Days after the ordination of Myanmar’s first Jesuit priest, three young men took their first vows in Taunggyi, reflecting the Jesuit revival that began when the Society returned to the country in 1998.
Novices John Bosco Oo, Saw John Paul Thurein and Peter Mwe Aung Seng were surrounded by their families as they took their vows at the Holy Infant Jesus parish in the grounds of Payaphyu, an orphanage and home for the handicapped in Taunggyi in Shan State on May 5. The Jesuit novitiate is located in the same compound.
The men’s families – from Kayah, Kayin and Kachin states respectively – dressed in traditional clothing for the occasion, and presented gifts of fruit, bread and snacks during the offertory procession. On hand to receive them was the Superior of the Myanmar Mission and President of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, Fr Mark Raper SJ. It was an especially poignant mass for Fr Raper, who had taken his own first vows exactly 50 years earlier. He thanked the new Jesuits’ families for the role they had played in nurturing their sons’ deep faith.
“It’s a very special day for the candidates, but also for the families because it’s a day when you give your son, your brother,” he said. “It’s also a day when God gives you the spirit of peace.”
The candidates join a growing group of Myanmar men who have joined the Society since the novitiate was opened in Taunggyi in 1998. Fr Raper said that while the country already had large numbers of priests and sisters, there are many ways in which the Society can contribute to a society still suffering the consequences of decades’ worth of isolation and military rule.
“We feel that it’s appropriate to recruit people to the Society here, because of the special contribution that the Jesuits can make because of our universal mission, and because of the type of vision or perspective that we offer within the church,” he said. “We feel we have a great service to offer in Myanmar in complimenting the existing vocations.”
Myanmar scholastic William-Paul, who is working to develop a culturally appropriate programme for candidates to the Society in Myanmar, said his country posed special challenges in the formation of new Jesuits.
“In the schools we were never taught how to think freely or how to form ourselves confidently, so that’s one thing we don’t have. This is a challenge for intellectual formation,” he said.
“Here people enter at a young age compared to elsewhere. Because of living under the military we have a kind of fear to open up oneself to the other person, especially those who have authority. So, we need to build up mature relationships with the candidates.”
Novice master Fr Irsan Rimawal SJ acknowledged that while the country’s authoritarian history presented challenges for the formation of Jesuits, it was consoling to see young men grow into their vocations.
“In the beginning they are still very much raw and young, and then in formation they really grow in their spiritual life, in their self-understanding and in their understanding about the society. Experiencing their growing – that is the most consoling thing for me.”
The new Jesuits will spend the next four months in Yangon before travelling to Indonesia to study language and philosophy.
By Catherine Marshall