The funeral Eucharist for Columban Fr Vincent Bachelor was held on Thursday, June 2, 2016 at St Columban’s, Essendon, Victoria. Fr Vincent was in his 72nd year of priesthood, which includes 40 years as a missionary in Fiji. He was 95 years of age.
The July issue carries the stories of many other Columban missionaries, who like Fr Vincent, have dedicated their lives to the mission of Christ and His Church across the globe among the people of the world.
Columban Fr Donald Hornsey has now begun a new missionary experience back home in his native New Zealand after spending more than 40 years in Chile, Brazil and lastly in the high valleys of the Andes Mountains in Peru. He now works with Colombian immigrants in the Archdiocese of Wellington.
Columban Fr George Hogarty tells the story of the dream of Columban Fr Michael Sinnott to set up a home for children with special needs in the city of Pagadian in the Philippines. Fr Mick spent most of his 50 years in the Philippines in Pagadian, including more than one month kidnapped in 2009 by Islamic extremists. He is now retired in his native Ireland.
Columban Fr Gerry Neylon has spent 43 years as a missionary first in Korea, then in Taiwan and since 1997 in China. Columban Fr Warren Kinne explains how history repeats itself as the descendents of the Chinese families who welcomed the first Columban missionaries to China in June 1920 at the docks in Shanghai, still remain friends and supporters of the Columbans today.
Columban seminarian Louie Ybanez from the Philippines has just completed two years in Pakistan as a part of his seminary formation for priesthood. He shares with us the importance of developing friendships with his Pakistani Muslim neighbours.
Columban Frs Robert Mosher and William Morton working at the Columban Mission Centre in El Paso, Texas, along with Fr Kevin Mullins in the city of Juarez, Mexico, welcomed a group of participants from Britain during Holy Week this year for a Mission Immersion Experience at the Mexican/United States Border.We publish extracts of their experiences.
This issue gives us a broad picture of the work of Columban missionaries, those deceased, those retired, those currently on missionary assignments and those just beginning their missionary journey. Let us remember them in our prayers.
Fr Daniel Harding
tfe@columban.org.au
Read more from The Far East, July 2016