By Fr. Louie Ybañez In an Islamic country like Pakistan, Christmas doesn’t cause much of a stir for the majority of people. However, it does matter to many Christians, as it represents a celebration of profound faith and a proud adherence to their unique religious identity. A wedding is a different story. From December to
By Febie Gonzales, Columban Lay Missionary in Taiwan “Compassion is a language of God” -Pope Francis. When I asked, “Why did you choose to come to Taiwan?” Adi, an Indonesian caregiver, replied, “To earn money for my family, to provide for their needs and well-being, to send my children to school, and to have
By Fr. Vinnie Busch, SSC Fifty years ago, during my first parish assignment in Mindanao, I was struck by how frequent the people use statues in their spiritual lives. Almost every home had an altar with statues of their patron saints. During Holy Week and fiestas, parishioners would join long procession, often under the
By Ana Flores, Columban Lay Missionary I met these women sometime 2011-2012 when we relocated some families affected by typhoon Sendong to the Mother of Divine Mercy Village in Opol. Some belonged to the TISAKA or Tingog sa Kasanag (voice of enlightenment) organization. From time to time, these women faced serious problems, and I often sought
By Fr. John Boles, SSC “If Columban Mission is a “mad thing to do,” then nothing could be madder – or more inspiring – than three members of the Collier family.” Let me tell you why. When Jesus’s own family heard about this, they said, “He’s out of his mind” (Mk. 3:21). It’s not surprising that
By Mavic Mercene, Communications Team Member In February of this year, Regional Director Fr. Leo Distor, Mission Promotion Coordinator Fr. Rolly Aniscal, Mission Promotion Animator Evelyn Sabate, and I had the privilege of being warmly welcomed by Fr. Roque C. Villanueva, the parish priest of St. Joseph Parish in Olongapo City, Zambales. As we
