Over 80 Catholics from across Myanmar’s conflict-affected regions gathered for a nine-day Christian Meditation Retreat, seeking spiritual healing and inner peace.

The 21st annual retreat, held from April 10 to 18 at the National Catholic Major Seminary, was led by Archbishop Marco Tin Win of the Mandalay Archdiocese. Participants included clergy, religious sisters, and laypeople from the archdioceses of Yangon and Mandalay, as well as the dioceses of Myitkyina, Taungoo, Banmaw, and Loikaw.

Restoring a Tradition of Silence

Archbishop Marco, a longtime advocate for spiritual renewal, noted that while meditation was once foundational to priestly formation, it often gets sidelined by administrative burdens.

“My goal is to provide the faithful with the tools to transform their prayer life—moving from the mere recitation of prayers to a profound, silent encounter with the Divine,” he said.

International Support

The retreat featured guest speakers Fr. Alfonso Kim and Fr. John Barth, Maryknoll missionaries from the United States. Fr. Kim, who has led meditation programs globally for two decades, highlighted Myanmar’s natural affinity for contemplative practice.

“Meditation is embedded in the Asian soul,” he said. “My role is simply to remind the faithful that the God we seek is not only in the heavens but dwells within the depths of their own hearts.”

Fr. Barth emphasized the urgent need for such “spiritual medicine” in a country grappling with civil unrest and displacement. “For people who have suffered so much due to recent history, this retreat is like a hospital for the soul,” he said.

A Sanctuary for the Displaced

Bernadette Nang Zing Hka Tawm, a participant from Banmaw Diocese, shared a harrowing account of her journey. “At home, my mind is constantly ‘on fire’ with worry. Because of the fighting, we are always fleeing. Even when we find safety, the anxiety of survival remains. This retreat taught me that God is with me even in the midst of displacement.”

Other participants, like Elizabeth from Yangon and Agatha Khin Htwe Aye from Mandalay, noted that the structured silence helped alleviate feelings of “spiritual suffocation,” replacing anxiety with a renewed sense of interior peace.

As the retreat concluded, Archbishop Marco Tin Win reaffirmed his commitment to expanding the program. Despite the logistical challenges and the lack of a permanent, dedicated facility, the Archbishop expressed his belief that providing a path to interior peace is essential for the nation’s healing.

“The collective energy of praying together provides a strength that individual prayer often lacks,” added Fr. Kim. “When these participants return to their families, they carry that peace back into a world that desperately needs it.”

By RVA Myanmar Service