The priest is the poorest of men unless Jesus enriches him by his poverty, the most useless of servants unless Jesus call him his friend, the most ignorant of men unless Jesus patiently teaches him as he did Peter, the frailest of Christians unless the Good Shepherd strengthens him in the midst of the flock. Pope Francis told us in his Chrism Mass Homily this year. "No one is more "little" than a priest left to his own devices..."
The August issue of The Far East is dedicated to vocations to the priesthood particularly as Columban missionaries. Pope Francis said that the joy of being a priest is to have been anointed by the Lord in Christ with the oil of gladness. "Priestly joy is a priceless treasure, not only for the priest himself but for the entire faithful people of God: that faithful people from which he is called to be anointed and which he, in turn, is sent to anoint."
According to Pope Francis, priestly joy is a missionary joy. "...Priestly joy is deeply bound up with God's holy and faithful people, for it is an eminently missionary joy. Our anointing is meant for anointing God's holy and faithful people: for baptizing and confirming them, healing and sanctifying them, blessing, comforting and evangelizing them."
Columban Missionary Priests now share their priestly and missionary joy in 16 different countries. Wherever we serve, we serve alongside others such as Columban Lay Missionaries, Columban Sisters, Co-workers and parishioners who likewise are living out their baptismal call to a missionary vocation in whatever form it may take.
Fr Francis Ferrie who has spent many years in Korea as a Columban Missionary Priest shares with us his priestly and missionary vocational story. Fr Ray Scanlon writes about Asian Youth Day in Korea and the recent ordinations of young Columbans there. Columban Sister Eileen Rabbitte writes movingly of her return to Ireland after 40 years of living out her missionary vocation in Peru.
Following the example of the Good Shepherd to protect the flock and denounce injustices, Columban Fr Maurice Foley writes from Peru about the government programme which led to the forced sterilization of hundreds of thousands of mainly poor illiterate indigenous women from 1995 to 2000.
This issue also offers three stories of different members of the laity who live out their missionary vocation alongside Columban priests. From the Philippines, Mercy Gawason and her Subanen weavers work alongside Columban Fr Vincent Busch. They visit CELL - "The Centre for Ecozoic Living and Learning", founded by Columban Frs Frank Carey and Dom Nolan.
Fr Don Hornsey writes to us about Columban lay co-workers Benigna Alvarez and Jaime Quispe who live out their missionary vocation alongside Columban priests in the Andes Mountains of Peru. Panchita Llancamil from Chile has also worked alongside Columban priests for many years fulfilling her missionary vocation in various ways.
Pope Francis warned priests in his Chrism Mass Homily this year that they will not find their priestly identity by soul-searching and introspection but rather with "...an active and unwavering sense of belonging to God's faithful people". The stories in this issue of The Far East reveal this to be true. These stories reveal that priests are important, priests matter.
Fr Dan Harding
TFE@columban.org.au