Missionary Society of St. Columban Annual Report 2026
Rice and Weeds
Fr. Kurt Zion Pala, Myanmar I have worked with young people for most of my life, seeing them as my own brothers and sisters. Now, as I get older, I see many of them as my own children. There are days when I feel frustrated and disappointed. There are days when I feel like …
Even Just One of These Children
Joan Yap, Columban Lay Missionary, Taiwan “Even just one of these children.” This is the theme of this year’s World Migrants and Refugees Sunday. It brings me back to the words of Scripture: “Keep these words that I am commanding you today in your heart. Recite them to your children…” For many years, I …
At the Bosom of the Indus
By Fr. Jerry Lohera, Pakistan Just across the bridge spanning the waters of the Indus River lies Kotri, a small town on the outskirts of Hyderabad City. Built during the British colonial era, the bridge has stood for 126 years. The waters of the Indus River have been a lifeline for tens of millions …
Faith in the Desert
By Fr. Darwin Bayaca, Chile In northern Chile, I learned that faith is sometimes best understood not in words but in the journeys people make together. One of the most powerful experiences for me has been the annual pilgrimage to La Tirana, a small desert village that welcomes around 250,000 to 300,000 pilgrims every …
Into the Abyss of God’s Love
By Jao Resari, Columban Lay Missionary, Taiwan I painted Into the Abyss a few years ago, inspired by an image of a woman swimming into the sea’s depths, surrounded by darkness. I portrayed her as radiating light from within, conveying peace and harmony with the sea. Growing up, I found the sea both intimidating …
Walking Through the Water
By Dominic Lum Zawng, Columban Student from Myanmar on First Mission Assignment (FMA) in Mindanao Today, August 13, is the last day of my homestay program in Malingin, Barra Parish. Strangely, as I come to the end of this chapter, my mind keeps returning to the day I first arrived in this community on …
In Our Deafness, God´s Gentle Voice Calls us to Serve
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, …
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Mission Among Calloused Hands
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 …
A Role Has Blossomed Into A Vocation
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 …