Forty Years of Missionary Life
Forty Years of Missionary Life An Interview with Fr Pat Raleigh SSC |
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FE: You were ordained 40 years ago last December. Why did you decide to be a Columban missionary?
PR: I joined the Columbans in 1961. I had a cousin who was a Columban and who had spent six months in solitary confinement in China. I was greatly impressed by his story and felt that perhaps I too could make a difference. At that time also there was a strong plea by Pope John XXIII for missionaries to go to work with the poor in Latin America. My goal was to be ordained and to serve in one of the Columban missions. At the time I saw myself in the traditional role of a priest, going out to bring God's good news to the poor.
FE: You were assigned first to the Philippines. What were your first impressions?
PR: It was a huge culture shock for me. It was my first time outside Ireland; in those days money was scarce and few of us travelled. My first impressions were of a very friendly people and this impression only deepened over my first five years of parish work. I quickly became aware of the poverty of the people and also of their great dignity. My first pastor was a very dedicated man, Fr Pat O'Donovan from Cork. Initially I thought I was the one bringing God to the people, but over the years in the parish and later in Student Catholic Action (SCA) in Manila I became very conscious that God was working in these people long before my arrival. That period also coincided with Martial Law under the Marcos regime and there was much unrest and organising by radical groups.
FE: What did you learn in those early years?
PR: The most important thing I had to learn was that I was not in control. I was an expatriate and if real change was to come about in the Philippines, it had to emerge from the Filipino people themselves. Some things made a deep impression on me. I remember one Sunday when, as the priest on duty, I had to do three funerals all of which had arrived in the church at the same time. One of the funerals was that of a small child. The parents and friends had walked a long distance in the grinding heat. They placed the little coffin at the back of the church. The other two coffins were placed closer to the altar. I was expected to pray first over those closer to the altar because they had paid more. I couldn't stomach the contradiction; so I prayed first over the small child. Of course all hell broke loose afterwards, but since then there have been many times when I have gone against traditions. In Manila, working with university students, I became very much aware of my own confusion and vulnerability. At the time all student organisations were banned with the exception of SCA. So our groups were regularly infiltrated by government spies and by elements of radical groups. It was also a time when many young Columbans left active ministry, and that was sad. I accompanied groups of students in their outreach to the slum population of Manila. I desired to be involved and yet to retain the centrality of the Christian message which was being questioned by the more radical groups.
FE: Did this change your understanding of mission?
PR: Yes. My years in the Philippines, in spite of the social upheaval, helped me to see work for justice as an integral part of the Church's mission and vocation. I could not remain on the sidelines. On returning to Ireland in the late 70's and early 80's I worked in Columban Mission Awareness. I was convinced that raising awareness of the harsh injustices that people suffered was central to the proclamation of the Gospel. I suppose I can say that since the mid-seventies I have been involved in the work of justice and peace. The work for justice, which is at the core of ministry needs to be integrated into every aspect of our lives.
FE: You were next asked to go Pakistan. Was that a new challenge?
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PR: I knew that Pakistan would be very different to the Philippines as its people are predominantly Muslim and the Church and the Christian community were a tiny minority. I was excited to be part of a new Columban venture in Pakistan. The challenge of Christian-Muslim dialogue was assuming a new importance in the Church. I was under no illusion as to the immensity of the challenge. The Christian communities in Pakistan felt very vulnerable. Many felt they were treated as second-class citizens. During my years in Pakistan my efforts were concentrated on a dialogue of life, collaborating particularly in concrete projects such as outreach to the poor and working for human rights. |
FE: For the past 13 years you have been working in Ireland in the areas of Justice, Peace and Mission Awareness. Is this really missionary work?
PR: When I was asked to return to Ireland it certainly was a huge upheaval. I had always seen myself as a missionary called to work in a cross-cultural situation. It took time to ajust to a changing Ireland, but I feel that working in the Ireland of today is very much in tune with my own missionary calling. While I may no longer appear to be at the coal-face of mission, it is very important to continue to build on the networks of solidarity across many sectors of society; to make links between issues of injustice like being involved in the call for debt cancellation, advocating fair trade, highlighting the challenge to end the trafficking of women and children, and the huge increase in human migration. I feel there is a huge need to unmask the negative aspects of globalisation and an economic model which tends to reduce all values, even that of human life, to market values.
FE: What do you see as the main challenges for people of faith today?
PR: I believe that all are called through their Baptism to be missionary. It is an extraordinary gift. So, whether we be in the Philippines, Pakistan or Ireland, our mission is to journey with people on the road to freedom and fullness of life; to encourage resistance to whatever hinders this search, and to promote life-giving alternatives. Some will be called more specifically to ordained priesthood, to be a Sister, or to be a lay missionary. The gift of mission is from God, and we are empowered to witness to Gospel values and to create a new missionary story for a new generation.
FE: Have you any regrets for the life choice you made forty years ago?
PR: That is not an easy question to answer. What I can say as I reflect back on the past forty years is that I have been fulfilled as a Columban missionary. Our Society has been very open to me and has encouraged me to plough new furrows. There were certainly times over the years when I questioned whether I had made the right decision, but then I feel that must be true of any walk of life. It has been a humbling experience for me to have worked in the Philippines, Pakistan and Ireland. The passage of Scripture which has most resonated with me over the years is John 10:10, "I have come that all may have life and have it to the full." What is important is to look to the future and to continue to be a ray of hope to people in their search for God. I would hope to continue my involvement in justice and peace issues and to witness to a new moment in history. As the late Archbishop Oscar Romero wrote, "We accomplish in our lifetime only a tiny fraction of the magnificent enterprise that is God's work...we plant the seed that one day will grow."