MANILA, Nov. 13, 2009— The Columban priests will continue their missionary work in the Philippines, despite the recent kidnapping of elderly priest Fr. Michael Sinnott.

Fr. Patrick O’Donoghue, regional director of the Society of Saint Columban order, said there’s no reason to halt their mission in the country.

But he admitted that Fr. Sinnott’s kidnapping has brought them fears into the securities of all their missionaries in Mindanao.

“The abduction of Fr. Sinnott is a very worrying thing but it would not be our intent or desire at all to let this affect our commitment to the dioceses in which we are in,” Fr. O'Donoghue told CBCPNews.

The 79-year old priest was freed yesterday after being held hostage for 32 days. He was seized on Oct. 11 by six gunmen who barged into the Columban House in Pagadian City.

There are at least 13 Columban Fathers assigned in the archdioceses of Cagayan de Oro and Ozamis and in the Diocese of Pagadian.

The missionaries are involved in various ministries from parish work to interreligious dialogue with the Muslims.

Fr. Sinnott has been in the Philippines since 1976, serving in a variety of pastoral and administrative roles. He also has been advocating for the welfare of disabled children in Pagadian diocese.

With what happened, Fr. O’Donoghue said the Columbans will assess the situation and move forward from that, and decide what is best.

The kidnapping of one of his confrere, he stressed, “is not a deterrent” to their mission thrusts in the country. “It can happen in any country or any place,” he added.

“But Columbans who have worked in Mindanao have tremendous love for the people they’ve worked with and I believe they have been loved in return,” said Fr. O’ Donoghue.

“I would like to think that for many of us, it strengthened our resolved to remain committed to where we are,” he said. (Roy Lagarde)