By: Sr. Maryanne Terrenal
South America & Korea
One of these cities is Seoul, the capital of South Korea. The other city is a not too well- known city in the middle of the South American continent. A pretty lass had lived all her twenty two years of life in this South American city when by force of circumstances she found herself in Seoul.
By: Pilar Tilos
Pilar Tilos, a Columban lay missionary in Pakistan spent many years in every type of parish ministry in her home town in Hinobaan, Negros Occidental. Here she tells us of the struggle she had to break the language barrier before she could begin her new mission ministry in Pakistan.
Starting Straight Away
October, 25th, 1990, four days after we arrived in Lahore, Fr. Pat Raleigh, in-charge of the language studies, gave us an orientation for the language program. We were told to study Punjabi (the local language of the people) because we would be working in the rural areas. The language course was to be for a full calendar year and the classes were to be held in the house where we lived in Iqbal town.
By: Eamon Sheridan
Fr. Eamon Sheridan is a young Irish Missionary working with Fr. Dodong Redulla and other columbans in Taiwan. Here he tells us of a tragic death and its strange consequences.
Mostly Illegal
It is estimated that there are between 30,000 to 50,000 Filipinos working in Taiwan. Most are working illegally. They have filled a large gap in the labor market, and contributed not insignificantly to the “Taiwan economic miracle.” However like Sri Lankans and other illegal migrants they are forced to live in fear being caught and put in detention center where they can stay for up to six months before they are sent home. Let me tell you a story of two Sri Lankans who I knew.
Bakit?
At out Filipino gathering, during our sharing of experiences, Sr. Alice Amarga, RVM was telling how she almost died of her first malaria attack. Her doctor was able to save her but she could not understand why after a month her doctor died. So she kept asking. “Why, why Lord?” Yours truly could not resist suggesting: “Maybe the Lord admonished the doctor, ‘bakit mo binuhay siya?”
Snakeman
During our Filipino gathering it was revealed tat one of the Filipino priests is fond of looking for snakes. When Pina Manalo, our Filipino architect working in Accra arrived, she was asked by her Lebanese co-worker about this priest. The Lebanese said to Pina: “I hear you have a Filipino priest her who looks like snake?”
By: Sr. Cecilia Cuizon, SSC
Sr. Cecilia Cuizon is a Filipino Columban Missionary working in Iquique, Chile. At Christmas time she reflects on her present ministry in that city.
Christmas in Iquique
This year for me seemed to fly so fast that I did not even notice that it was time to send greetings to my loved ones. Here in Iquique, the joyful melodies of Christmas season are not heard until the 23rd or the 24th of December. Christmas is mainly for Children in Iquique. No wonder, fathers have to set aside a bit from their salary every year for their children. When Christmas comes, all workers dressed in deferent styles, with Santa Claus in the middle of them and with their vehicles decorated (because there is a price for the best decorated vehicle) deliver the gifts to their respective children. So, a group of children wait for Santa Claus’ truck to pass by, all day and all night in case they will miss him.
By: Fr. Bob O’ Rourke
It was Fr. Bob’s first Christmas in Burma. It was to prove the most memorable of his life.
I had been in Burma just two months and I was to spend the Christmas of 1963 in Tingsing. It was to prove the most memorable Christmas of my life.
Tingsing was a small mountain village, a four-hour walked from the nearest road. The church, a frame structure with a galvanized iron roof, was set on knoll. Next to the church stood a bell tower with three bells. Everything for its construction had been carried up the mountain by hand, so you could appreciate the justifiable pride of the parish priest. Fr. Larry McMahon. Imagine the work involved in bringing in those bells.
