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 …
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 …
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 …
By Ana Flores, CLM I met Jenny in 2022 during the pandemic. I remember that time when I attended Mass in Narulang, I saw Jenny and her two-year-old daughter Jennifer, and I wondered why Jennifer was walking with difficulty. After Mass, Jenny and I had a brief conversation about her family. She shared with …
By Edward Robert Gallagher “To accomplish great things, we must not only act, but also dream; not only plan, but also believe.”- Anatole France From a young age, I was inspired by my father, who introduced me to the Catholic Church and to a member of the Missionary Society of St. Columban, a …
By Fr. Ji Kwangkyu, SSC I grew up in a family that didn’t practice religion. When I was young, I thought there was no God. I am not proud to admit it, but I used to say negative things about religion because I was filled with anger. However, I stand before you now as a …
by Marjorie Engcoy, JPIC-Mindanao Animator Last July 5-7, 2024, the first renewal program for the Laudato Si (LS) Animators in Mindanao was held. A total of 20 LS Animators gathered for this event to reflect on their experiences as animators and champions for our Common Home, inspired by Pope Francis’ encyclical, Laudato Si. The …
By Fr. Louie Ybañez, SSC Looking after the schools in six villages is a huge task that requires constant monitoring. We face many challenges, most of which are long-standing issues that have persisted for many years. A renewed vision with an action plan in place for these schools is needed. Part of the plan is …
By Fr. Jerry Lohera, SSC Bewilderment and compassion are my two dominant feelings when reflecting about the realities of our children here in Mother Mary Parish in the Southeastern part of Pakistan. Jesus‘ sermon on the Mount is particularly fitting for them, deep inside, I protes the root cause of their dire situation, which …
By Fr. Vincent Busch The Subanens are an indigenous people whose ancestral homeland is in the mountains of northwest Mindanao. Like other indigenous peoples in the Philippines, the Subanens have a spiritual bond with their habitat and relate with that habitat through their dance, music, and rituals. And, like other indigenous peoples, the Subanens …
