We Are Mission

In the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast we speak to Fr Basil Rohan Fernando about his journey to the priesthood and becoming the National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Sri Lanka, the challenges facing the people there, the 2019 Easter bomb attacks, his gratitude at Missio Scotland's support for projects in the country and much more

Fr Dominic Sandanam is the current Rector of St Patrick's College in Talwakelle in the shadow of the tea plantations in Sri Lanka. In the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast both he and Comboni Missionary Sister and teacher, Sr Agnese Elli, give us an insight into the life of the school, its pupils and explain how Missio Scotland's support via projects will have a positive impact on their lives

Bishop Joseph Toal of Motherwell joins us on the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast to discuss growing up in the same hometown as St Mary of the Cross MacKillop's parents, discerning his vocation, becoming a Good Shepherd, literally and theologically-speaking in Argyll and the Isles Diocese, his own experience of mission and his love for Scotland's traditional, national sport!

In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, we speak to Sr Immaculata Njoku, from the Sisters of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, about her love of music, discerning her vocation, her involvement in education in her native Nigeria, the challenges of mission work in the midst of killings and kidnappings in the country (including those involving her fellow sisters), her mission here in Scotland and much more!

Fr Javier Alvarado is a Comboni Missionary Father, originally from Mexico but now residing in Scotland. In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, he speaks to us about his desire to become a missionary priest, learning life lessons on mission in Eritrea, the impact the Combonis had on the country and discovering a special gift that he never knew he had!

In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, we speak with Fr Dominic Quinn, parish priest of St Leonard's in East Kilbride who previously spent time on mission in Bolivia and Peru. In the course of our conversation, he talks about the importance of his Irish ancestry and family, his vocation, his missionary experience including cultural sensitivities and faith parallels and his joy at Missio Scotland sponsoring projects in Bolivia!

Claire O'Neill, the current Religious Education Co-ordinator and Primary & Special Education Advisor for Motherwell Diocese chats with us in our latest We Are Mission podcast about how she was pretty much destined to embark on a teaching career, the importance of community and social outreach, the strength and beauty of Catholic education, the 1918 Education Act celebrations and being the mother of a seminarian!

In the latest We Are Mission podcast, Archbishop William Nolan of Glasgow speaks to us about his upbringing, his vocation, his early days as a priest, drawing strength from parishioners, becoming a bishop and subsequently an archbishop, the special place in his heart for Justice and Peace issues and the Holy Land and the importance of mission.

Outgoing Director of Education for Paisley Diocese, Neil Roarty, chats to us in the latest We Are Mission podcast about his early days growing up in Castlemilk, his love of St Anthony, some inspirational teachers in his past, his long and storied teaching career, becoming part of the Paisley Diocesan team and the importance and strength of Catholic education in Scotland.

In the latest We Are Mission podcast, Sister Esther Santhanaraj, of the Sisters of St Peter Claver, speaks about her parents' reluctance to support her vocation at first, how they were won over, her decision to join the SSPC, her vocational journey which has taken her from her native India to England and now Scotland where she enjoys undertaking mission appeals for her congregation.

Mill Hill Missionary, Fr Mark Connolly, speaks to us in the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast about his vocation—which involved training with the Dutch Army while at seminary—his first taste of mission in Cameroon, serving as missionary in Pakistan and India, the impact that the Mill Hill Missionaries had on education in Pakistan and a special Pentecost moment for him on mission.

In the second part of a two-part podcast, Egyptian-born Comboni Missionary, Fr Paul Annis, speaks to us in the latest edition of We Are Mission about all aspects of being a missionary in Egypt, Sudan and South Sudan—including a spiritually uplifting All Souls Day Mass—the importance of supporting Missio Scotland and his lifelong love of The Beatles!

In the first part of a two-part podcast, Egyptian-born Comboni Missionary, Fr Paul Annis, speaks to us in the latest edition of We Are Mission about his early years growing up in Kuwait, Lebanon and then England, the joint influence of the Catholic and Orthodox Churches in his life, his decision to become a Comboni Father, his life being in danger while on mission in Sudan, being sent to Egypt in the midst of revolution and his passion for interreligious dialogue as a means to resolve conflict.

In the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast we speak to Bishop George Nkuo of Kumbo Diocese in Cameroon about the impact that a new church—being constructed with the support of Missio Scotland—will have on the Catholic community there and in the country as a whole, his friendship with our National Director, Fr Vincent Lockhart and their shared passion for education and the importance of recognising and strengthening the universal Church

Sr Hedwig Vinyo, a Tertiary Sister of St Francis in Cameroon, speaks to the We Are Mission podcast about her childhood, her journey to religious life, the difficulties that she and her fellow sisters have faced in serving people in the midst of a civil war and the projects that Missio Scotland is supporting in the country

In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, Director of the Scottish Catholic Education Service, Barbara Coupar, speaks to us about her formative years growing up in Condorrat and Saudi Arabia, her unusual Confirmation name, her career in Scottish Catholic education, becoming the Director of SCES and its role in providing a voice for Catholic education in Scotland, the success of the Caritas Award, our schools' role in evangelising and the mission of the Church and much more!

Archbishop Leo Cushley speaks to us in the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast, about his early love of physics, astronomy and the arts, how an early trip to Rome left a deep impression on him, his journey to priesthood, his time spent working for the Diplomatic Service of the Holy See in various locations, working under different Holy Fathers, becoming the Archbishop of St Andrews and Edinburgh and much more!

In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, General Secretary of the Society of the Holy Childhood (Missionary Children), Sr Roberta Tremarelli AMSS speaks to us from the European Missionary Children Conference in Bucharest, Romania, about her vocation, the faithful influence of her mother, her time spent as teacher, her love of working with and for children all over the world, mission in general and much more!

In the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast, we speak to Mill Hill Missionary, Fr Bernard Fox, about his early days growing up in Donegal and Duntocher, his vocation which led him to becoming a missionary priest and his many years spent in Cameroon, where he had to contend with people's superstitions, help deliver children and also get to know both sides of the term 'divine!'

John Patrick Mallon and Brian Anthony Timmons from Sancta Familia Media speak to us in the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast about their earliest forays into film-making, learning on the job, setting up their hugely successful Catholic media company, and how digital communications has become their mission!

In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, Mill Hill Missionary, Fr Mike Freyne speaks to us about his journey to priesthood, his desire to become a missionary, spending three decades on mission in Brazil where he often had to stand up for the indigenous peoples, his lesser known, but nonetheless impressive, photographic talents and so much more

In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, Limerick-born Fr Pat Hennessy speaks about being inspired by his grandfather's great faith, his vocation, immersing himself in the parish life of St Columbkille's Rutherglen—where he played football with a future Lisbon Lion—his time spent living and working on mission in Peru amid the threat posed by the Sendero Luminoso paramilitaries, helping to form a future bishop in the country and so much more!

Fr Pat McCallion, a priest with the St Patrick's Missionary Society (Kiltegan Fathers), speaks to us in our latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast about growing up in Dublin, the impact of losing his mother as a teenager, how Lourdes acted as a catalyst for his vocation, his 19 years spent on mission in Malawi where he faced the challenges of poverty and HIV/AIDS in the country and put both his green fingers and cookery skills to good use.

In the latest edition of We Are Mission, Salesian Sister, Ella Flynn, speaks about being bombed out of her home in Clydebank during the blitz, her faithful upbringing—which led to an enduring love of St Therese of Lisieux—how she found her vocation after dreaming of being a singer and actress, her lifelong involvement with education, the pride she takes in the works of Salesians the world over and so much more!

Comboni Sister, Sr Mary Thomas, speaks to us in our latest We Are Mission podcast about her early dreams of becoming a professional musician, her somewhat accidental vocational journey and her 57 years spent as a missionary in Eritrea where her, and her fellow sisters, played a crucial role in educating the nation amidst war and violence.

In the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast, we speak to Fr John McFadden, a Spiritan Father who currently serves as the Community Superior of the Generalate Community of the Spiritans—his second spell in the role. In the course of the interview, Fr John talks about his upbringing in rural Leicestershire, discerning his vocation and his time spent on mission in Nigeria, a famous benefactor and so much more!

Spiritan, Missio Scotland's Diocesan Director for Galloway Diocese and parish priest of the iconic St Sophia's in Galston, Fr Gabriel Onoyima, speaks to us in our latest We Are Mission podcast about growing up Enugu State in Nigeria, discerning his vocation, his decision to become a Holy Ghost Father, where his vocation has taken him and what mission means to him!

Beatrice Gardner is one of the co-ordinators of The Ababa Project, whose connections with the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady are long established and fruitful. The example of these lay missionaries from St Teresa’s in Dumfries and its environs is inspiring and, as a result, in 2022, Missio Scotland is using these established channels to support a project in Ethiopia that will positively affect children’s lives. In this special Mission Month edition of the We Are Mission podcast, Beatrice speaks to us about the importance of her faith, the Ababa Project itself, her time spent visiting the supported programmes, initiatives and projects in Ethiopia and the parish's joy at the support received from Missio Scotland.

In the latest We Are Mission podcast, Fr Anthony Chantry, the National Director of Missio England and Wales, speaks to us about becoming a Catholic, discerning his vocation and joining the Mill Hill Missionaries and his time spent on mission in Kenya where he worked extensively with young people and South Africa where the poverty in the townships was stark. 

Scottish Catholic editor, Ian Dunn, speaks to us in the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast about his career in journalism. It's a journey that has seen him work for the institution that was the Scottish Catholic Observer—where he rose through the ranks to become its editor—as well as SCIAF, before setting up a new national Catholic magazine to not only fill the void left by his former publication, but also to give a fresh perspective on Catholicism in Scotland today. 

We Are Mission meets with Fr Martin Chambers, a parish priest from Galloway Diocese  and former Diocesan Director of Missio Scotland. Fr Chambers speaks to us about his early life in Scotland and England, discerning his vocation, loving life as a diocesan priest and spending five years on mission in Guayaquil in Ecuador, where—among other things—he was robbed at gunpoint and helped to build a brand new church with Scottish support.

Bishop John Keenan of Paisley speaks to us on the We Are Mission podcast about the strong faith foundation his family provided him with, studying law at Glasgow University days, discerning his vocation, his love for priestly life and being a university chaplain, becoming a bishop and the importance of mission.

Xaverian Father, Fr Eugenio Montesi, speaks to us in the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, about growing up in his native Italy, in the shadow of the local saint, St Maria Goretti, his time spent on mission in Africa, in particular Sierra Leone, and his long association with his current home here in Scotland!

In our latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, Fr Michael Kelly, the National Director of Missio Ireland and Kiltegan Father speaks to us about his upbringing in Ireland, his time spent on mission in Grenada and South Africa and even his time spent as Vocations Director with the St Patrick's Missionary Society in Scotland!

Greenock native, Sr Placida McCann, speaks to us in the latest edition of our We Are Mission podcast about how her faith played an important part in her life from an early age, the loving examples she had within her family unit, her vocation, her time spent on mission in Kenya and her constant desire to share God's love and joy with others!

In the latest edition of the We Are Mission podcast, Comboni Missionary Priest, Fr John Clark speaks to us about growing up in his native Sunderland, his journey to the priesthood, time spent in Belfast—in one of the most volatile areas of the city during the conflict—being on mission in Brazil among the indigenous peoples and much more!

In the latest edition of We Are Mission, Fr John Doran MHM, speaks to Missio Scotland about growing up in Bootle in Merseyside, his childhood involvement with the Mill Hill Missionaries, how he came to discern his vocation, his time spent on mission, in particular the Philippines, which involved a near death experience for both him and a number of refugees and much more.

Spiritan Father, Fr Terry Donnelly, sadly passed away in 2021. However, two years prior he spoke to Missio Scotland about growing up in Barrhead, his family and faith life, his decision to take up his vocation, his time spent in Sierra Leone on mission and his lifetime of priestly service. Hopefully this podcast will act as a fitting tribute to a good man, a good priest and a good missionary. 

Missio Scotland's National Director, Fr Vincent Lockhart, speaks to us about his, perhaps, unconventional path to the priesthood, his time spent in Cameroon, the meaning and importance of mission, the work of Missio Scotland and even his ancestral links with Scottish nobility!