By Fr. Erl Dylan J. Tabaco, Peru Learning new languages has always fascinated me, and one of the languages that captured my heart was sign language. Looking back, I realize that what began as a simple desire to learn a new language gradually became God’s gentle invitation for me to serve. Many years ago, …
In Our Deafness, God´s Gentle Voice Calls us to Serve Read More »
By Fr. Vincent Busch, Philippines In April 2025, Columban Fr. Brian Gore died on the Island of Negros in the Philippines. For more than 50 years, Brian worked with families of subsistence farmers. During his wake, I watched the calloused hands of those farmers gently reach out to touch his coffin. Some farming families …
By Evelyn Sabate, Columban Co-Worker I’m Evelyn Sabate, and for eight years now, I’ve had the privilege of serving as an animator for Columban Mission Promotion and Fundraising Ministry here in the Philippines. Alongside this, I’ve been joyfully journeying with others in promoting vocations. What began as a role has blossomed into a vocation—a …
By Lilibeth Sabado, Columban Lay Missionary In 2009, I spent a couple of months immersing myself in communities in Mindanao where families of Overseas Filipino Workers (OFWs) lived. I felt it was important to understand the lives of those left behind so that I could more effectively accompany and pastorally support the OFWs I …
The Other Side of Migration: The Children Who Wait Read More »
By John Din, JPIC Coordinator, Philippines Connecting with others opens doors to worlds we have yet to imagine. This has been my exact experience over the past few weeks. Here at Santuario de San Columbano, we are surrounded by full-grown native trees that continuously generate seedlings for regenerative tree planting. Yet recently, I began …
By Fr. Louie Ybañez, Pakistan One of the great privileges of missionary life is the opportunity to encounter cultures profoundly different from one’s own. In interior Sindh, one immediately senses a heritage that is both ancient and intimately shaped by the land itself. This culture is not merely observed – it is felt in …
By Fr. Rex Rocamora, SSC, Columban IRD Coordinator On the 4th of May 2026, I found myself walking once again toward the Sheikh Karimul Makhdum Mosque on the island of Simunul, Tawi-Tawi—the oldest mosque in Southeast Asia. Built in 1380 by the Arab missionary Karimul Makhdum, it stands as a reminder of the …
Honoring the Past, Embracing the Future By Arlenne Villahermosa, Columban Lay Missionary The 75th anniversary of the Columban Mission in Negros (1950–2025) commemorates a legacy of “integral evangelization” that has deeply influenced the island’s spiritual, social, and ecological landscape. Celebrating 75 years of presence signifies a transition – from building the local church to …
By Marjorie Engcoy, Co-worker As a child, I often found myself gazing at the majestic silhouette of the Mt. Malindang Ranges located on the Zamboanga Peninsula in Mindanao. Rising above the horizon, it evoked a sense of wonder and mystery. I imagined the countless species hidden within its forests, marvelling at its grandeur. More …
The Dream Journey to Duminagat: Encountering Sacred Beauty and Ecological Lament Read More »
By Fr. Erl Dylan Tabaco, SSC During my seminary years, I had several encounters with inmates whose lives were transformed by their experiences in prison. Prior to my ordination to the diaconate, I was assigned to the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa, Philippines, where I gave catechesis to our brother inmates in the Medium …
Chains Cannot Bind the Soul: Reflections on True Freedom in Prison Read More »
