Parishioners, living as refugees in the jungles of Myanmar, band together to build a new school. - Photo: Fr Leo Schumacher SSC
In 2020, Fr M* was looking forward to celebrating the 25th anniversary of his ordination.
Ordained in 1995, he was one of the first priests from Myanmar to volunteer to work with the Columbans and was assigned to Peru. Always with a missionary mindset, he took on difficult assignments on his return to his own diocese. And so, in 2020, he found himself in a remote jungle parish not far from the Thai border and making plans for his 25th anniversary celebration. It was not to be. First came the COVID-19 pandemic in that year, followed by political disturbances in 2021.
His remote parish became a conflict zone, and the local people could no longer stay safely in their villages. The people had to flee their homes and move further into the jungle. Thanks to Fr M’s leadership and assistance from the church, they were able to receive temporary accommodation and food. Even under these terrible conditions, the parents were determined their children would receive an education.
Using bamboo, wood and plastic sheeting, they were able to erect some rough buildings to use as classrooms sufficient for preschoolers all the way up to teenagers. The name they settled on for this new education centre was “Spring”. As Fr M explained to me, “Spring is a time of new life when seeds begin to grow, and people plant crops to feed their families. The villagers want their children to not lose hope and, through study, to grow, even if they are living as refugees in the jungle.”
The dedication and courage shown by so many people in such difficult situations is the inspiration behind the project Seeds of Hope. Several Catholic groups in Japan who have been supporting the church in Myanmar are raising funds for over 400 community education centres that have been set up in conflict zones throughout Myanmar. With few resources, they are educating the children and planting seeds of hope for the future.
Fr M has now moved to a new location, where once again he is encouraging the people to build a new community centre - a place to educate not only the children but adults as well. For Fr M, “Spring is not so much a time of year but a belief in the new life that Christ promises each one of us.”
By the way, Fr M never did get to celebrate the 25th anniversary of his ordination, but he did celebrate his 55th birthday at the end of 2022 with the children of “Spring Education Centre”, their smiling faces no doubt being the best present of all!
(*For security concerns, full names are not used, and photos have been adjusted.)
Columban Fr Leo Schumacher lives and works in Japan.
Listen to "Spring” in the jungle: a seeds of hope project"
Related links
- Read more from The Far East - May 2024
