Myanmar Missionary Congregation celebrates the Golden Jubilee of Novitiate House

The missionary Congregation of Xaverian Sisters in Pathein Diocese located in Ayeyarwaddy Region in Myanmar celebrated the Golden Jubilee of their Novitiate House on January 31.

Father Henry Eikhlein, the Diocesan Administrator, offered thanksgiving Mass accompanied by many priests at 6 AM in the chapel of Novitiate located in Mayanchaung village.

Father Eikhlein said, “No formation, no Congregation. Formation and Congregation cannot be separated. Formation is the life of the Congregation.”

Formation is a stage a candidate trains to commit fully to Jesus by profession the evangelical counsel of poverty, chastity and obedience or other relevant forms of serious commitment to follow Christ.

Quoting the gospel reading of the day about a man who was liberated and freed by Jesus from the evil spirit, the Diocesan Administrator added, “To be liberated persons, we enter Novitiate and take formation.”

“In formation, there are two steps: initiate and ongoing formations. Initiate formation might last for four or five or six years, but the ongoing formation is lifelong,” remarked Father Eikhlein, a former major seminary rector in Yangon. 

The former major seminary rector stated that “the main direction of formation is to be liberated.”

With the words of St. Paul, the Diocesan Administrator encouraged the postulants who take the next step to enter into a Novitiate period.

“Take out the old human form and wear new human life. We enter Novitiate to root out the old human form to become new human beings.”

The main celebrant of the Mass urged the participants to imitate Jesus’ formation, which is the best model.

“The formation of the Church till now is taking Jesus’. Formation is to form the lifestyle of Christ to formatees,” added the former rector of the major seminary.

“The words of the Diocesan Administrator, You are the heart of the diocese, we love you, make me happy and proud in gratitude,” said Sister Patricia May Oo Khaing, SFX, reacting to the sermon after Mass.

Sister Ada, a member of Sisters of St. Francis Xavier (SFX) and Novice Mistress, read out the history of the foundation of Novitiate after the announcement of Mass intention before starting the Mass.

The Congregation was founded by a French missionary, Bishop Alexandre Cardot of Missions Étragères de Paris (M.E.P).

Pope Francis’s prayer intention for the month of February is for the consecrated women. He invites all Catholics to pray for religious sisters and consecrated women as they continue in their mission with courage.

Father Raymond Kyaw Aung said, “Novitiate is the place where religious men and women are trained and formed to become the missionaries of Christ for the proclamation of the good news.”

“I very appreciate the presence of the Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier in the Diocese of Pathein. They are our mission partners in Christ,” added Father Kyaw Aung.

The Congregation of the Sisters of St. Francis Xavier is the first local religious community in the Diocese of Pathein where Karen people are found as the Catholic majority who are living among the Buddhist environment.

The Mother’s house of the Congregation is located in the City of Pathein in Ayeyarwaddy Region, which is known as delta area.

Burmans, Karen, Chin, Rakhaing and Mon live in the Ayeyarwady Region. The Burmans are the first majority, followed by the Karens.

With inputs from Jimmy Sa Ei Taw