Karuna and partners continue quake aid

Karuna and partners continue quake aid

Likely to be at least a year before hard-hit Shan State recovers fully 

ucanews.com reporter, Yangon
Myanmar
April 1, 2011

Quake damaged government run school in Tarlay, the most affected area in Shan State

The Catholic Church’s relief team of Karuna Myanmar will continue relief efforts in 13 villages seen to be the hardest hit by last week’s earthquake in the north of the country in collaboration with the local operations of World Vision, Red Cross and other partners.

Nyi Nyi Soe, projector director of Disaster Risk Reduction for KMSS (Karuna Myanmar Social Services) in Yangon, who is working in the quake affected areas, said Karuna had made a joint assessment with 10  other NGOs and that Karuna will take care of the 13 worst affected villages.

“We will be the key player in those 13 targeted villages and help the victims with whatever we can do for them but World Vision Myanmar will now take over the leading role,” said Nyi Soe.

A series of earthquakes in northeast Myanmar and north Thailand March 24 and 25 killed at least 120 people according to independent reports although government figures remain at 74 deaths and 125 injuries.

A report from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs on March 30 said at least 18,000 people in 90 villages have been moderately or severely affected. The Myanmar Red Cross Society (MRCS) reports 3,152 people are homeless.

The Karuna team is arranging temporary shelters for some 100 victims in the village of Thiri and around 50 victims in Kaw Kawt village, not so far from Mong Lin village, one of the hard hit places according to Nyi Soe.

Nyi Soe said that these people, unlike the Nargis victims, considered the shelter as just a place to rest and sleep and they all go for their work in the morning and back only in the evening.

Nyi Soe told ucanews.com by phone on March 31: “As we are not ready yet to help the victims with a housing program, we will find out how to help the victims according to the situation of their damages.”

Dr. Soe Moe Aung, the project director of HIV/AIDS in KMSS, said as many as half the villagers are suffering from diarrhea and some have skin problems, colds and coughs.

Receiving donations is another task of the Karuna team.

It has opened donation centers in the parishes and is accepting food, drinking water and cash for the victims.

“Our first priority now is distributing food items, drinking water and kitchenware which they received from the donors,” said Claudia Ko Win Myat, the coordinator of the health sector in Karuna Kengtung.

Trauma healing will also be another priority for the quake victims.

The majority of the people who experienced the earthquake seem to be scared and they are afraid to go into the buildings, said Win Myat, and there have been trauma cases in some villages “so we need to do trauma healing to the victims.”

He claims it will take a year for the quake survivors to get back to normal condition.

FEAST OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY, OUR LADY OF CHINA

Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Lady of China

(Diocese of Macau: Spring Festival; Diocese of Hong Kong and the rest of the GCA: Saturday prior to Second Sunday of May)

Entrance Antiphon

Mary became the mother of the eternal king, she maintained the glory of her virginity and was worthy of the joy of motherhood.(P.T.: Alleluia)

Collect

All powerful and eternal God,

You chose Mary as the mother of your Son, and our mother.

Grant we beseech You, that by her prayers,

You may bless the billions of Chinese people with peace and prosperity,

so that the whole Chinese nation would know, love and serve you.

We ask this through Christ our Lord your Son,

who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,

One God, forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia antiphon

Mary, you are the glory of the Church,

the pride of your people; you have brought us joy.

Prayer over the gifts

Merciful Father, receive the gifts which we offer on your altar today,

in union with our nation, our families, our lives and properties,

our work, our joys and pains;

Through this sacrifice, may we follow Mary’s example,

to find joy in making sacrifice and to offer everything for you.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Post communion

Lord, we have received the sacred body of Your Son on this feast;

through the intercession of Mary, our Lady of China, protect our nation

so that we may follow the example of Mary’s virtue

and faithfully love and serve you.

We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.

CANDLE MASS: DAY OF CONSECRATED LIFE

Candle mass: Day of Consecrated Life

Blessing candles

The friars of St Dominic’s Macau celebrated the Feast of the Presentation of Jesus in the Temple or the Candle mass with a solemn mass and a special thanksgiving for the gift of consecrated life. In accordance to the liturgical custom, the community congregated at the hall of the priory where the Prior, Fr. Alex blessed the candles and lead the solemn procession to the chapel. In his homily, reminded us of the meaning of the feast and how the principal actors of this mystery relate to our own lives as consecrated men. The sense of marvel and awe of Joseph and Mary, the thankfulness of Simeon and the joyfulness of Anna. All of them did not forget to proclaim the wonders of what they have seen and experienced.

Renewal consecrated life

In reference to religious life, he reiterated the four watch words of our life as Dominicans: come and see, go and preach… we cannot go out if we do not come to Him, to Jesus… and we cannot preach if we have not seen and experienced the salvation and the love of God to others. And at the same time he invites all of us to reflect how we live our vocation and how we should be thankful for it.

Offering candel to Our Lady

After the simple and soul searching homily, the community once again lighted their candles and celebrated a thanksgiving rite in the form of intercessory prayers and the brothers placed their candles at the feet of the image of the Virgin as sign of their offering of self to God through the hands of our Lady. At the end of the mass, the community chanted the beautiful canticle of Simeon reminding us that salvation had finally come upon us!

FEAST OF THE PRESENTATION

Entrance

Day of consecrated life

Day of consecrated life

Day of consecrated life

Day of consecrated life offering candle to Our lady

Day of consecrated life offering to Our lady

Day of consecrated life offering candle to Our lady

Day of consecrated life offering candle to Our lady

Day of Consecrated life to Our Lady

WITH MASTER OF THE ORDER OF THE PREACHERS

STUDENTS WITH BROTHER BRUNO O.P.

Br. Alphonso op and Master of the order

Br. John op and Master of the order

Br. Simon op and Master of the order

Br. Albert op and Master of the order

Br. Hillario op and Master of the order

Br. Joseph Lee op, Br. Antonio op, Br. Sevastian op and Master of the order

Korean brothers, Fr. Carlos and Master of the order

Br. Peter op, Br. Joseph Huy and Master of the order

Vietnamese brothers and Master of the order

Myanmar brothers with Master of the order

Students master and Master of the order

"Please call me Brother Bruno!"

Br. Aphonso op and Br. Antonio op

Brother Master of the Student

What do you think about obedience?

Br. Peter op greeting to Master of the order

Brothers! we should together study.

Do you have a plan about Myanmar mission?

Our Masters ^^

Fr. Carlos op

All the students with Master of the order

All the students with Master of the order in Macau

All the brothers with Master of the order in Macau

THE WORLD MIGRANTS’ DAY

Entrance celebration Br. Sebastian op Br. Terence op

Entrance Br. Mattew op Br. Hilrario op

Entrance Br. Antonio op and Br. John op

Macau bishop Joseph Lai mass cruxfiction incence

MIGRANTS’ SUNDAY IN MACAO

On January 16, 2011 the Church celebrated throughout the world World Day of Migrants and Refugees. In Macau, the local Church celebrated Migrants’ Day with a concelebrated Mass, a fellowship lunch and a cultural program. There are at present about twelve thousand migrants, the majority of which are Filipinos.

Celebrated at the famous Church of Saint Augustine, the Eucharist was presided by the bishop of Macao, Msgr. José Lai and concelebrated by about fifteen secular and religious priests – most of them missionaries in Macau. The Mass was attended by nearly one thousand people – most of them migrants living in Macau. It was animated by a lively and joyful choir of Filipino migrants. The Dominican students of St. Dominic’s Priory served at the Mass.

Bishop Lai spoke warmly and gratefully of the migrants in Macau (no refugees here at present).  He developed briefly the theme of this year’s celebration, “One sole human family,” and underlined some points from the message of Pope Benedict XVI for the occasion. Two other highlights of the Eucharistic celebration were the petitions – 15 in all – in different languages and the offerings of miniature flags by 14 migrants, each one representing his/her own country.

The fellowship lunch was also well-attended: nearly a thousand people ate different kinds of excellent food. The atmosphere was pleasant, familiar and serene. There was more than enough food for all.

Twenty four numbers, including messages, dances and songs made up the cultural program. A wide variety of different cultural expressions were expertly presented by groups or soloists of migrants representing their respective country, such as the Philippines, India, Spain, Indonesia, China, Korea, Macau, etc. The friendly audience applauded loudly and gladly each presentation. The whole cultural program showed well that the differences in culture do not separate but enrich us and therefore bond us more deeply. In fact, the various verbal and visual messages spoke clearly of one theme, namely unity as a loving family: “We are one family,” “we are the world,” “one Bread, one Body, and one People,” one Savior: Jesus Christ!

The celebration of the “World Day of Migrants and Refugees” in Macau is indeed a day to remember. We congratulate wholeheartedly and thank deeply bishop Lai, the Catholic Pastoral Center of the Diocese, and the Filipino Migrant Ministry. We close with the words of Pope Benedict XVI for this Migrants’ Day: One family of brothers and sisters urged to take part in dialogue, so that a serene and fruitful coexistence with respect for legitimate differences may be found. (FGB)

Fr. Fausto op concelebrated mass

Br.Terence op and Br. Sevastian op

Holy blood

Symbol of Christian migrants nations in macau

Host of presentaion Prof. Emmanuel Dispo

Miyanmar, East Timor sisters

Philippine dance

With Indonesia dancing team O~~ho!! Brothers!!