DonBosco

"The Presence of Salesians of Don Bosco in Myanmar"
By Fr. Edward Sein Myint, SDB

Myanmar is a predominantly Buddhist country. 85 % of its habitants are Buddhist. The rest are Hindus, Muslims, Christians, and Catholics are hardly 2% of population of 58 million people. Myanmar has always been under kings’ different dynasties until November 1885 when she was taken by British Empire. It remained like that until 1948 4th of January when she gained independence from Britain. 

The Salesians came to Myanmar in 1939, in January of that year they arrived in Rangoon or Yangon, and to Mandalay. In Mandalay, Fr. Leo Lafon, a very zealous French MEP Father handed over his school, orphanage, and parish of St.Joseph to the Salesians. The School was later named “Lafon’s Memorial High School” to honour this our first benefactor, Fr. Leo Lafon. During the war years, many Salesians were interned in India, Madras Dehra Dhun. After the war, they came back and started the school again, practically from its ashes because Mandalay was bombed by British, and later by Japanese in turns. 

The second House and school were opened in 1981 in Thingangyung, a suburb of Yangon or Rangoon. In 1957, Anisakan opened as an Aspirantate. Of course, the property had been ours since 1948. Anisakan is our Alma Mater. Many of us were trained there. The first batch of Salesians were six: two priests, two clerics, and two coadjutors. Fr. Anthony Alessi was our pioneer and founder. It was he who bought the property at Anisakan. 

 

With the Nationalization of the schools by the military revolutionary council government in April 1965, we lost two prestigious schools: one is in Mandalay, Lafon’s academic and professional school teaching stitching, carpentry, and shoe-making, and one in Thingangyung, Don Bosco. 

The following year, 1966, there was the exodus of missionaries and we lost also our good missionaries and educators. Foreigners were no more allowed to come in. Like that, without any future, without any schools and also without the two parishes, because the local clergy requested us to hand over them to the local church. With no hope, no future, we remained in Anisakan until this little flock of Salesians was given “the Lashio Prefecture” by the Holy See in 1975. 

In 1976 April, with the installation of our first Salesian Prelate Msgr. John Jocelyn Madden and the ordination of Charles Bo and Edward Sein Myint, we started the Prefecture. With just seven priests and a Salesian coadjutor, we ran the whole Prefecture of Lashio, Northern Shan State, bordering on China.  We developed our works and got many vocations. Thus, we survived in spite of everything.  

After the death of Msgr. John Jocelyn Madden in Australia in the car accident, the new Prefect Apostolic was Charles Bo. Lashio became a Diocese in 1990 with the first consecrated Bishop Charles Bo who is now the Cardinal.  He was transferred to the other Dioceses. Then another Bishop took his place, Msgr. Philip, a diocesan and a very zealous Bishop. After him, now the third Bishop, counting from Bishop Charles Bo, is a Salesian Msgr. Lucas Dau Ze. 

Right now, our presences and Houses are all together eleven: 9 canonical erected Houses with Rectors and two presences. So, what is our work or apostolate? With no formal school, we run informal boarding houses, parishes and youth activities; especially during the summer, we teach them music, computer, and other activities in the Salesian Spirit. In that way, we spread the love of Christ, and educational works of Don Bosco through the Preventive System: reason, religion and loving kindness. Indirectly, we are helping the young and the poor of the locality through our Houses and presences. 

Now I would like you to pray for us. When the country is more or less stabilized, we can extend our works and our apostolate for the good of society and the Church in Myanmar.