Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Hong Kong (Agenzia Fides) – “Evangelising in foreign lands has changed our lives, enriched our faith and our view of the world,” says Filipino Gracia Kibad - one of the 60 lay Columban missionaries (of the Society of St Columban for Foreign Missionaries, SSC), who has worked with the gypsies in an Irish parish for six years - describing her experience of evangelising. According to reports by Kong Ko Bao (the Chinese diocesan bulletin), the exchange of experiences took place during the International Meeting of the Society of St Columban for Foreign Missions, held recently in Hong Kong. “We are laity just like all those to whom we offer our missionary service. So people are able to show mire trust in us. We understand each other better, both in life and in work,” continues Kibad. According to the Coordinator-General, Serafina Vuda, from Fiji, “we had to leave our family, our homeland, our culture and our language. But we are sure that we have received so much more in our evangelising mission.”
In 2008, 90 years after its foundation, the Society of St Columban for Foreign Missions (of Irish descent), moved their General House from Dublin to Hong Kong to better meet the missionary needs of the times (see Fides 13/05/2008). (NZ) (Agenzia Fides 26/03/2011)
