More than 800 faithful gathered at Sacred Heart Church in Myaungmya on May 17 to celebrate the RVA Day of Pwo Karen Service, coinciding with the Feast of the Ascension, in a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Henry Eikhlein of Pathein Diocese.

In his opening remarks, the Bishop noted that RVA Day is an occasion to appreciate the service of witnessing the Gospel. “Today is also the Ascension of our Lord, so we pray for RVA staff and faithful to be blessed by the risen Lord,” he said.

Homily: Faith as Inheritance

In his homily, Bishop Henry reflected on the significance of the Easter season, the Ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. “After Easter we celebrated fifty days before the Ascension. By celebrating Easter, it helps us to grow our faith day by day,” he said.

He emphasized that witnessing comes from believing in the risen Lord. St. Paul, St. Peter, and other saints believed firmly and witnessed bravely throughout the world.

The Bishop then connected this to the local Church, recalling the legacy of missionary Fr. Martin Narbaitz. “He left his country when he was 32 years old and worked for more than 30 years. He tried faith formation until his death. This church is built by Fr. Martin. Through this church, he gave us the inheritance of faith.”

Bishop Henry urged parents to pass on faith to their children as their primary inheritance. He also encouraged the Karen people to witness their faith through their mother tongue.

RVA Pwo Karen Service: A History

After Mass, a cultural program followed in the parish hall. Msgr. Pius Win Than delivered words of thanks and explained the history of the Pwo Karen service. RVA began in 1969, and the Pwo Karen service was started in 1982 by Archbishop Gabriel Mahn Tho Hey.

He noted that the service originally involved figures such as Sister Rosie, Sister Daniel, Sister Ada, Sister Veronica, Mr. Aloysius Kyaw Zin Oo, and several priests, including himself. The late Mr. Eivin, who passed away last month, was remembered; his place has been taken by Mr. Lucas.

Bishop Henry delivered a congratulatory speech in the hall, noting that while many people can speak their language, most cannot write or read. “So we need to encourage our children,” he said.

RVA Pwo Karen staff introduced themselves and explained how to find the Pwo Karen page. Sagaw Karen staff also introduced themselves. Fr. Hubert explained that before separating Pwo and Sagaw services, listeners’ meetings were held together in different places, but since 2018, RVA Day has been celebrated separately.

Msgr. Pius Win Than outlined eight program categories and encouraged participants to view, share, and comment. The youth of Myaungmya parish performed a Karen cultural dance. The program concluded with a blessing from Bishop Henry.

The celebration, which included a flute band and various performances, stood as a testament to the enduring importance of ethnic language media in spreading the Gospel and preserving cultural identity within the Catholic Church in Myanmar.

By RVA Pwo Karen Service