Catholic Church marks 500 years in Myanmar

Three-day jubilee commemorates perseverance of the faithful and the hope of better days to come



Cardinal Oswald Gracias of Mumbai blesses children at St Mary's Cathedral during the start of a three-day commemoration of the history of the Catholic Church in Myanmar (Photo by John Zaw)

John Zaw and Michael Sainsbury
Yangon, Myanmar
November 21, 2014

Thousands of Catholics arrived in Yangon on Friday for the start of a three-day celebration of the 500th anniversary of the arrival of Catholicism in Myanmar.

Cardinal Oswald Gracias, archbishop of Mumbai, attended the opening ceremony of the celebration at St Mary’s Cathedral in Yangon on behalf of Pope Francis, bearing with him the good tidings and love of the pontiff to the people of Myanmar.

“Today is not just a day of great joy and festivities but one of reflection on what we can do or not do, how much more we can dedicate ourselves to the Gospel, how we can transform society and how we can better serve the people of Myanmar,” Cardinal Gracias said.

In his welcome speech for the Indian cardinal, Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon celebrated the endurance of the Myanmar Church amid difficult times.

http://www.ucanews.com/news/catholic-church-marks-500-years-in-myanmar/72455