Columban Srs Theresa Kim (left - right), Kathleen Geaney and Cris de Leon with the Mandalay Interfaith group. Photo: Sr Enda Im SSC
On May 13, 1947, four Missionary Sisters of St Columban left Ireland for our first foundation in what was then known as Burma (now known as Myanmar), a country once dubbed the rice bowl of Asia. As it was only a couple of years after World War II, ships were scarce. So, the Sisters had to travel in a troop ship on which conditions and amenities were austere, to say the least. The ship called at no ports along the route because of strikes in all the ports.
The Sisters arrived in Rangoon three weeks after departing Ireland. On landing, they saw a city devastated by war and now lying in shambles. Where there had previously been prosperity, the people now flocked to the streets searching for something to eat.
Before long, the Sisters found themselves on an army plane bound for Myitkyina in the north. Here, as was the experience of the first Columban Sisters arriving in China, no house was ready for them, so they stayed in the priest’s house until their own house was built. With the urgent need for education very apparent to the Sisters, they immediately assumed responsibility for the school begun by the Columban Fathers.
When the school opened, the roll call numbered 125 and included Burmans, Shans, Karens, and Kachins. As no school had operated during the war years, the opening of the Sisters’ school was a truly exciting event. A few years later, a boarding school was opened to focus on developing the Kachin youth, who were the hope for the future development of the Church in Burma.
While the mission was developing for the Sisters, the political situation in the country became very precarious. In 1947, just as the British were handing over the government of Burma to the Burmese people, General Aung San and his government were assassinated by a rival group. At this time, it was also becoming difficult to secure visas for new Sisters joining the first group, which resulted in long delays before they arrived. But this did not deter the Sisters from expanding their service to the people.
As the number of pupils and the educational standards grew in the schools, the Sisters were also developing strong bonds of love and friendship with the people. This resulted in a few local young women being attracted to the Columban Sisters’ way of life.
Given the political unrest in the country, however, plans to build a novitiate were suspended. As the Sisters continued to grow closer to the people, they became more aware of the need for medical services. The arrival of two Sisters who were nurses led to the setting up of a clinic in a new area, which was in the Kachin Independent Army’s (KIA) territory. Tragically, due to the fighting between the KIA and the Burmese Army, the clinic and convent had to be closed.
Over the next few years, the political situation continued to deteriorate, and the atmosphere in which the Sisters were living became more and more tense. Soon, as foreigners, they were not allowed to continue administering the school. Undaunted, they then spent their time among the people, travelling by bicycle to visit families. This afforded them unforgettable opportunities to enter more deeply into the lives of the people and to grow even closer to them. At the same time, it was becoming clear that their situation was unstable. So, preparations began in 1966 for a quiet departure after nineteen years from the land and people they had come to love.
But it was with great joy that in 2003, five Columban Sisters responded to the call to return to Burma (renamed Myanmar in 1989). Both the people in Myitkyina and the Columban Sisters were so happy to meet again after a long separation. As the Sisters settled into life once again, they courageously engaged in various areas of ministry where people needed our presence and accompaniment. These included running a language school, caring for people with HIV, community health in rural areas, religious/priestly formation, drug rehabilitation, and youth and biblical ministry. After a few years, we began to reach out in the Mandalay diocese to respond to the call to live “unity in diversity”. Here, the Sisters became engaged in inter-faith dialogue at every level of life in the Mandalay community.
Sadly, a few years ago, the people of Myanmar found themselves once again struggling against the military. The hope for a better future that they once had in their hearts disappeared like an illusion. The country once again fell into great confusion and suffering. Cities, villages and rural areas were exposed to armed conflict, and temples and churches were targeted and destroyed. Many people had to leave their homes behind and hide in the jungle or find shelter in refugee camps.
Amid this uncertainty, our presence as Columban Missionaries continues as we live and work with the people and seek hope in the midst of despair. We continue to work actively in various areas of need. As suffering continues to wound people’s lives, we respond to the call to accompany them in their struggle by collaborating in psychotherapy programs for those who are experiencing psychological or physical difficulties, for women who experience domestic violence, and trauma-healing processes that aim to support young people and children in refugee camps. Just like our early Sisters, we believe empowering young people and the next generation is the way to build up the country for a better future.
Columban Sr
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Related links
- Read more from The Far East - July 2025
