Workshop on Catholic Social Teaching for Clergy of Diocese of Pathein, Myanmar

Workshop on Catholic Social Teaching for Clergy of Diocese of Pathein, Myanmar -

Seminary strives for self-sufficiency

A slump in foreign funding of seminaries is forcing cash-strapped local Church authorities to start relying on their own devices.

Around 20 minor seminaries across the country are believed to be affected.

Support for minor seminaries from international donors has been on the wane for several years now, says Father John Bosco, rector of the Sacred Heart Minor Seminary in Pathein diocese.

As a result we have been adopting long-term self-sufficiency programs he added.

Since 2006 Pathein diocese has been growing its own rice in a 5-hectare paddy field. This project alone covers 50 percent of the minor seminary’s monthly expenses.

Father John Bosco said expenses usually come to around US$1,000 per month.

Another project is a vehicle workshop and has two ex-seminarians working there

“Currently we’re not making a profit since most of the cars we repair are owned by the diocese. But we aim to make money in the future,” Father John Bosco said.

The seminary serves high school and university level students.

High school level students are asked to pay 50,000 kyat (US$50) per year and university level students have to pay 20,000 kyat to cover food, stationary and tuition fees according to said the rector.

Currently there are some 55 seminarians at the seminary.

“We ask only small contributions from seminarians because they might be put off trying for the priesthood if we charged too much like regular boarding schools,” Father John Bosco explained.

Former seminarians from the diocese are also helping out during these hard times.

Francis Ye Lwin 56, president of the ex-seminarians association, said each former seminarian in the association is looking to provide a rice bag per year.

We are also encouraging donations from local parishioner he said.

“I believe the seminary will be able to cope when outside assistance stops,” Ye Lwin added.

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Karuna ends Nargis relief programs

Karuna Social Service (KPSS) in Myanmar has placed responsibility for continued recovery efforts in Nargis affected areas in the hands of local villagers ending three years of emergency assistance.

The Catholic Church’s social arm staged the handover to the Village Development Recovery Committee (VDRC) at a special two-day ceremony at the Sacred Heart Minor seminary compound in Mayanchaung, Pathein diocese.

About 100 VDRC members from 21 villages in the Irrawaddy Delta attended the “evaluation and handover” gathering, yesterday and today.

Father Henry Eikhlein, director of the KPSS, described the gathering as a meeting of family members and to hand over Karuna’s tasks to the villagers thereby ending one chapter and starting another.

“Our main aim at this gathering is to have good relationship with the villagers from VDRC and have good discussions,” Raymond Soe Lay, a KPSS livelihood project worker told ucanews.com.

The villagers were able to draw up development programs with us during the two day program, Soe Lay said.

“It’s good to have self-reliance and to be free from depending on others,” Bishop John Hsane Hgyi of Pathein diocese said.

Karuna has done many things to help them over the last three years, now it’s time for villagers to take responsibility and work for the development of their own villages, he said.

“I feel very sad Karuna is stopping their programs but it’s time for us to look after ourselves,” Joseph Than Win, the VRDC leader of Tayokegone village said.

More than 140,000 people died and hundreds of thousands of homes were destroyed when Cyclone Nargis struck the delta in May 2008.

Cyclone Nargis prompts new healthcare plan

Published Date: December 21, 2010

MYANMAR: Bishop John Hsane Hgyi of Pathein diocese, priests and Religious nuns, 43 doctors, nurses and health workers helped organize a diocesan medical team and health knowledge sharing program on that began on Monday and will end tomorrow.

Monsignor Maurice Nyunt Wai, vicar general of Pathein diocese, said the cyclone Nargis triggered the healthcare idea that originated 10 years ago.

“We organized the medical team with the aim of networking between church-run clinics in Pathein and health workers from different parishes to carry out effectively in healthcare awareness,” Father Henry Eikhlein, director of Karuna Pathein Social Service (KPSS) told ucanews.com.

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Church builds cyclone shelter in Myanmar

A cyclone-proof school and storm shelter built by the Church would have saved lives when typhoon Nargis tore through the Irrawaddy delta in Myanmar, local villagers say.

“We do really thank the Church for helping us regardless of religion,” said U Tin Aye, a Buddhist farmer from Marlargone village, one of the hardest-hit places by the cyclone.

He added that Nargis destroyed all the village houses and floods have swept away 283 out of the village’s 519 residents.

Father Henry Eikhlein, Karuna Pathein Social Service (KPSS) director, said they took the example from Bangladesh’s disaster risk reduction strategy and built a primary school that can serve as a shelter.

He added that although KPSS, the local Catholic Church’s social service agency, had assisted villagers with food items, clothing, medicines and housing, shelters are the most important aid to be given to them.

An engineer explained that while the structure is designed as a primary school, more than 200 people can take shelter in it in case of natural disasters.

About 200 people attended the cyclone shelter’s opening ceremony held in Marlargone village on Nov. 17, including the KPSS director and his staff, local authorities and the villagers.