The Philippines, an archipelagic country composed of 7,600 islands, breeds diversity in culture, language, tradition, and customs. Inevitably, such diversity could sometimes lead to misunderstandings, form a regionalism perspective, and disunity.
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"It is hard to imagine how my life would be without the missionaries who came into the country. I am grateful because I am now harvesting the fruits of their labor. "
All Souls Day is a significant day in the Roman Catholic Calendar. It is a day of prayer and remembrance for the departed souls of our dear families and relatives and is usually observed with shared meals and visits to the cemeteries.
During a Columban seminary formation, the study of philosophy is followed by a spiritual year program. It is different. This is a non-academic year where there are no exams, and all throughout the period, the seminarian is especially guided by prayer. Mosese Yacalevu from Labasa, Fiji, shares his personal reflection of the thirty-day retreat that is considered the highlight in this part of seminary formation.
"In my journey of dialogue with other religions, I have embodied the insight that dialogue entails listening but I could only understand deeply by using my heart."
A few of our Columban seminarians provide a glimpse to their respective ministries.
Praying, fasting and almsgiving: three words that gave me meaningful and substantial insights in my missionary journey here in Khipro, Pakistan. These have always been the three pillars of Lent.
People often think of hospitals as a place where only pain and suffering occur. Most people, including myself, would probably say that the hospital is the last place they want to be in. However, it is also a place where genuine love exists, as I discovered while working in the hospital apostolate.
Aisha, a two-year-old Muslim girl, arrived at the Catholic Clinic in Badin one Friday morning. She was admitted to the clinic for tuberculosis treatment. On another occasion, 71-year old Mansingh arrived at the clinic in scorching hot weather with his grandson.
By Columban Hkun Myat Aung...The author is a Columban seminarian from Myitkina, Myanmar who joined the Columban formation program here in the Philippines in 2015. At present he is studying Philosophy at the University of Santo Tomas.