The Archdiocese of Yangon marked the Jubilee of Catechists and the Golden Jubilee of Sts. Peter and Paul Catechist Training School on Sunday, September 28, 2025.

The event, held at the training school in Nantthargone, Insein Township, connected local catechists with the global Catholic Church’s jubilee celebrations for their ministry. The solemn Eucharistic celebration commenced at 8:00 a.m., drawing a congregation of over a thousand faithful, including clergy, religious sisters, and laypeople.

The celebration was presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Charles Bo of the Yangon Archdiocese. He was joined by His Excellency Bishop Noel Saw Naw Aye, Auxiliary Bishop of Yangon, and His Excellency Bishop Allwyn D’Silva, Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of the Archdiocese of Bombay, India, who delivered the homily.

In his sermon, Bishop D’Silva underscored the divine calling and critical mission of catechists. “Catechists are called by God, just as Jesus called the prophets,” he stated. He emphasized that their primary task is to be “fishers of men,” spreading the Word of God where priests and sisters cannot always reach.

“Priests and sisters cannot go everywhere, and catechists are those who can reach out more to the people, and it is their noble task,” the bishop said.

Bishop D’Silva outlined the threefold duty of catechists: to proclaim Jesus to the non-baptized, to the baptized, and to carry out a “new evangelization” by strengthening the faithful and finding new ways to share the Gospel. He acknowledged the modern challenges, noting, “People do not want to hear about Jesus. They are distracted.”

He further described the catechist’s role as that of an educator, communicator, and animator who must understand human suffering and deepen their own faith through prayer to effectively serve.

The Vatican’s representative to Myanmar, Monsignor Andrea Ferrante, Charge’ d’affaires, also addressed the congregation. He hailed catechists as “witnesses to God’s love and mercy,” whose ministry has been essential since the beginning of Christianity.

In an era “dominated by the development of artificial intelligence and digital culture,” Monsignor Ferrante said, the dedication of catechists is a “tangible sign” of how personal encounters with Christ through them can bring peace, forgiveness, and unity.

“Never forget that catechesis is an important and indispensable step in the process of evangelization,” he added, “because catechists are witnesses to the new life that comes from being Christians.”

A defining moment of the liturgy came before the final blessing when seven catechists—three men and four women—made their perpetual vows. Before Cardinal Bo and the assembly, they pledged to faithfully serve the Church, dedicate themselves to evangelization, teach catechism to all age groups, and serve everyone, regardless of religion, through their good example. Cardinal Bo then formally sent them forth to work in “the vineyard of the Lord.”

Following the Mass, Cardinal Charles Bo addressed the catechists, presenting eight reasons for their happiness in their vocation. He urged them to find joy in their unique God-given talents, their community relationships, and their divine calling. He highlighted the happiness found in shepherding the sick and troubled, building community, taking rest, and living with the hope of eternal life.

“The happiness of a catechist will be attractive to those around him or her,” Cardinal Bo remarked, encouraging them to be joyful temples of the Holy Spirit.

The jubilee celebration was preceded by annual retreats for both priests and catechists of the archdiocese, with Bishop Allwyn D’Silva serving as the retreat preacher for the clergy. The event served as a powerful reaffirmation of the vital lay ministry of catechesis in Myanmar and the global Church.

By RVA Sgaw Karen Service