More than 800 faithful gathered at Sacred Heart Church in Myaungmya on May 17 to celebrate the RVA Day of Pwo Karen Service, coinciding with the Feast of the Ascension, in a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Henry Eikhlein of Pathein Diocese.

More than 800 faithful gathered at Sacred Heart Church in Myaungmya on May 17 to celebrate the RVA Day of Pwo Karen Service, coinciding with the Feast of the Ascension, in a Eucharistic celebration presided over by Bishop Henry Eikhlein of Pathein Diocese.

In his opening remarks, the Bishop noted that RVA Day is an occasion to appreciate the service of witnessing the Gospel. “Today is also the Ascension of our Lord, so we pray for RVA staff and faithful to be blessed by the risen Lord,” he said.

In his homily, Bishop Henry reflected on the significance of the Easter season, the Ascension, and the coming of the Holy Spirit. “After Easter we celebrated fifty days before the Ascension. By celebrating Easter, it helps us to grow our faith day by day,” he said.

He emphasized that witnessing comes from believing in the risen Lord. St. Paul, St. Peter, and other saints believed firmly and witnessed bravely throughout the world.

The Bishop then connected this to the local Church, recalling the legacy of missionary Fr. Martin Narbaitz. “He left his country when he was 32 years old and worked for more than 30 years. He tried faith formation until his death. This church is built by Fr. Martin. Through this church, he gave us the inheritance of faith.”

Bishop Henry urged parents to pass on faith to their children as their primary inheritance. He also encouraged the Karen people to witness their faith through their mother tongue.