After a five-year interruption, the Chinese Catholic community in the Archdiocese of Mandalay gathered on February 17 to celebrate a Chinese New Year Thanksgiving Mass, marking a significant return to tradition for the approximately 50-family community.

The service at St. Joseph’s Church (Lafon) was presided over by Archbishop Marco Tin Win of Mandalay Archdiocese. The celebration was the first since 2020, when the annual liturgy was suspended due to COVID-19.

In his homily, Archbishop Marco offered prayers for the community’s prosperity and unity. “On this Chinese New Year, may everything you aim for and plan be guided to success by God’s grace and His hand,” he said. “I pray that families may continue to celebrate the New Year together, complete and united, for many years to come.”

Fr. Patrick Soe Htun, Spiritual Director of Catholic Chinese families, acknowledged the challenges of reviving the tradition on short notice. “The last time we celebrated our Chinese New Year Thanksgiving Mass was in 2020,” he said. “Although the timing was tight this year and there were some challenges, we moved forward with faith.”

Fr. Patrick expressed gratitude to the Mandalay Catholic Chinese Organization (MCCC) leadership and outlined hopes to expand the New Year celebration and revive the Mid-Autumn Festival.

Peter U Kyin Sein, Chairman of MCCC, noted that the MCCC was formed over 15 years ago to foster community among Chinese Catholics. While celebrating the return of the annual Mass, he highlighted the need for consistent spiritual leadership. “It would be more beneficial if we had a resident spiritual director within our Chinese family association,” he said, noting that Fr. Patrick is currently based in Yangon.

The community’s roots run deep. According to the background shared by the late U Johnny Shwe, Catholic Chinese pastoral care in Mandalay began decades ago with French missionaries like Fr. Lafon. Early efforts focused on annual New Year Masses, later expanding to Mid-Autumn celebrations during the time of the late Rev. Fr. Raphael Kyaw San, as the Spiritual Director with the great help of U Johnny Shwe. The community was reorganized in 2011 under Fr. Patrick’s leadership with the help of U Johnny Shwe, with the first renewed Mid-Autumn Festival that year and a significant New Year Mass in 2012 encouraged by the late Archbishop Paul Zinghtung Grawng.

The February 17 Mass concluded with prayers of thanksgiving, signaling a hopeful new chapter for the Mandalay Catholic Chinese community as it rebuilds traditions that nourish faith and cultural identity.

By RVA Myanmar Service