Columban Fr Dan Harding with participants of the Columban Winter School Holiday Programme in Chile, fostering faith and environmental stewardship. Photo: Fr Dan Harding SSC
COLUMBAN WINTER SCHOOL HOLIDAY PROGRAMME 2025
Nestled on the southern boundary of Santiago, the Columban parish of San Matias exists in one of the city’s most socially and economically disadvantaged areas. It is a region frequently highlighted in the evening news for violent crime, daily murders, and clashes between rival drug trafficking gangs.
Safety concerns restrict movement, even during the day, and employment opportunities remain scarce, forcing workers to travel up to two hours each way for jobs in distant parts of the city.
For parents working long hours, school holidays present an additional burden: finding someone to care for their children. In response, the Catholic Church initiated school holiday programmes in the 1970s to support children from marginalised communities. Known as Colonias Urbanas (Urban Colonies), these programmes provided a safe space for recreation, education, and nourishment. Over time, they have evolved to incorporate child rights awareness, safeguarding practices, and abuse prevention protocols.
In July 2023, around 60 children from San Matias participated in a week-long school holiday programme. Each day began with breakfast, morning prayer, and engaging workshops. After a nutritious lunch, the children rotated to different afternoon workshops before concluding the day with evening prayer and a light meal.
Among the highlights were workshops led by Korean Columban seminarians Ambrosio Shim and Pepe Seung, who introduced the children to Korean cooking. Short-term mission volunteers Danny Sweeney (Manchester, England), Josh Egan (County Tipperary, Ireland), and youth leader Francisco Martinez (San Columbano Parish, Santiago) conducted self-defence, ball skills, Irish football, general fitness, and rugby union workshops, which proved extremely popular.
A field trip to the Natural History Museum and Our Lady of Lourdes Basilica and Sanctuary was particularly memorable for the children - many of whom were visiting such places for the first time. The week ended with a special Eucharistic celebration, during which parents and children expressed their eagerness for a similar event in the future. Encouraged by its success, San Matias parish priest Fr Genovio Cho enthusiastically supported another programme for 2025.
In July 2025, the children of San Matias Parish will embark on a new school holiday programme under the theme “Caring for God’s Creation - Our Home, with All Its Biodiversity”. This theme resonates deeply with the Missionary Society of St Columban, aligning with one of our key mission priorities.
Most of the children come from neighbourhoods characterised by overcrowded, deteriorating apartment buildings or small, tightly packed houses. Green spaces are almost non-existent, and waste management is a pressing issue. However, alongside these urban hardships, the children live near breathtaking natural landscapes.
To the east, less than 10 kilometres away, rise the snow-capped Andes Mountains - the second-highest mountain range in the world, after the Himalayas. To the west, 15 kilometres away, lies the Coastal Mountain Range. These areas are home to Chile’s remarkable wildlife, including pumas, foxes, chinchillas, condors, and native marsupials. This diverse environment will serve as inspiration for art workshops, where children will create drawings, paintings, paper mâché models, and biodiversity charts.
The programme will take place at one of the nine chapel communities of San Matias Parish, which offers ample facilities, including classrooms, a large kitchen, and outdoor areas. It was successfully used for the 2023 holiday programme and remains an ideal venue for the upcoming initiative.
Two Columban seminarians, one from the Philippines and another from Korea, will take part in the programme. Their presence will enrich the children’s learning experience and foster a deeper connection with the global Columban community.
A key feature of the 2025 programme will be two major excursions that allow the children to witness first-hand the beauty and biodiversity of God’s creation.
The first excursion will be a day at the Batuco Wetlands, located north of Santiago, a sanctuary for numerous species of waterfowl, amphibians, and reptiles. The children will hike along boardwalks surrounding the lagoon, observing freshwater fish, mammals such as the Coipo and Quique, and Chile’s iconic, black-necked swans. They will document their observations through sketches and photography. Additionally, local ecological groups will conduct workshops on the importance of wetland conservation and the threats faced by this delicate ecosystem.
The second excursion will take the children to the coastal town of Algarrobo, where they will experience the rich biodiversity of the Pacific Ocean. Here, they will encounter Humboldt and Magellanic penguins, sea lions, dolphins, otters, and numerous seabirds. As with the wetland visit, local ecological groups will lead workshops on marine conservation and ecosystem protection.
Throughout the week, morning and evening prayers will be dedicated to giving thanks for the beauty of creation. These moments of reflection will emphasise the responsibility we all share in caring for God’s Earth.
The 2025 school holiday programme at San Matias Parish promises to be an unforgettable journey, blending faith, education, and environmental awareness. Through hands-on experiences and immersive learning, the children will not only explore the wonders of God’s creation but also develop a deeper appreciation for their role in safeguarding our planet. In a world where many of them face daily hardships, this programme will offer hope, inspiration, and the chance to discover beauty beyond their immediate surroundings.
With the enthusiastic support of Fr Genovio Cho and the Columban community, this initiative will once again provide a safe, enriching, and faith-filled experience for the children of San Matias Parish - one that they will carry with them for a lifetime.
Columban Fr Dan Harding lives and works in Chile.
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - May 2025
