Columban Fr Patrick (far left) attends an Iftar dinner with friends in February 2026—"our diversity can become a source of unity rather than conflict”. Photo: Alphonsus Fok/ Diocese of Parramatta
Each year on Harmony Day (21 March), Australians celebrate the rich diversity that shapes our society. It is a day that recognises the many cultures, languages, and traditions that make Australia home. The message of Harmony Day is simple yet powerful: Everyone Belongs.
For Columban missionaries, this message reflects something deeply familiar. For more than a century, Columbans have been living and working among peoples of many cultures, languages, and religions across the world. Today Columban missionaries serve in more than fifteen countries across Asia, the Pacific, Latin America, Europe, and North America.
Mission has always been about more than travelling to distant lands. It is about encounter, friendship, and learning from the people among whom missionaries live.
When Columban missionaries arrive in a new country, they begin by listening. They learn the local language, discover the traditions of the community, and gradually become part of the daily life of the people. Over time, cultural differences that might once have seemed unfamiliar become a source of enrichment and deeper understanding.
In many ways, Columbans have been living the spirit of Harmony Day long before it became part of Australia’s calendar.
A beautiful example of this can be seen in the work of Columban missionary Fr Patrick McInerney, who has spent many years promoting dialogue and friendship between Christians and Muslims in Australia. Through the Columban Centre for Christian–Muslim Relations in Sydney, Fr Patrick has dedicated his ministry to building understanding between people of different faiths and cultures. He often reminds people that dialogue begins with something very simple: meeting one another as neighbours and friends.
Fr Patrick frequently shares stories of visiting mosques, welcoming Muslim guests into Christian spaces, and participating in community conversations where people speak openly about their beliefs and traditions. In these encounters, he has seen how fear and misunderstanding can give way to trust and respect.
What begins as a conversation often becomes something deeper - a shared commitment to peace and cooperation.
This is the heart of the Columban mission. Missionaries do not simply bring something to another culture; they also receive the wisdom, hospitality, and traditions of the people they encounter. Through this exchange, both the missionary and the community are transformed.
Australia itself reflects this same richness of diversity. People from more than 300 ancestries now call Australia home, and hundreds of languages are spoken across the country. Harmony Day invites us to celebrate this diversity and recognise it as one of our greatest strengths.
For Columbans, this message also reflects the spirit of the Gospel. Jesus himself crossed cultural and social boundaries throughout his ministry. He spoke with the Samaritan woman, praised the faith of a Roman centurion, and welcomed those who were often excluded or marginalised.
In doing so, he revealed a vision of a community where differences are not barriers but opportunities for encounter.
Today Columban missionaries continue this mission of bridge-building across cultures. In places like Pakistan, Korea, Taiwan, Fiji, Peru, and Chile, Columbans live among communities whose traditions enrich and shape their understanding of the world. Through pastoral work, interfaith dialogue, justice advocacy, and community development, missionaries encourage people to see one another not as strangers but as partners in building a more peaceful world.
Harmony Day reminds us that this work does not belong only to missionaries. Each of us can take small steps toward creating harmony in our own communities. Sometimes it begins with something simple: sharing a meal with someone from another culture, learning about their traditions, or listening to their story. These small gestures create the foundation for deeper understanding and friendship.
Across the Columban family - missionaries, lay partners, Co-workers, benefactors, and supporters—we see this spirit lived every day. Through schools, parishes, mission awareness programs, and intercultural dialogue, Columbans encourage people to build bridges across cultures and faiths.
In a world where differences can sometimes lead to division, Harmony Day offers a hopeful reminder: our diversity can become a source of unity rather than conflict. For Columban missionaries, this has always been the heart of mission - to walk alongside others, to learn from one another, and to build communities where respect and friendship flourish.
As we celebrate Harmony Day, we are invited to recognise that harmony begins in small encounters and everyday gestures. And when we welcome one another with open hearts, we discover a simple truth that lies at the heart of both Harmony Day and the Columban mission:
Everyone truly belongs.
Maha Shawky, Oceania Regional Business Manager.
Related links
- Read more from the current Columban eBulletin
