By Fr. Dom Nolan, SSC
Upon reflection and looking back at my life, the only sentiment or feelings that spring to mind are ones of gratitude and thanksgiving for all the providential persons, events, places, and countries that come from my merciful creator God.
- Thanking God for my parents and siblings. They give me life, support, and the legacy of a lively faith in a merciful God.
- For all the Columban priests, fellow students, and especially my classmates—they taught me to dream, to pray, and have supported me continuously since 1962.
- To the Philippines—my first mission assignment—and to my first parish and first parish priest, Fr. James Sheehy, to whom I am eternally grateful. He taught me what parish life is truly about. Fr. Sheehy had a philosophy centered on the development of people, years before it became common in our Catholic Church. For him, people were always the priority. He practiced synodality long before the word became widely used. Thank you, James.
- My next appointment was as Vocation director in Australia. I am thankful to the Irish Christian Brothers, not only for involving me in their work, but also for teaching me how to give retreats that are participatory.
- My next assignment brought me back to Masinloc, Zambales, as parish priest. There I developed and collaborated with the whole Biblical Apostolates, working to make the Bible more understandable and accessible to everyone. I am very thankful to the SVDs and their commitment to the biblical apostolate.
- In 1986, my next appointment was with Mission Magazine and Mission Promotion. Fr. Niall O’Brian was the editor of this new Philippine mission magazine. At the start, there were no Columban stories—only stories from other missionary societies and Filipino missionaries.
- In 1992, I once again found myself on home soil, serving as manager of the Mission Office in Essendon, Australia. For four years, I helped produce the most popular Columban calendar from the mission office. This role also involved fundraising and mission promotion in various parishes.
- In 1997, I was once again assigned to the mission office in Manila. It was during this time that I became involved in the establishment and development of CELL (Center for Ecozoic Living and Learning), which embraced the whole Care of the Earth Apostolate and, in very practical ways, used permaculture. I must mention Fr. Frank Carey, my great friend, who was my constant companion and support, along with Fr. John Leydon.
- In 2001, I was able to take a seven-month biblical sabbatical in Rome — what a wonderful experience. It deepened my understanding of the bible and strengthened my ability to share and explain the Scriptures to various groups and individuals. This also included offering a bible course to our own Spiritual Year Students. It was Fr. Michael Mohally who initiated and supported this endeavor.
- At present, I find myself in semi-retirement. I must say a final word of gratitude to people like Fr. Michael McGuire and Fr. Brian Gore, who supported me in all the ups and downs of my journey.
In conclusion, I thank you, God, for the gift of life and for Your mercy throughout my journey.
