St. Joseph’s Benedictine Monastery marked the Feast of their founder, St. Bernard Tolomei, on August 19, 2025, signifying the first-ever Benedictine feast day celebrated on Myanmar soil.

The solemn Eucharistic celebration, held at the monastery in Inya Village within the Mandalay Archdiocese, was presided over by Archbishop Marco Tin Win, who has been a pivotal figure in introducing Benedictine spirituality to the nation.

In his opening words, Archbishop Marco traced the humble origins of the Benedictine presence in Myanmar back over a decade.

“Around 2013, I began introducing Christian meditation to the faithful,” he recounted. “In 2014, I traveled to Mandalay, Taunggyi, and Yangon, planting the seeds of Christian meditation. With the help of foreign Benedictine monks, this spiritual journey began.”

Answering that initial call was Fr. Jonah, a Benedictine monk who dedicated himself to the mission. After seven months of intensive Burmese language study in Yangon, and with the crucial support of local priests from Mandalay, he acquired land to establish what would become the country’s first Benedictine monastery.

Despite facing significant initial challenges, the community has not only taken root but has begun to flourish. What started as a solitary mission now includes local Benedictine monks, two religious sisters, and a growing number of candidates and students, signaling a promising future for monastic life in Myanmar.

Archbishop Marco expressed profound gratitude for the milestone. “Today is the feast day of all Benedictine monks. For the first time, the Benedictine community celebrates their founder’s feast in Myanmar,” he said. “I thank Fr. Jonah, who took the risk of planting the seed of Benedictine spirituality in our land.”

He called on the faithful to continue praying for missionaries and religious, “especially this Benedictine community, that their mission may bear fruit in the Church of Myanmar.”

In turn, Fr. Jonah shared a heartfelt vision of sacrifice and service for the monastery’s future. “My dream is not simply to maintain or progress, but to give my life for the people of this suffering land,” he told the congregation.

“Like a seed of wheat that falls to the ground and dies, only to bring forth life, I wish to give myself fully so that this community may grow, blossom, and bear fruit for the people.”

The feast day celebration marks more than a liturgical event; it symbolizes the deep rooting of ancient Benedictine traditions—of prayer, work, and community—in the heart of the Myanmar Church, offering a new wellspring of spirituality for its people.

By RVA Myanmar Service