From the Editor - Columbans past, Columbans present

From the Editor - Serving God in a different languageIn 1971 Columban Fr Lynn Whitely died from hepatitis at the age of 31 in Chile. His brother, retired Christian Brother, Br Reginald Whitely, has written his memories of his brother Lynn from a family perspective for The Far East. Lynn lived at a time of great change in society worldwide and in the Church. This article is part of our preparation for the celebration in 2018 of the Columban Centenary of our foundation.

This March issue of The Far East carries many other stories of the lives and work of Columban missionaries both past and present from around the world. Columban Fr Keith Gorman was in his 73rd year of ordination and one month short of 97-years-old, when he died in December 2016. Fr Keith had worked in Japan and later back home in different parts of Australia for many years. He is remembered as a humble, outgoing man with a good sense of fun.

There is the story of Columban Fr Dan Troy’s journey from Cork, Ireland, to China. Columban Fr Rafael Ramirez recently stopped off in Australia en-route from Chile to Myanmar. He explains why he has to take this risk in leaving home and going to a foreign country. Columban Fr Liam O’Callaghan writes of the situation in Pakistan.

During 2016 Pope Francis called on the church to celebrate a Year of Mercy. Columban Fr Michael Hoban relates how the Vicariate of Maipo in Santiago, Chile, responded to this call by reaching out to the 1,300 male prisoners in the local prison.

Columban Fr Paul McCartin writes of a visit to Fukushima, Japan, the site of the 2011 nuclear disaster that occurred as a result of an earthquake and tsunami. Also from Japan, Columban Fr Barry Cairns offers a reflection on the new Martin Scorsese movie, 'Silence', based on the novel by Shusaku Endo. This movie attempts to deal with the apparent ‘silence’ of God during the persecution of Christians in Japan in the 17th century.

Category five Cyclone Winston brought the strongest winds ever recorded in the Pacific Basin. From December 4 to 10, the Columban Companions in Mission in Fiji made a visit to the cyclone-devastated village of Veidrala. Former Lay Missionary, Pablo Rabakewa writes of this experience.

As Columbans prepare to celebrate in 2018 our centenary year of foundation, we remember some Columbans who have gone before us, such as Lynn Whitely in 1971 and Keith Gorman in 2016. Through the stories shared in the magazine, we also read about the ongoing work of Columbans today, working alongside local people to make manifest the Kingdom of God in the most abandoned and diverse places.


Fr Daniel Harding
tfe@columban.org.au

Read more from The Far East, March 2017