The Diocese of Pathein celebrated the Holy Year’s Jubilee of Migrants on October 5 with a Holy Mass at St. Peter’s Cathedral, uniting the faithful in prayer for the world’s hundreds of millions of migrants and emphasizing their role as “missionaries of hope.”

The celebration, led by His Excellency Bishop Henry Eikhlein and concelebrated by five priests, saw the participation of the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier, religious brothers, and a large congregation of the faithful. The event blended spiritual reflection with practical guidance, addressing both the theological significance and the modern realities of human migration.

In his homily during the 7 AM Mass, Bishop Eikhlein framed migration as a fundamental human and Christian condition. “The Catholic Church is a traveling Church, a Church that is traveling in hope. We are all travelers,” he stated. “The ultimate goal is to be reunited with God.”

He directly connected this spiritual journey to the plight of international migrant workers, whom the Church “does not forget.” Citing a 2024 United Nations report indicating 300 to 400 million people have fled their homelands, the Bishop urged the local community to welcome migrants, referencing Pope Francis’s encyclical Laudato Si’ which describes the world as “a large house where all people live together.”

Following the Mass, the celebration continued at St. Peter’s Hall with a program of speeches, songs, and informational sessions.

In his opening remarks, Bishop Eikhlein delivered a urgent call to action for faith formation. Highlighting Myanmar’s own significant migrant population, he stressed, “We are all part of the migrant workforce.” He urged families to instill faith in children from a young age so that when they inevitably go abroad for work, “their faith will take them with them.”

He noted the profound demographic shift in the country, observing that mass migration for work has left Myanmar with a depleted workforce. Reflecting the theme of the 2025 Jubilee, he declared that migrants are not just laborers but “missionaries of hope,” carrying their faith and values into new cultures through their work, marriages, and religious activities.

The event also featured a pragmatic focus on the mechanics and ethics of migration. In a session led by Mr. Nicolas, attendees were presented with stark demographic data from the International Organization for Migration (IOM). He outlined a rapid trend of urbanization in Myanmar, predicting that by 2030, the population would be split evenly between cities and rural areas.

“This shift creates challenges for agricultural production and exports when people leave the countryside,” Nicolas stated, highlighting the dual pressures of a strong domestic labor force and overseas opportunities.

During his follow-up session on “Church Engagement on Safe Migration,” Nicolas clarified that “migrating for a living is not a crime.” He defined “good migration” as that which respects the laws, regulations, and culture of the host country.

“Only then will you have a safe migration,” he asserted, emphasizing the importance of legal channels like passports and visas for work, study, or visitation as essential tools for protection.

The Jubilee celebration concluded with a group song by the KMSS Pathein, a final blessing from Bishop Eikhlein, and a group photo, marking a day that sought to spiritually fortify both those who leave and the community they leave behind.

By RVA Pwo Karen Service