Returning home is both joyful and painful to hundreds of coastal villagers, who are trekking back to their cyclone Nargis devastated villages. Joyful because the rootless life as refugees in the camps is over, painful because they come back to the villages where the spirit of those who perished hover over them every minute. There are damaged houses and schools. In many places the temples, churches and pagodas are damaged.
Deep in the Ei Ma, in Pathein Diocese, where the parish priest Andrew Soe Win perished in the rescue mission, the returnee number is a slow trickle. Their church is gone and their pastor was buried. " Our altar around which we used to come as a village community is gone. And our Priest who used to tell us so many good things is gone. We were refugees, we begged for our bread in the last months. We do hope our way of the Cross is over. We are happy to back where our homes used to be.' Said a returnee.
Spiritual rehabilitation remains a challenge. Many churches are still in ruins. 'The altar is gone'. From the field, from the refugee camps, the church people are also returning to the original villages. Teilhard De Chardin, the Priest- paleontologist, was once forced to be in China without mass. Despite the absence of bread and the altar, he could continue to celebrate every morning, his own version of Mass without upsetting the authorities. Described in mystical lyricism, he describes the majestic morning sun as the bread and the world clothed in morning light as the altar. The sun awakens life to activity after a dark night.
Without proper churches and scattered communities, we too feel that sense of breaking bread with the broken people of Myanmar. On the altar of suffering, with tears in their eyes, men and women sought fellowship in refugee camps and broken churches. With the generous assistance from the all of you, the universal church and the Caritas network, we reached out to hundreds of refugees, carrying food 'feeding the hungry, clothing the naked and healing the sick.' Church'. We accompanied them in their way of the Cross. Like Simon of Syrenne, hundreds of young men and women, volunteered to help the victims in the last three months.
Now life asserts like an early morning in all around Myanmar. Farmers have returned to the fields, the mothers are busy with sending their children back to school and in the fields the seeds are once again sprouting, fighting the dark days of cyclone Nargis. The human spirit fights back in every field.
As the Church we are grateful and humbled that we could be of great service to all the people, reaching out as the first group in many areas. Our liturgy moved to the camps and to the destroyed villages. The world became the altar for us and our people and where ever affected people lived, we could carry the message of God's love and Church concern through the emergency services. The hope our volunteers brought is the seed of resilience.
Comprehensive rehabilitation is a long and winding road. Spiritual healing is a long process. Psycho Social volunteers are trained for every parish. Physical rehabilitation with rebuilding houses and livelihood regeneration is emerging as a stout challenge.
As the media attention dims, the NGOs who rushed in are slowing down in response. We stay with our people, and are determined to accompany our people in their journey of rehabilitation. The needs are very huge and the number of people seeking our help is fast increasing.
To all of you who responded with magnificent generosity, the people of Myanmar owe a debt of gratitude. Far too long you have known the incremental suffering our people. When nature colluded with other forces, thousands perished. Our fellowship continues. For those who survived, we wish to bring the bread of hope in the altar of their resilience.
In Solidarity,
Archbishop Charles Bo SDB
Yangon.
No comments:
Post a Comment