Myanmar Kalay Diocese convened its monthly Catholic Religious Conference of Kalay (CRCK) on September 19, 2025

This monthly recollection fostered spiritual renewal for religious sisters and priests, with a focus on the virtues of humility and forgiveness.

The September recollection was hosted at the Convent of the Apparition of St. Joseph in Kalaymyo, continuing the diocese’s practice of gathering on the third Friday of each month at a different religious house.

Rev. Fr. Camillus Ngin Ngo Suan, a Salesian priest, delivered the conference’s first talk, centering on the example of the Virgin Mary. He urged the assembled religious to imitate Mary’s humility and dedication to service.

“Mary is the mother of Jesus, yet she never takes pride in her Son. She never boasted about her Son in front of others,” Fr. Camillus stated, drawing from Gospel passages.

He highlighted that Mary was absent during most of Jesus’ public miracles but remained present during his sufferings, such as the flight to Egypt and the journey to Calvary.

Focusing on service, he pointed to Mary’s visitation to Elizabeth, where she served for six months, as a model for selfless action.

The spiritual exercises following the talk included adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, Benediction, personal reflection, and the sacrament of Confession.

The day concluded with an Eucharistic Celebration presided over by Reverend Fr. Joseph Thang Nen Zo Mung, head of Consecrated Life for the diocese, who was concelebrated by Fr. Camillus.

In his homily, Fr. Joseph expanded on the theme of community life, using the day’s Gospel reading, which asks, “Can one blind man guide another? Surely both will fall into a pit?”

He drew a parallel with religious community structures, noting that superiors serve fixed terms. “You can become superior turn by turn,” he said, “and you have a good chance to do good for your community or to avenge your former superiors who were not good enough to you in the past.”

Fr. Joseph offered a stark warning against holding grudges, stating that peace is contingent on forgiveness.

“My dear Sisters, think it carefully, only when you forgive those who did evil to you and do good to your community members, there will be peace in your community, in our Diocese, and in the world. If not, then you will be like a blind man who guides another.”

The monthly event brought together 45 religious sisters and two priests, representing the ten religious congregations serving within the Kalay Diocese.

There are (10) Religious Congregations, both men and women, working in the Diocese, namely 1. Salesian Community 2. Sisters of St. Franciscan Missionaries of Mary (FMM) 3. Sisters of St. Joseph of the Apparition (SJA) 4. The Little Way Sisters of St. Theresa 5. St. Franciscan Sisters of St. Aloysius Gonzaga (FSAG) 6. Congregation of Mother of Sorrows (Servite Sisters) 7. Congregation of Missionary Sisters of Mary Help of Christians (MSMHC) 8. Congregation of the Handmaids of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (HSHJ) 9. Congregation of Clarist Franciscan Missionaries of the Most Blessed Sacrament (CFMMBS) and 10. St. Benedictine Sisters.

The CRCK continues to serve as a vital source of spiritual nourishment and fraternal support for the consecrated persons serving across the diocese.

By RVA Tedim Chin Service