advocate-summer-2013.. - The Mill Hill Missionaries

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AS A SCHOOLBOY in AthenryCounty Galway, I dreamed ofliving in a far-away land whereit was always summer. At home mymother read parts of themissionary magazine, ‘The FarEast’, to us, and showed uspictures of missionary priestsworking in far-away places. Shewould ask us whether we wouldlike to work as missionaries insuch places. Such things didimpress young minds in thosedays long ago.Then one day towards the end of mytime in Primary school, a Mill Hill missionarypriest visited our school andasked whether any of us would like tobecome missionaries in far-away lands.A few of my best friends, classmates, putup their hands, so I put up mine too. Wewere very excited. The priest visited ourhomes that afternoon. My parents werevery happy, especially my mother who toldhim that she prayed at Mass every morningthat one of her sons would become apriest. Everything was arranged for me toenter the Mill Hill Minor Seminary inFreshford at the beginning of the newschool year.Back in school next day, I wasshocked to discover that I was theonly one accepted to enter the Seminary.It was heartbreaking to loseall my classmates, but the prospectof going to a far-away land where itwas always summer helped to overcomethat loss.Life in the ‘Interior’ in BorneoAfter ordination at Mill Hill, Londonin 1963, I was posted to Kuching Diocesein Borneo – Sarawak, East Malaysia.After two years in the coastal region ofDalat, I was assigned to Song parish inthe interior, by far the largest parish in theDiocese that included the large districtsof Kapit and Belaga bordering Indonesia.I carried out my missionary work amongthe many tribal groups in that area, Ibans,Kayans, Kenyahs, Kejamans, Sekapans,Bukitans, Ukits and Punans, among others.I have most wonderful memories ofmy 33 years in that vast hinterland ofBorneo.I well remember the times whenBishop Anthony Lee from the next diocesecame over the mountains with hisspirited Seminar teams to set our remoteCatholic communities on fire with theCharismatic Movement’s ‘Life in theSpirit Seminars’. I remember the several45
days of very difficult travelling into the far interior to reach the nomadic Penans. Ithought I had finally brought the Gospel to the ends of the earth. When I asked theheadman of the farthest inland settlement what it felt like to live at the ends of theearth, I was quickly cut down to size when he let me know that we had just reachedthe centre of the world, not the end of the earth.A hunting expedition – with a differenceOnce on visiting a very large Kenyah settlement after a two-day journey up theBalleh River, all the men folk had gone far into the jungle in search of expensive fragrantheartwood. The women had to fend for themselves. That evening all the youngladies held a meeting to divide into four hunting groups, about 15 to each group.They invited me to join the wild boar hunt next day. I joined those going down river.Each lady held a spear with a sheathed sword tied round her waist. As we rounded abend in the river, a large number of wild boar were at the tip of a long stretch ofgravel, ready to swim to the opposite bank, but they bolted back as soon as they sawus. They just missed our boat as it ran onto the gravel bed. The women and theirmany dogs shot from the boat after the wild boar with such speed that I was leftsitting dumbfounded, mouth wide open. With the driver, I followed the boar chaseby boat down river guided by the jungle orchestra of yelping dogs, squealing wildboar and screaming women for quite a distance. Finally, we heard them cheering astheir dogs surrounded a large number of boar. They speared 14 of them. My role inthe boar chase was to help carry the boar carcasses back to the boat, leaving heavyboar heads and legs behind.A Wonderful CallingAfter such experiences in the wilds of the interior, it was then a total change to betransferred to town life at Sacred Heart Cathedralwhere I have been for the past 13 years. At firstI felt like a fish out of water, but now feel athome in every home here. I thank the Lordfor having saved me from the cruel Irishweather and placing me in the land ofeternal summer among the most wonderfulpeople on earth, whether it bethe well-to-do Chinese here in Sibu, orthe nomadic Penans in the far interior.In my wildest dreams, I could neverhave imagined a more wonderful callingthan this missionary life in SoutheastAsia.Photo of a Borneo Longhouse, where eachfamily lives in one room.By Fr. Donal Harney, mhmIWILL never forget that dayand the night that followed. Ileft Nagongera Seminary,taking a student to MbaleHospital - fifty miles away. As Ineared the town, I noticed moresoldiers than usual on the road,which gave me an uneasyfeeling. Let’s hope there isnothing wrong I thought tomyself.I got the student admitted in the hospitaland it was there also that my worst fearswere confirmed. A military Coup had takenplace in Kampala. President Milton Obotehad already fled the country, after beingousted by General Tito Okello. When I leftthe hospital, I could see the shopkeepers ofthe town already boarding up their premises.A tense atmosphere filled the air andpeople began to flee the town. This was notime to be on the road, so I made my wayto Mbale College, which was on a hill justoutside the town. I had been a teacher therein the late 1960's.7
Page 1 and 2: A BlessingMay the light of yoursoul
Page 3: FROM THE EDITORAt the beginning of
Page 7 and 8: By:Sr. Anne Moore,fmsj.THE TOWN of
Page 9 and 10: 14IT WAS a moment of rare magic,bot
Page 11 and 12: 18Mill Hill Jubilees - ContinuedFR.
Page 13 and 14: y Sr. Joan Roddy, dmjTHE FAMILIAR r
Page 15 and 16: Mill Hill - TheNext GenerationBy Nz
Page 17 and 18: acceptance of God’s will; a true
Page 19: •It keeps all our friends and sup

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