St Columban's Day, 23 November: places associated with the saint.

St Columban, born in south-east Leinster, Ireland, c. 540, died in Bobbio, northern Italy, 23 November 615. Statue in Luxeuil, France.

Sunset in County Wexford, native county or Fr Michael Sinnott and part of the region where St Columban was probably born.

Blackstairs Mountains, County Wexford and County Carlow, in the region of Ireland where St Columban was born.

Glendalough, County Wicklow, not far from St Columban's birthplace, where St Kevin, his contemporary, founded a famous monastery

The harbour in Bangor, County Down, Northern Ireland, where St Columban spent many years as a monk and from which he set out with twelve other monks for the European mainland.

Statue of St Columban, Luxueil, eastern France, where he established a monastery. Some Columban priest and seminarians helped restore the monastery in the 1950s and 1960s.

Stained glass of St Columban in the basilica in Bobbio, nothern Italy, where he died.

Bobbio

View of Bobbio from Ponto Gobbo

Statue of St Columban, Bobbio

Bobbio

Bobbio

HAPPY ST COLUMBAN'S DAY!

'Thank you' from Fr Michael Sinnott

Fr Michael Sinnott some days after his release

Message of thanks from Fr Michael Sinnott

November 20, 2009.

Writing the date above was the easiest part of writing this note. I am trying to think where to begin and how I can possibily find words to thank adequately all the people who prayed for me while I was in captivity and worked to help to get my release.

I have bee amazed since I came out to learn about the amount of coverage my kidnapping got - not only in the Philippines and Ireland but in many other countries as well. And by coverage I mean not only the publicity but especially the number of people who were praying for me, organising rallies, prayer vigils, Masses and other activities - and that the Columbans even fasted and prayed for a day ! I am truly humbled by it all as I don't feel I did anything that any other Columban would not have done in the same circumstances. It must have been harder on those who, like Fr Pat O'Donoghue (Columban superior in the Philippines) and Bishop Manny Carbajar CSSR (of Pagadian) and others, worked so tirelessly my release. My ordeal lasted only a month while many Columbans, like those in Pakistan, are working in a constant state of tension which must be much worse.

I am afraid I have not conveyed the thanks I feel but in summary let me simplly say a very, very sincere thank you to all who prayed and helped to get my release. I hope I may be able to do so personally to many of you when we meet.

Again, many, many thanks,

Fr Mick Sinnott.

Fr Tommy Murphy, Columban Superior General

St Columban’s Day Message from Superior General

As St Columban’s Day approaches we will be gathering this year with a special sense of gratitude for the safe release of Fr Michael Sinnott. The news of his release was greeted with relief and thanksgiving by people all over the world who had followed his ordeal with concern, interest and prayers during the previous thirty two days. His own immediate family were overjoyed to hear from an official at the Irish Department of Foreign Affairs that Father Michael was no longer in custody and was in safe hands.

Father Michael’s subsequent appearances on TV screens around the world and his radio interviews have been marked by common sense, a touch of humour and a total lack of self-pity. People have been struck by the integrity of the man and were impressed to hear him say that all he now wanted to do was to return to his work in Pagadian. Many also have commented on the gracious attitude he displayed towards his captors and his lack of rancour at being subjected to this ordeal. We are proud of Father Michael on the way he has come through this ordeal and on the manner in which he has conducted himself since been freed.

Father Michael’s experience highlights once again the fact that from the very beginning of our Society, being a Columban missionary at times meant putting one’s life in danger. Many Columbans in the past have suffered what Father Michael has endured and twenty three of them have lost their lives violently as a result of their ministry. However, this reality has never stopped Columbans from committing themselves to Columban mission priorities in the various Regions or Mission Units where they were assigned. When we look at Father Michael’s life and his recent experience we can see the evidence of some core Columban ideals present here. There is something here that all of us strive for and hold up as ideals for ourselves. Indeed many Columban Missionaries live out these ideals in quiet lives of unheralded ministry and service. St Columban’s day is an appropriate moment to acknowledge this reality and to celebrate it.

May St Columban continue to accompany us all on our missionary journey.

Fr Tommy Murphy

‘¡Viva Cristo Rey!’ 'Long live Christ the King!'

‘¡Viva Cristo Rey!’ 'Long live Christ the King!' 23 November 1927

I posted this a year ago but I believe that Blessed Miguel Pro SJ is truly a man of and for our times.

Today is the Solemnity of Christ the King and tomorrow, the feast of St Columban, is also the feast of Blessed Miguel Agustin Pro SJ, surely one of the most attractive of all the Blesseds and Saints in heaven.

The photo above was taken on 23 November 1927 in Mexico City just before the execution by firing squad of 36-year-old Fr Miguel Agustin Pro SJ. In his right hand was a crucifix and in his left a rosary. His last words were ‘¡Viva Cristo Rey!’ 'Long live Christ the King'.

I first saw this photo in 1955, when I was 12. It was in a supplement to the Irish Independent on the occasion of its 50th anniversary. The paper, at the time very Catholic in its ethos - it is very different now - had an outstanding photo from each year of its publication. That of Father Pro was its choice for 1927. It made a profound impact on me, as it does still.

Blessed Miguel was beatified by Pope John Paul II on 15 September 1988. The Pope said on that occasion, 'Neither suffering nor serious illness, neither the exhausting ministerial activity, frequently carried out in difficult and dangerous circumstances, could stifle the radiating and contagious joy which he brought to his life for Christ and which nothing could take away. Indeed, the deepest root of self-sacrificing surrender for the lowly was his passionate love for Jesus Christ and his ardent desire to be conformed to him, even unto death.'

Joy was a characteristic of this most attractive of saints. In nearly all photos of him that I have seen, not only those taken on his execution day, he looks deadly serious. But he was a practical joker of the first order and he also suffered from poor health all his life.

Blessed Miguel's feast is observed in the USA and, I presume, in Mexico, on 23 November, which is also the feast of St Columban and of St Clement of Rome. It is only proper to recall this great Jesuit priest whose last words were those of forgiveness for those who were about to kill him and whose final words were the inspiring ‘¡Viva Cristo Rey!’

You can read more about Blessed Miguel here - that site has many photos - and here.

Here is an article about Blessed Miguel that we published in Misyon in September-October 2004.

BLESSED MIGUEL AGUSTIN PRO SJ
By Sister Mariana Reyes HGS

Sister Mariana came to the Philippines in 2000. She is a member of the Hermanas Guadalupanas de la Salle founded in Mexico in 1946 by Brother Juan Fromental Coyroche, a De La Salle Brother from France. The Sisters follow the charism of St John Baptist De La Salle, involved in the promotion of Christian Education. Their spirituality in their service of God inspires them to look to Our Lady of Guadalupe in her role as evangelizer to the people they serve. They arrived in the Philippines in 1984. They also work in Mexico, Bolivia, Brazil, Colombia, Ecuador, Peru, Italy, Vatican, USA, La Reunion and Madagascar. The Sisters' Philippine website is here.

Martyr: we have often heard the deep meaning of this word. Witness: to suffer for the God who has kept you alive, and, if required, to give up your life also. The word makes us recall the Witness par excellence: Jesus Christ. The word ‘martyr’ recalls for us the many believers in the early Church, who rather than give up their faith and to show their love, trust and faith in God, faced death.

But here is a modern witness, facing his killers wearing a suit and tie. It’s November 23, 1927, during the religious persecution in Mexico. He is Father Miguel Agustin Pro SJ.

José Ramon Miguel Agustin Pro Juarez was born on 13 January 1891 in Guadalupe, Mexico, one of 11 children of Don Miguel and Josefa. As a child he had been dangerously ill for a year. Don Miguel held his son before an image of La Virgen de Guadalupe and said, ‘Madre mia, give me back my son.’ Despite not being particularly religious he found his vocation at 20 and entered the Jesuits despite his fragile health, which meant more suffering. His vocation involved leaving his loving family behind, fleeing to foreign lands, strange languages and customs, as he couldn’t study in Mexico because of the persecution. He studied in the USA, in Nicaragua, Spain and Belgium where he was ordained in 1925.

Father Pro had a number of operations for a bad stomach. He also suffered because of his concern for his family who went through great financial hardship during the persecution. His superiors assigned him to work at home in 1926.

Returning to Mexico he showed with passion that he understood the words ‘The good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep.’ He knew well that any priest found propagating Catholicism could face the death penalty. Many were executed. But we see something really special in Father Pro – his ability to inject into his adventures the cheerfulness that characterized him: one word, one gesture was many times enough to see him escape from the police. In spite of the danger he never lost his sense of humor which he saw as a gift from God. As a child he was musical and a practical joker.

Earthly powers weren’t able to stop his priestly zeal. His cheerfulness made him try one and another way of deceiving the detectives assigned to detect violators of the law. He wore many disguises in order to administer the sacraments, celebrate Mass or lead a recollection. There’s a photo of him dressed as a mechanic. On one occasion on his way to anoint an old person he spotted the detectives. A young Catholic woman whom he knew happened to pass by. He linked arms with her and the police thought they were sweethearts.

Meantime, the persecution continued. Churches were closed, Catholic schools suppressed, convents expropriated, religious communities persecuted. So many priests, religious, lay persons died. This was Mexico, the land Our Lady visited on 1531 in her apparition to the indigenous St Juan Diego. It seemed that this land had changed its patron. But the blood of martyrs is the seed of new Christians, and the execution of hundreds was not enough to eradicate the Catholic faith from Mexican soil.

Now it was the moment Divine Providence destined for Father Pro to bear the supreme testimony of his faith. In November 1927, the authorities arrested Father Pro, along with his brothers Humberto and Roberto. The government authorities linked them to an assassination attempt on the presidential candidate General Álvaro Obregón through an old car that had once belonged to Humberto. (General Obregón had been president from 1920 to 1924 when he was replaced by his ally Plutarco Elías Calles who was the real power. General Obregón was assassinated after being re-elected in 1928.) The authorities were well aware that the brothers were innocent. But because they considered Catholic priests their enemies, the government saw in Padre Miguel and his brothers the perfect scapegoats. Without due process or trial, they sentenced them to death.

The government had a photographer cover the execution to show up Catholics as cowards. The photos had the opposite effect and later the government made it a crime to possess them.
Father Miguel was given a couple of minutes to pray before his execution. He rejected the traditional blindfold and said to the firing squad, ‘May God have mercy on you. May God bless you. Lord, you know that I am innocent. With all my heart I forgive my enemies.’ Serene, he stretched out his arms in the form of a cross, holding a rosary in his left hand, a crucifix in his right. With his last breath he said quietly but clearly, ‘¡Viva Cristo Rey!’ ‘Long live Christ the King!’ This cry was the assurance that the persecuted and suffering Church of Mexican was owned by Christ its King.

The effect of the news was the opposite to what the government had expected. Thousands turned out for the funeral of Father Miguel and his brother Humberto – Roberto had been released. An old blind woman in the crowd who came to touch his body left with her sight restored. The fervor of the Catholic faithful grew stronger and their fear lessened because of the testimony of the martyrdom of this man of God, this committed priest, selfless in his generous ministry of the Word and the Sacraments; a creative, fun-loving joker, despite his serious demeanor in photos.

Sometime before his death he said to a friend that if he came upon any somber-looking saints in heaven, he’d do the Mexican hat dance to cheer them up. How well he used his gifts to live and die with passion for Christ and his Gospel. May we find in this witness, an inspiration to see that it is possible to live our faith with creativity and face challenges the challenges of modern times in a concrete, loving way.

Just before his execution

Chaplet of Blessed Miguel

Blessed Miguel, before your death, you told your friend to ask you for favors when you were in Heaven. I beg you to intercede for me and in union with Our Lady and all the angels and saints, to ask Our Lord to grant my petition, provided that it be God's Will. {mention the request}

We honor and adore the triune God. The Gloria.

We ask the Holy Spirit for guidance. Come Holy Ghost.

We pray as Jesus taught us to pray. The Our Father.

We venerate with love the Virgin Mary. Hail Mary.

All you angels, bless you the Lord forever.

Saint Joseph, Saint {name of your patron}, and all the saints, pray for us. Blessed Miguel, high spirited youth, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, loving son and brother, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, patient novice, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, exile from your homeland, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, prayerful religious, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, sick and suffering, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, defender of workers, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, courageous priest in hiding, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, prisoner in jail, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, forgiver of persecutors, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Blessed Miguel, holy martyr, pray for us. Viva Christo Rey.

Imprimatur: Joseph A. Fiorenza, Bishop of Galveston - Houston, August 13, 1995

Pope Benedict challenges the Deaf to bring the Gospel to others

DEAF PEOPLE: RECIPIENTS AND ANNOUNCERS OF THE GOSPEL

Spanish version

I've highlighted some parts and added some [comments].

VATICAN CITY, 20 NOV 2009 ( VIS ) - This morning the Holy Father received 400 participants in the international conference "Effata! Deaf people in the life of the Church". The event is being promoted by the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, the president of which is Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski.

In his address to them the Pope explained the reason the theme of "effata" was chosen for the meeting. "It is", he said, "a paradigm of how the Lord works for people with hearing impairment", and he went on to refer to the passage from the Gospel of Mark in which "Jesus takes a deaf man aside and, having performed certain symbolic gestures, raises His eyes to heaven and says: 'effata', that is, 'be opened'. In that moment ... the man recovered his hearing, his tongue was loosened and he spoke plainly.

"Jesus' actions are full of loving attention and express profound compassion for the man before Him", Benedict XVI added. "He expressed real concern, took him aside from the confusion of the crowds, and made him feel His closeness and understanding through certain highly significant gestures".

But Jesus does not only cure physical deafness, "He also indicates the existence of another form of deafness from which humanity must be healed, or rather from which it must be saved. This is the deafness of the spirit which raises ever-higher barriers to the voice of God and of our fellow man, especially the cry for help of the poor and the suffering, and which encloses man in a profound and destructive selfishness". [Part of this deafness that Pope Benedict refers to is, I believe, the general lack of awareness - not something deliberate in most cases - of the needs of those who are deaf.]

"Unfortunately experience has shown that hearing-impaired people do not always meet with ready acceptance, committed solidarity and affectionate communion. [I have encountered this in the Church with priests, for example, and some of those who attend Mass, seeing the use of Sign Language as a 'distraction'. On the other hand, I once asked a fellow Columban who had celebrated Sunday Mass in Malate Chruch, Manila, if he had met the interpreter who had singed for the Deaf presnt. 'What interpreter?' was his reply. He hadn't even noticed her. so much for 'distractions'. and I have also had the expreince a number of times of hearing people come to me after a Mass which I celebrated in Sign Langue telling me how moved they were]. The many associations which have come into being to defend and promote their rights are evidence of the existence of an underlying culture marked by prejudice and discrimination", said the Pope.

"Much more numerous, however, are the initiatives prompted by institutions and associations, both ecclesial and civil, which are inspired by authentic and generous solidarity and have improved the living conditions of many deaf people", the Holy Father went on. He also recalled how "the first schools for the education and religious formation of these our brothers and sisters came into being in Europe in the 1700s. Since then charitable initiatives have been multiplying within the Church, ... with the aim of offering the deaf, not only formation, but integral assistance for their complete self-realisation.

"Yet we must not forget the serious situation in which deaf people still live in developing countries, both because of a lack of appropriate policies and legislation, and because of difficulty of access to basic healthcare. Deafness, indeed, is often the consequence of easily-curable diseases". [So many deaf children never go to school. So many children become deaf or blind, or even die, from such illnesses as measles. there is no excuse for this].

In this context, the Pope launched an appeal "to the political and civil authorities, as well as to international organisations, to offer the support necessary to promote, also in those countries, due respect for the dignity and rights of deaf people, favouring ... their full social integration".

"Dear hearing-impaired brothers and sisters", he concluded, "you are not only recipients of the announcement of the Gospel but, by virtue of your Baptism, also its announcers. Live every day, then, as witnesses of the Lord in the environments in which you live, making Christ and His Gospel known". [So often we hearing people see the Deaf as persons to be 'helped'. Yes, there are situations in which we all need to be helped. But Pope Benedict is challenging the Deaf here to bring the Gospel to others, including hearing people. Here in Bacolod we have some deaf catechists, for example. The Pope is not only challenging those who are deaf but reminding them of their obligation to let others know about our Lord Jesus Christ].

AC/DEAF PEOPLE/ZIMOWSKI VIS 091120 (560)

Vatican Conference for the Deaf

Jesus heals the deaf man

Perhaps the most isolating physical disability is deafness. A person who is born profoundly deaf shares no common language even with his own family, much less with the wider community. Here in the Philippines many deaf children never go to school. Only larger urban centers have schools or special education departments for deaf students.

Deaf persons are often perceived by others to be stupid, hence our English term 'dumb'. When I was growing up in Ireland we usually referred to deaf persons as 'deaf and dumb'. That term wasn't pejorative but it embodied another common false perception, that the deaf are unable to speak. They have the same speaking equipment as hearing people but because they don't hear they don't learn to speak in the way that hearing people do. But deaf children can be taught to speak. The term 'deaf-mute' is still widely used, embodying the same mis-perception.

The Catholic Church in the Philippines still has a long way to go in its ministry to and with deaf people. Those who are profoundly deaf often refer to their community as 'the Deaf', with a capital 'D'. They do not use the term 'hearing impaired'. I would be inclined to use that term for hearing peole whose hearing becomes somewhat impaired with old age, for example. The word 'deaf' is not an impolite term.

The Vatican Information Service carried a report on Tuesday of a CONFERENCE ON DEAF PEOPLE IN THE LIFE OF THE CHURCH. Here is the report:

VATICAN CITY, 17 NOV 2009 (VIS) - This morning in the Holy See Press Office, the presentation took place of the 24th international conference promoted by the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care. The theme of this year's gathering is "Effata! Deaf people in the life of the Church", and the event is due to be held in the Vatican's New Synod Hall from 19 to 21 November.

Participating in today's press conference were Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, Bishop Jose L. Redrado O.H. and Msgr. Jean-Marie Mpendawatu, respectively president, secretary and under secretary of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care; Fr. Savino Castiglione of the Congregation "Little Mission for the Deaf", and Marco Radici, director of the ENT unit of the Hospital of St. John of God "Fatebenefratelli" in Rome.

There are 278 million people in the world who suffer from hearing impairment, of whom 59 million are profoundly deaf. Eighty percent of deaf people live in the less-developed areas of the planet. It is also estimated that there are around 1.3 million deaf people in the Catholic Church who, Archbishop Zimowski explained, "face particular difficulties in participating fully in religious practices".

The forthcoming conference - which will be attended by 498 people, 89 of whom are deaf - arises from the need to promote and improve commitment in this field of disability in order "to achieve true integration for deaf people", he said.

"According to the timetable", the archbishop continued, "the three days of the meeting will be subdivided into sections focusing on various aspects of deafness. The first day will examine the themes of: 'deaf people in the world, past and present'; 'the psychological world of deaf people'; the 'medical aspects of deafness', and 'experiences from the world of deafness'".

The second day, during which the participants will also be received by the Pope, will consider such themes as "the family and deaf people" and "pastoral care of the deaf".

The conference will come to an end on 21 November with a summarisation of the subjects discussed, roundtable discussions and the presentation of a final report.

Among those attending the conference will be Archbishop Patrick A. Kelly of Liverpool, England, and Terry O'Meara, respectively president and director of the International Catholic Foundation for the Service of Deaf Persons; Silvio P. Mariotti, an expert of the World Health Organisation, and Fr. Cyril Axelrod, a blind and deaf priest (in photo). [Read also here].

Also participating in the event will be Cardinal Javier Lozano Barragan and Cardinal Fiorenzo Angelini, presidents emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Health Pastoral Care, which is due to celebrate the 25th anniversary of its foundation on 11 February 2010. OP/EFFATA/ZIMOWSKIVIS 091117 (450)

Fr Savino Castiglione came to the Philippines from Italy in 1988 but is presently based in his own country. When we were both in Cebu he encouraged me to learn Sign Language, of which I have some knowledge, enough to celebrate Mass. However, I find it difficult to engage in conversation in Sign Language.

Archbishop Patrick Kelly of Liverpool, England, has been working with the Deaf for many years and uses Sign Language on public occasions, even when the majority are hearing people.

CBCPNews also has a report on the conference: Vatican officials say church must improve service to deaf community.

You can find a signed version of the Philippine National Anthem here. It's on the blog Filipino Deaf from the Eyes of a Hearing Person. The blogger made some very kind comments about your scribe after coming across a post I made on St Francis de Sales, patron of the Deaf.

Irish priest applauded for relationship with married woman

The Seven Sacraments: Ordination, Nicolas Poussin 1636-40

Yesterday's Irish Independent carries a rather bizarre, but not unique, story: Church cheers as priest admits that he's in love.

The paper reports: A CONGREGATION wept and cheered when their beloved priest delivered the bombshell that he had tendered his resignation because he had fallen in love.

Popular parish priest NN (51) told his stunned congregation at Sunday Mass that he was leaving the priesthood, having embarked on a "loving, beautiful and life-giving relationship".

The priest . . . is believed to be involved with a mother of two children who is separated from her husband.

The latter is confirmed in a story in today's edition: Priest's love for a mother-of-two began only after marriage ended.

Yesterdays' report quotes the priest as saying that he had made his decision 'after a period of discernment and personal reflection'. I have no doubt that he did. But no genuine discernment can lead a person to sin. Even though the woman is no longer with her husband she is still married in God's eyes and the priest made a solemn commitment to celibacy when he was ordained deacon.

The newspaper's reports both days quote people who support the priest and quote others who have questions about celibacy. This seems to indicate that the parishioners are rather confused. I'm quite certain that if one of the readers or extraordinary ministers of Holy Communion announced at Mass that he or she had embarked on a 'loving, beautiful and life-giving relationship' with another parishioner's spouse, that person would not get any applause.

The Ten Commandments were handed in stone by God to Moses. The law of celibacy in the Roman Rite of the Catholic Church could indeed be changed but the Church has no authority whatever to change God's law. I saw a letter in today's Irish Independent that says, 'Jesus is full of mercy and love and sees into all our hearts'. Absolutely true. But the writer, who praises the priest's 'honesty', seems to forget that the same Jesus full of mercy who forgave the woman caught in adultery also said to her 'Go and sin no more'.

Today I got an email from someone whose husband has just left her and their two young sons. She is heartbroken and cannot understand why a loving God would allow such a thing to happen. The other day I got a similar email from a woman on the other side of the world who is devastated having discovered that her husband is in a relationship with another woman.

I don't know how many times I've listened to young people whose lives are turned upside-down because one or other parents is in an adulterous relationship. There is nothing of God's love in such.

I have always understood that when a priest formally decides to leave the ministry and informs his bishop or superior he ceases immediately to carry out the functions of a priest. Yesterday's report stated that the bishop had accepted the priest's decision 'with regret last week'. Why then was the priest allowed to grandstand at the celebration of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass a few days later instead of informing the people in a more dignified way?

My late mother had an expression when she saw something she considered particularly stupid being done: 'Poor Ireland, she's rearing them still!' I suspect she would have said that in this sad situation where people who had just received the Risen Lord in Holy Communion applauded infidelity.

This is the second such expression of praise in Ireland this year for a priest who announced that he was leaving. In the first instance he (66) said it was to get married, though I've no reason to believe that the woman in question wasn't free to marry. It seems that some of my fellow Irish have put the priest back on the pedestal - for being unfaithful.

If all of this is judgmental, so be it. Some of the people in this priest's parish have judged that it is all right for him to take someone else's wife. I don't.

Phil Lawler of Catholic Culture tries to make some sense of the congregation's reaction but ends with these words: A parish is a community united not by camaraderie but by prayer. And it is prayer - not just affirmation, certainly not approval, in short not applause - that these wayward priests need.

Wedding at Cana, Tintoretto 1561

Blessing of San Columbano Center

Bishop Patrick A. Buzon SDB of Kabankalan blessing statue of St Columban

Last Monday, 16 November, was a happy occasion for the Columbans in Negros. We have been in the province of Negros Occidental since 1950. When we arrived the whole of the province was in the Diocese of Bacolod. We were given the southern part of the diocese/province and in 1988 that was erected as the new Diocese of Kabankalan. In the early 1970s there were about 40 Columbans assigned to Negros and a central house was built in Batang, Himamaylan, in 1970 for the priests. The land is owned by the Ramos Family of Himamaylan City. (It became a city a few years ago).

Bishop Buzon, centre, Fr Patrick O'Donoghue, Regional Director of the Columbans in the Philippines, on the right

Over the years the role of the Columbans gradually changed as parishes were built up and then given over to the local clergy. Now there are only three based in the Diocese of Kabankalan, Fr Brian Gore, director of the new San Columbano Center, Fr Michael Doohan who has been in Negros since 1953 and is now retired, but involved in various projects, Fr Patrick Hurley, ordained in 1948 and one of the first group of Columbans in Negros, who is in charge of a chaplaincy at Biscom, a sugar central (factory) in Binalbagan. I'm based in Bacolod City.

The four Columbans still in the island of Negros: Fr Brian Gore, Director of the Center, Fr Patrick Hurley, (Bishop Buzon and Fr Pat O'Donoghue), Fr Michael Doohan and your scribe (rather casually dressed but with a 'Columban Missionaries' logo on my shirt).

There was a special element of joy about the ceremony because of the release last Thursday of Fr Michael Sinnott who had been in captivity for just over a month, having been kidnapped in Pagadian City on 11 October. Our superior, Fr Pat O'Donoghue, could relax.

Members of the Ramos Family were present and Vice Mayor Luz Ramos Bayot unveiled a plaque thanking her family for their ongoing support of the work of the Columbans and also helped cut the ribbon for the ceremonial opening of the conference hall.

The Center will be a place where many groups can come for retreats, conferences, seminars and the like. It provides simple accomodation and is the only such venue in the Diocese of Kabankalan. It is hoped that students from Catholic highs schools and from public schools, the vast majority of whom are from poor or relatively poor families, will be able to use the facility, as some have done already.

The manager of the Center is Mrs Nomy Muhal, whose late husband Conrado, was one of the 'Negros Nine', which included Fr Brian Gore, imprisoned in the mid 1980s on a trumped-up murder charge.

The conference hall

Prayer to St Columban

O Blessed Columban, who, in your zeal for the extension of Christ's Kingdom, and the salvation of souls, spent your life in suffering and exile, assist and protect, we humbly ask you, the missionaries of our day, who have devoted their lives to preaching the Gospel throughout the world.

Obtain for them, we beseech you, that prudence and fortitude by which you overcame the dangers which beset your path, and that firm faith and ardent charity which enabled you to endure gladly the privations of this life for the love of Christ.

Assist and protect us, also, dear St. Columban, so to live for God's glory that when our pilgrimage through life is over, we may enjoy with you the eternal rest of heaven through Christ Our Lord.-Amen.