Jubilee celebration of the Sick and Healthcare Workers of the Archdiocese of Yangon took place in St. Jude Parish in Yankin Township, Yangon, on April 5, 2025, Saturday.

It was organized by the Archdiocesan health commission.

The event started with Holy Mass at 8:00 am on the day. His Eminence Charles Cardinal Bo was the main celebrant of the Eucharistic celebration.

The first Reading in the Mass was taken from the 2^nd Kings about the cure of Naaman, the commander of the army of the king of Aram (Syria), and the Gospel was taken from Luke 17:11-19 about the cure of ten lepers.

In his homily, His Eminence Cardinal Charles Bo said that hope is the central message of the occasion, and we are invited to have Fortitude.

“We believe that God is with us in the sick and also in the doctors. We listen to the words of the Lord. Sickness is the opportunity to meet with the Lord. We encounter others. Hospitals and homes for the aged are the places where love is increased,” said the cardinal.

And to the doctors and healthcare workers, he said that either in hospitals or at home, we are the Apostles. Suffering is part of the Christian journey. When we are sick, prayer is important. When our situation is Ok, we tend to forget God. We are to thank God for our health. Christ is in the sick, added Cardinal Bo.

Before the final blessing of the Eucharistic Celebration, Msgr. Andrea Ferrante, Charge dé Affaires to Myanmar, delivered a short speech as below:

“Each of us contributes to pray, to bring comfort and hope, to support many families who have lost everything. Pope Francis is very close to the people of Myanmar in this troubled time,” said Msgr. Andrea.

“Although the Pope had a health problem, he helped us to understand the value of human life and each moment of our life is a good occasion to discover the love of God and to share this love with others. The perfection of life is not the perfection of health. It is to discover the love of Christ in our lives and in our community. The theme of the Jubilee, “Pilgrims of Hope,” invites us in a special way in this Jubilee of the Sick and the Healthcare Workers to help, to share with each other the beauty of life, and to help those who are in a difficult situation,” added Msgr. Andrea.

It is an occasion for the people to know that in the Yangon Archdiocese, there is the health commission, and people can approach it in times of need.

The exhibition was set up in the Church compound on this occasion to bring to the attention of the people about sicknesses, diseases, and also about the health commission.

Medical checkups and treatment were done for many patients with different ailments on that day.

In addition, there was an opportunity for the people to have medical advice, as well as there was a Question and Answer Program related to health and medical knowledge on the occasion.

“We used to go to the people with a mobile clinic once a month, and the monthly meeting of the Commission has been done continuously till now,” said Fr. Dominic Thet Tin, parish priest of St Jude Catholic Church and the spiritual director of Archdiocesan Health Commission.

The Archdiocesan Health Commission was set up in 2014.

“Myat Kutho”, a free-of-charge clinic, administered by the Archdiocesan health commission, is located in the compound of St. Peter and St. Paul Catholic Church, Insein Township, Yangon.

By Fr. Saw Hubert