Burmese priest goes on mission for PIME

Newly-ordained Father Ludovico: "I am going on mission to give back the faith the missionaries gave me"

Rome (AsiaNews) – He is 34 years old and a diocesan priest with one heart-felt desire: "To go on mission". So far nothing strange, except that Father Ludovico Saw Piko comes from Keikhto, in Taungngu Diocese, Myanmar. In the country formerly known as Burma, the Church is young; it represents a tiny minority: 600,000 out of 45 million people.

Burmese Catholics face many obstacles, not least the fact that since 1965 foreign missionaries are not allowed into the country. In Taungngu Diocese there are 40,000 Catholics out of a population of 3 million. It includes 63 priests for 20 parishes. And yet, Father Ludovico wants to go on mission.

"I was born and bred in a Christian family. When I was 17 years old I entered the Taungngu Minor Seminary. I always wanted to be a priest. Once I finished studying at the Minor Seminary, the bishop sent me to study in Italy in order to prepare for the priesthood. Once there I discovered my calling."

Which is?

To be a missionary. In Monza I studied with the PIME seminarians and discovered their passion for missionary work. Slowly but surely the desire to do the same grew in me. I came back to Myanmar for two years. It was my own bishop, Mons. Isaac Danu, who ordained me.

What does the bishop think of your decision to be a missionary?

He readily agreed and was happy. Like my mother, he said: "If this is God's Will, by all means, go!

Why have you decided to become a missionary?

Jesus did not just call upon the Apostles to stay at home, in their place of birth; he also told them to go and spread the word elsewhere. The same happened to me. While I was preparing myself to be ordained I understood that to be priest meant going out into the world. 

You come from a country where the Christian faith was brought by missionaries . . .

In fact, for me going on mission means giving back the faith the missionaries gave me. I never met the missionaries who brought Christianity to Burma because the government had already been expelled them. However, my family had met many of them. For instance, my mother told me about their hard work and suffering. As Burmese we are the children of the missionaries' faith.

Why leave your country to be a missionary?

It is clear that my country, Myanmar, is still a land of mission. Not all people have heard about Jesus. Yet I want to show that, despite being young, thanks to the Holy Spirit our Church has grown to the point that it can send people to evangelise in other countries.

Father Ludovico, what does the mission mean to you?

It means bringing something new where there was none, i.e. bringing the Word of God to people  who have never heard it, for whom it is something new. People need to know the Word of God. I realised that when I was living among my own people.

How?

• myanmar
• missionary
• world
• evangelizzation
• buddhism