Yangon – Tribulation and uncertainty have not extinguished hope within Myanmar’s Catholic community. As the country endures a period marked by conflict, displacement, poverty and uncertainty, new vocations to the priesthood and consecrated life continue to emerge in the Catholic Church. In dioceses and religious communities, in the month of August, celebrations filled with promise were held: three new priests, four new deacons, two young women consecrated to religious life and a new coadjutor bishop. “These are tangible signs of a Church that, even amid hardship and suffering, looks to the future with trust in the Lord and continues to proclaim and bear witness to hope,” Bernardino Ne Ne, the new coadjutor bishop of Taungoo and former national director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Myanmar, told Fides.
On 14 August, at the Salesian Novitiate of Nazareth in Pyin Oo Lwin, in the Archdiocese of Mandalay, two deacons were ordained priests. Fr John Phyo Thura Aung SDB and Fr Freymoe Win SDB received priestly ordination from Cardinal Charles Maung Bo, Archbishop of Yangon, in a celebration marked by joy, gratitude and hope for the future of the Church in Myanmar. In his homily, Cardinal Bo reminded the two new priests that the priesthood is a calling received from God, quoting Christ’s words in the Gospel: “You did not choose me, but I chose you.” The Cardinal entrusted the young priests with a mission that takes on particular significance in a country scarred by divisions and wounds: to be “bridges, not walls”, especially in their ministry among young people.
The following day, 15 August, the Church of Yangon, the metropolitan archdiocese, welcomed another priest: Fr Stephen Aung Zay Zey Ya Moe, OSM, who was ordained at St Francis Xavier Church in Thanlyin by Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Wai Lin Htun. His journey has taken him through Myanmar, India and Rome: he entered the Servants of Mary in 2012, received his formation in India, pursued theological and Mariological studies in Rome, made his perpetual profession and finally became a priest. “The priest does not belong to himself, but to the universal Church. He is called to be a sign of unity and hope,” the Bishop stressed, recalling the mission to “reach out to people, console those who suffer, encourage the discouraged, and promote peace and unity”.
Hope is also taking shape in the Diocese of Hakha, in the far north-west of the country. On 4 August, the feast of St John Mary Vianney, patron saint of diocesan priests, four candidates were ordained deacons at St Joseph’s Cathedral: two diocesans and two members of the Missionaries of the Little Way of St Thérèse, a religious family inspired by St Thérèse of Lisieux. During the celebration, attended by more than 500 faithful, Bishop Lucius Hre Kung stressed that holiness is not measured by academic excellence, but by love for God, humility and zeal for the salvation of souls. “We may not excel in our studies,” he said, “but what we need is to possess the virtues of St John Vianney: love for the faithful and zeal for their salvation.” For the new deacons, this means entering into the lives of communities whose members are seeking spiritual comfort, assistance and concrete closeness. For the Missionaries of the Little Way of St Thérèse, the ordinations also represent a further step in the growth of their missionary presence in the diocese: this is the second time that members of the community have been ordained deacons in Hakha.
The vitality of the Church in Myanmar can also be seen in the country’s female consecrated life. The pastoral and charitable contribution of women religious congregations is now crucial in diocesan communities across the country. On 11 August, at Saints Peter and Paul Church in Nanthagone, Insein, in the Archdiocese of Yangon, two young women made their first profession as Sisters of St Vincent de Paul: Sr Maria Lydwine Hkawn Bu, from the Diocese of Myitkyina, and Sr Maria Ephrem Eugenie, from the Diocese of Loikaw. Before the community, they professed the vows of chastity, poverty and obedience, choosing to follow Christ through consecrated life and service. Bishop Raymond Wai Lin Htun reminded them that religious life is “a visible witness to the Kingdom of God” and that, at a time when family and social relationships can also be marked by division and hardship, “community life is called to become a place of love, forgiveness and sharing”. Their mission is rooted in the charism of St Vincent de Paul and is therefore directed towards serving the poor, the sick, the vulnerable and the elderly. In a Myanmar currently facing severe economic and social difficulties, the consecration of these two young women is a concrete expression of their willingness to stand alongside the most vulnerable.
There was also another highly significant celebration for the local Church: On 6 August, the feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord, Fr Bernardino Ne Ne was ordained coadjutor bishop of the Diocese of Taungoo at the Sacred Heart Cathedral in Taungoo, a city in central Myanmar. The celebration was presided over by Cardinal Charles Bo, with Archbishop Basilio Athai and Bishop Celso Ba Shwe serving as co-consecrators.
The Gospel account of the Transfiguration provided the key for interpreting this moment in the life of the Church in Myanmar. Cardinal Bo recalled that the light of the Transfiguration was given to the disciples before the Passion, in order to prepare them to face suffering. Today, he observed, “the people of Myanmar are passing through a true valley of tears”, amid poverty, displacement, conflict and uncertainty. Yet “the light of Christ continues to shine in the darkness”, he added. The new Bishop was called to make that light visible through his closeness to the people: by consoling the wounded, reconciling divided communities, encouraging those living in fear, and standing alongside the poor and migrants. “The Bishop bears witness to and carries the light of Christ, not his own,” Cardinal Bo recalled. Andrea Ferrante, the papal representative in Myanmar, also urged the new Pastor “to make God’s love visible and to bring his peace with courage, joy and humility”.
Bishop Bernardino’s episcopal motto, “Magnificat anima mea,” reflects the same perspective. “I have come to this diocese to walk with the people of God in the footsteps of Christ,” he said, asking for prayers, encouragement, patience and understanding, and inviting the faithful to “walk together in faith, hope and charity”.
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