The first Claretian from Myanmar, Francisco Saw Jimmy Htwe, was ordained a priest at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Church, Quezon City, Philippines, July 16.
Claretian Bishop Leo M. Dalmao of Isabela-Basilan ordained Fr Htwe together with one Filipino priest. The bishop also ordained to the diaconate five Claretians who hail from Myanmar, Vietnam and the Philippines.
Bishop Dalmao urged the new priests and deacons to brave uncertainties, and speak constantly about Christ and the gospel values even in the face of resistance and pressure. Be tenacious in representing Christ in your words and action – no matter how inconvenient, he said.
Claretian Missionaries, known as the Sons of the Immaculate Heart of the Blessed Virgin Mary (Cordis Mariae Filii, CMF), was founded by Anthony Mary Claret in Spain, in 1849 and they work in 14 Asian countries.
35-year-old Fr. Htwe belongs to the Sagaw Karen ethnic community in Myanmar’s Pathein Diocese. He is the first Claretian to be ordained priest from his country.
Speaking to RVA Fr Htwe said, “I am what I am today, thanks to the love and grace of God.”
Fr. Htwe was born in Kyaunggone village, West of Pathein City. He is the sixth among seven siblings. His parents and four of his siblings are Baptists. However, they encouraged him in his call to the priesthood. Thanking his family, Fr Htwe said, “I consider the support of my family as one of the most important factors which helped me to persevere in my vocation”.
As a convert from the Baptists, he had to brave many difficulties. Though a non-Catholic in the boarding house, he joined the prayers of the Catholic hostellers and served as an altar boy. He was baptized at the age of fifteen.
The newly ordained priest recalled, “The journey was not easy but God showed me the way to take one step at a time.” He joined the Claretians in the Philippines where he did his novitiate and seminary studies.
Currently, there are seven other Claretians from Myanmar who are in various stages of formation.
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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