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Colleen Coughlin
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Aguayos y Incuñas |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Monday, 28 March 2011 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Holy Childhood Association Coordinator and Website Manager.
It’s always a pleasure to welcome Msgr. David Ratermann into our office. Msgr. Ratermann is co-founder of the Latin America Apostolate, having been one of the first three St. Louis priest missionaries to travel to Bolivia and establish a mission there in 1956. You would think that it would be intimidating to be in the presence of such an amazing, inspiring missionary, right?! But no such worries when it comes to Msgr. Ratermann! He is so incredibly humble, easygoing, and full of knowledge and words of wisdom that you can’t help but be drawn to him! We’re always in for a treat when he stops by our office.
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A Papua New Guinea Evening |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Friday, 23 July 2010 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 What an amazing night of food, fun, and fellowship we had last night! The Mission Office was invited to spend an evening with representatives of the Diocese of Daru-Kiunga in Papua New Guinea, whom we support through the Missionary Plan of Cooperation. We had the pleasure of seeing our good friend, Fr. Jose, again – and meeting Bishop Cote, Fr. Andrew, Jo Ann, and Pearl for the first time. It was a wonderful opportunity to have a delicious dinner and to learn more about the work that is going on in Papua New Guinea.
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Off to the Windy City! |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Thursday, 22 April 2010 |
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Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 Hi Everyone!
This year's National Meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies is being held in the Windy City - Chicago, Illinois! Msgr. Francis Blood, Sue Spavale, and I will be attending this year's meeting, which will take place from Tuesday, April 27th through Thursday, April 29th. Be sure to visit the official website of the National Meeting - www.pmsnatmtg.org - for the inside scoop, as blogs, video, commentary, and much more will be posted during our three days together!
Msgr. Blood will be presenting the results of our recent St. Louis Mission Congress that we hosted on April 10th. We have a great PowerPoint that we will be showing, in addition to his presentation. We're really looking forward to sharing how the Archdiocese of St. Louis is involved in mission - and learning how other (arch)dioceses around the country are involved, too!
Hope to see you online next week!
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World Mission Month is Underway! |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Wednesday, 14 October 2009 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 It’s that time of year again! While many of us think of October as the month for autumn, pumpkins, and Halloween, it is also the month dedicated to world missions. Both around the world and here in the Archdiocese of St. Louis, World Mission Month was kicked off in style!
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A Guide to Flags From Around the World |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Wednesday, 08 July 2009 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 For anyone who likes history, international relations, and the study of flags, I have a recommendation for a great book – “The Directory of Flags: A Guide to Flags From Around the World” by Charlotte Greig. I recently started reading this book, and it’s turning out to be quite a helpful little directory to have on hand! The back cover reads, “For thousands of years, flags have been used to identify countries and cultures, people and places. Today, the flags of the world can provide a key to discovering each country’s national identity and history in the international community. By turning the pages of this directory, you will be taken on an enlightening journey across the globe.” Each section of the book is dedicated to a different area of the world, taking us through the Americas, Europe, Asia, Africa, and Oceania – thus allowing us to discover the history, background, meanings, colors, and religious undertones of all the flags of the world!
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One Family in Mission: A Follow-up Blog |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Monday, 11 May 2009 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 Hi Everyone -- I'd like to share a follow-up blog that I wrote for our 2009 Pontifical Mission Societies National Meeting website. The meeting was such a great experience, and I'm so thankful to have been a part of it. If you'd like to learn more about the meeting, click on the link above (check out the "Live @ Meeting" link), or visit our Mission News page to read more, watch videos, and view photo galleries. Here's the blog:
How do I even begin to sum up the experiences of the 2009 Pontifical Mission Societies National Meeting? All I can say is that this year’s meeting – my first meeting ever – was one of the best experiences of my life! Never before have I been surrounded by such a wonderful, kind, passionate, and dedicated group of people. I enjoyed meeting every person, hearing every story, and seeing how all of our mission efforts – whether we are in St. Louis, Detroit, India, or Fiji – are truly making a difference in the lives of people around the world.
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National Meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies in St. Louis! |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Friday, 24 April 2009 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 Hi Everyone! Be sure to go online April 28-30, as we host the National Meeting of the Pontifical Mission Societies! There will be opportunities to view live blogs and commentary throughout the meeting, beginning on Tuesday, April 28. The official meeting website of the Pontifical Mission Societies - www.pmsnatmtg.org - has a “Live @ Meeting” link. I will be posting some blogs about our internet sessions. National office staff members from New York will also be posting the latest news on their Twitter website - www.twitter.com/1missionfamily. You don't have to be a member of Twitter to view this page, so be sure and check it out!
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Poverty in India – Up Close and Personal |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Friday, 17 April 2009 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 A few weeks ago, I had the experience of seeing both a TV show and a movie in which the poverty in India was brought to the forefront – the March 22nd episode of “The Amazing Race” and the award-winning film “Slumdog Millionaire.” The one thing that struck me in both of these shows, as I’m sure it struck many other people, was the image of the outright poverty in India. I’ve seen photos and heard stories about the bleak conditions in this country before, and I’ve always known that there was dire poverty … but never before did such images have as much of an impact as these did. There was a difference, in that “The Amazing Race” showed real footage of the poverty in India, while “Slumdog Millionaire” showed filmed scenes. But, both brought to mind that these images actually ARE a reality for millions of people living in India each day.
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Give Back and Give Up |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Friday, 27 March 2009 |
Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
As we now move into the second half of Lent, I’ve noticed that one common theme seems to keep reappearing wherever I go. Homilies, discussions, and even Lenten blogs that I’ve come across all seem to have the same focus this year: to GIVE BACK, rather than to simply GIVE UP.
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Take Your Time |
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Written by Colleen Coughlin
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Wednesday, 25 February 2009 |
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Colleen is a staff member at the Mission Office. She is the Website Editor and the Coordinator for the Holy Childhood Association.
 In my office, I have a small collection of comic strips and magnets with funny and inspirational sayings. Every day, I am greeted by Garfield, the Family Circus, Speed Bump clowns, and Noah. Wait … Noah? How did he get in there? Yes, I do have a funny little magnet featuring Noah and the Ark. It was a gift from my dad – one of the many little trinkets he brought home with him over the years from his job at Catholic Supply. He always enjoyed anything with humor in it, and when he found this line of funny religious magnets, boy, he thought he had hit the jackpot! As you can see from the magnet, the rains are pouring, the land is flooding, and the skies are dark with clouds. Noah is chest-deep in water, while the snails are just taking their good old sweet time getting to the ark. At first glance, it’s pretty silly – we all know the story of Noah and the Ark! Noah had to get those animals moving, and fast! But, how often have I felt like those poor little snails? Times where I have been overwhelmed with work, home, family, and friends. Sometimes it feels like I just can’t move fast enough. I know something big or important is ahead of me, but no matter how hard I try, I can’t seem to catch it and I can’t make it in time. I’m sure we’ve all been there before. While the magnet is silly and Noah is obviously being sarcastic, his words do ring true – “Take Your Time.”
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Archdiocese of St. Louis: Mission Office
20 Archbishop May Drive, Saint Louis, MO 63119 • missions@archstl.org
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