At The End

Most Serious Wound

I'm Still a Farmer

The broken paddle and me

Hatred of she snake

Life lessons

Explosion of a Heart

New Recorded Album

I am always for those who are in need of in any situation.

Leper Colony

The people who stay in colony, Loilem are so blessed.

They are lepers and poor yet God gives them all their needs in some ways.

The difficulty is no more painful to their heart.

PC Recording

Gospel Songs recording in Mobye for Multimedic Evangelization in the Diocese.

MYANMAR UCAN Commentary - Young People Must Be Organized, Recognized And Empowered

PEKHON, Myanmar (UCAN) -- Father Albert Pho Kwah knows from experience that ministering to young Catholics in Myanmar is both testing and immensely rewarding.

Now 34, the priest has been engaged in youth ministry for a decade. Born in 1973 to a Catholic mother and Anglican father in Mobye, Pekhon township, in eastern Myanmar's Shan state. His family moved several times. He joined St. John the Baptist Minor Seminary in Loikaw and St. Teresa's Seminary High School in Taunggyi, then St. Joseph's Major Seminary in May Myo, Mandalay archdiocese. He studied philosophy at St. Joseph's Major Seminary in Yangon.

In 1997, Father Pho Kwah was ordained a priest in Mobye parish. He served in youth ministry at the parish and diocesan levels until 2000, when he was appointed national Catholic youth coordinator.

This gave him the opportunity to not only oversee several national youth congresses and forums that grew popular under his leadership, but also to take Myanmar Catholics abroad to World Youth Day events in Canada and Germany.

After Pekhon diocese was created in December 2005 from Taunggyi archdiocese, the new bishop asked him to return and work in Pekhon, where he currently serves as diocesan social communications director.

As part of his new responsibilities, he uses the Internet, digital audiovisual recording and other modern communications technologies for evangelization, such as presenting catechism and Gospel songs.

In the following commentary for UCA News, Father Pho Kwah shares his joys and challenges of ministering to young Catholics nationwide:

I love to live where there are lots of green trees. I mean this both literally and figuratively, as in working with young people.

There is some irony in my ministering to young people. My own youth was not the same as that of the young people I met during my six years as national coordinator of the Myanmar Church's youth ministry. This is because I was brought up as a seminarian devoted to consecrated life. I did not think of myself as a "typical youth."

My eyes were opened through my youth apostolate work on weekends when I was a seminarian, and then through working with young people at the national and international levels following my priestly ordination in 1997.

I found that young people have many abilities and the capacity to grow. There might be disagreements among them, which often have much to do with differences in their ethnic background, education and living standard, but there are also means to bring them together.

The young people's strength, I feel, is that they love to be together, even more than with their families. They live to be united.

In July 2000, after a few years working with young people of Taunggyi, the Myanmar bishops appointed me coordinator for the National Catholic Youth Commission.

This was a major turning point, an opportunity to tackle the youth mission at the national level, though I think they chose me because they couldn't find another volunteer.

I shared with the young people a common love for music and modern technology such as the Internet. The funny thing is, I did not teach them so much as they taught me, about life.

In 2000 and 2001, I went to all the dioceses in Myanmar to see what the young people were doing, and to conduct some leadership courses and meetings. Those journeys helped me understand the challenges facing young people and the difficulties the Church faces in engaging them.

Since the military junta seized power in 1988, the education of young people has been set back. In the early and mid-1990s, academic institutes, particularly universities, were opened and closed on and off by the government on the pretext of protecting peace. This negatively affected youth education. Worst of all, the education ministry's so-called experimental educational system, making changes now and then, was implemented not to educate young people but to close their eyes.

Affected by economic sanctions imposed on Myanmar by the West and the government's mismanagement, the overall economy of the country has fared badly, with high levels of inflation, unemployment and poverty. The fallout is that many young university graduates are jobless. It seems as if there is no future for them.

Given the despair, alienation and hopelessness, many young people resort to drugs or get caught up in various other social illnesses such as crime, family problems and HIV/AIDS.

Young people are also vulnerable to negative effects of globalization, such as the many unhealthy media influences and imported culture that destroy Myanmar traditions. As a result, many young people are victims of circumstance and become a burden on society.

For the Church, the challenge is acute. Many young Catholics are not interested in Church activities and the progress of youth movements has been slow and unsatisfactory.

There are various reasons for this, one being the Church's failure to organize and encourage young people to participate in Church activities. There is no proper person to take care of the young people in parishes or even in some cases on the diocesan level. The main cause of this is the difficulty of finding people in the dioceses with enough education to fill these posts.

In the Catholic community there is lack of understanding of the need and purpose of youth movements, and lack of recognition of the fact that young people are potential leaders who will serve the Church and community in the future. Bishops and priests should take charge of training and guiding youth.

When we look at young people in Myanmar, we can see a major difference between those educated in the city and those educated in the countryside. Those who live in the main cities may have the opportunity to go to private schools, but those in the small towns and villages may have little choice but to go to a government school, assuming their parents don't take them out of school to work.

Apart from secular education, there has been too little input of religious values and principles, leading to shallow faith and lack of seriousness toward the Church. This may be due partly to the lack of young role models in the Church.

Meanwhile, parents are generally uneducated and lack spiritual formation. Poor parenting then results in low or loose moral character of some young people. And on top of all this, the primary concern for many young people is making a living.

On a structural level in the Church, there is weak leadership, networking, affiliation and cooperation among youth organizations on the diocesan level. Poor transportation and communications makes information flow slow.

The Church has failed to organize or implement formation programs and courses for young people. Diocesan commissions and offices tend to be hampered by the struggle for outside funding.

As national coordinator, I found first-hand that dealing with these difficulties is tough. When I organized young people for the 2002 World Youth Day in Toronto, Canada, some "opportunists" did not come back to Myanmar after the celebration. They decided to emigrate illegally. That may have been my fault, because I recommended that they participate without delving into their real intentions, and I can understand that young people want to find something better for themselves.

At the national level, we held five congresses and two forums during my tenure, meetings that were very successful. What I found among the young people is a willingness to volunteer and participate if one is willing to go that extra mile for them.

When I handed over the key of the National Catholic Youth Commission office to the new director in June 2006, because I wanted to give others a chance at leadership, I felt there was still a massive amount to be done.

Young people in Myanmar need to be organized. They are also in urgent need of formation, encouragement and empowerment, a challenge to which the local Church has not risen.

Ten years of growing awareness makes me realize the importance of getting young people ready for the rapid modernization taking place in Myanmar society. They need to understand the dangers and side effects of a rushed life, as progress and decline are parallel paths. They need to take care of their spiritual life, as they are like sheep stalked by a wolf.

Young people are the future of the Church. It is not only the responsibility of bishops, priests and nuns. Parents and educated laypeople should all get involved. We need to instill into young people awareness of the value of education and leadership from the lowest levels, in every family, village and community.

We need to engage young people through media in catechism classes and get them interested in the Church and in its teachings. One way to do this is to use the Internet and other communication tools.

We need to be careful not to claim youth gatherings are waste of time and money. As I found out, they are a very effective means to organize young people, for them to get to know each other, to build a community of love and launch development programs.

Youth-to-youth leadership is the most attractive way to empower young people. They learn from their friends, neighbors and peers more than from teachers and trainers.

There is still so much to be done. I hope that soon there will be many green trees in the garden of the Myanmar Catholic Church.

END

Youth and youth ministry 3

The estimated participants for the congress were 1200 youth to participate in the congress. But when we really faced in the congress, held in 1^st – 5^th April, 2005, it was more than 1800 youth. Bro. Ghislain from Taize also came to involve in the prayer services in the evening time. This became the high record of the Catholic Youth History. The NCYC volunteer Music Band controlled the hearts of the youth with music every night. All that I have done with the youth, I gave a little to them but they have given me much more. After coming back from Would Youth Day Koln, Germany, we were just busy with the 15^th Anniversary record book. I knew that it is already two terms of youth coordinator’s responsibility, it is good to hand over to another priest that I requested my bishop to call me back to the diocese. Before handing over, I had a plan for a new director to be elected among the diocesan youth directors with the discussion and voting system. I think it was a well prepared plan to share the responsibility. I might have done something that would be great yet I would like to confess that as a human I have some weakness and failures in the youth ministry.

The last activities that I performed for the youth were Bible Study Course and the General Management Course. It was just before 1^st June, 2006. I handed over the Key of the NCYC office to the new Director in the closing ceremony of the last course that I performed as a youth coordinator. I knew that the youth loved me and they express their gratitude to me in the closing ceremony with tears. But it is my wish not because I don’t want to do this with the youth but to share some responsibilities to other youth directors. I love the youth as well as the youth ministry as a priest.

I still want to encourage the young people to go on with an explosive enthusiasm and to be united each other for the all round development of future life.

I want them to be ready for the rapid modernization of the system of the day in every minute. I like to suggest that the youth must know the danger and the side-effect of a rushing life in the present time as the progress and declination are parallel. They need to take care of their spiritual life as they are like sheep in the midst of wild wolf.

Finally, I hope that there will be many different colorful flowers blooming in the garden of Myanmar Catholic Church soon. My prayer and spirit will go on with the enthusiasm of the youth of Myanmar forever.

I love to see and to live where there are lots of green trees and colorful flowers!

And I want to say…….. “Young friends….I love you”

Fr. Albert Pho Kwah.

Old ncyc apkyouth.

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Youth and youth ministry 2

I was with the youth for six years as a National Catholic Youth coordinator in Myanmar until July, 2006. It was a good chance to learn the life of the youth as a young priest. I found something in the youth that are invaluable for life. I simply like to say that I was not much involved with the youth ministry in my village, parish and the Diocese before the appointed to be the National Youth coordinator in the year 2000 after three years of my priesthood. I had not very much experience about the youth in my life before. It is only after with the youth for six years, I learned something about the youth together with the youth especially in my country.

I am not a graduate. I just finished two years of Philosophy and four years of Theology in the Catholic Major Seminary after the post-tenth or the high school. I did not have idea to lead the youth with my poor ability. But I noticed that they love music and attached to technical media of the modern world. I did not teach them, but they taught me for life. I went around all dioceses in the whole of Myanmar to see what the youth were doing in their respective dioceses in 2000/2001 at the same time conducted some leadership courses and meetings. I have found different skill, abilities, education, and all different situations of places and mentality of the different races and clans. However, different in something, they have the same spirit that is a hope of dynamic progress for their life as well as in the community and in the Church.

There were some difficulties especially the first three years in NCYC. I tried to organize the youth for the participation in the World Youth Day 2002. I face some opportunists who liked to go to World youth Day, Toronto Canada and not to turn back after the celebration. That might be my fault or weakness yet I understand the nature of the youth to get something better for them in the future. But the detail would be very personal to express for that.

Amazing activities in my life is the National Youth Congresses in April 2003. It was in Mobye that we conducted the Fourth National Catholic Youth Congress with more than 850 youth and some directors from every Diocese. The young people enjoyed the program very much because of well arrangement and special lectures. They requested to perform even once a year. They might not know that we prepared for the program more than one year a head. The only one skill I contributed in the congress was my communication skills. I tried to contact all the resourced persons and organized volunteer group to involve in the big and precious activities that we were going to perform. I invited volunteer youths two weeks a head from every diocese to be able to help full time preparation. All the youth directors and volunteers helped me to success of this congress. Sr. Josephine also did well in the congress with excellent activities for the youth to learn and to know. I hope that every participant in the congress would be happy to get and share their experiences among them. The strength to do these was from the outcomes of the First National Catholic Youth Forum performed in Taunggyi in Dec, 2002. After discussion and workshop we got the solution for the forum mainly on the Annual Plan and for the preparation of the coming Congress. I may say that we have done great job because we started with the retreat in the youth forum. The blessing of God always shines upon those who pray.

The Second National Catholic Youth Forum was conducted in Myitkyina Diocese from 3^rd – 6^th Dec, 2004. Many Youth representatives participated in the Forum. We were able to discuss about the next congress in 2005. There were also many difficulties to organize because of lack of fund. I decided to request collections and contribution from the Catholic families in the whole country through the youth as well as from those who were working in Japan, Singapore and from some bishops. I did it because our project was rejected by the agencies. I determined that this would be the last chance to perform the National Congress for me and discussed with my friend, Fr. Thomas Gum Rai Aung, the youth director of Myitkyina. He also said that this would be the last chance to involve as a youth director. I searched for some sources as a national level as well as he prepared a lot in his diocese in all parts for the needs of the Youth Congress.

Youth and youth ministry 1

Youth and youth ministry in my life.(200-2006)

I love to see and to live where there are lots of green trees………!

The life of the youth that I passed through when I was young is not the same as what I really have seen in my youth ministry for six years as a coordinator. It is because I was brought up as a seminarian in my youthful age. I did not know the precious beauty of the youth for I was in the carnal of consecrated life and gave no time to think of myself as a youth in the Church.

The beginning of the approach to the youth started in the apostolate work at the weekend when I taught the catechism to the youth since I was in the Major Seminary. I felt the life of the youth as different situation. That gave me lessons to know more about myself and the meaning of the youth.

I was ordained in 6 April, 1997, and as an assistant pastor I was posted to Sancta Maria Parish, Pekhon town-ship, Shan State. In the Diocesan youth course conducted in Sancta Maria, I gave a lecture to the young people and it was the first time to be in touch with the youth after my ordination. I went to eight quarters in the main parish to have a meeting with the young people and drew some plans for the parish youth. But, just after seven months, I was posted to another parish called Hwari Khu. I had to forget everything concerned with Sancta Maria, and started a new plan in Hwari Khu. But I cannot forget my first experience with the youth in my priesthood till now. In Hwari Khu, I tried to organize the young people by small activities including games and course trainings. I conducted a football competition for the girls that I was warned by the parish priest. The reason is that “it is undignified to the ladies” said the parish priest. But I was happy what he said and later I never do it again. It was just five months, not so long to be with the youth of Hwari. And I was appointed for the communication director in the diocese and transferred to Taunggyi. At the same time, I was assistant to the Fr. Paulu Lo, the parish priest of Taunggyi.

Most of the priest who had been the assistants in Taunggyi said that it was difficult to organize the people in Taunggyi especially the youth. Because, there were different tribes and culture among the Catholic. The youth were scattered and not much attached to the Church. They lived by themselves isolated. When I arrived there, there was a preparation program for the Installation of the Archbishop Matthias. I was asked to organize the youth to help in this program. But how could it be. It was really difficult for me to get some volunteers from the youth. They were not like the youth of Sancta Maria and Hwari. I remembered one word spoken by my seminary rector as well as my teacher and my director. It is “Try to make fellowship all people who are around you.” And that was the strength to organize the youth. Unexpectedly, many youth were coming for the preparation for the celebration. Many people were surprised because they never thought of that before. After that celebration, some of the youth came to me to make a wall-literature competition on the Parents’ Day that would be held in 26^th July. I went to the parish priest and asked the permission to perform that program. The youth came to prepare and invited all the faithful of the parish to participate. Lots of articles, poems, cartons, short novels and many writings were gathered for the competition. There were many kinds of abilities I found in the youth. There might be disagreement among them but there were also means to make them together. The youth love to be together, even more than his family when they are united. My ministry lasted two years with the youth of Taunggyi till 2000. I was appointed to be the coordinator for the National Youth in July, 2000 after the meeting of the bishops of Myanmar.