Bishop Smith on pastoral visit to Burma

Bishop Smith continues his journey to Burma this week, seeing at first hand various projects supported by the Diocese of Meath. His itinerarytakes him from the capital city in the South to the recently-established Diocese of Banmaw, along the northern border with China.

Crowds have enthusiastically welcomed Bishop Smith to their communities. On several occasions, he praised the resilience of the people and their hope for the future. “Your courage and resilience is an expression of your faith”, he said “which inspires you to share generously with others and work together for a better future”.

The Bishop preached at Mass in the newly opened Saint Patrick’s Church in the Parish of Momauk, which was built with contributions from communities in the Diocese of Meath.

Paying tribute to the Irish Columban missionaries who have worked in the region and sowed the seeds of faith for several generations, Bishop Smith said “it is a very special and poignant moment for me to stand here following inthe footsteps of my fellow Irish people who found the courage and trust to come here to proclaim the good news of Christ. They gave their lives in this endeavour, inviting you to walk the same path of faith, that path mapped out for us in Jesus Christ. Many of them rest here in Burmese soil, far from their homeland. I feel very humbled as I reflect on the immense courage and witness to faith given by these Irish priests and religious sisters.”

Among the projects supported by the Diocese of Meath, Trócaire and the Society of Saint Columban are youth leadership and vocational training programmes and boarding houses for student education. Also visited by Bishop Smith was the first HIV hospice centre in Northern Burma, run by Irish Columban Sister Mary Dillon from Co. Clare.

Speaking at Mass to a packed Saint Patrick’s Cathedral (on Saturday morning at 6:00am!), Bishop Raymond Sumlut Gam said: “Our people have a very strong sense of being close to the Irish because you have helped us in so many ways. Your visit is a great occasion for us and I ask you to bring home with you our sincerest appreciation for the generosity and faith of our friends in Ireland”.

 

 

 

Background

Over recent years, the Diocese of Meath has supported several projects in Burma.

The projects include the building of Saint Patrick’s Church in Momauk and providing emergency relief after Cyclone Nargis last year, when a Meath diocesan collection raised over €130,000.

The major project supported by the Diocese of Meath, in conjunction with the Columban Fathers, provides 18 boarding houses for 350 students in Northern Burma.

All of the Diocese’s funds for this year’s contribution to the project came from donations received from parishes and individuals by Bishop Smith for his silver jubilee celebration earlier this year.

This project provides a place for poor students from remote areas to live while they attend the local school. Without them they would have no access to education. Boarding houses have always been an important part of the Church’s educational strategy. When the Columbans were in Banmaw, these were places where students could live and then go to the school that was operated by the Church. However the government now runs all the schools and the quality of education has suffered.

Bishop Smith explains that “this project gives the Church an opportunity to offer some formation to the students who attend the local schools. Hopefully it will play a small role in preparing young people to play an active role in the Church and society, now and into the future.” Every effort is being made to ensure that these boarding houses are suitably equipped and maintained, with proper standards of child-friendly care and supervision.

 

Assistance is also given to five schools for Burmese migrant children from St Colmcille’s NS (Gainstown), St Michael’s BNS (Trim), Scoil Mhuire (Navan), O’Growney NS (Athboy) and Donacarney GNS (Mornington).

This link continues the work already done by the Irish Church – principally the Society of Saint Columban and Trócaire – in the region. In the 1930s, the Society of Saint Columban was asked by the Pope to open a mission in Burma. Its first Bishop was Bishop John Howe and, when he retired from all his labours, he came back to live out his days at Dalgan Park.

Other residents now living at Dalgan Park who have also served in Burma include Fr. Michael Healy, Fr. Owen O’Leary, Fr Colm Murphy and Fr. David Wall. Bishop Smith will visit Dalgan Park upon his return to celebrate the feast of their patron, St Columbanus, on 23 November.

 

Letter of thanks from Burma:

Last month, Bishop Smith received a letter from Archbishop Paul Grawng, President of the Bishops’ Conference in Burma. Mgr Grawng succeeded Irish-born Bishop John Howe in his diocese.

The following is an extract from the letter:

I am writing to thank you for your most generous donation when Cyclone Nargis hit our country. Your donation was much appreciated and it was forwarded immediately to the Myanmar Disaster Relief Committee, which was an umbrella organization set up by the Catholic Church to bring the various organizations and groups together to respond more effectively to the crisis situation in which we found ourselves.

As you can imagine in the aftermath of the cyclone people were in dire need of just basic necessities such as clean water, food, tarpaulin for temporary shelter, blankets, mosquito nets and basic medicine. The Relief group got into action very quickly and truckloads of volunteers carrying supplies went to the people most in need. It was time of great struggle and pain for our people but also time of grace and solidarity when people worked side by side to help the needy people.

Your generous donation helped to finance all of this as well as the rehabilitation work which continues on to the present as villages are being reconstructed and the people receive counselling and other support to cope with the traumatic effects of the cyclone.

For us in the Catholic Church we appreciated very much the sense of solidarity with the universal church and your care and concern as well as your financial help that touched our people and us.

Gratefully yours in Christ,

Archbishop Paul Grawng,
President, Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Burma

 

 

Further information from:

Mrs Irene Connaughton
Diocesan Office
Dublin Road
Mullingar
County Westmeath

Tel 044-9348841