Radio Veritas Asia Karen Service marks Ruby Jubilee

The local language service—Radio Veritas Asia (RVA) Karen Service observed its 40th year of existence with a thanksgiving Mass on April 1.

The celebration took place in St. Peter and St. Paul Church, Nant Thar Gone, Insein, Yangon Archdiocese, Myanmar at 10 in the morning.

The local office of RVA Karen Service was established in this parish in 2009. 

In his homily, Auxiliary Bishop John Saw Yaw Han of Yangon Archdiocese explained the meaning of RVA to the participants, which means Radio of the truth for the Asian people. 

In 1969, Manila-based RVA started as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language. A few years ago RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms. RVA Karen is one of those language services.

There are many Myanmar citizens with different languages speakers. Many of them do not know the Burmese language yet. For these people, the bishops of the country and RVA make it possible that them to access RVA’s online programs. 

Not only for the ethnic Karen people in the remote area of the land but also for those Karen Diasporas in different countries who are not able to speak and understand English and Burmese. 

“RVA Karen Service plays a major role for these people,” said Bishop John, the president of RVA Sgaw Karen Service.

Former Church leaders made a great effort to spread the Good News through the use of Radio technology. It is an important and great responsibility to fulfill the vision and carry on the mission. It is already in the hands of the present and future workers. It is to train the future staff, to value and maintain the Karen language and literature, the prelate explained.

“Amid our imperfections, we keep on learning and carrying on our mission. And we are ready to accept every kind of guidance, advice, and correction for our mission to be effective,” said Father Saw Hubert, the coordinator of the language service. 

“We still have to find ways for those who are in the far and remote areas with no possibility to access RVA Sgaw programs. Most of them are eager to follow the RVA programs,” he added.  

A short documentation of RVA history was presented to the participants after the Mass, followed by words of thanks by Father Hubert. 

The program providers decided to make more efforts for the future mission of the language service effective so that all the programs may meet the needs of the audience near and far. 

“We would like to see and hear the live-streaming of the Mass regularly in the future in pure Karen language without any other language to be inserted since many elderly Karen people still do not understand Burmese and other languages,” said Thara Day Htoo, a catechist for the Karen diaspora in Hartford, CT, USA.

The late Archbishop Gabriel Mahn Gabi, who initiated the Karen Language Services into the RVA, and other former staff who have already passed away were also remembered in the thanksgiving Mass. 

The coordinator of the language service also supports the Karen diaspora through the homily in the liturgy of the Word and prayer service that takes place weekly via Zoom in which participants from several countries join. 

Radio Veritas Asia, Karen Services started its broadcasting (radio) mission on April 1, 1982.