From the Editor - Momentous News

From the Editor "It is the early morning of Easter in Myanmar,” said Cardinal Bo, the Archbishop of Yangon, in his Easter message this year. He was referring to the return of democracy on March 30, after 50 years of authoritarian military rule. This is momentous news for all the people of Myanmar, for the Myanmar Church and for our Columban mission team there.

Columbans Frs Pat O’Donoghue and Neil Magill write about the return to democracy in Myanmar. They are part of a new Columban team which returned there in 2015 after an absence of 36 years. Fr Pat also writes about the visit to the grave of Columban Fr John Walsh by his niece and nephew. He was murdered in 1964, most probably by the military.

As well as the momentous news from Myanmar, this June issue of The Far East offers many other interesting stories from around the world.

Writing from Santiago, Chile, Columban Fr Michael Hoban, shares with us the efforts of 17 parishes in poor areas to offer over 1,500 underprivileged children a summer holiday programme involving games, workshops, excursions, faith formation and nutritious meals. From Lima, Peru, Columban Fr Bernard Lane writes of the ongoing difficulties of violence, corruption and poverty that plague the country.

Two Catholic primary schools in Melbourne have made tremendous efforts to reach out to those in need in Peru and Chile. St Christopher’s Primary School, Airport West, has raised over $36,000 for the Manual Duato School for children with special needs in Lima, Peru.

St Vincent de Paul Primary School, Strathmore, raised over $12,000 from their Walkathon for a native tree reforestation project amongst indigenous Pehuenche families on the high slopes of the Andes mountain range 850 kilometres south of Santiago, Chile. This is the third year they have raised money for this project. The Columbans, in the name of those who benefit in Peru and Chile by the hard work of these primary school children, offer a big thank you to the children, parents and staff of these two schools.
 
Columban Fr Charles Rue and Hanna Cifuentes, from the Columban Mission Institute in Sydney, write about the serious problem of human-induced Climate Change. Hanna writes of her growth in awareness regarding it. Fr Charles writes about the recent DivestInvest Conference held in Sydney. Today smart investment money is moving away from fossil fuel dependence to alternative energy resources.

What does a semi-retired Columban priest do? Columban Fr Reg Howard shows how busy and challenging semi-retirement can be.

The Far East staff, Columbans and our subscribers congratulate the people of Myanmar on their return to democracy after 50 dark years. In a special way, let us remember to support and pray for, Myanmar, in these very early days of democracy.

Fr Daniel Harding
tfe@columban.org.au

Read more from The Far East, June 2016