Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Yangon (Fides Service) - Recently the Salesian Nazareth House for Aspirants in Anisakan, central Myanmar celebrated its 50 years of service nurturing new vocations to the religious life. Present for the occasion Archbishop Charles Maung Bo of Yangon, himself a Salesian and several other bishops. In these 50 years Nazareth House has forged the vocations of 55 Salesians including that of Archbishop Maung Bo and 20 diocesan priests.
Rev Pascual Chávez, Salesian rector major sent Nazareth House a letter of congratulations and encouragement to continue the good work of nurturing budding vocations. The charisma of St John Bosco continues to draw local boys and young men captivated by Jesus’ message of love and the pastoral care of the Salesians. Ever more numerous they ask to join the Salesian family to become “little evangelisers”.
In Myanmar there are 45 Salesians, 9 novices and many aspirants and the female branch the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians has 25 Sisters in Cambodia and Myanmar, and a good number of novices.
The Church in Myanmar is growing stronger and intensifying its activity of youth pastoral and education with the help of Salesians, Franciscans and Jesuit missionaries. There are 1,300 students in the country’s seminaries and a number of locally founded diocesan religious congregations. The country’s military junta concedes limited freedom to religious minorities in this Buddhist majority country. In a population of 51 million Catholics are 600,000. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 14/3/2007 righe: 27 parole: 274)
