Fr Mcllraith (centre) with Myanmese seminarians Peter (left) and Francis Xavier. - Photo: Fr Donal McIlraith
Any Columban visiting the Kachin or Shan states of the northern areas of the Union of Myanmar hears touching and nostalgic stories from the local people about the priests that served in their Church before political circumstances forced all foreign missionaries to leave the country some 40 years ago.
The legacy of these pioneer Columbans remains highly visible in the robust structures of brick and wooden churches, a thriving academy for catechists, and a strong consciousness among the Catholics of the need to offer good educational and social services, in addition to the vital role the local clergy they promoted has played.
The return to the country of a small number of Columban priests, sisters and lay missionaries after a two-decade hiatus helped reinforce the consciousness among the people of the contribution those of old bequeathed.
This new generation teaches in seminaries, works in the areas of recovery from addiction and basic education, as well as bringing medical expertise to the treatment of AIDS, and assisting in diocesan management and community development projects. Their presence has extended the Columban legacy into a new era.
Around five years ago, two young men from Myanmar joined the Columban formation programme. Both were already seminarians with their local dioceses, but were inspired to follow in the footsteps of the foreign priests that came to serve their own people, by offering their lives to serve those of other nations.
Francis Xavier La Aung Nbwi and Peter Kyaw Zaw have since completed their preliminary studies in Manila, the Philippines, and have been in Fiji getting a good taste of what is involved in the lives of priests that choose to cross the boundaries of language and culture to serve in another land.
Francis Xavier comes from Bhamao in the Kachin State, the place of the first Columban presence in Myanmar, and Peter is from the city of Lashio on the Chinese border, in the neighbouring Shan State, where the Columban memory still lives.
My involvement in teaching at the Pacific Regional Seminary in Suva over past decades has allowed me to build up some expertise in guiding students in formation, so I was asked to coordinate a programme for the two seminarians coming to Fiji for an in-depth immersion into mission life.
Over the years, we have made up a team involving Columbans from Fiji, Ireland and South Korea to host seminarians from Asia and Latin America, so we had confidence we could also provide a positive introduction for these two pioneers from Myanmar.
Fiji uses two major languages other than English. The indigenous people speak Fijian, but the descendants of Indian cane cutters and sugar plantation workers generally opt for Hindi. Although a Fijian dialect of Hindi is in common use, formal language is vogue for important occasions. Hindi has its own script, Devanagari, a necessary component in learning the language. Columban students usually learn Hindi first, as the script makes it the more challenging of the two.
Peter arrived first and studied the Fijian language until Francis Xavier arrived a few weeks later. Their introduction to the country was the ordination of Fijian Columban Fr Teakare Betero on the distant island of Rabi. It took 24 hours to get there by bus and boat. Then together, the two plunged into the mysteries of Hindi with two teachers, one to introduce formal language and teach script, the other, the Fijian brand of the language.
Both stayed with Indo-Fijian families that speak Hindi at home on a daily basis, giving them a baptism of fire and a close-up experience of the local culture.
As Scottish poet, Robert Burns, reminds us, “The best laid schemes o’ mice an’ men’ can well go awry,” and the advent of the coronavirus pandemic ensured that those of the two young seminarians went completely awry.
Fr Mcllraith sharing a meal with Peter and friends. - Photo: Fr Donal McIlraith
It brought a halt to their planned programme and isolation from wider society with other Columban students in Suva. However, it did have an upside in the cementing of friendships among them and the discovery of some highly refined cooking skills.
As Fiji gradually came to grips with the virus and the country achieved a 90 plus percent vaccination rate, things eased sufficiently for Peter and Francis Xavier to travel to the northern island of Vanua Levu, where the Columbans have two parishes, allowing the two new comers to get a feel for ministry in Fijian Church life.
The pair again lived with families, which honed their fluency in Hindi and familiarity with the culture sufficiently to participate with the people in parish life.
On a sad note, the military coup in Myanmar on February 1 last year caused the pair great anguish, especially when communications were cut and they were unable to contact their families and check on their welfare. The coup and coronavirus also conspired to prevent travel between Fiji and Myanmar, robbing them of their scheduled holiday at home.
The two are now in their last year of preparation for ordination. Peter has been able to continue his course in Manila as planned, but Francis Xavier was unable to obtain a Philippine visa and is doing his best with distance education.
Sending missionaries to other countries is a new phase in the Myanmese Church. Two local priests had previously ventured to the Philippines and Latin America to work with the Columbans for a few years, then return to their own dioceses. However, with two Myanmese seminarians on the cusp of ordination as full members of the Columban Society, another era is dawning, and Fiji will certainly reap its benefit.
As a missionary society with a primary goal of bequeathing to the local Church, the embracing of the missionary life by Peter and Francis Xavier is a proud jewel added to the Columban legacy to the Church in Myanmar.
Listen to "A proud Columban legacy to Myanmar"
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- Read more from The Far East - June 2022
