PROFILE OF THE US REGION OF THE COLUMBANS

The United States Region was established in 1918 when Fr. Edward Galvin was invited by Bishop Jeremiah Harty to establish the headquarters of the Society in the Diocese of Omaha, Nebraska. Father E.J. McCarthy was the visionary who was most instrumental in getting the Society established. He acquired a large tract of land just south of the city of Omaha near the historic town of Bellevue on the Missouri river. He envisioned this place as a mission center where young priests would be trained and the work of supporting the missions would be carried out. Father McCarthy set about developing the Omaha house as the Columban center for the entire US. He started the Columban Mission magazine to promote the Society and its mission. He built a seminary in Bellevue. In the space of twenty years the Society set up houses in the Midwest, West coast and Northeast of the US.

A minor seminary was set up in Silver Creek, New York in 1928. The Spiritual Year house was established in Bristol, Rhode Island. The Major Seminary was eventually established at Milton Massachusetts outside of Boston in 1952. Since 1984, American Columban students have been doing their theological training at Catholic Theological Union [CTU] in Chicago. CTU is now the center for all theological training for Society students from all Regions.

Ethnic Apostolates

During the War years, when young missionaries were unable to travel to the Orient, the Society first became involved with the pastoral care of Spanish-speaking Mexican workers in California. The Columbans established parishes in Orange County, California, an agricultural area that saw a suburban boom after the war. Also during the 1940's the Columbans took on a Filipino apostolate near downtown Los Angeles and established Saint Columbans parish. With the continuing influx of numerous immigrants to the United States, the U.S. Church is struggling to take care of their pastoral needs. The Columbans work with the Korean community at centres in Chicago and Los Angeles.. This apostolate is at the request of the U.S. Bishops' Conference. The Columbans currently have commitments in Chicago and the diocese of San Bernadino to staff parishes where the majority of the parishioners are Mexican. And In 2001 a new venture was begun in the Anapra area of Juarez, Mexico at the US/Mexican border. The Columbans are working with these ethnic groups as part of a new view of mission, the view that today mission is on all continents and each region of the Columban world can be both mission sending and mission receiving at the same time. These ventures are also a way of offering the local dioceses the benefit of the expertise Columbans have acquired on overseas mission. Spreading the Word With the Mission Education Programme the Columban Fathers have a major commitment educating young Catholics about mission and broadening their understanding of the lives and faith of people overseas. It is used in hundreds of Catholic schools. There are also programmes for students who do not attend Catholic schools, but who participate in the religious education programmes in their parishes. In 1991 a new programme

COMPANIONS IN MISSION was established. This programme promotes mission, global awareness, and especially a faith-based response to justice issues among Catholic educators.

In the last two years groups of COLUMBAN AFFILIATES were established in local areas. These affiliates not only support the work of missionaries elsewhere, but try to appropriate the spirit of the missions and make it active locally. The Columbans have an AUDIO VISUAL which producing videos for the mission awareness programmes and for use in parishes and groups of people with an interest in mission. Ministry of Justice and Peace There are two aspects to the Justice and Peace ministry of the Society in the U.S. region. One aspect is education and consciousness raising through Columban publications and the Mission Awareness Programmes. Columbans produce materials that focus on human rights abuses, environmental issues, and the link to faith and proclamation. The second aspect is maintaining a Justice and Peace Office in Washington to highlight international issues like the debt campaign. This office organises networks with other groups having similar agenda and lobbies on behalf of the poor and marginalized peoples of Asia and Latin America.

Lay Missionaries
Columbans see the call to mission as part of the baptismal call of all Catholics. In recent years the US Region of the Columbans has sent Lay Missionaries to minister in Chile, Taiwan and Japan. The U.S. region has received teams of lay missionaries from Chile to work in Texas and Massachusetts. Presently there is a team of lay missionaries from Korea serving the Church of Chicago.