A ccording to Directory 2004 of Hakha Diocese
A SHORT HISTORY OF THE CATHOLIC MISSION
IN HAKHA DIOCESE
The blue mountains on the western side of Chindwin River were always
on the mind of the French Priests of the “Paris Foreign Mission
Society” (Missions Etrangères De Paris). They were known for their
missionary zeal and holiness. They attempted to enter the Chin Hills
even in 1864. In that year Bishop Bigandet sent Fr. Lecomte (MEP) but
his mis¬sion to reach the Chin Hills was not successful since his
movement was restricted. The King’s soldiers escorted him and did not
allow him to go beyond the Catholic villages.
Twenty years later in 1884 Fr. Laurent (MEP), who worked some years
among the Kachins previously, came to Kalaymyo. There he met some
Chins. He found that the Chins did not speak much Bur¬mese but that
they were kind and simple. In 1888, Fr. Antonin Usse came up to Kindat
near Mawlaik from Chaung U by En¬glish steamer. He wrote to Bishop
Simon of Mandalay, relating his experience: “Farther in the west are
the Chins, a people of straightforward and brave warriors, who are
defend¬ing their independence against the ambition of the English, I
would be proud to be their apostle.” He came back to visit the
Catholics in the English military camps. This time, on Septem¬ber 22,
1889, he reached Forth white near Thuklai. As he looked down from
there, he saw the nearby villages abandoned by the villagers who hid
themselves in the jungle due to the war with the British soldiers. In
his letter to the bishop dated October 15, 1889, he said, “Once I
climbed up to the top of the mountain and contemplated the villages
far away. How I wished to go there with my crucifix and my breviary…..
it would be useless to go now. The country will open itself. Some day
it will be neces¬sary to send a caravan of missionaries to that part
of the Vine¬yard. They might die even there, victims of their zeal.”
He was the first Catholic priest to visit the northern Chin State.
In 1890, the Vicar Apostolic of Mandalay, Mgr. Simon, sent one of his
best priests, Fr. Laurent (MEP), and Fr. Vestraeten to the Chin Hills,
250 miles away. They went towards northern Chin Hills and settled at
Balet, south of Mawlaik, on the western side of Chindwin river. But
after one year, they saw that they were still far- from the real
Chins.
The next year Fr. Laurent went with Fr. Jarre to try to enter the
Chin Hills in the south from Pakokku, through Pauk and Htilin.
They arrived at the large village of Shon-Shi, near the Myitha river.
Although it was at the foot of the hills, they had met with real
Chins, and they began to study the language.
At the end of 1891 a third missionary, Fr. Accarion, joined them. With
the complicity of Chin traders who had come down to the plains, they
made the project of climbing to Hakha to settle there, in the centre
of the Chin Hills. Fr. Laurent remained at Gangaw, for health reasons.
But as soon as Frs. Jarre and Accarion arrived to Hakha, the capital
of Chin State, an English officer, who was a protestant and hostile to
the Catholics, forced them to leave the place and to go back down to
the plains saying that Chins were not yet civilized and the lives of
the priests would be in danger. The Fathers had no choice but to go
back to Gangaw. In 1898, the American Baptist missionaries came to
Hakha. The same officer who refused to give permission to Catholic
missionaries to work in the Chin Hills welcomed them with open arms.
The coming of the Baptist Mission was a blessing in disguise for the
Catholic Mission. For more than forty years, they invented the written
language of Hakha, Falam and Tedim with the Roman alphabets. They
translated the New Testament. They abolished the sacrifices to the
spirits which were too costly. The Chins wanted to become Baptists
Christians, but their strict prohibition to drink “Zu” (Chin beer) was
too demand¬ing for the Chin people. “Zu” is for them a kind of
nutrition and also the only refreshment for them after a hard day’s
work. Many people began to ask for a kind of Christianity that would
allow its believers to drink “Zu”. At the same time many wanted to be
free from worshipping evil spirits.
By any standard, the first attempts of the Catholic missionaries to
the Chin Hills were not successful.
Evangelization of Southern Chin State
The second attempt was made in 1934 under Bishop A. Faliere 50 years
later than the Protestants. Bishop A. Faliere, Fr. Audrain (MEP) and
Fr. Alexis U Ba Din, a diocesan priest, with four catechists arrived
at Kanpetlet, the then capital of Southern Chin State, on the 17th of
December 1933. Looking for bet¬ter prospects, the pioneers proceeded
to Mindat, 32 miles north-east of Kanpetlet on the 31st of December
1933. The first Mass was offered on the 1st of January 1934. With the
strenuous efforts of two pioneers, Fr. Audrain and Fr. Alexis, the
good seed of the Word of God was sown in the Mindat area of Southern
Chin State to grow in time.
Evangelization of Northern Chin State
In 1938, Bishop Faliere came to meet Colonel Burne at Magwe to settle
some problems connected with Mindat hospital. Colonel Burne was the
highest authority in the Chin Special Division. When they met each
other, the Colonel had just come back from his official visit to the
northern Chin Hills. He told the bishop that he met some Chins in
Falam who asked him if they could be Christians and still be allowed
to use moderately alcoholic drinks. He asked the Bishop to go and
begin a Catholic Mission in Northern Chin Hills. The bishop was very
happy and went personally to the north in the following year, 1939.
While the Bishop and his companions were at the house of Mr. Kelly,
the Assis¬tant Superintendent of Tedim and a Catholic, the
Superin-tendent from Falam came to meet them. He told the bishop that
the coming of the Catholic Mission in the Chin Hills was con¬trary to
the agreement signed in 1898 with the Baptist Mission-aries. He wanted
them to leave as Fr. Jarre and Fr. Accarion did previously. The bishop
smilingly told him that he came there with the permission of the
highest authority, Colonel Burne at Magwe. He continued his missionary
journey without fear. The American Baptist Missionaries did not keep
silent. They wrote to the British Governor of Burma reminding him of
the agreement made with them in 1898. According to them, the arrival
of the Catholic Church in the Chin Hills would break that agreement.
They wanted to prevent the presence of the Catholic Church in the Chin
Hills by any means. The governor kindly thanked them for their good
works among the Chins but ended his letter by saying that he did not
see any reason to forbid the arrival of the Catholics there. “As in
the rest of Burma,” he added, “the simultaneous presence of Baptists
and Catholics created an emulation quite beneficial to the population,
so would it be in the Chin Hills. It was a great victory for the
Catholics.
The real beginning of the Catholic Church in the Northern Chin Hills
started with the arrival at Tonzang in 1940 of Fr. Mainier, Fr.
Blivet, Fr. Aloysius U Ba Khin and four catechists: Maung Tun Yin,
Fridolinus Maung Ba Maung, Saya Aung Min, Mr. Frank Reuben. Fr. Moses
took up his residence at Tonzang, while Fr. Blivet settled at Lailui
village.
HAKHA DIOCESE
Location: Geographically, Hakha Diocese is located on the North
Western side of Myanmar (Burma), bordering India, between Latitudes
20.6 and 25.5 East and Longitudes 92.5 and 95.5 North. The area’s
elevation ranges between 1790 and 6120 feet above sea level.
Established: Hakha Diocese until 1992 was part of Mandalay
Archdiocese. Pope John Paul II established it as a new diocese
suffragan to the Mandalay Archdiocese on November 21st, 1992 and the
enthronement was celebrated on March 21st, 1993 at Hakha.
Townships: The diocese comprises of 8 Townships of Chin State and 6
Townships: Tamu, Kalay, Kalewa, Phaungbyin, Mawlaik and Homalin of
Saigaing Division.
Area: Around 351 miles from North to South and 80 miles from East to
West and covers the area of approximately 20880.08 square miles.
Population: 969,818 inhabitants, two thirds of the region are situated
on the mountainous and hilly ranges. The majority of the inhabitants
are the Chin-hill-tribes.
Religion: Christianity is the major religion of the Chins. Eighty-six
percent of them belong to the Protestant denominations numbering about
fifty sects, and there are a few Buddhists, animists and a few
Muslims.
Catholic population: 75,234 (2002 estimate)
Vicariates: According to civil data, it is divided into five Vicariate
Zones: Hakha Zone (A), Hakha Zone (B), Tedim Zone, Kalay Zone and
Mindat Zone.
Under Hakha zone (A), there are 6 parishes: Hakha, Falam, Lumbang,
Thantlang, Surkhua and Webula.
Under Hakha Zone (B), there are two parishes: Hnaring and Rezua.
Under Tedim zone, there are 6 parishes, namely Tedim, Tonzang,
Saizang, Laitui, Cikha and Tuithang.
Under Kalay zone, there are 5 parishes, namely Kalay, Tahan, Tamu,
Khampat and Mainuai.
Under Mindat zone, there are 6 parishes namely Mindat, Lukse,
Kanpetlet, Ro, M’Kui Imnu and Matupi.
General Statistics
Area in square miles 20,880.08
Civil Population 969,818
Catholic population 76,867
Christian Denominations 610,691
Non Christians 283,893
Parishes 25
Priests 52
Priests Studying abroad 6
Religious Congregations 5
Religious Brothers (Diocesan Right) 4
Religious Sisters (Pontifical Right) 48
Religious Sisters (Diocesan Right) 93
Catechists 403
Major Seminarians 67