Auckland, New Zealand, 23 July 2017 -- Bishop of Kalay (Myanmar) Most Rev. Felix Lian Khen Thang, the Vice-President of the Catholic Bishops Conference of Myanmar, visited first time ever New Zealand. Two Salesians based in Auckland, Massey - Fr Aleki Piula SDB and Fr Joseph Pham hosted him at St. Paul priest house from the 19th to 23rd of this month. Last year he planned to do his first visitation and meet also Fr William Mathews (Burmese migrants chaplain in New Zealand and our new Provincial-elect of Australia-Pacific) at our Massey parish.
Last Saturday afternoon Bishop Felix offered himself to hear confessions at St Paul Church. He visited every house and gave a blessing with breakfast and lunch in different homes of the Massey 's Myanmar community. The Burmese community was very happy to receive their own Bishop to their newly home of New Zealand.
There were present also some parish community members in Massey and a lot of young people involved as Altar servers. Finally Bishop Felix is planning in the future probably send some seminarian or priest to look after this group. In Auckland Myanmar community has one Eucharist on the second Sunday of every month (2 PM St Paul parish church).
We are happy that another migrant group here in multicultural diocese of Auckland (160 nationalities in all!) we get their own pastor who can accompany them on their journey of life and faith.
