The first bishop from the Missionaries of Faith congregation was ordained at 9 AM in St. Luke’s Parish, Edin, Myitkyina, Myanmar on January 12.  

52 years old, Most Rev. Msgr. John Mung Ngawn La Sam is the world’s first bishop from the Congregation of Missionaries of Faith.

His religious profession was in the Religious Congregation of Missionaries of Faith on September 8, 2014, and he was ordained as a priest on January 16, 2016.

The new bishop completed his spiritual formation at the house of the Missionaries of Faith in Rome.

Bishop John was born in Mogok, in the diocese of Lashio on April 27, 1973.

The new bishop’s motto is “Quaerite primum regnum iustitiam“—“Seek first the Kingdom of God and His righteousness.”

His Eminence Charles Cardinal Bo presided over the Episcopal ordination. 

Pope Francis appointed Msgr. John La Sam, Missionary of Faith (MF), to be the bishop of Myitkyina Diocese in Myanmar on October 29, 2024.

The religious family of the Missionaries of Faith began through the intuition – inspiration of Ms. Anna Maria Andreani, to help priests in crisis with a lifestyle of deep faith and fraternal reception.

On December 25, 1982, the late Joseph Card. SIRI erected the Pious Union Missionaries of Faith to Religious Congregation.

On Tuesday, October 29, 2024, Pope Francis issued a Decretum Laudis (Decree of Approval) elevating the Missionaries of Faith to the Institute of Pontifical Right.

There are 230 MF priests all over the world and among them, 26 priests are from Myanmar.

The MF congregations exist in Italy, the United States of America, Canada, Venezuela, Central America, Samoa, New Zealand, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, and Myanmar.

MF congregations in Myanmar are located in the Loikaw Diocese and Myitkyina Diocese.