By Fr. Andrew Yan Naing Win, SDB

Yangon, Myanmar, 17 August -- More than 50 years after the nationalization of the Christian school in Burma, the Catholic Church in Myanmar does experience a new spring. Under the new government guided by Aung San Suu Kyi are slowly growing the first signs of social commitment of the Church (Caritas Myanmar officially registered and first education institutions coming up) also the Salesian are able to contribute to this movement.

Upon the invitation of the archbishop of Yangon, Card. Charles Bo, SDB the Salesians were entrusted in 2012 with a depressed and poor migrant area of Yangon – Hlaing Thar Yar, Parish of Holy Infant Jesus of Prague. Just few years ago it was entrusted to us as a humble wooden chapel, now the 318 families enjoy a large spacious Church building. And in the same time with the help of the Rector Major and VIS-Italy we were able to build up the basic structure for the first Don Bosco Vocation Training Center in Yangon.

Although we are only two confreres – myself and Fr. Basil – we are happy to have also a 4 FMA community in our parish. Sisters are involved in the kindergarten and tuition center. During the rainy season their house is almost under water. The new infrastructure in the VTC can accommodate 5 more confreres, so we hope and pray for more consistent community – the second one in Yangon.

We were happy to start slowly three sections of the VTC – English Class, Welding and Computer Section. During the recent extraordinary visitation of our EAO regional councilor we have distributed the certificate (under the affiliated MCC institute) to first batch of 25 graduates. Only 4 of them are Catholics. We are happy to serve the youth in this very poor territory! Our welding shop is also busy with the orders from quite few parishes of the archdiocese and so the name of Don Bosco is spread around through the welding products. Living together with 20 boarders in the VTC creates a fine Salesian environment.

Of course, we have just started, there are still many steps to do in order to developed a true Salesian Parish – we dream about a simple parish hall and space for catechesis and groups. In the Vocation Training Center we still need to work on the civil registration of this institution and to complete the structures and equipment – even the outside wall is not yet complete.

Former capital of Myanmar – Yangon – has a population of 12 million, among them about 70.000 Catholics: 42 parishes, 103 priests, 39 major seminarians, 86 catechists and 65 religious congregations – 365 sisters and 35 men religious.

Present SDB provincial house is located near the major seminary and the Hlaing Thar Yar Don Bosco (Parish and VTC) are at about 45 minute drive distance from former formation community for theology students.

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