London: Priest serving in war-torn Myanmar diocese to speak on World Mission Sunday

Fr Paul Lum Dau, a Catholic priest serving the Church in war-torn Kachin State in northern Myanmar (formerly known as Burma), will visit London to mark World Mission Sunday (19 October).

Fr Paul is representing the Bishop of Myitkyina, Bishop Francis Daw Tang, as Missio’s guest for World Mission Sunday. He will meet with Missio supporters on 18 October in Westminster Cathedral Hall and will celebrate Mass in the Cathedral on 19 October.

Myitkyina diocese is home to thousands of displaced people, many of whom are Christians, living in temporary camps on Church property. St Paul’s Mission in Myitkyina is a refuge for 400 people who have been made homeless as a result of the civil war in their state. Fr Paul will shed light on some of the difficulties the Church is facing in Myanmar, as well as share stories of the joys of a local Church that is hopeful despite struggling for decades under a military dictatorship.

Fr Paul says, “We don’t have very nice chapels, but we gather with the displaced people under the trees, hear confessions, and celebrate Mass together. Prayer is the only hope many of these people have.”

World Mission Sunday is celebrated by Catholics in every country where the Church is present. On 19 October, parishes all over the world will be encouraged to pray for the missionary work of the Church and share what they can to support faith communities overseas, like St Paul’s Mission, which are in urgent need.

Pope Francis, in his message for World Mission Sunday declared: "All the members of the Church are called to participate in this mission, for the Church is missionary by her very nature: she was born “to go forth”. World Mission Sunday is a special moment when the faithful of various continents unite in prayer and concrete gestures of solidarity in support of the young Churches in mission lands."

As the Pope’s official charity for overseas mission, Missio has the responsibilty of raising funds for mission churches, like St Paul’s, all over the world. This World Mission Sunday Missio is encouraging the worldwide Catholic community to follow Pope Francis’ call to us all to ‘be missionaries of God’s love.’

Myanmar is the focus of the World Mission Sunday 2014 collection, and money raised in parishes across England and Wales will go to support the work of missionaries like Fr Paul and Bishop Francis in northern Myanmar, and around the world.

Mgr Canon James Cronin, National Director of Missio in England and Wales, said: ‘The legacy left by British and Irish missionaries to the Church in Africa and Asia still requires ongoing support. As Pope Francis reminded the National Directors of Missio earlier this year: “Building the Church is important not for its own sake but for the sake of God reaching out through it to humanity.” On World Mission Sunday we have the opportunity to extend God’s kingdom on earth and be missionaries of God’s love, no matter who we are or where we live.’

To make a donation to the World Mission Sunday collection, or to find out more, please visit: www.missio.org.uk