News & Feature

Beyond the Myths: Discovering the Gifts of Bats

by Gertrudes C. Samson, Columban Lay Missionary   Bat Walk Recently, the Columbans in Solihull organized a Bat Walk. At first, I had second thoughts about attending because of the many horror films I have watched featuring bats. Those scenes had left me with persisting prejudice, and fear immediately crept in- “What if the bats …

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A Bottle of Guinness to Celebrate 10.10

By Fr. Rex Rocamora, SSC  As Executive Secretary of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines – Episcopal Commission on Interreligious Dialogue (CBCP-ECID), I serve as the focal person for the Mindanao Bishops in revitalizing the Bishops-Ulama Conference, now known as Mindanao Religious Leaders Conference (MiRLeC). I work closely with the Episcopal Commission on Interreligious …

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Homily: Regional Assembly 2024 Opening Mass

Repentance and Self-emptying: Our Guide Into Our Future By Fr. Taemoon Kwon, SSC   In Jonah’s time, Assyria was the largest and strongest empire in the world. Nineveh, the capital of Assyria, was described by Jonah as an exceedingly large city, a three days’ walk across (Jonah 3:3). Although it is uncertain, Jonah likely harbored …

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An Open Letter to All Columban Lay Missionaries

To all Columban Lay Missionaries, It has been a privilege to be part of the journey of the Columban Lay Missionaries (CLM) for five years. I am truly grateful to the Philippine region, especially the lay missionaries, for the opportunity to be part of the Lay Mission Leadership Team (LMLT) as priest representative. Looking back, …

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MY JOURNEY FROM FIJI AS A COLUMBAN LAY MISSIONARY: A TALE OF GRATITUDE, GROWTH AND OPPORTUNITY

From the islands to the Philippines. My vocation story began in the beautiful islands of Fiji, where I was inspired by the work of the Columbans in my parish, and local church. I made a life-changing decision to join the Columbans as a lay missionary in crossing boundaries, culture and creed.   I went through …

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Pope Francis, Free Speech, and Social Media

By Fr. Shay Cullen, Founder of PREDA (est. 1974) When Pope Francis arrived in Indonesia, the most populous Muslim-majority country in the world, he delivered  a message of peace, dialogue and religious tolerance, along with a warning against extremism. In recent years, religious rivalry gave rise to extremism that distorted religious beliefs through “deception and …

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Pilgrimage to Simunol

By Marjorie Engcoy JPIC-Mindanao Animator   On May 8-13, 2024, members of the Interfaith Forum for Peace, Harmony, and Solidarity of Cagayan de Oro City embarked on a weeklong pilgrimage to the oldest mosque structure, which was erected in Simunol, Tawi-Tawi, Philippines, in 1380. A total of 22 pilgrims participated in the journey of appreciating …

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