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The Columban Priest Associate Program
This program has been in operation for around 40 years now. It goes back to the time when Pope John XXIII made a strong appeal for more priests to volunteer for South America. More priests were needed to minister to the needs of the millions of Catholics there who were in danger of losing their Faith. This was because of the proliferation of various sects and because of the lack of indigenous priests. There was a generous response from diocesan priests, and the Columban Society offered to act as a support structure for these volunteers. It was already engaged in mission in Chile and Peru. A Policy was drawn up to facilitate and regulate this program. It was decided that these volunteer priests would be called Columban Associates. They would work for a fixed number of years, either for 3 or preferably 6 years, under the auspices of the Columban Society, and mostly with Columbans. Most of these Associate Priests came from Ireland, England, Australia and New Zealand and they all worked in either Chile or Peru.Rationale for the Priest Associate program.Originally, as mentioned above, the main purpose of the program was to recruit and support diocesan priests who volunteered to work in overseas countries where there was a serious lack of priests. But that is no longer the case.
The ultimate aim or purpose of the program for the past 10 years or so has been to facilitate an exchange of missionaries between local churches so that these local churches will have a deeper understanding of mission and will grow to greater maturity in the process. It is true that Associates make a real contribution to the local church to which they are assigned, but the program is no longer meant to be a recruiting process for churches where there is a lack of personnel. This lack can only be met by full-time missionaries or by an increase in local vocations. Almost every diocese in the world has a lack of personnel so why should it be invited to send any of them on overseas mission ? Because it will be enriched in the process. Overseas mission is usually a very enriching experience. It is only when an Associate moves out of his own culture and immerses himself in another culture, even for a while, that he is enabled to understand his own culture more fully. Through comparing the two cultures he becomes more aware of the strengths and beauty of his own culture, as well as its weaknesses. He develops a greater appreciation of it, a greater pride in it, while acknowledging its weaknesses. Through his overseas experience he also comes to understand that there are other ways of being church. He learns new approaches to many kinds of ministry, to new ways of being a priest. All this presumes of course that the Associate is open to learn from a different culture and a different church; that he has a deep respect for his host culture and host church. Then when he comes back to his home diocese he will be able to share many new insights and convictions. He will have a better understanding of the wider world and he will be able to help to widen the horizons of the people of his home diocese. This will be enriching for all concerned.
The Columban Society is in a unique position to be able to facilitate this program because it is a missionary Society of secular priests, not Religious. Its roots are firmly planted in the diocesan clergy from the very beginning. The two co-Founders in Ireland were both diocesan priests.
Priest Associate Program in the Philippines
In the ‘80s, as the Columban Society began to recruit seminarians and lay missionaries in various countries and prepare them for overseas mission, it was thought that it could also facilitate an exchange of Associate Priests between various countries. The first two Associates from the Philippines in 1982 were Fr. Arsenio Redulla from Iligan diocese and Fr. Paul Sarac from Baguio. They were both assigned to Chile for a period of 6 years. In Feb. ‘92 Fr. Frank Pintac from Pagadian went to Brazil, and Fr. Boy Toledo from Ozamiz joined him there in Aug. ’92. In April ‘93 Fr. Cresencio Suarin from Pagadian went to Pakistan. All of these served overseas for 6 years. There were two Associate priests from Korea who spent 3 years in Mindanao and there is 1 Associate from Chile in Mindanao at present, and one from Peru assigned in Manila.
Qualifications required for Associates
Bohol Send-off Mass Photos
Fr. Ray Estillore, a diocesan priest from Talibon, Bohol in his Mission Send-Off Mass. He is assigned in Chile, South America.
Fr. Ray with the Columban animators, lay missionaries and priests in the Cathedral of Talibon, Bohol.
The smiling misisonaries. Fr. Ray and the Fijian lay missionaries after his mission send-off mass.