We Would Love
to Keep in Touch!

Editor: The following letter was received by the Province Mission Procurator in April, 1950 from Fr. James Mannering, M.S., a La Salette Missionary stationed in Prome (central-west coast, now Sittwe), Burma (now Myanmar). It shows the dedication of our La Salette Missionaries, dealing with the challenges of their ministry and travel in the Burma of 1950.

I have come down to Akyab from Prome to make a retreat and also to get a few days of rest. I got through the Bamboo Curtain without any difficulty and made the long journey by train, bus and jeep. The train runs with wood and somehow the engineer manages to get up enough steam to make the wheels turn; the bus is just a truck and the jeep is the genuine article – no springs.

Travel is a challenge

The trip is expensive and very tiring, but it is necessary for us to come to Akyab in order to get supplies. There is no regular mail service and occasionally a courier makes the trip, but we can't depend on him as we would on Brinks. You can't realize how good it is to receive mail until you are far from home and the mail is delayed or cut off.

When Fr. Raoul Pronovost, M.S., who is stationed with me, receives mail from his mother. I know I am sure of an hour of absolute silence w while he pores over the news from home. He then regales me with all the news, and we discuss it from all angles. The news may be old – if I can use that expression – but we enjoy every bit of it.

Our wide-spread ministry

froml Raoul Pronovost and James Mannering(from left) Fr. Raoul Pronovost, M.S. (1920-1996);
Fr. James Mannering, M.S . (1915-1981)
Our work is rather hampered by the fact that we can't roam at will from village to village but we concentrate on one village at a time. We visit the village, organize classes, instruct catechists so they can teach during our absence, and in general get the mission on a working basis. We then move on to another village and continue the same routine. This process seems to work quite successfully. Before I left for this trip I was out in a village where I had seventy-five people taking instruction. We expect to have them ready for baptism by Easter so we are looking forward to the happy event.

God is blessing our work here in a visible manner. Recently an epidemic of smallpox and cholera struck our district and not a single Catholic was carried away – thanks to our American friends we were able to supply the necessary medicine to protect our people and many others. With this help and with the prayers of the faithful at home, the Church in Burma will continue to prosper.

The story of the second version of Our Lady of Burma

I am sending you a picture which we like to call “Our Lady of Burma.” When I was stationed in Texas, one of the Sisters at Nacogdoches told me her mother was an artist. I met this fine lady, Mrs. Castle, and asked her to paint a picture of Our Lady of La Salette. She generously consented, and just before I left for Burma she gave me the painting which I brought with me.

Recently I began to visit the jail and there I met an artist. There was a Buddhist shrine in the jail and this man had done a beautiful job of painting and decorating. I told him about the picture I had brought from Texas and he immediately wanted to see it. I brought the picture with me on my next visit and the artist liked it very much. He told me, however, that if the picture had a face that could be identified with Burma the people would surely go for it.

Our Lady of BurmaThe second version of
Our Lady of Burma
This man was a member of the Burmese Art Club before the war (World War II) and I knew I could respect his opinion. He is a Buddhist but I gave him a book on La Salette and he studied the story of the Apparition very carefully. Then he began the work of transforming the painting. We had many conferences on the changes to be made, but as I know little about art, I bowed to his opinion.

When the picture was completed the people really loved it. The features are a combination of the characteristics of the three Burmese races, the Karens, the Chins and the Burmans.

We are very proud of this painting, the work of a Texan and a Burman Buddhist, and we hope Mrs. Castle will forgive the liberty we have taken with her beautiful work. The Burman artist is a political prisoner and has plenty of time on his hands, so he wants to paint a duplicate if he can get the canvas.

We sincerely hope that the interest he has shown in the Apparition and the work he has done to honor our Blessed Mother will one day merit for him the grace of the Catholic faith.

While I am here in Akyab, I can visit the children who came here from Prome last year. Six of them intend to become Religious Sisters in the Community here and a few more are thinking seriously of joining. The Sisters are enthusiastic about the simplicity and piety of these girls, and we are very hopeful of developing the native sisterhood.

We need prayers that God will continue to bless us and our work.

(Republished from the La Salette publication, Our Lady’s Missionary, May, 1950. Pgs. 21-22)