New national directors were appointed for The Pontifical Mission Societies (TPMS) in Myanmar and Thailand.
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s Section for First Evangelization and New Particular Churches, has appointed Father Stephen Chit Thein for Myanmar and Father Peter Piyachart Makornkhanp for Thailand.
As the national director of TPMS, the priests are tasked with overseeing a worldwide network at the service of the pope that “supports the missions and the Young Churches with prayer and charity.”
These include the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, the Missionary Childhood Association (MCA), and the Missionary Union of Priests and Religious.
According to the TPMS website, national directors often oversee the World Mission Sunday Collection every third Sunday of October in every parish worldwide.
Both priests will serve in the said position for the next five years.
Father Stephen Chit Thein of the Diocese of Pyay was born in Myanmar and was ordained a priest in 2015.
The 40-year-old priest studied Philosophy at the Don Bosco Philosophate in Pyin Oo Lwin from 2005 to 2008 and at the Mandalay University of Distance Education from 2008 to 2010.
He was also educated at St. Joseph's Catholic Major Seminary in Yangon from 2010 to 2014 and at Belgium's Catholic University from 2022 to 2024.
In his home diocese, Father Thein served as Diocesan Project Coordinator and Diocesan Youth Coordinator at St. Paul's Cathedral, where he eventually became rector from 2017 to 2019.
He was also the director of St. Paul’s College and parish priest of the Sacred Heart Church.
Meanwhile, Father Peter Piyachart Makornkhanp of the Archdiocese of Bangkok, Thailand was ordained a priest in 1990.
He studies Philosophy and Religious Studies at the Saengtham Institute at the Sampran Campus and a
master's degree from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.
Father Thein served as parish priest and pastoral assistant in various communities in his home diocese, particularly as the vicar general from 2020 to April 2024.
After his tenure as vicar general, he worked in the office of the missionary pastoral care of the archdiocese and the parish priest of the Holy Rosary Church.
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