La Salette's 80 Years in Myanmar

Fr. Valentine receives the chalice during the Ordination Rite

In his manuscript entitled A Short History of the La Salette Missionaries in Myanmar (Burma) and the Diocese of Pyay (Prome), Fr. William (“Doc”) Doherty, M.S., notes that it was on November 9, 1937 that the first five American La Salette Missionaries—34 year-old Fr. Thomas Newman, later to become the first Bishop of the diocese of Prome, known today as Pyay; 27 year old Fr. Edward O'Sullivan; 28 year old Fr. Wienczyslaw Weselak; 32 year old Fr. Joseph (“Phil”) Gardner; and 31 year old Fr. Joseph LaBonte—set foot in the newly assigned mission in Burma.

The isolated, crescent-shaped Arakan district of Burma, measuring 300 miles by 60 miles, seemed to have very little potential for growth. Scattered among a population of one million staunch Buddhist were a scant 750 Catholics in four principal villages. Their work was cut out for them.

Map of Burma (now Myanmar)

Frs. Lucas Suan Za Lian, MS, Patrick  Kyaw Lin, MS, and Valentine Sun  Tun, MS

The next 40 years would be a rollercoaster ride of triumphs and defeats, missionary comings and goings, joys brought by conversions and sufferings brought on from World War II Japanese concentration camps, expansion of territory, building of churches and schools: culminating in Fr. Tom's consecration as the first Bishop of Prome, the ordination of the first native priest and establishment of a native diocesan clergy; the expulsion of all American La Salette Missionaries from the country, with the final departure in August 1976.

This was the end of the La Salette mission in Burma, now called once again by its earlier name, Myanmar. Or was it? The seed of faith, sometimes seeming to be as small as a mustard seed, had been sown. Some fell along the path, others on rocky ground, others among thorns and yet many found a home in fertile fields. Through the action of the Holy Spirit and the zeal of the 24 La Salette Missionaries who ministered there over the years, the final count of Catholics in 1976 had risen from 750 to almost 11,000 - and today it has doubled!

There are now 14 young native Myanmar La Salette Missionaries picking up where those first zealous ones left off. What a glorious day it was when, on September 23, 2008, three Myanmar La Salette Missionaries—Frs. Lucas Suan Za Lian, MS, Patrick Kyaw Lin, MS, and Valentine Sun Tun, MS—were ordained in the cathedral of Pyay. It seemed to be a long and arduous road that had come full circle. Of those 24 Missionaries, the last to die is Charles Rukus (April, 2010).

The thread of La Salette presence on land may have been broken, but the spirit of La Salette—perceived through the eyes of the “Beautiful Lady” as the children called Mary when she appeared at La Salette in France—was ever-present. How blessed those first five missionaries must have felt as the latest three young native La Salettes were ordained in Pyay. Well done, good and faithful servants!
 

Some of the original La Salettes to minister in Burma (Myanmar)

The families of the newly ordained Myanmar La Salettes with the Bishop and all the priests present