Myanmar (previously "Burma")
Historic Event of November 18, 2005:
Picture (above) of the Celebration of the Reimplantation of La Salette Missions, held at the Marian Shrine in Chanthagone, Paleik, PO, Mandalay, Myanmar; (right front, middle to right) Fr. Isidro Perin, M.S. Superior General; a visiting native priest; Fr. Roland Nadeau, M.S., Vicar General; Fr. Manuel De La Cruz, Provincial of Phillipines; (extreme right) Fr. Bernie Taylor, M.S., regional superior for the Burmese La Salettes; they were joined by several other priests, including (back row left) Fr. Jack Nuelle, M.S. Mission Procurator from North America; Fr. Dennis Loomis, M.S., present Superior General.
Website and Pictures:
- Myanmar (Burma): http://msmym.com/
- Visual Tour of La Salette Ministries in Burma, and visit with Sisters of Our Lady of the Missions who assist us in our ministry: http://web.mac.com/rongagne/Myanmar/Myanmar_General_Tour.html
- More pictures: burma_pictures_01.html
Mandalay Notes Newsletters:
- October 2006 (PDF files, 1.2MB)
- November 2006 (PDF file, 552KB)
- December 2006 (PDF file, 764KB)
- January 2007 (PDF file, 560KB)
- April 2007 (PDF file, 980KB)
- May 2007 (PDF file, 4MB)
- June 2007 (PDF file, 928KB)
- July 2007 (PDF file, 3.5MB)
- September 2007 (PDF, 576KB)
La Salette Novena in Burmese:
Here is the text of the La Salette Novena, Litany, Consecration, and Memorare in Burmese from Fr. Bernie Taylor, M.S. (PDF file, 64KB).
"Burma" Renamed "Myanmar" in 1989:
Semantically returning to its roots, the country of "Burma" was renamed "Myanmar" in 1989. Roughly shaped like a parrot, with its beak to the northwest and long tail to the southeast, it is the size of the state of Texas.
It is bordered to the west by the Bay of Bengal, Bangladesh and India; to the north and east by China, Laos and Thailand; to the south by the Andaman Sea. It measures 1,250 miles from north to south and 625 miles east to west at the widest.
It is completely surrounded by a horseshoe of mountains – the highest rising to 19,296 ft. The Ayeyarwady river flows the length of the country and forms a delta of over 20,000 sq. miles before emptying into the Bay of Bengal.
It has a tropical monsoon climate – July to October – that brings much needed water for the rice crops that feed some 44 million inhabitants. It is one of the 10 poorest countries in the world, with teak wood and the best rubies in the world being among its exports.
About 97% of the population is Buddhist and many pagodas and buddhist monasteries can be seen dotting the country. Governed by the "State Law and Order Restoration Council," its public officials are almost exclusively Buddhist army officers.
The official language is Burmese, although they have some 240 different languages and dialects – with English still spoken, especially in large cities like Yangon and Mandalay.
