A CELEBRATION of MISSION in Dublin, Ireland during MISSION MONTH 2011

The IRISH MISSION UNION OCTOBER 9th EVENT Pope Benedict’s message: “Missionary activity renews the Church, revitalizes faith and Christian identity” A CELEBRATION OF MISSION Sister Mary Nolan, who has spent many years on mission in Peru, and is now missioned in Dublin, Ireland, describes the OCTOBER 9 EVENT

October – Mission Month – invites different initiatives here in Ireland

One of these took place on October 9 when the IMU invited us to a celebration of missionaries who have come to Ireland from other countries to work or to study.   They came in colourful groups from Kenya, Nigeria, Ghana and other African countries, from Sri Lanka, Philippines, China and the Caribbean.  They came to celebrate with the aging Irish Religious the joy of ‘being sent’.

We Columban Sisters represented a small section of that transition picture as Sisters Anne Carbon and Lucia So joined Sister Monica Kelly and me.  The local Christian community of Kimmage hosted the gathering.  It was a lively Liturgy as we participated in the Eucharist with music, dance, the burning of incense and mission reflections.

Using the Indonesian Creed we prayed: “I do not believe that I can fight oppression far away if I tolerate injustice here.”  In place of a homily Sister Joan (Our Lady of the Apostles) read a reflection called “Mission in a Broken World.”  As she read, the reflection was dramatized by Lumay (Franciscan Missionaries of Mary) from Sri Lanka and Romeo from Romania.  It was a prayerful and lovely experience.

When the Liturgy ended we were invited – in true missionary spirit – to a sit-down Asian meal which was shared by all.  After that we Columbans headed off to take a bus that would bring most of us back to our own multi-cultural setting in inner-city Dublin.

Columban Sister Lucia So Yim Mei from Hong Kong,

now missioned in Ireland, meets with friends and contacts in Dublin

If you would like to know more about the Columban Sisters:
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