Catholic Mission in Myaungmya

Catholic Mission in Myaungmya

The Catholic Mission in Myaungmya, in Delta Irrawaddy, was founded by an Italian missionary from Propaganda Fide, called Rev.Fr.Domenico Tarolli. Though he came along with the Barnabite Missionaries, he was a diocesan priest sent directly under the mission of Propagation of Faith.
Originally Fr.Tarolly was from the northern part of Italy, born in 1798 of a devout Catholic family. He a Tyrolese from Castello on the Italian side of the Alps. Economically poor, he had to work hard since he was young. He lost his father at the age of eight and however he could manage to receive his elementary educations like other children. At the age of 16, he found himself called to the holy vocation and consulted with his parish priest about his intention to become a priest and a missionary. Supported and encouraged by his parish priest he entered the seminary and got ordained priest at the age of 24, on September 22, 1822. After his ordination, he was assigned to work in his native parish for some years while preparing himself to go for foreign mission in the far East.
He managed to get in touch with the Congregation of Propagation of Faith through the help of Capuchines Fathers of his native place. He was called to Rome in 1830 and was asked immediately to sail to Burma Mission. At the time in Burma was the time of post Burma-Anglo war. The war broke out between 1824 to 1836 and finally the British conquered and occupied the Arakan and Ternnaserim in lower Burma, leaving Irrawaddy Delta under the administration of the King of Ava.
After a long voyage from Italy by ship Fr.Tarolly and Fr. …..another Barnabite missionary finally arrived Rangoon in 1831. The mission was still under the hands of the Barnabite Mission which started since 1722 by the arrival of the first Barnabite Missionary group led by Fr.Calchi. The yound and energetic missionary Fr.Tarolly was sent to the upper Burma, in the kingdom of Ava and to work around Shwebo district to support the mission of Barnabite Fathers. Just a short stay in the kingdom of Ava,in upper Burma, Fr.Tarolly was called back to Rangoon to take charge of the Catholic community in town and in the neighboring villages. A hard working priest, Fr.Tarolly was always on the move. He was travelling in the region of Delta and along the river of Salwine. He visited Basein and Myaungmya, prominent areas of Delta. He went even to spend some time in Moulmein and travelled Ternnaserim coast. He even thought of setting up a mission centre at the mouth of Tavoy river where the Baptist mission was flourishing under the care of Dr.A.Jusdon. After his intensive survey in the coastal region of Ternnaserim where he could get in touch with the missionaries of MEP, working in the Malay Pinasula, he was again recalled to Rangoon and went about the Irrawaddy Delta establishing contact with local people.
It was said that Fr.Tarolly received a kind invitation from a Portuguese Officer of Bassein to come over and spend some time there in Bassein which was a prominent sea port at that time. Responding to the friendship of the Portuguese Officer Fr.Tarolly went to Bassein and stayed there for three months and then returned to Rangoon. After some time he went again to Bassein to make survey of the region for another two months and decided to make official petition to the King of Ava to grant him permission to build a church and a presbytery.
The permission was granted by the king in the beginning of 1844 when the British government was preparing to wage the second Burma-Anglo war in 1852 to capture the whole region of lower Burma. Fr.Tarolly went over there and settled himself there and started the foundation of the mission by building the church, a presbytery and a school for children. Two years later, in 1846 he was given another young Italian priest called Fr.Pogolotti as his assistant in Bassein. Moved by the Spirit of the Lord, both were working hard in the town as well as in the surrounding area of Bassein. In fact, both of them were gifted physicans. Fr.Tarolly was known for being a good surgeon in this area. The fame of their healing mission spread far and wide throughout the region. Even the governor of Myaungmya requested them to cure the illness of his sick brother. They succeeded restoring him to good health and their fame increased day by day. In Bassein many were flocking to them seeking relief of their pains both physical and spiritual. It was said that in a short time, they could gather over one hundred Catholic in the region.
In the beginning of 1848, an unexpected invitation of the governor of Myaungmya came to Fr.Tarolly requesting him to come and settle down in the region of Myaungmya, known as a very fertile land but sparsely populated at that time. The governor wanted to develop his region by attracting more people to settle in the district. He was firmly convinced that the fame of Fr.Tarolly would certainly attract people to Myaungmya if he were to establish his mission there and promised him of giving him all necessary help.
In the company of a few families of Catholics from Bassein Fr.Tarolly reached Myaungmya on March 9, 1848 in the place called Thazingone village. He began by building a wooden house, a part of which served as a chapel and the other part as his residence. He constructed another small building which he used as chool for children. His healing ministry continued as expected. Many flocked to him. As a result, many conversion followed. By the middle of 1850, there were in Myaungmya, under his care, four hundred Catholics and about six hundred catechumens. That was the first Catholic community established in the Mission of Myaungmya.
Two years later, there was a war. In 1852, the second Anglo-Burman war broke out as expected by all. The Burmese resisted. Many Europeans were targeted. Many of them were arrested and put in heavy chains and transported to Ava. Among them were Fr.Tarolly from Myaungmya and Fr. Gabutti from Bassein who fell in the same fate and were sent to Ava.
When Fr.Tarolly was taken away to Ava as prisonor, the Mission in Myaungmya was severely under attack.The mission buildings were burnt down. Many catholics considered to be followers of foreigners were killed and some escaped to the jungles for their survival.
In Ava, Fr.Tarolly was asked by the king to be the intermediary between the British and the king for peace and negotiation. Finally peace treaty was signed by both parties and ended the second Anglo-Burma war. Fr.Tarolly was released and came back to Myaungmya to find his work completely destroyed and his Catholics scattered in the jungles.
Time of peace was restored. The whole lower Burma was handed to the administ -ration of the British government. Fr.Tarolly reconstructed the buildings; a small chapel and a presbytery in wood, a little better than the previous ones. He reconstructed his class rooms and again the mission revitalized.
He was given as his assistant in the mission, Fr. Tagnet, in 1859. A few months later when the new priest knew how to speak Karen, Fr.Tarolly let him in charge of the mission of Myaungmya.
As the whole region was in peace under the new administration of the British, Fr.Tarolly decided to move away from Myaungmya and make another survey for founding new missions. He came to Rangoon and from there he travelled the whole region of Delta, and then moved to Salween and went down to Ternnasserim coastal region where he had visited about fifteen years ago.
After his second tour of the mission in the lower Burma, in 1863, he established himself with the permission of Bishop Bigandet, somewhere near Twante. That was his new mission. In 1867, he was given a helper, Fr.Schimitt to assist him in the new mission which he recently founded. As he considered the new priest was ready to be charge of the new mission, Fr.Tarolly moved closer to Rangoon and settled in another new place called Chaungqwin or Kyargwin. It was noticed that he did not stay in the new place for a long time as his age advanced.
Then shortly after his last station in Kyargwin, Fr.Tarolly went back to his first mission in Myaungmya to spend the rest of his time as retired priest. He was in Myaungmya until October, 1882 when the third Anglo-Burma war was in preparation in the upper Burma. In that month of October he was feeling very ill. Sensing his end was near, he left for Bassein to be with his spiritual son, Fr.George D’Cruz who was parist priest of Bassein.( It was recorded that Fr.Tarolly baptized little George D’Cruz in Rangoon at the age of two, when he first arrived the mission in 1931) Finally he quietly expired in the hands of Fr. George D’Cruz on December 15, 1882 at the age of 84, after having spent fifty years of long service in the mission of Burma, particularly in the region of Delta Irrawaddy. His remain was brought to Myaungmya for burial.
As noted above Fr. Tagnet took charge of the mission in Myaungmya in 1860. The mission was revitalized under the care of this new priest but not so long in 12864, he was replaced by another MEP priest called Fr.Bertrand who came from Kanazogone mission and became the head of the mission in Myaungmya. Fr.Bertrand stayed in Myaungmya until the end of 1866.
Another energetic MEP priest called Fr. Devos in Myaungmya in 1867 to replace Fr.Bertrand who was called to another mission for service. Fr.Devos did not stay long time in the mission of Myaungmya as he was replaced by another priest coming from Kanazogone, Fr.Cartreau in 1870. It was the time when Bishop Bigandet went to Rome to attend the First Vatican Council and requested the Burma Mission to be divided into three Vicariates : Rangoon, Mandalay and Toungoo. The request was granted and came to effect in the following year.
Fr.Cartreau worked hard in Myaungmya until 1877 when he was asked to hand over the mission to Fr. G.Kern who remained many years in the mission of Myaungmya until his death. After Fr.Tarolly, Fr.G.Kern was known as the second founder of the mission in Myaungmya. He was the one who build the a beautiful brick church in Myaungmya. ( The church was burnt down 1942, during the time of Japanese invasion of Burma). Fr.G.Kern expended the school both for boys and girls. He could managed bringing the Sisters of St.Francis Xavier to take charge of the girls school and boarding house. The mission flourished during his time. The number of Catholics steadily rose. Fr.G.Kern finally expired in Bassein 1905 but his remain was brought to
Myaungmya to be buried.
After the third Anglo-Burma war (1885-86), the whole Burma was under to the administration of the British. The mission flourished along with the protection of the British and good administration of Bishop Bigandet after separating the Burma Mission into three Vicariates. In Myaunmya, Fr. Rieu, another MEP priest took over the mission from the hands of Fr.G.Kern at his death. Fr.Rieu continued faithfully the mission of his predecessor until 1911 when he was replaced by Fr.A Fargeton who became the head of Myaungmya mission until 1920. Fr. A.Fargeton was given Fr.Anthony Paschal, a native Karen priest, to be his assistant since 1916. He became the head of the mission in Myaungmya in 1921. He continued the mission with full enthusiasm during the time when Burma was fully awaken by nationalism and movement for independence from the British’s rule.
The mission of Myaungmya was again destroyed in 1942 when the Japanese took over the administration of Burma from the hands of the British. Fr. Anthony Paschal was murdered together with another priest, his assistant. About 140 boys and girls in the boarding house were pitilessly massacred by the BIA solders. That was another deadly blow to the mission of Myaungmya. However the mission continued under the protection of the Blessed Mother, mother of the Church.
In 1945, when the Japanese left the country and the British recaptured the nation, Fr.Ogent of MEP took over the mission of Myaungmya and was assisted by Fr.George U Kyaw, a Karen priest who later became the first local ordinary of the diocese of Bassein in 1955. Fr.Ogent remained there just one year and replaced by another MEP priest, Fr.Martin Nabaitz in 1946, two years before Burma got the independence from the British in 1948.
Fr.Martin Nabaitz was known as the third founder to the mission in Myaungmya. He rebuilt the presbytery, the convent and built also a famous High School ( No.3.State High School) in affiliation the government school. He built a huge and solid Cahtholic Church in Myaungmya which was solemnly opened for divine service in March 1966.
Burma got the independence in 1948 and under the new administration of the Burmese Government led by U Nu, the country was put on the new road and direction but with much difficulty and hardship to endure. In the midst of these hard moments Fr.Martin Nabaitz energetically rebuilt the mission. The mission flourished from all sides. The first priority of Fr.Martin Nabaitz’s mission was to educate the young boys and girls. He opened the boarding houses for both boys and girls asking the parents to send their children to the mission school for education. He opened the Catechists’ Training School in 1956 when the diocese of Bassein was erected and the first local ordinary Bihsop George U Kyaw was given to the diocese. The Catechist’s Training School, being a National one, welcomed all the candidates from all dioceses of the Church of Burma since that time. Many movements and activities were created under his leadership after the Second Vatican Council ( 1962-65). The parish of St.Mary, Mwe hauk was created during his time about 1976 and the parish of Theyetchaung was established too during his time in 1978. In this way from the main mission of Myaungmya derived two parishes during his time.
When General Ne Win took over the country’s power from the Prime Minister U Nu, in 1962 and nationalized all the missionary buildings and schools in 1965, the mission in Myaungmya was not so much disturbed by the effect.The High School of Fr.Martin Narbaitz was not nationalized and confiscated as the school was affiliated to the government school since its foundation. The health of Fr.Martin Nabaitz was declining since the mid of 1975 due to hard works and multiple responsibilities given to him. However he could manage to handle the mission progressively until his only and final departure from Burma in the end of August 1981 to receive medical treatment in Paris, France. Just three days after his arrival at Paris, France, Fr.Martin Nabaitze expired in one hospital in Paris on September 2, 1981. The whole mission of Myaungmay mourned and regretted for his unexpected departure from this world.
Fr.Paulinus Mahn Eishaung, a Karen priest, a former Professor in St.Joseph’s Catholic Major Seminary, Yangon was appointed as parish priest of Myaungmya in 1982. With new perspectives of reintroducing Karen language and liturgical celebrations Fr.Paulinus Mahn Eischaung launched his mission with much zeal and effort resisting all the obstacles that were coming on his way. He repaired the old buildings of the mission and reinforced the formation of the Catechist’s Training School. The liturgical celebrations in Karen language were reorganized and summer language courses were opened. Youth and children courses were conducted annual according to the seasons and needs. The parish of Myaungmya grew into its maturity and gave birth to another two parish during the time of Fr.Paulinus Mahn Eishauang. One is the parish of Einme which was founded in 1993 and the other one is the parish of Changthagone which was created in 1996.
Fr.Paulinus Mahn Eishaung asked for retirement from the responsibility of parish priest in 1998 due to his poor health and he was replaced by Fr.Raymond Saw Htun Kyi, another young Karen priest to continue the multiple works accomplished by his predecessor. The mission continued with the grace of God until now with new administration of Fr.Raymond Htun Kyi, a quiet and simple priest of the diocese. As all aspects are being affected by the economic and political struggle of the country, not much things can be expected out of this situation. Thanks be to God if things do not get worse and the stability of progress could be maintained in one way or another during this hard time.