In order to commemorate the 1400th anniversary of the death of St Columban, a three day pilgrimage was organized in 2015 to visit the sites where the early Columban missionaries had worked in China in the 1920’s and 1930’s. Columban Fr Rex Rocamora took part in this pilgrimage and tells us about it.
Quoting St Columban, our pilgrim’s banner read, "To be a pilgrim for Christ”. Our three day pilgrimage took place November 11-15, 2015, leading up to the 1400th anniversary of the death of St Columban at Bobbio in northern Italy on November 23rd, 615 AD.
During the pilgrimage we drove 300 kilometres along the Han River tracing the footsteps of the early Columban missionaries in central China. Our pilgrim group was comprised of 28 priests, deacons, sisters, seminarians and members of the laity. We visited the places where these early Columbans had worked in parishes, churches, an abandoned seminary and presbyteries. We also visited the Columbans buried there.
Columban co-founder, Fr Edward Galvin, had been appointed by Rome in 1923 to be the Apostolic Prefect for the Apostolic Prefecture of Hanyang and in 1927 the Apostolic Vicar for the Apostolic Vicariate of Hanyang. These are the normal stages for the development of a diocese. In 1946 Fr Edward Galvin was consecrated the first Bishop of the new Diocese of Hanyang.
It was therefore fitting that our pilgrimage began in the Cathedral Church of the Diocese of Hanyang, the Cathedral of St Columban. We prayed and gave thanks for Bishop Galvin and for all the early Columban missionaries who had laboured with so many difficulties in the Hanyang vineyard for so many years.
As a pilgrim group, we realized we were very pleased to meet members of the local Catholic community and to hear their testimony regarding the work of early Columbans.
Fr Joseph Li from the Diocese of Hanyang, who helped to organize the pilgrimage, shared how our visit had helped awaken in the hearts of the clergy, religious and laity of the Diocese of Hanyang gratitude and fond memories of the pioneer work undertaken by the early Columban missionaries. He said the Diocese had a sense of communion and connectedness with the Columbans.
Sr Li, a local religious sister, shared her gratitude for the momentous work undertaken by Bishop Galvin and the Columbans in 1931 caring for the thousands of victims of the great Yangtze River flood.
Sr Zhang, a religious sister from Xiantao, quoted St Columban saying, “I’m now ready to be a pilgrim for Christ”. She was moved as she remembered the presence of these early Columban missionaries in rural areas, even in remote villages such as Mai Wong village. There a Eucharist was celebrated with the local Catholic community in front of an abandoned church and convent. It was the first Eucharist to be celebrated there for 60 years. It was as if God had now taken action to reclaim his church in this once predominantly Catholic village. The seeds of faith that had been buried in this land long ago by Columban missionaries were now coming back to life.
One of the early Columban missionaries was Fr Charles Cullen, a native of Ireland. He had only been in Hanyang two years when he died suddenly at the age of 27. His story moved us as we realized the great sacrifice he and the other missionaries had made. Regarding his burial Bishop Galvin had written, “When night came, there was still no coffin to be had. In this appalling difficulty a friend turned up when one least expected it. A pagan gave the coffin which he had prepared for himself and a very fine one it was!”
One of the local priests on the pilgrimage suggested that the exact location of Fr Charles grave be found so that it could be moved to his parish where it could be properly looked after. It was then suggested however that while most people are looking for a place to settle down, a missionary like Fr Charles is always on the road. Therefore Fr Charles remains buried where he belongs, among the people with whom he worked.
The pilgrimage finished in Bai Hu village with a special Eucharist. The concelebrating priests wore red stoles to remember the sacrifice, the sweat, the tears and sometimes blood, of the early Columbans who had selflessly given their lives passing on the Faith.
During this Eucharist Fr Joseph Li proclaimed that these early Columbans as ‘exiles for Christ’ had brought the Gospel to the far reaches of the world. Just as Abraham had left his land for another and as missionaries had brought the Gospel to Europe, through people like St Columban, these early Columban missionaries had left their land to bring the Gospel to the people of Hanyang in central China.
Columban Fr Rex Rocamora has worked in China since ordination in 2000. He originally comes from the Philippines.