By Sr M. Elena Dioneda FMM
By Fr Raymond Ugwu CSSp
In the past, missionaries to the Philippines were nearly all Westerners. That has changed. Here a young Nigerian priest tells us of his experience in Mindanao. This article, reprinted with permission, first appeared in the May 2006 edition of Spiritan, the quarterly of the TransCanada Province of the Spiritans, the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, www.spiritans.com
The author with some of his companions in the youth ministry
Someone once told me that dreams are ad infinitum. So here I am, sixteen and surveying the vast and wide landscapes of my dreams.
One time, somebody got angry with me and told me I was a person who could never change. I agree. I never changed my dreams, my principles, my point of view. Many times I vowed to improve, but how improved can a person really be?
By Peggy Noonan
By Gracia Kibad
Gracia Kibad, a Columban lay missionary from Bauko, Mountain Province, is now in her third term in Ireland.
In my second term in Ireland I was assigned to Ashbourne (www.ashbournedonaghmore.com), Meath. The recent waves of migration have brought people from many countries to its doors, making Ireland at this time particularly interesting.
Gracia with the Batorov family
That Sunday, the gospel reading was about the cure of the demoniac. During the homily, a fearful noise was created by a flock of small bats flying from the ceiling of the church as if the roof was falling down. Looking up I screamed, ‘Those are the evil spirits running away.’ The adults and children laughed as the catechist interpreted what I said.
By Fr Stephen Cuyos MSC
By Little Sister Cecilia-Grace Eco
LSr Cecilia (standing)
helps prepare
Algerian tea
By Father Bernard Casey CSsR
On the Feast of the Epiphany 2006, the Redemptorist Congregation launched the Centennial Celebration of their presence in the Philippines, an opportunity to thank God for all He has done through their presence and to thank the people who have cooperated with them in their mission to the poor for 100 years.
Redemptorist Church, Tacloban City
By Sister Irene C. Anapi FAS
By Mitzi Ramos
The author with some of her Taiwanese students
By Katie Flaherty
For seven days
she is limp as rags
and sweat damp;
our firstborn child
the color of a frog’s throat.
My own Petit Piton is burning
with dengue fever
and it’s too late
to go home now.
On 10 September Pope Benedict XVI spoke in Munich Cathedral to first communicants, their parents and catechists. The points he made are similar to those of Father Stephen Cuyos.
Among other things the Holy Father said that Communion is the ‘source of life’ through which Jesus ‘comes to us and makes each of us one with him.’ He then said to the children’s parents, ‘I ask you to help your children to grow in faith. I ask you to accompany them on their journey toward Holy Communion.’ He added that the children must be helped ‘on their journey toward Jesus and with Jesus.’ He then implored the parents, ‘Please, go with your children to Church and take part in the Sunday Eucharistic celebration! You will see this is not time lost; rather, it is the very thing that can keep your family truly united and centered. Sunday becomes more beautiful, the whole week becomes more beautiful, when you go to Sunday Mass together.’
By Gil L. Casio SM
Last year, I had the privilege of joining the team of the Marist Mission Center – Australia (MMC) in visiting refugee camps in Maesot in northern Thailand. Thousands of the Karen tribe from Myanmar (formerly Burma) live there in the middle of the jungle. It was my first time to see people who were obviously suffering from injustice and oppression.
An Interview with Lay Spiritans John and Katie Flaherty
This article, reprinted with permission, first appeared in the May 2004 edition of Spiritan, the quarterly of the TransCanada Province of the Spiritans, the Congregation of the Holy Ghost, www.spiritans.com
Lay Spiritans John and Katie Flaherty were interviewed in their modest East End Toronto home. At one stage the proceedings were interrupted by a period of chaos as their children Annie, Gabriel and Locky came home from playing in the park.
Here we publish the second part of a three-part reflection by a ‘Pink Sister’ who prefers to be known to our readers as ‘A Hidden Pearl.’ The official name of the congregation is ‘Sister Servants of the Holy Spirit of Perpetual Adoration.’ There are Filipino Sisters on mission in Argentina, Brazil, Indonesia and Togo in addition to Sisters in Germany, the Netherlands, Poland and the USA.
Janet wrote this letter during her third year in high school
in St Catherine’s College, Carcar, Cebu.
Dear Father Seán,
Greetings in Jesus, Mary and Joseph! First, I would like to introduce myself. I’m Janet Escoba, a third year student of St Catherine’s College in Carcar, Cebu, Philippines. I have two volumes of your Misyonmagazine. Whenever I receive your magazine I am amazed by the articles especially the youth page, ‘Our Hideaway.’ This page reflects me. I too had many problems even in my younger years. One was when I had an accident when I was in Grade 5.
