By Soccom Myanmar

Anisakan-Pyin Oo Lwin, Myanmar, 30 April 2024 -- The vice-province of Myanmar is blessed with some senior confreres who have sacrificed their whole lives for the Salesian mission in the country, facing all challenges and trials, but at last, overcoming everything. Having a senior Salesian in the province is a great blessing for the province and a strength for young Salesians. It is also one of the sources for more new vocations in the land.

On 28 April 2024, we witnessed the jubilee celebration of Fr Maurice Vallence, SDB, who thanked God for the 60 years of his consecrated life and 50 years of his priesthood. About one thousand the congregation, including the two Salesian bishops_Cardinal Charles Bo and Bishop Lucas Dau Ze, priests and religious, came together to thank the Lord with him in the holy Mass at the shrine of MHC, Anisakan-Pyin Oo Lwin.

In the homily by Fr Bosco Bo Bo, SDB, he enthusiastically explained the dignity and sacredness of the priesthood by quoting the sayings of different saints and theologians. He also shared the Salesian missionary life that had to go through all kinds of threats and hardships in the early days when the Salesians tried to develop a new mission in the northern part of Shan State, near China's borders. Later, it became the Diocese of Lashio; now, it is under the pastoral leadership of Salesian Bishop Lucas Dau Ze.

At the end of the Mass, Cardinal Charles shared about the beautiful memories he spent together with Fr Maurice at Nazareth school, mingling with some jokes as he thanked him for his good accompaniment and help. Moreover, the superior, Fr Bosco Nyi Nyi, also gave his thanksgiving speech for Fr Maurice for his selfless sacrifice for the vice-province as a pioneer-confrere, a former rector of different communities, and even as a former superior. He thanked all the participants for their availability and said prayers as well. After that, a series of congratulatory programs took place, one after another, and were performed by different youth groups.

The jubilee celebrations ended with joy and smiles on the faces of all the participants as they returned home.

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