Centenary message from Fr. Kevin O’Neill
It is with much joy and heartfelt gratitude that I, on behalf of Columban missionaries and co-workers invite you, our benefactors, your families and friends, and the people among whom we live and serve, to join us in our Centennial Year celebrations which commenced on November 23, 2017, on the Feast of St. Columban.
The theme for our Centennial is “Sharing gospel joy.” The missionary spirit of God burns in the hearts of all of us wherever we live across the world and so together we celebrate our call to be missionary disciples of Jesus sharing gospel joy in our world today.
During our centennial year we give thanks to our founders Frs. Edward Galvin and John Blowick for their missionary zeal and vision to found our Society. From our beginnings in Ireland, Columban missionaries now work in countries across Asia, the Americas, Oceania and Europe. Today many of our new vocations come from these continents.
In a spirit of gratitude, we give thanks for what has been and for our mission today. We look forward to our unfolding participation in God’s mission into the future with trust and hope.
We pray that people will continue to respond to the Holy Spirit’s invitation to join us on mission as Columban priests, lay missionaries, co-workers, benefactors and volunteers.
We give thanks to YOU for your continued generosity and prayers over the years. You and your loved ones remain in the thoughts and prayers of all Columban missionaries across the world.
We wish you all God’s abundant blessings and good health now and in the future.
Thank you
Fr. Kevin O’Neill
Superior General
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.