The Universal Declaration of Human Rights

Whereas, recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world. Whereas, disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people.

These opening words of the United Nations Declaration of Human Rights, whose 60th anniversary we celebrate this year, help us to understand the dignity and value of the human person. They were first said in 1948 after the most vicious of inhuman atrocities on a scale never before endured by the human species.It was just after the horrors of WWII that the nations of the world realized the evil that had been perpetrated on millions of innocent people. The unspeakable horrors of torture, genocide, and mass murder are the shocking evidence that human beings are a flawed and dangerous species capable of the destruction of their entire species, every other species and even the planet itself.

The human race came together in 1948 to say never again would such atrocities be allowed to rise unchallenged or occur with impunity. Once the universal rights of the individual were established "once and for all," they would be protected and defended by all nations who declared they would honor and uphold them. Unfortunately, the rule of law and respect for the individual are weak when the lust for power, crass desire and destructive selfishness sweeps away the rights of others.

We can see the global crises of the present in the greed of the recent past. The global economy is at the brink of implosion, and millions are on the brink of starvation. The rights of others are almost completely forgotten and ignored.“Never again,” they said. Yet here it is again, staring at us from the television, the newspapers and the internet. The bloated bodies of the hungry, the shrunken bodies of the cholera victims of Zimbabwe tell of a world spiritually paralyzed and the declaration of human rights becomes nothing but a wet sheet of paper. Then there is the Eastern Congo, Iraq, Afghanistan, and before that Palestine, Rwanda, and Bosnia.

"Never again" is all too frequently repeated.The few that strive to promote and persuade mankind to embrace the values of generosity, peace, cooperation, respect, equality, compassion and care, are the people whom we need to be, united in our goal of making those universal rights a reality for as many as possible.

Fr. Shay's columns are published in The Manila Times, in publications in Ireland, the UK, Hong Kong, and on-line. Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines. e-mail: preda@info.com.ph Visit www.preda.org for more articles.

Missionary Society of St. Columban receives Presidential Medallion from Creighton University, Omaha, Nebraska.

Winter weather did not deter more than 225 students, their family and friends from gathering Saturday, Dec. 20 to celebrate Creighton University’s winter commencement. The ceremony took place on campus at the Kiewit Convocation and Fitness Center. Presiding at the ceremony was the Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J, Creighton University President.

About 131 baccalaureate degrees were conferred with 95 students receiving advanced degrees.

Several awards honoring people and organizations that have made positive differences in the Omaha community and across the nation were given.

The Rev. Arturo Aguilar, SSC, Regional Director for the Missionary Society of St. Columban, USA, accepted the University’s Presidential Medallion on behalf of the Society, which celebrated the 90th anniversary of their founding in 2008.


In the photo, from left to right, Rev. Roc O’Connor, S.J. Rector of the Jesuit Community; Rev. Arturo Aguilar, S.S.C receiving award; Rev. John P. Schlegel, S.J. Creighton University President.

The Message of Christmas

By Fr. Shay Cullen

Soon the Christian churches in the Philippines and around the world will be full on Christmas night celebrating the birth of Jesus of Nazareth, the Son of God, savior of the world. Christians believe that Jesus came to save us from sin, not only from our personal sin by calling us to repent and believe the good news, but also from the"sins of the world," or from the sinners in the world.

The really big thing about Christmas and the birth of Jesus Christ (and even non-Christians can welcome this), is that Christ brought a message of equality for all, and established the dignity and rights of women and children. Amazingly, the poor learned that the individual was not a slave of the state but has profound inalienable rights as a human being, a child of God.

So if ever you are made feel inferior by others, empower yourself with the teachings of Jesus of Nazareth and know that all humans are equal before God which should be the basis of justice and equality before the law of land.Jesus was born as an impoverished child and stories spread that there was a rival born that would establish a new kingdom in Palestine. King Herod the Great, a bloodthirsty tyrant, ordered all boys two years and younger to be killed. What a slaughter on the word of one cruel, power-crazed man determined to prolong his family dynasty. Jesus and his parents were refugees, asylum seekers in Egypt.

Unfortunately today, we still have killers like this doing away with outspoken people pursuing the truth and social justice, even priests and pastors. The sins of the world are very much with us. We have, in different degrees, failed to accept and follow Jesus and live up to His teachings to love and respect one another, share the wealth and live in peace.

We must continue to try to make Jesus better known and admired and his teachings more accepted. We can only do this by practicing, as Jesus said, “By your love for one another they will know you are my disciples."His message is just as dangerous now as it was for His disciples. After His birth, He spread the news that all are equal in the eyes of the creator and have equal rights, dignity and a place in God's Kingdom of love and justice.

It was an electrifying message and subversive to the theological and political rulers whose position had never been challenged. But poor people were lifted up and empowered by Jesus. “You can believe in me,” Jesus said, “God wants all to be respected and to love each other and share the blessings of the earth fairly and equally”. That's the message of Christmas.

Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, Philippines. e-mail: preda@info.com.ph; Visit www.preda.org for more related articles.

The Negros Nine

Dear Friends,

Over the years I have been a little disturbed by the fact that the story of the Negros Nine is often inaccurate and incomplete. I am attempting, for historical purposes, to set the record straight.

With the establishment of the Negros Nine Human Development Foundation Inc. in the year 2000, it was inevitable that we would one day have a website. Please bear with us as we develop our site. Hopefully the site will be self explanatory in terms of our purpose in having the webpage. Your comments will be appreciated. The past should be our mentor as we move to the future.

Please visit our website at www.negrosnine.com.

Peace, Fr. Brian Gore

Columban Mission Office Collects Toys for Tots

The Columban Mission office in Omaha, Nebraska jump started their holiday giving with their annual Toys for Tots collection. Employees donated to the Toys for Tots campaign throughout the month of October. Although we are a small office, we collected several boxes of toys for needy children. Two local marines, SSgt. Geist & SSgt. Nelson, Inspector Instructor Staff, Engineer Maintenance Company, joined us for lunch on Friday October 31 and picked up the toys. SSgt. Geist and SSgt. Nelson conveyed the toys to the local distribution point which they described to us as a gymnasium which by mid-December is filled from floor to ceiling with presents for children.

The office extends our gratitude to all participating employees and the marines for distributing the toys during the holiday season.

Save the Refugees in the Eastern Congo

Fr. Shay Cullen

A stronger, better-armed UN force is urgently needed to protect the hundreds of thousands of innocent women and children in the Eastern Congo. Five million people have died in that region over the past several years. If the people of the Eastern Congo are not killed by machetes, bullets and bombs, then they die of starvation and disease. In these recent weeks thousands of people caught in the crossfire are fleeing from one temporary refugee camp to another.

Charities have appealed for donations to ease the plight of refugees in and around Goma, the capital of the Eastern Congo. There are 17,000 UN peace keepers in the Eastern Congo, the biggest in the world, yet there is no peace — only continual fighting by rival forces.The situation is complex as the Congolese government troops and their allied militia called the Mai-Mai battle with the rebel group led by a Rwandan Tutsi leader General Laurent Nkunda. Also fighting him are the Hutu militia who fled Rwanda after the genocide was stopped by the returning force of Tutsi exiles. There are persistent reports that all groups are recruiting child soldiers.

Government troops have also clashed with the Mai-Mai militia who are supposedly their allies. Government troops have set up their own lucrative mining business profiting from selling tin ore, diamonds and gold and other precious minerals that end up in the laptops and cell phones of consumers around the world. Laurent Nkunda (supported by President Kagame of Rwanda) claims that his goal is to protect the thousands Rwandan Tutsis living in the Eastern Congo who fled there during the genocide unleashed against them by the Hutus in 1994. His enemies say he is aiming to seize power and the mineral wealth of the region. He is the key player in solving the conflict and peace talks have to be pursued with him. President Kagame is also playing a role as he sent troop across the border into the Eastern Congo a few weeks ago.

The world community cannot allow more killing and massacres in the Eastern Congo. They turned away from the Rwandan genocide. Will they do it again? The French foreign minister said the UN force is in disarray and can't protect the people. The French and Spanish commanders have resigned in frustration. How many times are we all to say “never again” to genocide, mass murder and a "catastrophic" situation?

Fr. Shay's columns are published in The Manila Times,in publications in Ireland, the UK, Hong Kong, and on-line.Visit www.preda.org for more related articles.Contact Fr. Shay Cullen at the Preda Center, Upper Kalaklan, Olongapo City, the Philippines. e-mail: preda@info.com.ph

Columban Fathers recognized as founding members of NCDC

During the 40th anniversary National Catholic Development Conference in September 2008, the Missionary Society of St. Columban was recognized as a founding member. In 1968, Columban Father Richard Steinhilber, who was at that time the U.S. Regional Director, and Columban Fr. Charles Coulter, who was at that time head of development and promotion for the society, were instrumental in the launch of the NCDC. Today, the NCDC is the largest single organization dedicated to Catholic philanthropy. The NCDC leads the Catholic development community toward excellence in the ministry of ethical fundraising through education, resources, networking and advocacy.

In the photo, Jeff Norton, Director of Operations for the U.S. region, accepts the plaque honoring the Columban Fathers from NCDC board chairperson Fr. Robert Colaresi.

The Real Cost of Debt

Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC

During the past few weeks I have been writing about the current financial turmoil and calling attention to the fact that this is not the first time in recent decades that banks have impoverished people and destroyed the environment through their irresponsible lending policies. Previously, I focused on the horrible consequences of reckless lending to countries in the third world in the 1970s. Servicing these loans has caused pain, suffering and death to many people during the past 30 years. It also devastated the environment in crucial ecosystems across the world.

Third World debt repayment benefitted the first world countries in two ways. Firstly, the economist Susan George estimated that, in the period from 1982 until 1990, US$418 billion was transferred from poor countries to rich countries to service the foreign debt. This money ought to have been spent on education, health care, social services for the vulnerable in poor countries and on building up a diversified, local economy. Instead it subsidized the economies of rich countries and increased consumption. Secondly, most poor countries had very little manufacturing activity and were almost exclusively commodity-producing countries. Between 1974 and 1988, the price of a basket of 28 basic commodities, including lead, tin, zinc, sugar, coffee and teach, fell by a staggering 48%. The Economist magazine estimated that the first world saved US$65 billion in 1985 alone. This, of course, kept inflation low in developed countries during the 1980s and 1990s.

There were two reasons for the drop in commodity prices. The first had to do with the recession in the rich countries, caused by the hike in oil prices in 1973 and again in 1979. The second reason was a direct result of the economic policies forced on third world countries by multilateral financial agencies such as the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund. These policies dictated that poor counties reshape their agriculture programs away from subsistence agriculture, geared to feeding the local population, to planting export-oriented crops. For example, many more poor countries were encouraged to plant coffee. This led to a glut in the market and the subsequent collapse in the price of coffee on the world market in the mid-1980s.
Low inflation in the first world during the 1990s and the early part of this decade was not due to shrewd economic policies designed by politicians and central bankers as they would like us to believe. It was as a result of an ever larger variety of cheap goods being imported from China. As a consequence, China began to run up huge financial surpluses, particularly with the United States. Some of this saving went into US government bonds, but the bulk was invested in various assets, often property, in various parts of the world. These assets began to increase in value driving up property prices around the globe.

In response to these trends central bankers around the world were faced with a dilemma. They could either target consumer inflation, even though cheap Chinese consumer goods was keeping inflation low anyway, or they could address the asset inflation side of the equation.

Unfortunately, the Federal Reserve in the United States, under the chairmanship of Alan Greenspan, decided not to interfere in the market and thus curb the explosive growth of risky and often fraudulent mortgage lending. On October 4th 2008, he told a Congressional hearing that the largely unregulated business of spreading financial risk widely through the use of exotic financial instruments called derivatives, had gotten out of control and had added to the havoc of today’s crisis. As far back as 1994 he had resolutely opposed tougher regulation on derivatives. His status as an economic guru in the eyes of both Republicans and Democrats blocked any effective regulation.

As the property market collapsed many banks had too much debt and too little capital to provide sufficient credit to keep the economy moving. Some of the banks have tried to meet their debts by selling assets. Because confidence in the financial system has evaporated, the value of these assets has fallen through the floor, reducing banks’ capital even further. Governments have tried to step in with a number of schemes, some to guarantee depositors, others to buy bank shares, reduce interest rates and/or recapitalize the banks.

Thus far the financial markets have not responded as confidence in the system is at a very low ebb, probably the lowest it has been since the Great Depression.

Fr. Arturo Aguilar on YouTube

Fr. Arturo Aguilar recently spoke at the U. S. Catholic Mission Association. His remarks are available on youtube at the following address:

http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=CatholicMissions&view=videos

The Bible, Church Teaching and Debt

Fr. Sean McDonagh, SSC

At a time of chaos on the financial markets, which is now beginning to hit the real economy, and threatens the well-being of millions of people, the first reading on Sunday, October 26th 2008, was appropriate. It warned about usury. It read, “if you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him/her: you must not demand interest from him/her.” (Ex.22: 24). Israel was a community shaped by its belief that God had rescued them from slavery in Egypt and had obliged them to develop genuine bonds of mutual support within their community. There could be no genuine community if a small proportion of the population owned most of the land and wealth and exploited the poor, starving masses at every opportunity.

Because Israel had experienced Yahweh’s compassion, it is understandable that the laws governing lending would be sensitive to the plight of debtors. Exodus 22: 25,”If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset. It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would be sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity” was also read on the October 26th 2008. It warns creditors that they must not impoverish the poor. Charging interest was seen as a way of impaling the poor on the treadmill of debt that might deprive them of the necessities of life.

Chapter 24 of the Book of Deuteronomy goes even further and forbids a creditor from acting in a high-handed and haughty way towards a debtor, by entering a debtor’s house to recover a pledge. The creditor is expected to wait outside the house until the debtor carries out the pledge himself. In the biblical perspective, if the creditor entered the house of the debtor without permission it would be seen as an insult to the dignity of the debtor. The same chapter also forbids (Deut. 24: 26) confiscating the means of livelihood of a person as collateral on a debt. This was very understandable in an agricultural society where most people lived from hand to mouth. Where a creditor to take a mill stone as a pledge, this would literally deprive the debtor and his family of a basic life-supporting instrument. The author of Deuteronomy would consider this intolerable, as I am sure he would condemn banks that are foreclosing on loans which they should not have made, and throwing people out of their houses.

Jesus was well aware of the damage which debt does to individuals and society as a whole. The harsh socio-economic realities that obtained in Roman-occupied Palestine at the time of Jesus were marked by indebtedness, heavy taxes, widespread begging and slavery. Many poor country people had to hire out their labor just to get food for themselves and their families. This was the context of Jesus’ preaching which was meant to be good news for the poor. The second petition in the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew’s Gospel asks God to forgive us our debts as we have forgiven those who are in debt to us (Mt. 6: 12). Jesus was well aware that cancelling debt freed poor people from a culture of dependency and gave people hope and real freedom of choice.

The teaching of the early Church, especially from the fourth and fifth century, is full of denunciations of those who prey on the poor though usurious practices. Condemnations of usury continued into the Middle Ages. The Third Council of Lateran (1179) and the Second Council of Lyons (1274) condemned usurers.

The teaching on usury in the Christian Churches began to change in the wake of the Reformation in the 16th century. While Luther, Melanchthon and Zwingli condemned taking interest on a loan, Calvin permitted it, especially if the loan was made to rich people. According to Professor Thomas Neill of St. Louis University in his book, The Makers of the Modern Mind, it is difficult to overestimate the influence of Calvinism in the formation of the modern business conscience. [1]
Gradually even in the Catholic tradition interest on a loan became morally acceptable as long as it was not considered excessive. Maybe in the light of the suffering, hunger, death and political turmoil which this debt-induced crisis is wreaking on the poor of the world, it might be a timely moment for the Churches to revisit the whole question of usury and how debt has been used to drive economic growth.


[1] Thom Neill, 1947, Makers of the Modern Mind, “An the Good Shall Prosper”, Bruce Publishing Company, Milwaukee . (Paperback 2007).

URGENT ACTION: Support the people of Lomas de Poleo

Columban Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Office

Dear Friends,

We have received an urgent request for action from Fr. Bill Morton, Columban missionary in El Paso, Texas. As many of you know, Fr. Bill and the entire Columban community have accompanied the families of Lomas de Poleo for many years and the violence continues with increasing intensity.

We are asking that you email a personalized version of the following letter to the Governor of Chihuahua, Sr. Jose Reyes Baeza, asking for his immediate intervention to bring peace and justice to the Lomas de Poleo community and hold the Pedro Zaragoza family accountable for their illegal actions.

Please circulate this action request widely.

Many thanks for your solidarity.
Amy Woolam Echeverria
Columban Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation Office

Background:
In the last two weeks four more homes have been demolished, two elderly residents have been kidnapped and tortured by the Mexican military, and the residents’ access to water and electricity continues to be denied. A deep ditch has been dug around the elementary school house making it difficult for the students and their families to gain entry. The teachers are frequently absent, now, due to escalating violence and attempts by Zaragoza surrogates to close the school and force the families to go to another school in the relocation area.

On Saturday, October 18, 2008, a small group of the Lomas del Poleo Alliance of Las Cruces met with New Mexico Governor, Bill Richardson, who indicated he would be willing to intervene since the disputed land, literally, borders on his state of New Mexico. Lomas del Poleo is also in the path of a proposed multi-billion dollar, bi-national development plan involving major business figures from both sides of the border, as well as government officials from New Mexico and Chihuahua.
For a more detailed history of the situation visit: Paso Del Sur at http://www.pasodelsur.com/

Action Requested:
Please use the sample English or Spanish version of the letter below, and sign with your name, city/state and send via email, to the email addresses noted below. Please personalize the letter. Don't just forward this email. Please invite anyone in your network of friends, families, civic groups, church and other groups to do the same.

Send letters to:
webmaster@chihuahua.gob.mx
marcagob@chihuahua.gob.mx

Sample Letter – English

Honorable Jose Reyes Baeza
Governor of the State of Chihuahua
Republic of Mexico

Owing to the escalation of violence in recent weeks against the inhabitants of the Colonia of Lomas del Poleo by the employees of the brothers, Jorge and Pedro Zaragoza, we are asking your immediate intervention so that the appropriate authorities might guarantee the security of the residents in this Colonia. Also we urge that you order the State Attorney General's office to immediately investigate the crimes committed in this area which have already been presented to the Attorney General.

As you well know the lands in Lomas del Poleo are the subject of a legal dispute in the Agrarian Court Number Five in Chihuahua so we are also asking you to oblige the Zaragozas to respect the law and immediately stop the campaign of oppression and harassment against the inhabitants of Lomas del Poleo. It is obvious that these two businessmen are trying to get the inhabitants to abandon their lands before the courts make their decision.

In short, Mr. Governor we only ask that the law be followed and restored.

Sincerely:
(Your name, title, city, state, country)

Sample Letter: Spanish Version

Sr. José Reyes Baeza
Gobernador del Estado de Chihuahua, México.

Presente

Debido a la escalada de violencia desatada en las últimas semanas en contra de los habitantes de la parte alta de la colonia Granjas Lomas del Poleo, por parte de trabajadores al servicio de Pedro y Jorge Zaragoza Fuentes, le solicitamos su inmediata intervención para que las autoridades correspondientes garanticen la seguridad de los vecinos de esa colonia. Asimismo, le urgimos ordene a la Procuraduría de Justicia del Estado la inmediata investigación de los delitos cometidos en esa zona, los cuales han sido oportunamente denunciados ante esa representación.

Como debe ser de su amplio conocimiento, las tierras de la Colonia Granjas Lomas del Poleo están sujetas a una disputa legal que se dirime -- a través de distintas demandas en el Tribunal Unitario Agrario Número Cinco--, por lo que le solicitamos, también, obligue a los empresarios Zaragoza Fuentes respeten los tiempos de la ley y detengan inmediatamente la campaña de presión y hostigamiento que han levantado en contra de los vecinos en Lomas del Poleo. Es obvio que lo que pretenden estos dos empresarios es obligar a los colonos a que abandonen sus tierras, antes de que los tribunales competentes rindan su fallo final.

En suma, Sr Gobernador, lo único que le pedimos es que haga cumplir la ley y restaure el Estado de derecho en la colonia Lomas del Poleo.

Atentamente:
(Your name, title, city, state)

Perseverance Through Faith: A Priest's Prison Story

The Missionary Society of St. Columban is pleased to announce the publication of Perseverance Through Faith: A Priest’s Prison Story by Father W. Aedan McGrath, edited by Theresa Marie Moreau.

In Perseverance Through Faith: A Priest’s Prison Story, the reader learns about Communism through the eyes of one Irishman caught up in the devastating political hurricane in China. Father W. Aedan McGrath took on a regime that knew no limit to its hatred and vengeance. Now, almost sixty years later, people in the West are looking with different eyes toward Communist China and its booming economy. The memoirs of Father W. Aedan McGrath are important. The China before us here and now is the China, still, in part, rooted in the drama of Father McGrath.

Father McGrath’s book is available in both paperback and hardback at www.xlibris.com/PerseveranceThroughFaith.html. Or, you may place an order via telephone through the Xlibris Book Ordering Department at 1.888.795.4274.

Making Sense of the Current Financial Turmoil

Fr. Seán McDonagh, SSC

As I listen to commentators, politicians and so-called financial experts trying to make sense of what is happening on the financial markets, I am reminded of the statement from Lord Acton that “those who do not learn from history are domed to repeat it.”

The roots of this crisis goes back at least as far as the 1930s, though some would push it right back to Adam Smith, author of The Wealth of Nations, who is often considered the father of modern economics. .In the wake of the horror of World War I and the Great Depression, Marxists and Liberal Capitalist thinkers were attempting to revise their theories in the light of the World War and the experience of the Great Depression.

Two of the most famous thinkers on the capitalist side were, John Maynard Keynes (1883 to 1946) and Friedrich Hayek (1899 to 1992). Keynes’s father, John Neville, was an economist who taught at Cambridge. John Maynard had a broad education in classics and mathematics. He also taught economics at Cambridge, but his circle of friends reached far beyond the academia. He was an important member of the group of artists, philosophers and writers who became known as the Bloomsbury group. In fact, he married a Russian ballerina, Lydia Lopokona.

Keynes public persona was also enhanced by the fact that, as a journalist, he could explain the seemingly complex ideas of economics in a clear way, thus making economics available to a wider audience. His initial claim to fame came from writing a book in 1919 called The Economic Consequence of the Peace. It argued that the reparation demands on Germany were too onerous and that they would lead to economic chaos and future conflict. He argued, as did Pope Benedict XV, that every effort ought to be made to re-incorporate Germany into the European economic system.

Keynes was not a socialist. He supported market-based capitalism. Adam Smith had argued that the government should not intervene to control markets or other factors of production. To be fair to Smith he believed that governments had an obligation to provide resources to fund the public services. However, most liberal economists or the 19th and 20th century only focused on Smith’s opposition to governments interfering with the market.

Keynes broke with his fellow economists by pointing out that the market system alone was not capable of addressing modern economic circumstances. In his book, General Theory of Employment, Interest and Money, he rejected the traditional laissez faire of unrestricted commercial freedom and argued that, in the modern era, markets had to be managed by governments.

He pointed out that, during a recession people did not normally invest in enterprises. This had a knock-on effect on the economy, leading to reduced demand, business failure and mass unemployment. Many of these points were highlighted in a 1932 article by Keynes, Hubert Henderson and Seebolm Rowntree entitled “We Can Conquer Unemployment”. They argued that it was precisely at this point in the downward swing of the economic cycle that governments needed to put money back into the economy, even if this meant deficit spending.

Naturally, when the economy was moving, full-steam ahead, the government should put money aside for the rainy day. Keynes argued that government intervention at a time of economic slow-down would have a multiplier effect. By putting money into the economy, governments were priming the pumps and, thereby, stimulating demand. This would allow companies to employ more workers, thus reducing unemployment levels. Workers would have money to buy good, thus stimulating growth.

It is not true to say that President Franklin Roosevelt fought the 1932 election on the promise of implementing Keynesian ideas. In fact, the opposite was true. He accused the Hoover Administration of being the “greatest spending Administration in peace time history”. It was only after a Black Tuesday on October 19th 1937 that Roosevelt’s Administration began to implement Keynesian policies. During World War II Keynesian economics spread to many other countries and remained the most dominant economic theory in the Capitalist countries of the world until the late 1970s.

In my next post, I will look at the economic theories of Friedrich Hayek (1899 to 1992) which were embraced by Margaret Thatcher and President Ronald Reagan. Like Keynes, he was opposed to socialism, but he was also hostile to any government intervention in the economy. The de-regulation mantra, “get the government off our back” slogan of the 1980s and 1990, which has led to the present crisis, owes much to writings of Hayek.

A Bit of Grit

A Bit of Grit

A mighty force blows within
Bestows within
A Gift

Within this Gift a bit of grit
From which to build the
Gift of Life

A sprinkling of laughter, a thin
Veil of tears, a blanket of Love,
The music one hears, our hopes,
Our dreams, our fears – the
Ones we hold dear.

Layer upon layer does gradually
Build.

A power of reckoning from which
One can will…That Love and
Peace and Joy to Abide

All from the Gift of the grit inside.

A poem by Roseanna Walters, Columban Associate

Border Peace Vigil

Dear Friends,

You are invited to participate in an Inter-faith (Christian, Muslim, Jewish) and Ecumenical (Catholic and Protestant) prayer vigil for Border Peace. There have been some 1,000 killings in Juarez, mostly drug related; and the violence continues to increase. There have been several incidents in El Paso also. Several clergy want to gather in prayer to seek a spiritual solution to the problem, to raise awareness of the link between US consumption of drugs and Juarez violence, and to pledge to promote peace along the US-Mexico border.

We plan to have three vigils throughout the year in different places unique to our respective religious traditions. The first one will be at St. Pius X Parish on Tuesday October 14th from 7:00 pm to 8:00 pm. A social gathering will follow for the participants.

At the vigil we plan to have a reading from the Torah with a prayer for peace, a reading from the Koran with a prayer for peace, and from the Bible with a prayer for peace. Three presenters will speak about border violence and how they have been affected by this violence. In the end we will all make a pledge to promote peace and to work to stop the use of drugs in our society.

We ask that you encourage and invite your friends, family members, congregation and other groups to which you belong, to this important spiritual vigil for peace.

From our friends who are unable to join us at St. Pius X on October 14, 2008, we humbly ask for your prayerful support.

Thank you for your part in helping to spread God's peace which overcomes all fear.

Yours in Christ,
Fr. Bill Morton

At the Carwash

God has a sense of humor; I’m convinced. Or at least He likes the element of surprise. A few weeks ago, the night before I was getting ready to go on vacation for a week with my children, I went out to fill the car up with gas and run it through the car wash. It was later in the day than I thought, and the sky was purplish-orange. The sun was ready to bid its final farewell for the day. The only carwash nearby is just a few blocks away, but it is in a notoriously unsafe neighborhood. Gang violence and drugs are constants. I hesitated and asked myself, should I go? I decided yes.

I pulled up to the pump, nervously got out and paid the clerk for the gas and wash. There were lots of people hanging around, sitting on the curb, leaning against the trees and buildings, anywhere but inside the small and overcrowded apartments that were all around. I hurriedly got back into my car and drove through the carwash.

I was ashamed of the unease I felt with my surroundings. I have dedicated my adult life to social justice; to understanding and respecting different cultures. My desire to go to Chile came from a deep sense of calling to live more closely and intimately with those less fortunate. How could I let stereotypes take hold of me as they did in that moment? As the carwash brushes swirled and banged around me, I asked myself if I had become too comfortable, too content?

This September marks the 5th anniversary of my return to the U.S. My previous five years were lived in some of the roughest neighborhoods in Santiago, Chile. I would often squeeze by drug dealers as I made my way up the steps to my apartment. Gun shots rang out in the night almost like church-bells. Domestic “arguments” could be heard with ease from house to house; no need for a neighborhood crier. There were times when I longed for the security of home, but most of the time I felt that what I had lost in physical comfort I had gained in spiritual growth. I felt that I was where Jesus wanted me to be.

Returning to my carwash experience, I began to wonder, am I where Jesus wants me to be? Some might say that living a mile away from this troubled neighborhood is close enough. But is it? It’s taken me ten years to come to believe myself a missionary. If ever there was an opportunity to be missionary in the U.S., it is in this neighborhood. It calls out for a ministry of presence.

I began to entertain the thought: could our family go on mission just around the corner? Lots of no’s started streaming into my head; a sure sign that God was trying to tell me something. This much I recognize from past experience. When I start justifying my way out of something, there’s a good chance I should do just the opposite.

While I didn’t have the courage to come to a definitive “yes!” that night, a seed has been planted. I’m sure it won’t be the last time God has something to say about it. As I pulled away from the carwash I thought, “God picks funny moments to speak to me.” Despite the drone of the carwash, He didn’t have to scream to be heard that night.

In peace,
Amy W.E.

Fr. Arturo Aguilar on CNBC's "On America"

Earlier this year, Columban Father Arturo Aguilar attended Villanova’s program on church management. CNBC’s Mike Hegedus filmed a segment for “On America” discussing the program. Fr. Arturo is interviewed by Mr. Hegedus in the clip below.

www.cnbc.com/id/15840232?video=812441136

A $1.00 Mercedes Benz

In 1996, Fr. Sean McGrath and I were assigned to the parish of St. Columban’s, LA. Fr. Sean recently had completed a ten year stint in Belize, and I had worked in a parish in Zambales on the island of Luzon, Philippines. Fr. Sean’s assignment was to raise funds for the education of our future Columbans in the Far East and Latin America. My assignment was to be pastoral administrator of the parish.

Fr. Sean started his work by holding a mammoth raffle. The first year he raffled off an automobile as the first prize. The results were phenomenal. Following the success of the first year, he decided to offer a Mercedes Benz the following year. I thought he was crazy, but it was successful beyond our wildest dreams. The next year, he offered two Mercedes Benz, and he doubled the funds raised for the education of future Columbans.

To increase the excitement and community involvement for the raffles, Fr. Sean booked a five star hotel to supply the venue. He convinced a local restaurateur to provide a delicious gourmet dinner at a very low price. And, he made sure that anyone could win a superb automobile for one dollar.

Fr. Sean literally brought people to the table for fellowship and fun. It was very rewarding and fulfilling work. Fr. Sean secured the future educations of Columban seminarians by involving local parishes and their parishioners in the fundraising process.

Fr. Colm Rafferty is retired after many years of mission work and currently resides in Ireland.

Columban Father Leo Baker Celebrates Diamond Jubilee

By a kindly Providence three Baker sons - Leo, Chris and Pat - from the Baker family of 8 children became Columban missionary priests with each ordained in St Patrick's Cathedral, Melbourne, Victoria, in 1948, 1950 and 1962 respectively. As the first brother ordained, Fr. Leo celebrated his Diamond Jubilee in Australia in July 2008.

Fr. Leo’s brothers, Fr. Chris and Fr. Pat, came back from their missions in the Philippines and Peru to join in the celebrations. Fr. Leo first went to Korea in 1950, but the war with the North Korean communists led to his permanent position in Japan. Following his mission work in Japan, Fr. Leo returned to Sydney and Melbourne.

With three missionary priests in the family, Fr. Leo’s Diamond Jubilee was not only a time of celebration and reflection on a lifetime of mission work but also a happy family reunion for the surviving Baker siblings. Frs. Leo, Chris and Pat were joined by two sisters and a brother for the celebratory Mass in Bendigo. The opportunity to celebrate together was a major milestone in the Baker family pilgrimage through life.

The Missionary Society of St. Columban honors Fr. Leo on his Diamond Jubilee with gratitude for years of faithful mission work.

Approaching The Table

When I first went to Chile from the United States, one of the first differences I noticed was how Chileans celebrated Mass by approaching the altar to receive communion. I was shocked to see people rushing up in a very un-orderly fashion. I remember thinking to myself, “Are they afraid that it’s going to run out?” Having grown up being told when to approach the altar, I initially found myself feeling as though I were in a stampede.

Over time I got used to the scramble and even enjoyed the freedom of walking up when I was ready and not when I was told. It wasn’t until I returned to the United States that I was reminded of our more reserved approach to receiving the Eucharist. Rather quickly and a bit by force, I acclimated back to our one-row-at-a-time system.

In the five years I’ve been back, I haven’t given this point much thought until recently. Quite abnormally, I went to Mass by myself at my parish, a very multicultural and lively community. A visiting priest described our parish as “an awesome mosaic.” Indeed, it is a blessed community of faithful from all over the world including Africa, Latin America, Asia, and of course Anglo-Americans. The music is rich, and the message is powerful.

Normally, when I go to Mass with my family, we sit in the first row, near the choir, with the hope that my son and daughter will be engaged by what they see and hear. Since I was alone this time, I decide to sit in the back, almost by the door. I saw my community from a whole new angle. I was reminded of the first time I went to Mass in Chile and seeing the mad-dash to the altar.

I began to wonder, do my Latino sisters and brothers miss that freedom to approach the Table when the Spirit moves them? What about my African sisters and brothers? How do they approach the Table in their home countries? If it is anything like their music, I can only imagine they process in a joyful march. I thought, wouldn’t it be nice if we in the United States could learn something from our global neighbors about celebrating the Body and Blood of Christ?

The image stayed with me after mass. I began to wonder about the differences in how we approach the Table. I remembered a sermon given by a Columban priest about celebrating the Eucharist in Peru. He said that quite literally for many in the community where he lived, the bread that the people received at Mass was their only bread for the day. People approached the Table with real hunger. Likewise, the meaning of the Lord’s Prayer took on a whole different and practical dimension. As people prayed, “Give us this day, our daily bread . . .” it was not some theological interpretation, but a prayer for real survival.

In the face of the global food crisis, I am left with two questions: how do I approach the Table; and what can I do to help alleviate the hunger of my sisters and brothers who are faced with not enough to eat? And at the same time, I pray that I may learn to approach the Table with a sense of urgency as do my sisters in brothers in Chile and Peru.

Amy Woolam Echeverria, Missionary Society of St. Columban, JPIC office

A Clear Sign

Having just retired to Ireland after many years overseas, I wondered what good advice I would give to others. Years ago, following a disagreement with another priest, I picked up a book on the visions of Mary to the visionaries in Medjugorje and asked Mary to please give me a message to help me heal the rift with my colleague. I opened the book at random and this was what I read:

The visionaries had been through a lot of suffering on account of the visions, and they didn’t know how to deal with the suffering. So they asked Mary for advice, and here is what she told them. “I want you to accept this suffering with great love, and unite it with the sufferings of Christ and with the members of the mystical body.”

I decided to commit the prayer to memory and went to bed, repeating it over and over in my mind. I had no recollection of falling asleep, but I woke up refreshed the following morning, went down for Mass and had breakfast. Imagine my joy and gladness when the priest with whom I’d had the disagreement came to sit beside me and the whole incident was history.

Although I was set to go on vacation a few short days later, the thought came to me to visit Medjugorje when I returned to Ireland. I put it out of my mind several times and made a firm resolution that I was going home to Ireland, putting my feet up and not travelling further. The thought became more persistent, and finally I said, “Mary, if you want me to go to Medjugorje, you must give me a clear sign. Now if the sign is fuzzy, forget it. It has to be clear, very clear.”

On the first leg of my vacation, I flew to Chicago where I had spent many happy years on vocation work. One night I was invited to offer Mass with good friends, Tom and Peggy. Towards the end of the Mass, I had a custom of inviting people to really listen to the Lord after receiving the Eucharist, and then to tell the others what good advice the Lord had shared with them. Imagine my surprise when Tom said, “I think Fr. Colm should visit Medjugorje when he returns to Ireland.”

I very deftly changed the subject and talked about something far removed that Medjugorje. I patted myself on the back on the way home for being so clever. However, the following day a courier arrived at the house I was staying to give me an envelope. I opened it and out fell a check in the amount of five hundred dollars and a message in large handwriting “We would like you to go to Medjugorie, Tom & Peggy.” I said, “Mary, I asked for a sign, but I didn’t expect one that clear.”

I returned to Ireland and did what they told me. It was one of the best visits of my life and I learned so much from the experience. Since that time I have told the story often and people have asked for a copy of the prayer. I am very sure it has helped many others to deal with the problem of suffering in their lives.

Suffering is a great mystery. Very few people understand the significance and meaning of suffering. Mary told the visionaries when they had suffered terribly and had accepted the suffering with great love, and united it with the sufferings of Christ, and with the members of the Mystical Body, that they had no idea how much good they had done by accepting their crosses in this way. I have used the prayer often since that time and while the pain and sufferings are still difficult to accept, it does help to know that the suffering is not worthless or useless, but really precious in God’s sight.

Columban Fr. Colm Rafferty recently retired to Ireland after many years of mission work and continues to reach out to others via this blog.

Beauty In Suffering by Sr. Anne Carbon

Childhood is a very special time when the whole world is like a playground to be explored freely and with wonderment. My siblings and I had so much fun together that recalling them brings nothing but happiness to my heart and a deep gratitude to God for giving me that special time and space.

When I was a novice, my pastoral ministry took me to places that were labeled poor, depressed and marginalized. The reality that I saw shocked me beyond belief. I saw children malnourished, dirty, eating on top of garbage trucks, working very early in the morning until late at night selling candles, cigarettes or flowers. The children I saw had worn-out faces. As young as they were, they were already the breadwinners of their families. They seemed to have lost that time and space called childhood.

I have been in Peru as a religious missionary Sister for the past seven years. A few years ago, the Columban Sisters opened a mission in Vinchos, a place high in the mountains of Peru where the notorious terrorist group called ‘Sendero Luminoso’ (Shining Path) used to have their headquarters for many years. They are gone now, but they left behind many broken people. Many of those people are depressed, and a good number of them are children.

I was deeply touched by what I saw and started sharing my concerns with some of the men and women in the town. To my surprise, I found out that we had the same concerns. Some of us approached the Director of the only school in the town to help us do something for the children. With his help, we were able to track down around 20 children ranging in age from 7 to 12. They were either passive-aggressive, low in academic output, had difficulty in concentration or drop-outs from school.

Our first activity with the children was a drawing/painting contest. The results showed that they knew how to express themselves and that they knew what was going on around them. What struck me most was that a lot of them expressed the desire to die. A few of them even had details on how to do it! One painted a cemetery and when I asked him why, he said, ‘It is a peaceful place, nobody bothers me there.’ Another drew a coffin and said, ‘I want to die and be with my father.’ His father was killed during the political violence, and he was living with his mother and stepfather who was violent to him and his mother. Another painted a river and put himself floating in it. He said, ‘I want to get drowned and die.’ Although the results were alarming, the good thing was we were guided in our initial approach to reach out to the children.

Not wasting time, I went to Lima to look for a child psychiatrist. Luckily I found one who was willing to make that long journey to the mountains to see the children. Together we drew up a simple program starting with bi-monthly psychological attention given to the children. Sister Mary Nolan and I do the follow-up after the psychiatric evaluation of each one of them. These individual evaluations are kept in a file so that our follow-ups are done accurately. Right now some are receiving pharmacological treatment. There are also activities that facilitate how to express themselves like painting, drawing, working with plastiline, workshops on emotional therapy, social activities that will bring out their abilities, individual sessions with the children and home visitation. We found out that visiting the families is an effective tool as it helps us to get to know more about the family and the real situation they are in.

After a few months following this program, a tremendous change in the children was very noticeable. Thoughts of death and the desire to die have gradually disappeared. They are more relaxed now, and they are able to express their emotions of fear, anxiety and anger. Their grades in school have improved and violence in the family has lessened or has disappeared.
I feel I have created a special bond with these children. I also feel that I have bonded with the many people who are involved in this mental health program. I feel my life is connected to each one of them. Working in the area of mental health has been a very enriching experience for me. It has offered me a wider range of understanding what life is all about.

Earning back what they’ve lostAs I continue participating in the reality of the poor here in Peru, I am able to see beauty beyond their sufferings. I feel that working with the children has enabled me in some little way to let them experience the joys and laughter of that special time and space called childhood.

Currently living and working in Peru, Columban Sister Anne Carbon may be reached at musuq_05@hotmail.com

Peace, Social Justice and Care for Creation

Greetings from the Columban Justice, Peace, and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) Office, the national advocacy office for Columban missionaries in the United States, located in Silver Spring, MD just outside of Washington, D.C. Through advocacy, solidarity, and education, the JPIC Office is dedicated to raising the peace, social justice and care for creation concerns of Columban missioners and those people with whom we live and serve. As people of faith, we are both challenged and called to raise our voices with the voices of the most marginalized in our world.

My name is Amy Woolam Echeverria. Since 2005, I have had the privilege of coordinating the Columban JPIC ministry here in the United States. Before coming to Washington, D.C., I was the Columban JPIC Coordinator in Chile where I had been on mission since 1999, first with Sisters of Holy Child Jesus and then with Columbans.

Other “titles” that describe me are: wife, mother, daughter, sister, aunt, friend, lay woman, closet writer, and speed-challenged runner. There are probably more titles yet to be discovered, but for the meantime I am content.

I suppose my newest title is “blogger” and one that I am very excited about. Since 2004 the Columban JPIC Office has distributed an e-newsletter which usually included an opening reflection from me on some aspect of social justice (check out archived issues of the Columban JPIC e-newsletter www.columban.org/content/view/69/52). So perhaps I’ve been a closet-blogger all these years and never knew it!

But now the virtual doors have been flung open wide, and I look forward to sharing with you my thoughts, feelings, reflections, and questions about life, mission, and faith.
An important image that Columbans embraced at our 2008 Regional Assembly was that of table-fellowship where we are both hosts and guests and all are equal. Please, let us walk together to the Table.

In peace,
Amy W.E.

The Keys to God's Kingdom

The Keys to God’s Kingdom
A reflection by Fr. Jim O’Brien

As a young boy growing up in Boston, I vividly remember the experience of seeing my first movie. The name of the film was The Keys of the Kingdom, released in 1944 and starring Gregory Peck. It is the story of a young missionary priest, Fr. Chisholm (Gregory Peck) sent to China to establish a Catholic parish among the non-Christian Chinese. Fr. Chisholm struggles in China enduring isolation, disease and poverty. In the end, it was a film produced in Hollywood after all, he does succeed in China using patience and understanding.

However, I was puzzled when I left the theater since I still did not know who had the keys! Was it Fr. Chisholm? Or, did the Chinese people have the keys? Many years later, I read a book by the same title, and I thought I figured out the answer. It was the missionary who had the keys and could open up the gates of God’s kingdom. All would be welcome to enter and become members of God’s family.

In my vocation as a Columban Father, I was sent to Korea as a missionary. After a struggle with the language and the culture, I began to see that I wasn’t the only one with the keys. I came to a new understanding and insight into who had the keys. I began to see that the Korean people had already been blessed by God. It was an eye opener when I realized God had been there before me.

The culture and language of the Korean people spoke of spiritual blessings and the Great Spirit. God had already spoken to the people in a way far different from my previous experience. Realizing that God has been in Korea long before my arrival was a decisive moment in my life as a missionary.

The land, the people and the culture were sacred because God had blessed them in a special way. Acting on this important revelation and listening to their stories, I was able to share my faith experience with them and how I had come to know God.

Many people listened and in time asked for baptism and were received into the Church. Some were polite, heard the message but never joined us. However, we would meet from time to time and remained friends and enjoyed some non-church events together.

These positive experiences moved me to reflect on why I was Korea. If God was already there, why was I? I was there because I was sent to bring the Good News about Jesus and his teachings. My role was to be a witness for the gospel in a land far from home and help the Korean people come to know God in a new way.

The Church in Korea is alive and well. I was just one Columban among many who served in Korea. Along the way I kept seeing how God was present there, and I realized how blessed I have been to be there as well. Like Fr. Chisholm, I saw the Catholic church flourish among the missions. The keys of the kingdom are found among all nations and peoples in their cultures, their languages and their experiences.

Columban Father Jim O’Brien currently resides in Bristol, Rhode Island after many years on mission. For more information about The Keys of the Kingdom, check out http://www.imdb.com/. For more information about the Columban Fathers and their missionary work, go to http://www.columban.org.