barrios of Maranding. Photo: Fr Pat O’Shea

Some parishes had as many as 50 barrios. The bigger ones were visited on a regular basis, but some were visited just once a year for their fiesta. Before our time, the priests used horses to reach some of the more remote and hard-to-reach places, while there were some that took a few days of hiking to reach. But in Maranding, where I was based, all could be reached with a trail bike. The roads could be treacherous in the wet season, so there were many thrills and spills. The bikes had to be light enough to be picked up after a fall but not so heavy that they would cause damage if they fell on you, which in wet conditions they often did.

Speaking of a connection between Columban and motorcyclists brings to mind Columban Lar Ryan who was killed in an accident in Mindanao in 1995 while riding his motorcycle. Rufus Hally was murdered in Mindanao when he was returning home on his motorbike from a meeting with Muslims in 2001. Rufus was known and loved by many in the Muslim community with whom he worked closely. One theory is that he was killed by people trying to steal his motorbike. 

May Columban bless all travellers and motorcyclists.

Fr Patrick O'Shea lives and works in Aotearoa/New Zealand.

• Read more from the current Columban eBulletin