Pathein Diocese, Myanmar
To all Clergy, Religious and Lay People of Pathein Diocese
1/ME/2021
Date: 15 August 2021
1.
The Shock of losing the Shepherd:
The sudden death of our very beloved
Shepherd, Bishop John Hsane Hgyi came as a thunderbolt. He was a tower of strength to our people
during the great cyclone in 2008 and now in the Covid-19 spiral. We buried this great shepherd with great
sorrow. Three weeks have passed since the demise of His Excellency Bishop John
Hsane Hgyi, on the morning of 22 July. Following this irreplaceable loss
Pathein diocese announced a week of mourning to observe by all the clergy,
religious and laypeople living in the diocese located in Ayeyarwady Region,
Myanmar. It is truly an irreplaceable loss for Pathein diocese as well as for
the whole Church. His episcopal ministry, done with great compassion and
erudite competence in Pathein diocese from 2003 to 2021 lasting for 18 years
has impacted much to the life of peoples in the diocese and in Ayeyarwady
Region. His pastoral memory is enshrined in the hearts of our grateful
faithful.
2.
History of the Diocese:
Pathein diocese was established in 1955 as a suffragan diocese of Yangon
Metropolitan Archdiocese and His Excellency Bishop George U Kyaw was the first
local ordinary of Pathein diocese. Bishop George led the nascent diocese as a
good shepherd from 1955 to 1967 when he faced sudden death in Thargyaw Kwin village
about 20 miles away from Pathein city while making a pastoral tour in November
1967. He was succeeded by a young bishop Joseph Mahn Erie from 1968 to 1982. He resigned unexpectedly and Pathein diocese
remained vacant of episcopal see for four years, from 1982 to 1985. Then Bishop
Joseph Valerius Sequeira, an Indian descendant of Colonial time, succeeded as a Bishop
of Pathein diocese at his advanced age, 68 years in 1985. His auxiliary Bishop
John Gabriel was elected in 1988 and when Bishop J.V Sequeira has reached the
retirement age of 75 in 1992, Bishop John Gabriel became the local ordinary of Pathein
diocese. However, his time of episcopate as local ordinary was very short, only
two years, because he died in 1994. For the second time Pathein diocese remained
vacant from 1994 to 1996 when Bishop Charles Bo, (Now Cardinal) transferred from Lashio
diocese, was appointed as a bishop of Pathein diocese in 1996. Bishop Charles
Bo led and developed Pathein diocese by holding the first Synod of the diocese in
1997 and setting up Social and Pastoral Commissions which are well maintained
until today. When he was transferred to Yangon Archdiocese as Archbishop in
2003, Bishop John Hsane Hgyi, a native clergy of Pathein diocese became the
local ordinary. Bishop John Hsane Hgyi continued maintaining and developing the
goal and objectives set up in the first Synod of the diocese until his expiry
on 22 July 2021 at Bishop Residence in Pathein. Again, Pathein diocese remained
vacant of bishop for the third time. Uncertainty has set in this most
challenging time: This time for how
long?
3.
The Diocesan Structure:
As of now, Pathein diocese is composed of 36 parishes divided into three zones namely
Pathein, Hinthada and Myaungmya zones led by the Deans of the zones locating in
Ayeyarwady Region which has 26 townships comprising 6 districts. The total
civil population of the Ayeyarwady region is 6.1 million as recorded in 2014
general census. Out of 6 districts, Pathein diocese is present in 4 districts and
the other 2 districts belong to Yangon Archdiocese. As of now, Pathein diocese
has about 70,000 Catholic population out of 4 million civil population inhabiting the 4 districts of Ayeyarwady Region. Currently, Pathein diocese has 107
priests. About 20 % of the clergy are above 60 years of age and the rest are
below 60s. About 35 % of the clergy work in offices and commissions, institutes
as well as Fidei Donum priests both
locally and overseas and the rest are working in the 36 parishes as Parish
priests and assistant priests supported by the religious Sisters and Lay
people.
4.
Geography:
Geographically located in Delta areas of Ayeyarwady, Pathein diocese is found
in lowland having many streams and rivers. Though difficult in travelling and
transportation in the past 30 years ago, today the whole region is more or less
developed with a certain quality of infrastructures since these
recent decades. Being located in lowland, it is considered as the natural
disaster-prone zone. Ayeyarwady region was severely hit by the natural disaster
known as the Cyclone Nargis on 2 May 2008 leaving hundreds and thousands of deaths
and millions homeless. In the last decade, though no such devastating cyclones
touched Ayeyarwady again, the landsides, floods, did occur in 2012, 2015 and
2016 and Tharbaung Township was a huge hit. Pathein diocese made an emergency
response led by KMSS Pathein Humanitarian Response Team and staff. With the
impact of global warming and climate change, Pathein diocese will remain prone and
continuously threatened by natural disasters like cyclones, landslides and
floods. The Disaster Risk Reductions (DRR) programs are installed in the
diocesan program to keep Pathein diocese to be prepared and proactive.
5.
The Pandemic Impact and Response:
Pathein diocese has done the Covid-19 response under the national program of
CBCM Covid-19 response in the first and second waves of Covid-19 outbreaks in
2020. The response to the third wave started in the first week of July 2021 by the lockdown of the Cathedral compound. Then followed the opening quarantine and
care centre for KMSS Staff in Social Center in Pathein. Quarantine and Care centre for St Francis
Xavier Sisters in Theyetpin Maung Nama, in Pathein. The elderly clergy are kept
separately in the Minor Seminary, Mayanchaung, six miles away from Pathein. All
the 36 parishes are urgently alerted to stay home and to follow the Covid-19
preventive measures and guidelines. The parish priests are encouraged to form
Covid-19 response teams in parish levels and take immediate actions. In spite
of all these efforts, Pathein diocese lost its Bishop and three priests, three
men religious, two women religious, one catechist and over 20 of its lay
peoples in the diocese as of 14 August.
6.
Taking the words of St. Augustine of
Hippo saying “Unless you believe, you will not understand” (Isaiah 7: 9) we
acknowledge that there are many things that remain obscured and we can not apprehend
with our human intellect. However, we humbly believe in the Divine Providence of
God and His Designs are mobilizing the course of human history. “Without God, we cannot, without us,
God will not” again taking from the wisdom of St. Augustine of Hippo, we will
be faithful in putting all our human efforts in collaborating with His Divine Power,
we believe that we will endure and we will prevail.
Fr.
Henry Eikhlein
(Diocesan
Administrator)
Pathein Diocese, Myanmar
15 August 2021
Feast
of the Assumption of Our Blessed Mother, Mary
