The Catholic community of St. Teresa Parish in Ahlone Township joyfully celebrated its patronal feast on October 5, 2025, with a solemn Mass presided over by His Eminence Cardinal Charles Bo, Archbishop of Yangon.

The celebration, marked by reflections on simplicity and trust in God, featured high-level Vatican representation and a message from Pope Leo XIV.

The Eucharistic celebration was concelebrated by Msgr. Andrea Ferrante, the Chargé d’ Affaires to Myanmar, alongside several priests, drawing a large congregation of the faithful.

In his homily, Cardinal Bo illuminated the profound spirituality of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus, a Doctor of the Church who died at age 24. He recounted her youthful ambition, telling a Jesuit priest at 17 of her desire “to become a great saint.”

“It is not important how long we live,” the Cardinal emphasized, “but how well we live.”

He described St. Teresa as a “very active saint” who continues to intercede for the world, citing her famous promise: “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.” Cardinal Bo explained that her path to greatness was through childlike trust, not childish immaturity.

“Childlikeness means being innocent, trusting in and dependent on God, free from jealousy and revenge,” he said. To illustrate this, he shared an anecdote where St. Teresa, having fallen asleep during prayer, told her confessor that her rest was like that of a child in the arms of a loving Father—a sleep that “delights God.”

Cardinal Bo concluded by encouraging the faithful to follow her example. “We are not born saints, but if we accept life’s difficulties with joy—like St. Teresa—our lives can lead us to holiness,” he said, echoing St. John Paul II’s words: “Don’t be afraid to be saints.”

Msgr. Andrea Ferrante addressed the congregation, conveying the greetings and apostolic blessing of Pope Leo XIV. “Pope Leo XIV accompanies us in this difficult time we are experiencing and encourages us to walk as pilgrims of hope,” he stated.

Reflecting on the saint’s legacy, Msgr. Ferrante emphasized that her life is an invitation to “rediscover the beauty of faith.” Quoting both St. Teresa and Pope Francis, he focused on the theme of confidence. “It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead to Love,” he said. “With confidence, the wellspring of grace overflows into our lives.”

He explained that this confidence liberates the faithful from fears and calculations about the future. “The complete confidence that becomes an abandonment in Love sets us free from calculations, from worries about the future, and from fears that rob us of peace,” Msgr. Ferrante affirmed, noting that St. Teresa remains “more alive than ever” in the Church today.

The Chargé d’Affaires concluded by entrusting the community to the saint’s intercession, that they may become “living stones of a missionary Church, bearing witness to faith, hope, and charity.”

Before the final blessing, Parish Priest Rev. Paulinus Myat Kyaing of St. Theresa Parish expressed gratitude to all who contributed to the celebration. He also provided updates on the ongoing renovation of the church and its facilities and announced preliminary plans for the parish’s centenary celebration in 2027.

The feast day celebration served as both a spiritual reaffirmation of the “little way” of St. Teresa and a moment of communal gathering for one of Yangon’s vibrant Catholic parishes.

By RVA Sgaw Karen Service