It was the moment in which the Society of Jesus finally came to life in Myanmar: the ordination of the country’s first ever Jesuit priest, Fr Wilbert Mireh SJ. Watching on among the throngs of faithful who packed Christ the King Cathedral in Loikaw, in Kayah State in the country’s east on May 1, Myanmar scholastic William-Paul gave quiet thanks for an event whose implications would reverberate far beyond the people who had gathered here to witness it.
“Before that, we were waiting a long time to have a Jesuit priest,” said William-Paul after the event. “Now it’s a kind of light, a kind of clear and obvious blessing from God and a sign that the Society of Jesus is really born in Myanmar.”
The mood in Loikaw reflected the enormity of the event: on the eve of the ordination, friends, neighbours and visitors from afar poured into the home of Wilbert’s parents where a rich, celebratory feast had been prepared; the following morning they formed a procession alongside traditional dancers, musicians, members of the lay and church community and two other local men, Joseph Sureh and Patrick Boreh, who were to become diocesan priests. The turnout reflected the strength and fortitude of the local Catholic community in Loikaw – a characteristic singled out for praise by the Superior of the Myanmar Mission and President of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, Fr Mark Raper SJ.
“It’s a time when the faith of the people rises up and touches the heart of God,” he told those assembled for the ordination mass. “A priest needs to develop and grow deep roots, and that happens best where the faith is deep.”
It had taken 473 years – the lifespan of the Jesuits – for this ordination to come about. Although Portuguese Jesuits brought Catholicism to the erstwhile kingdom of Pegu and American Jesuits worked in the then-Burma in the 1950s and 60s, the country’s intractable political situation prevented the society from flourishing. Since the Jesuits’ return to Myanmar in 1998 they have worked quietly and assiduously alongside the Catholic Church on the formation of young religious and the education of a people deeply damaged by years of military rule. A warm and reciprocal relationship has developed between the Jesuits and local bishops as a consequence, reaffirming their role in this rapidly evolving country.
“A long time ago the bishop [of Taunggyi, Fr Matthias U Shwe] kept asking me, ‘When will we have a Jesuit ordained in Myanmar?’” recalled Fr Wardi Saputra SJ, who came to Myanmar from Indonesia in 1998 to set up a novitiate. “That is the kind of question no-one can answer. Wilbert entered the novitiate in 2000, and he was ordained after 13 years. The fruit is already here, there is somebody from Myanmar now a Jesuit priest.”
For Fr Mireh, the moment of ordination was one of grace in which he felt the blessing of God. The morning after his ordination, he concelebrated mass with his brother Benedict, a diocesan priest. And while clearly aware of the looming responsibility that would come with being his country’s first Jesuit priest, Fr Mireh said he felt tremendous support from those around him.
“It’s a privilege, and a feeling of being ready to begin my ministry – I’ve been wanting to do this for so long. As Jesuit I am filled with the missionary spirit,” he said.
The historic ordination is also a milestone for all those around the world who have supported the Jesuit mission in Myanmar. Moreover, the addition of a local Jesuit priest to the church will have grassroots benefits, said Myanmar novice master Fr Irsan Rimawal SJ.
“First of all, they know better than foreign Jesuits about the culture and their own situation. Also I think having local Jesuits gives us a tremendous chance to contribute and to involve ourselves in the life of the church here in Myanmar,” he said. “Having a local Jesuit gives us more confidence to engage in the education of the people, in the life of the people here in Myanmar.”
Fr Mireh will begin his pastoral work in the diocese of Loikaw, in which he grew up and where his deep faith was formed. And other Jesuits – from India, Indonesia, Malaysia, South Korea and Australia – will continue their tireless work building up the Jesuits’ fledgling mission in Myanmar.
By Catherine Marshall