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Missionary Sisters of
St. Columban
Missionary Sisters of
We are a congregation of missionary religious women
whose commitment to God
leads us to cross boundaries
of culture, language and belief
to proclaim the Good News of Jesus
in today’s world
Community Prayer Service
” Let us be Christ’s and not our own.”for we are not our own; for we were brought at a great price, a very great pricewhen the Lord was given for a slave, a king for a servant. and God for humankind.”
St. Columban Sermon
St. Columban is the patron saint of the Columban Missionaries. He was an Irish monk who lived in the sixth century and went as a missionary to mainland Europe. There the practice of religion had collapsed.
Columban and his companions began to preach the Gospel message far and wide. Soon they became very well known and had a great influence on the practice of religion in Europe. He founded monasteries all over Southern Europe but because of his outspoken condemnation of immoral and unjust behavior, particularly of the powerful, he was made to suffer much and was often driven from his monastery by kings and princes.
Columban was a person who combined a deep spiritual life of union with God and an all-consuming zeal for the proclamation of the Gospel.
Today, this spirit continuesto inspire and challenge us, Columban Sisters that bear his name. Columban died in place called Bobbio in Northern Italy on November 23, 615
We are a congregation of missionary religious women whose commitment to God urges us to cross boundaries of culture, language and belief to proclaim the Good News of Jesus in the ever changing world of our time.
Become a mission-partner
Touched and set on fire by God’s love which is the source of our charism, we are called and
sent in a spirit of compassion and solidarity to our fast changing world where we see:
the collapsing of structures at all level, e.g. family life, church, state, economy, ecology
devastating poverty and hunger
inter- religious conflicts and lack of religious freedom
an ever increasing movement of peoples including refugees, women and children who are trafficked
wholesale exploitation of natural resources for the benefit of the very few at the expense of the many
And yet, side by side with these realities, we also see :
a global consciousness of searching/ reaching for the Divine
an increased awareness of the uniqueness, diversity, connectedness of all life
We are sustained and nourished by a spirituality which springs from contemplation and moves us to prophetic action and dialogue.
It was because two people shared a vision and answered a similar call that the Missionary Sisters of St Columban came to be.
In December 1917 Fr John Blowick, co-founder of the Columban Fathers (originally called the Maynooth Mission to China) spoke of the urgent need for women collaborators in the new missionary venture in China. This appeal found a ready response in the hearts of many women, one of whom was Lady Frances Moloney who later became Mother Mary Patrick.
Dialogue during the years 1917-1920 brought clarity as to the nature of the new missionary group and in December 1920 permission was granted to found a Missionary Religious Congregation of Sisters who would engage in any apostolate that would further the preaching of the Gospel in China.
February 1922 saw the first group of postulants gathered in Cahiracon. Co Clare, and with the First Profession on September 29, 1924, the young community was officially incorporated in the Church as a public Missionary Religious Congregation. The Congregation became one of pontifical right with the approval of the Constitutions by the Holy See in 1947
Missionary priest and theologian who with Fr Edward Galvin, co-founded the Maynooth Mission to China (later called The Missionary Society of St Columban) in1916.
Missionary priest and theologian who with Fr Edward Galvin, co-founded the Maynooth Mission to China (later called The Missionary Society of St Columban) in1916. In 1918 he founded St Columban’s College, Dalgan Park, Shrule, Co. Galway, as the seminary for the Society, which in 1941 moved to Navan, Co. Meath.
In 1922 Fr Blowick cofounded the Missionary Sisters of St Columban Sisters in co-operation with Lady Francis Moloney, who afterwards became Sister Mary Patrick in the new congregation.
As a boy John Blowick entered St Jarlath’s College, Tuam, Co Galway in 1902. He is described by Fr Patrick Kelly SSC as “a good looking boy, thin, frail, self-possessed, with a kind encouraging word for new comers. He was noted for his understanding and thoughtfulness and charity for all the college boys. For all his talents, John Blowick would never lay claim to superiority. It was not in his makeup to parade his ability. John would leave nothing undone to attain the sanctity that he desires for the priesthood.”
A brilliant student, he began his studies for the priesthood in 1906 at the national seminary Maynooth. And in the midst of all his priestly studies it was noted how his spiritual life always got priority. His study of theology was an invitation to him to live the Christian life depicted in his theology books. He well understood that learning without faith and charity was useless, and a times worse than useless when it contributed to vanity and pride.
A year after his ordination in 1913, and while still a post- graduate student of Theology, he had the rare distinction of winning, in a public concursus, the chair of Dogmatic Theology in Maynooth. But his self-effacing humility did not change, and the thought of China did not go away. Two year later he resigned his professorship to go to China as a missionary. We know what inspired him to do this, for he himself often spoke of it: it was his meditations on the mystery of the church founded by the son of God for the salvation of the human race, by bringing all men into a participation in the divine life of the most blessed Trinity. The words of Christ:” This is eternal life that they may know thee, the only true God, and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent,’ carried a personal message to his heart. While he reflected and thought, he was haunted by the thought of the countless millions who had never heard of our saviour Jesus Christ or of his Church.
And so it was that, in 1916, having resigned his professorship at Maynooth, he joined Fr Galvin in founding the Maynooth Mission to China. In 1920 he led the first band of the new missionaries to China. In his life this was the most significant event. He would gladly have divested himself and of his position as Superior General in order to throw himself heart and soul into that wonderful apostolate. But for John Blowick that was not the will of God. From Ireland he must direct the missions of the society all round the world.
By 1920 the Maynooth Mission to China had sent its first band of sixteen priests to Hanyang. By 1964, there were 852 priests in the missionary Society, American, Australian as well as Irish: 525 of these were engaged in the active apostolate in eight countries. Not one was left in China.
From 1917 to 1922 the heart searching which had marked Fr Blowick’s response to the call of the missions in his own personal vocation , now characterized his effort toward the forming of missionary group of women.
His hope of forming such a group, merged in October 11, 1917, with a certain woman’s dream. Frances Moloney, a young widow committed to the service of the poor in the City of Dublin, heard a talk given by Fr. Blowick. In his talk the spoke about the great need for dedicated women who would serve with the priests in ministering to the needs of the poor in China. Her heart was deeply touched, and within a few years – 1922 – she and Fr. Blowick had co-founded the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban. Fr Blowick was instrumental in getting all necessary ecclesiastical approbation from Rome and the approval of Dr Fogarty, Bishop of Killaloe, for the new foundation. The first thirteen Sisters (all that the house would accommodate) began their training in a small farm house near St Senan’s college in Cahiracon in February, 1922. Fr Blowick himself had drawn up constitutions. So, on 29 September 1924, the first members vowed themselves to God and the missionary task.
By 1964, like the priests, the Columban Sisters’ numbers had increased to 241, of whom 120 were working in four Asian countries – Philippines, Hong Kong, Korea, Burma – and Peru. Not one was left in China expulsions having been ordered by the new communist government.
Sister Patricia Sweeney reflecting on Fr Blowick’s life wrote: “September 1926 saw Fr Blowick leading the first group of Columban sisters on the lap of their journey into mission. When he parted with them in Colombo he left them his blessing, his sound advice, and a spiritual heritage which has taken many a Columban Sister on many a journey in the near fifty years since then. What were the characteristics of this man who within a single decade (1916-1926) co- founded a society a missionary priests and brothers and founded a congregation of missionary sisters?”
Sister Patricia continues “I mentioned earlier that Fr Blowick was a man of great missionary zeal. Yet, as we meet him in those early days we do not find him carried away in any impetuous manner by this zeal. The development of his missionary vocation and his response to the action of the Holy Spirit seem to have tempered what, to priests and students who knew him well, was a naturally impulsive character. In this new phrase of his vocational response we find a clear-thinking, far-seeing, cautious yet enthusiastic shaper of a mission. Mission needs were studied and, by systemic effort, real needs were given priority. In a letter to Lady Moloney on the 20 September 1918 we find a good summing-up of his approach: ‘Everything depends on initiative, and prudence to a certain point, but not too much – too much prudence will keep us from doing anything.”
Memorable for so many of our Sisters was Fr John’s visitation of all the Columban Missions between 1963 –1964. He cared for the welfare of his Columban Sisters.
Frances Owen-Lewis was born in Marylebone, London, England in April 17, 1873, one of a family of six.
Frances Owen-Lewis was born in Marylebone, London, England in April 17, 1873, one of a family of six. Her father had an estate at Inishkeen, Co. Monaghan and for a time was M.P. for Carlow. Frances was tutored at home by governesses and then went to study at the Sacred Heart Convent, Hove, Sussex.
In 1897 she married Captain Sir Alfred Moloney K.C.M.G., Governor of the Windward Islands and later Governor of Trinidad, West Indies. He suffered from ill-health and when they were in Italy in 1913 he became seriously ill and died in hospital. While grieving for him, Frances had an audience with Pope Pius X who assured her that God would comfort her in his own way.
At the outbreak of World War I she came to Ireland and gave herself to charitable works, at first helping the Belgian war refugees in Dublin. Always deeply religious, with the advice of her Director she took private vows and her deepest wish was to become a missionary. When in 1918 she heard of Father Blowick’s appeal for women missionaries, especially nurses and doctors, for work in China she felt that this was the challenge she was seeking. She entered into dialogue with him and together they took steps towards the foundation of the congregation that was to become the Missionary Sisters of St. Columban. Frances went to train in Midwifery in the National Maternity Hospital and in General Nursing in the Mater Hospital, Dublin, and she tried to extend her knowledge in every area that might be of use in China. When approval had been received from Rome for the new foundation and a house had been procured near the Columban Fathers’ seminary in Cahiracon, Co. Clare, Frances was among the first group of women who began their training there on February 7, 1922.
Frances was received into the congregation on October 4, 1922, taking the religious name, Sister Mary Patrick. She made her First Profession on July 29, 1925. The following year she was selected to be in the first group of Sisters to leave for China where they were to make a foundation in Bishop Galvin’s vicariate in Hanyang. They arrived there in November 1926 and Sister Mary Patrick was to spend the next ten years ministering to the Chinese people with her catechetical and nursing skills and winning their hearts by her selfless dedication. In 1936 she was recalled to Ireland as she had been elected Superior General of the congregation at the second General Chapter.
She brought to this task her many talents and her wide experience. During her ten years in office war conditions in both the East and West made travel difficult but, with dauntless spirit, she set out on a visit to the missions in 1939 and, after many hazardous journeys, suffered shipwreck when the boat on which she was travelling from the United States in December 1940 was torpedoed. Though missionary work was impeded during those years there was an increase in vocations and Mother Mary Patrick saw that young Sisters were trained and educated so that when travel was again possible they were fully equipped to set out for China and the Philippines and for new openings in Burma, Hong Kong and the United States. She was elected Vicar General at the General Chapter of 1946 and, with Mother Mary Vianney, then Superior General, helped to procure approval in Rome for the revised constitutions, an approval which gave the congregation pontifical status.
When in 1947 it was decided to start the publication of a congregational magazine, “The Eastern Star” (later to be named Star of the East), Mother Mary Patrick contributed much to the first issues and remained its editor up to a few years before her death. In 1952 when she was released from congregational responsibilities she was seventy-nine years of age but she remained active with writing and correspondence and kept up a keen interest in the employees and neighbours in Cahiracon. She died in Cahiracon on August 15, 1959 and her remains were brought for burial to Magheramore where the Motherhouse had transferred two years previously.
Mother Mary Patrick was a woman of vision and courage, totally dedicated to the congregation and its mission and with a motherly interest in each Sister. Among the many virtues which she showed as a religious, poverty was outstanding; she always chose the least of material goods and she wore her clothes until they were threadbare. Her life of prayer and commitment remains a legacy and an inspiration to all Columban Sisters.