An online programme that provides refugees on the Thai-Burma border with the opportunity to study for a university degree is the subject of a chapter in a new book called Ethnicity and Race. The programme is the brainchild of the Refugee Tertiary Education Committee (RTEC), which was formed by Fr Michael Smith SJ from the Australian Province.
The Sisters of Charity hosted a summer educational programme at St. Gerosa’s Convent from March 15 to May 20, 2011. Titus Tin Maung recounts his experience of joining this workshop for the month of April.
Fr. General has appointed the President of the Jesuit Conference of Asia Pacific, Fr. Mark Raper, Major Superior of the Mission of Myanmar, for a term of three years. Fr. General entrusts Fr. Mark with the specific mission of planning and implementing apostolic and governance arrangements for Myanmar, in addition to the other concerns of a major superior. Fr. Mark assumed office January 24.
On the feast of St. Edmund Campion, the Korean Provincial, Fr John Sin Won-sik missioned Fr Simon Lee (KOR) to Myanmar. At present, Simon is secretary of the provincial in Seoul, so Fr John is sacrificing an important man in the Curia to come to be part of the Myanmar Mission. The Myanmar Mission welcomes Fr Simon and looks forward to his arrival toward the end of February 2011. He will be missioned to Campion Institute in May 2011.
Bangkok, 11 November 2010 – An estimated 20,000 people have fled to Thailand since conflict broke out between government forces and the fifth brigade of the ethnic Karen rebel group, the DKBA. Fighting began on Monday morning 8 November in the southeastern border town of Myawaddy, less than a day after election polls opened in the military controlled region.
On June 21, Fr Irsan Rimawal (IDO) made his final vows at the Maria Della Strada Novitiate Chapel. He then took over Fr Wardi Saputra (IDO) as Novice Director for the Myanmar Mision. Fr Wardi is now on sabbatical – two semesters of the New Directions program at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University, USA.
Fr. John Hayes was 36 years old when he died. He is buried in grave 7A. F. 24, Taukkyan War Cemetery, outside Yangon (formerly Rangoon) in Myanmar (Burma). He was the only Irish Jesuit chaplain to have died during the Second World War.
March 19th, 2010. Sounding resolute and appearing in good spirits, Kyaw Zaw Lwin walked through Bangkok’s Suvarnabhumi Airport yesterday a free man, after spending 6 months in detention in Burma.
Fresh faces are filling up the novitiates across Asia Pacific. Last February, Korea accepted five novices. In March, Indonesia welcomed 12 and Australia has three. Philippines has added five. And by the end of April, three more will be in the Myamar Novitiate. Thank you God for these abundant gifts!
Effective mid-June 2010, Fr Maurus Irsan Rimawal (IDO) becomes the Novice Director of Santa Maria della Strada Novitiate in Taunggyi. It is expected that four new novices will be coming in by April 30. Fr Irsan has been called to final vows in the Society, with the date to be announced soon. Fr Wardi Saputra (IDO), the current director, will take a deserved break. Thanks so much, Fr Wardi, for the 11 years you have dedicated to our Jesuit Myanmar and Thai novices.