 | Columban Fathers(founder:Fr Edward Galvin &Fr John Blowick)Its official name is “The Missionary Society of St Columban”. The Society takes its name from St Columban, Ireland's missionary to Europe in the 6th century. The founders were two diocesan priests, Fr Edward Galvin and Fr John Blowick, who after years of preparation could finally establish the society in 1918. They were in line with other diocesan priests or bishops in France, Italy, Englans, United Stayes of America, who wished to live their call to “mission abroad”, remaining “diocesan”.
 Father Edward Galvin  Father John Blowick The Family of the Missionary Society of St. Columban includes the Congregation of the Missionary Sisters of St Columban, who were born from the vision of the same two young priests Fr Galvin and Fr Blowick. In particular Fr Blowick played a pivotal role in the founding of the Columban Missionary Sisters. 1. | Beginnings of the Society Through a mysterious but providential set of circumstances, the Columban Fathers began with Father Edward Galvin. Before going to the seminary in Ireland, Fr Galvin had seriously considered becoming a missionary but in deference to his parents’ misgivings about missionary life, he entered the Maynooth seminary in where young men were trained for their home dioceses.
1a. | In 1909, on the day he was ordained, his bishop, having no opening for him in the diocese, advised him to go to America and return home in three years. Fr. Galvin went to New York and became an assistant in Holy Rosary parish in Brooklyn, New York. It was there he met Fr. John M. Fraser, a Canadian missionary, who was then returning to China. Fr. Galvin told Fr. Fraser that he had long been haunted by a desire to be a missionary and that he had read every book in the Brooklyn public library that had anything to do with China. Although Fr. Fraser at first discouraged Fr. Galvin's enthusiasm for China, but he finally said, “If you want to go with me, you’ll have to hurry. You’ll need permission from your bishop.” Fr. Galvin wrote immediately to his bishop and within a few weeks received permission. On February 25, 1912, he was on his way to China. In those days, the Catholics of the English-speaking world played a minor part in the foreign mission work of the Church. Of America’s 17,000 priests, less than 50 were in the field as missionaries. In China Father Galvin saw the sad situation many Chinese were going through and felt that urgent help from Europe was necessary.
He bombarded his friends with letters seeking help, and in 1916 two priests joined him, Fathers Patrick O’Reilly and Joseph O’Leary. They soon realized that if they were to have any lasting effect, they needed to set up some kind of an organization. The two new arrivals urged Father Galvin to go home and organize a new Mission Society. At first he hesitated, but after much prayer and mutual support, Fr Galvin decided to go. | 1b. | In June 1916, he returned to the United States and visited priest friends and bishops from San Francisco to Brooklyn. He shared his plans with them. He got encouragement from them. In August, he sailed to Ireland. He returned to Maynooth, where he got his first recruits. An able young professor, Father John Blowick, who had the same missionary passion for China, joined Galvin’s project to establish a mission to China. By October, the new society numbered eight priests. With the blessing of Pope Benedict XV, Fathers Galvin and Blowick spent 1917 planning and laying foundations. On June 29, 1918, the Society of St. Columban was formally approved. The first Columban seminary was opened in Ireland. Some time later the Society spread to England, USA, Australia and New Zealand. The intention was to follow the Irish diaspora to the new world to seek support for the new missionary movement.
In 1920, with the Society already numbering 40 priests and 60 seminarians, Father Galvin led the first pioneer band of missionaries to China and Father Blowick devoted his energies to forming the new Society. The Columban Fathers were on their way. To inform people of the new missionary effort and to have the support of the church, a mission magazine was launched, The Far East. This was an instant success. For the next 50 years it was the primary means of communication with the Irish and English church. A mission magazine was also launched in the USA and Australia.
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| 2. | The China dream The Missionary Society of St Columban was in fact born as a concrete response of the Irish diocesan priests (followed a few years later by the Columban sisters) to the China mission.
China was the first and for quite a number of years, the only choice of the society. Unfortunately, from 1921 to 1950, China was in constant turmoil. Political instability, military conflicts, natural disasters and dire poverty, made China a hotbed of internal and external conflicts. The Japanese invasion of China, the second world war and the birth of a new communist China are huge events that dramatically changed Chinese society. During these turbulent years, Father Galvin was consecrated Bishop of Hanyang in 1927. The presence of foreign missionaries was becoming more dangerous by the day. As all foreign missionary societies, the Columban fathers had their share of martyrs too. On July 15, 1929, Fr. Timothy Leonard was murdered. Other Columbans were taken captive and released, but one, Fr. Cornelius Tierney, died after three months in harsh captivity. In 1933, the Holy See designated a new territory for the Columbans, and Columban Father Patrick Cleary was appointed in charge of the Vicariate of Nancheng, south of Hanyang. In 1946, the Holy See entrusted a new mission, known as Huchow, to the Columban Fathers. Three years later the Communists took over this area and before long they were in control of all of China. Several Columbans were thrown into jail and eventually all the Columban priests and Sisters were expelled. Bishop Galvin and Bishop Cleary were expelled in 1952. By 1954 every one of the 146 Columbans serving in China were “expelled forever.” On September 19, 1952, a weary, haggard man stumbled across the Red China border into Hong Kong. Forty years of heroic missionary service had ended. Three and a half years later death came quietly for this great missionary.
Was that the end of Fr Galvin’s China dream? The seed sown by all missionaries in China has never died. Today the Church in China, among difficulties of all sorts, is going through a second spring. | 3. | Columban Fathers today We could surely say the Holy Spirit had more than China in mind when He stirred up a missionary vocation in the heart of Father Galvin and in those who followed his dream for China. “The wind blows wherever it pleases; you hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. That is how it is with all who are born of the Spirit.” (John 3:3-8) In 1920, Fr Galvin, speaking to the first Columban priests and sisters in China, said the following prophetic words: “You are not here to convert the Chinese;you are here to make yourself available to God.” When we make ourself available to God we can be taken in new and unexpected directions and find ourself making unforeseen decisions. This is exactly what the Columban Fathers have experienced in the last 60 years. The missionary journey that began in China still leads them to new undertakings. Their presence in many countries in Asia and South America is a sign of the vitality of the society. In 1958, the Columban Fathers decided to give diocesan priests the opportunity to work with them as affiliates in mission areas.
In 1978, lay missionaries were invited to share the missionary dream of the Church. In 1982, the Clumban Fathers decided to invite candidates from local Churches in which they work to become members of the Society and share the missionary call.
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