The Divine Word Missionaries team in Myanmar is taking the next step in preparing their engagement with the people, by immersing themselves in the local culture and in the Word of God.

Fr Tuyen Nguyen SVD, one of the team assigned to Myanmar, which is part of the AUS Province, is now living in a village among the people and really immersing himself in the language, culture and customs.

Provincial, Fr Henry Adler SVD, who was in Myanmar recently to bless the small dwelling where Fr Tuyen will be living, says that learning the language is a key aspect of the SVD presence in the south-east Asian nation.

“Fr Tuyen’s immersion experience has been arranged with the support of the local Parish Priest and it is a place in the village where he can practice the language and offer pastoral care,” Fr Henry says.

“It’s an immersion – a first step in the process of practicing the language.”

Fr Henry says the local community welcomed Fr Tuyen’s arrival amongst them, attending the blessing of the house and providing food for the celebration.

Later in the Year, Fr Tuyen and Fr Mariusz Kubista SVD, who is also based in Myanmar, will undertake an immersion of a different kind when they take part in the 60-day Dei Verbum Biblical course in Nemi, Italy.

The course aims to help participants study and interiorise the Word of God and inspire them to find suitable ways of communicating the Word of God in today’s world.

Fr Henry says that with the Biblical Apostolate forming the key part of the SVD ministry in Myanmar, the Dei Verbum immersion course will be excellent preparation for Fr Tuyen and Fr Mariusz and, by extension, the whole team.

“So, we are providing an immersion experience in the language and culture of Myanmar and an immersion experience in our Biblical ministry,” Fr Henry says.

“We hope this will be the model for the future.”

Fr Henry says that during his time in Myanmar, the SVD team gathered for prayer and discussion of how they hope their ministry will unfold.

“We spent time identifying the important aspects of our future ministry,” he says.

“We did some planning, some dreaming and some looking to the future.

“There are challenges of course, as there are in establishing anything new, but it was good to spend some time looking ahead and planning with hope and enthusiasm.”

PHOTOS

TOP RIGHT: Fr Tuyen Nguyen and Fr Mariusz Kubista

BOTTOM LEFT: Provincial, Fr Henry Adler and confreres bless the house in the village where Fr Tuyen will live.