As the new Editor of The Far East magazine I feel privileged to be part of an iconic magazine that is almost 100 years old. It will be a hard act to follow in the footsteps of the previous editor, Columban Fr Daniel Harding who is returning to Chile later in the year. I am fortunate to have the support and experience of excellent staff and trust and pray that God will guide and assist me along the way.
In the August edition of The Far East we read about Columban Fr Pat Colgan travelling to Columbia to spread the message that trying to smuggle drugs into Hong Kong will result in being caught and spending long sentences in remote jails.
Fr Noel Connolly reflects on working with the laity and enjoying it. He talks about Pope Francis’ priorities to end clericalism and empower the laity.
The Reflection features the Feast of St Mary of the Cross, Australia’s first Saint. Mary MacKillop was an advocate of the poor and worked with those at the margins of society. Columban Director, Fr Gary Walker writes an insightful column on Mary’s inspirational missionary spirit.
Leading up to the Centenary of St Columbans Mission Society, we remember Fr Edward (Eddie) Sherry whose anniversary of death is the 18th August. Fr Eddie Sherry was ordained in 1935 by the Columban founder, Bishop Edward Galvin. He later became secretary to Bishop Galvin for four of the nine years he spent in China. Fr Sherry’s name continues to be associated with the Australian Columban Art Calendar, to which he dedicated much time and thought.
As we come nearer to the closure of the Columban Mission Institute in North Sydney we feature the work of the Columban Centre for Promoting Communion with the Church in China (formally closed in 2012) and twenty years of the Centre for Peace, Ecology and Justice.
From Rome, Fr Robert McCulloch, Procurator General of the Missionary Society of St Columban, writes about a goodwill gesture of sending back and presenting a relic of St Thomas Becket to the Anglican Centre in Rome. The relic had been kept in the Columban Essendon chapel for many years.
The author of Hanging between Home and Away gives a first-hand account of what it is like for migrants to be stuck between two worlds. As a Columban Missionary he had also experienced wondering where home was. A thought provoking article.
While working as a volunteer in Taiwan with mentally challenged students, a young Peruvian seminarian learns a life-changing lesson in breaking down his prejudices about those who seem different from him.
As a missionary in Japan for over 60 years, Fr Barry Cairns has a keen cultural curiosity. It leads him to the local bookstore to see the ten top selling books of the month. The continual change in topics gives him an indication of what is of current interest to the people with whom he lives and works.
Related Links
- Read more from The Far East, August 2017
