BH02564.1447 May 29, 2007 65 EM-lines (707 words) BHUTAN    Bhutan's Only Buddhist Convert Yearns To Bring Catholicism To Homeland By Francis Maria Britto DARJEELING, India (UCAN) -- Bhutan's first Buddhist convert to Catholicism is waiting for democracy to be established in the Himalayan kingdom so that he can begin his priestly ministry there. Jesuit Father Kinley Tshering currently serves as rector and principal of St. Joseph's School in India's Darjeeling town. "When my term (here) expires, I hope to go back to Bhutan," the 49-year-old priest told UCA News on April 22. By 2008, he hopes Bhutan will become a democratic nation. What will he do then? "I have no plans," says the priest, who is related to Bhutan's royal family. "The priestly presence will be there (and) I will discern what the Lord wants me to do," he added. Father Tshering says he can "literally count" the number of Christians in Bhutan. "They are mostly Indians and Nepalese, and are considered outsiders." Protestants outnumber Catholics. Bhutan has no Catholic institution, although the country falls under Darjeeling diocese in the eastern Indian state of West Bengal. Buddhism is Bhutan's state religion and its government does not tolerate other religions. Buddhism and Bhutan's culture "are mixed," Father Tshering explains. The 46,500-square-kilometer kingdom has about 2 million people. Religious tolerance exists in Thimpu, the capital city. But until five years ago, the police harassed people of other religions in other places. "I never suffered due to my background, but other Christians have suffered," the Jesuit priest said. Over the past decade, the tall and sturdy priest has seen "a lot of change" in Bhutan. "From a very anti-Christian phobia, there is a sign of change for the future," he added. The new constitution guarantees freedom of conscience, but does not allow for churches. Nevertheless, Christ is present in Bhutan, in a house in Father Tshering's name in Thimpu. A Jesuit cannot legally own personal property, but in Bhutan outsiders cannot own property. The house has a sanctuary where the Blessed Sacrament is kept. About 60 Catholics, mostly Indians, pray there on Sundays. Besides Father Tshering, priests from India visit the country occasionally to attend to these Catholics' pastoral needs. No Catholic priest from outside Bhutan is permitted to stay in Bhutan permanently, he added. The Bhutanese priest says his country's royal family "is very tolerant toward Christianity. The present king and all the queens studied in our schools." Father Tshering's school now serves many "elite" boys from Bhutan and Nepal, besides India. Some are from royal families. Father Tshering is also an alumnus of the school. How did he become a Catholic? Father Tshering said he learned about Christianity at the school and the Jesuits influenced him. He wanted to become a Catholic, but the Jesuits had refused. A Salesian priest, however, baptized him in 1974 when he was in the ninth grade. He recalled that his father was "very upset" about his conversion. However, no one in his community persecuted him as he belongs to a high caste. But "nobody approved of me" either, he remarked. After becoming the first Bhutanese to earn a Master's degree in Business Administration, he worked in some prestigious Indian firms for three years. He wanted to become a Catholic priest, but some missioners dissuaded him saying he could serve the Church better as a married layman in Bhutan. All this changed after a chance meeting with Blessed Teresa of Kolkata during a flight in 1985. The young Bhutanese executive sat next to the founder of the Missionaries of Charity. "She convinced me that I had a religious vocation. Then nobody could stop me." He joined the Jesuits when he was 26 and was ordained a priest in 1995. His father opposed his vocation. "Until his death, he thought it was a scandal." However, the young priest found solace in his mother. "She always supported me as long as I remain good." Father Tshering says his faith in Christ has never wavered. However "so many dissenting voices in the Catholic Church" worry him. At the time of his conversion, he wanted to preach the Gospel in his country. "After so much training, we get confused," he said, adding that "only Christ" remains unchanged. "It is a real challenge to be a Catholic. It is one's basic conviction in Jesus that keeps one's faith (alive)," he added. END (Accompanying photos available with the UCAN Photo Service. Use story code BH02564.1447 or a person's name to search for related photos.) Related UCAN Reports BHUTAN UCAN Feature - Christianity Banned In Bhutan But Christ 'Resides' There (May 28, 1998) BHUTAN Bhutanese King And Government Mourn Death Of First Catholic Missioner (November 14, 1995) INDIA UCAN Interview - I Will Witness Through Service, Says Bhutan Missioner (March 17, 1993) ET02565.1447 May 29, 2007 57 EM-lines (615 words) EAST TIMOR    New President Pays Courtesy Call On Dili Bishop DILI (UCAN) -- Three days after taking office, President Jose Ramos-Horta of Timor Leste paid a courtesy call on Bishop Alberto Ricardo da Silva of Dili. Ramos-Horta was sworn in on May 20 as the second president since Timor Leste (East Timor) emerged as an independent nation in 2002. He succeeded Jose Alexandre "Xanana" Gusmao. Bishop da Silva and Father Apolinario Guteres, Dili diocese's vicar general, received the president for his May 23 visit. Speaking with the press immediately afterward, Ramos-Horta said, "The purpose of my visit was to thank the Church for its encouragement." The president also said that for him, as a Catholic president in this Catholic-majority country, the two East Timor bishops and the Holy Father in the Vatican "are my leaders to whom I should come to salute." On May 26, Ramos-Horta went to Baucau, east of Dili, to pay a similar courtesy call on Bishop Basilio do Nascimento of Baucau. The president revealed that during his meeting with Bishop da Silva he asked the Timor Leste Catholic Church leader to help find an appropriate, peaceful solution to the problem involving rebel leader Major Alfredo Reinado and 600 soldiers dismissed from the army last year. In May 2006, Dili suffered a series of protests that degenerated into widespread violence after then-prime minister Mari Alkatiri dismissed the soldiers, more than one-third of the 1,400-member army at the time. They had been protesting what they claimed was widespread discrimination against troops from the western part of the country. An estimated 150,000 people were displaced and at least 20 killed in the violence, which led to the deployment of a 2,500-strong international peacekeeping force from Australia, Malaysia, New Zealand and Portugal. Alkatiri resigned amid mounting criticism in June and Ramos-Horta, foreign affairs minister until then, succeeded him as prime minister. Reinado, a key figure in the protests that plunged the country into chaos, broke out of a jail near Dili on Aug. 30, 2006, with 56 other prisoners, some of whom were charged with looting and arson during the May violence. "I also came to inform and consult the bishop about the problem the government is facing with Alfredo (Reinado) and the soldiers. I hope the Church can help according to its capacity so that the problem can be solved peacefully," Ramos-Horta said. The president added that the Church has expressed its readiness to serve as mediator. He called on all sectors of the nation to cooperate with the Church for the good of the people who have suffered because of the crisis. Ramos-Horta welcomed Pope Benedict XVI's reported comments on the recent election as a compliment to the people of Timor Leste. "We are highly pleased with the compliment of Pope Benedict XVI, who considered that our election had been democratically conducted. We are grateful that the pope pays attention to us, a newly independent nation," the president said. The compliment will encourage the people to work together for a smooth parliamentary election in June, he continued. Bishop da Silva told the press that he considered the president's visit a great honor. The bishop also confirmed the Church's readiness to serve as mediator between the government and the rebels. But he added, "We need to study the requirements of the government and of Alfredo and his group before we begin to facilitate the dialogue." According to the bishop, the rebellion issue has political and legal aspects. "We can mediate in the political aspect, but we will not intervene in the legal aspect." In March, Ramos-Horta, as prime minister, also visited Bishop da Silva to discuss the idea of Church mediation with Reinado, who reportedly had expressed willingness to be involved in Church-mediated talks. END Related UCAN Reports EAST TIMOR New President Stresses Close Ties With Church, Vatican (May 23, 2007) VATICAN Pope Urges East Timor's Leaders To Work For Security, Wellbeing Of Their People (May 22, 2007) EAST TIMOR Gusmao Appoints First Ambassador To Vatican, Invites Pope To Visit (April 30, 2007) EAST TIMOR Church Urges Conscientious Voting As Presidential Campaign Begins (March 28, 2007) EAST TIMOR Prime Minister Asks Church To Be Mediator Between Government And Rebels (March 14, 2007) IC02569.1447 May 29, 2007 45 EM-lines (484 words) INDIA    Tribal Church Shocked As Road Accident Kills Four Nuns RAIPUR, India (UCAN) -- Hundreds of tribal people joined the funeral of four Catholic nuns killed in the "biggest-ever road accident" in the history of Jashpur diocese, central India. Nuns and priests from neighboring Raigarh diocese also joined the funeral Masses Bishop Victor Kindo of Jashpur led on May 25 and 26. The two dioceses in Chhattisgarh state were one until a year ago, when the original Raigarh diocese, based in Jashpur, was divided in two. The Franciscan Missionaries of Mary nuns died May 24 when their vehicle collided head-on with a speeding truck. The nuns were traveling to Raigarh town, 1,750 kilometers southeast of New Delhi. The ten-wheeler truck "badly crushed" their jeep and pushed it several meters, Father Edmond Bara told UCA News on May 26. The diocesan public relations officer added that the nuns' driver, Labis Lakra, was hospitalized but is reported to be "out of danger." Sisters Margarita Minj, 61, and Mary Kujur, 55, died on the spot, while Sisters Maria Grace, 40, and Mariam Tirkey, 72, died on their way to the hospital. Sister Kujur's funeral was conducted on May 25 since her "body could not be preserved" until the next day, when the other nuns were buried. During the funeral ceremony on May 26, Bishop Kindo described the accident as a "big shock" and the "biggest-ever" road tragedy to occur in the diocese's 55-year history. Sister Grace was a native of Kottar diocese in Tamil Nadu state, southern India. The other nuns came from tribal groups in Jashpur and Raigarh. Sister Grace had a master's degree in social work and "a passion for mission," her superior, Sister Sophia D'Silva, told UCA News. The other nuns worked at Ginabahar, the diocese's oldest parish. Sister Kujur taught in a girls' higher secondary school and ran a hostel for about 300 girls. Sister Minj was the headmistress of a primary school. Sister Tirkey took care of household work and farming, besides helping in the hostel, Sister D'Silva said. Provincial Sister Gemma Xavier told UCA News the local villagers' "goodness and sincerity have touched" their congregation. Hindu and Catholic tribal people rushed to assist the wounded nuns, she added. Although several anti-Christian incidents have been reported in the state, many government officials came to assist the nuns and to express sympathy," Sister Xavier said. "We felt people are with us. That is the beauty of the people and their culture." Most of Jashpur's 185,500 Catholics, spread among 50 parishes, are Oraon, a dominant tribal group in the region. Raigarh diocese now has approximately 55,500 Catholics, most of them dalit, members of castes once considered "untouchable," served by 20 mission parishes. State Chief Minister Raman Singh, who heads the pro-Hindu Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian people's party) government, conveyed his condolences over the death of the nuns. He remembered their contributions in educating and socially developing the poor and tribal people in the area. END Related UCAN Reports INDIA Territorial Changes Aimed At Development Of Diocese's Catholic Communities (June 5, 2006) INDIA Accident Kills 43, Cardinal, Hindu Priest Call For Stringent Road Rules (March 13, 2001) INDIA Priests, Seminary Students Join Hunger Strike For Road Safety (September 5, 1996) ID02559.1447 May 29, 2007 64 EM-lines (678 words) INDIA    Church People Welcome Court Control Over 'Encounter' Death Probe AHMEDABAD, India (UCAN) -- Church people and activists have welcomed a recent Supreme Court maneuver. In Gujarat, a state in western India, the court has taken over direct control of a probe into police killings. On May 17, India's apex court directed a senior Gujarat police official to proceed with her probe into a trio of 2005 killings. The court ordered Geeta Johri to report directly to it. After police killed Sohrabuddin Sheikh on Nov. 26, 2005, they initially reported that the Muslim man was armed when he "encountered" them. They claimed Sheikh was an Islamic terrorist who was plotting to assassinate Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi. When Sheikh's wife, Kausarbi Bi, and the couple's Hindu associate, Tulsiram Prajapati, disappeared, Sheikh's brother Rubabuddin appealed to the court for a probe. The Supreme Court intervened on Jan. 21, 2006. It asked the state government to probe the case. Six months later, the government assigned Johri, an officer in its crime investigation department, to conduct the probe. Johri's preliminary report to the court last Dec. 7 noted several discrepancies in police theories surrounding Sheikh's death and the disappearance of Bi and Prajapati. The state government then named several high-ranking police officers as having killed Sheikh in a staged encounter. A few months later, Johri was off the case. The state government removed her from the probe in March 2007. This triggered protests from secular as well as Church-based and other religious groups. They demanded the state hand the case over to the federal Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI). On April 25, 2007, the Gujarat government admitted to the Supreme Court that its police picked Sheikh and Bi from a bus and shot the husband in cold blood. Later, the police killed Bi and Prajapati, who reportedly witnessed the "encounter." The government-filed report also admitted police burned Bi's body to erase proof. The probe hit the headlines, and India's apex court directed Johri to proceed, under its direction. Jesuit Father Xavier Manjooran told UCA News the court has left no "loophole" for "political interference," even though Johri is a Gujarat police official. By asking Johri to report "only" to the court, and not to the state government, the court showed it "has no faith in the state government," said the priest, who works among tribal people in Gujarat. Father Manjooran and fellow activists repeatedly said Sheikh was killed in a fake encounter, "but nobody believed it." Another positive outcome from the court order, the priest added, is that it has prevented Modi from running up political mileage. Had the court transferred the probe to the CBI, he said, Modi could have labeled it an anti-Gujarat stand to manipulate popular opinion and mobilize votes for his party. Modi belongs to the Bharatiya Janata Party (Indian peoples' party), which is considered the political wing of groups that want to make India a Hindu nation. Father Manjooran says Modi cannot exploit people's sentiments now, since a Gujarat official heads the case and the Supreme Court monitors it. His confrere and fellow social worker Father Lancy Lobo also told UCA News the court order is a "very intelligent" move, since it has given Hindu radical groups no chance to campaign. Social activist Rohit Prajapati (not related to the deceased) pointed out he to UCA News that the Supreme Court still has the option of ordering a federal investigation if the probe "is not proceeding in the right direction." Shakil Ahmed Ansari, a Muslim who earlier favored a federal probe, agrees that the court took a "wise step." Ansari heads the legal aid cell of the Islamic Relief Committee of Gujarat. A fresh federal probe might have led to bail for six policemen jailed in the case, Ansari said. Indian law stipulates that charges against people arrested in criminal cases should be filed within 90 days of the arrest, but "it would not be possible" for the federal agency to complete the investigation within 90 days and file the charges," he explained. The court order is "really" balanced as it ensures a fair probe, he added. END Related UCAN Reports INDIA Church People Join Peace Efforts In Communally Polarized Gujarat (July 4, 2006) INDIA Sectarian Violence Revisits Gujarat, Bishop Blames Unresolved Past (May 3, 2006) INDIA Muslim Students Boycott Exams In Riot-Torn Gujarat(April 19, 2002) KA02555.1447 May 29, 2007 44 EM-lines (518 words) KAZAKHSTAN    Catholics Feel Mother's Day More Important Than Women's Day ASTANA (UCAN) -- Some Catholics in the archdiocese of Astana honor their mothers on the second Sunday in May but consider the national Women's Day on March 8 as just a day off from work. Archbishop Tomasz Peta held a special Mother's Day Mass on May 13 at Our Mother of Perpetual Help Cathedral. "Maternity is the vocation for every woman," the head of the archdiocese told more than 100 Massgoers during his homily. For some women, this means "being mothers physically," he explained. For others it means being mothers "spiritually," he added, referring to nuns. International Women's Day on March 8 has been celebrated as a national holiday here since the former Soviet government decreed this in 1966. After the breakup of the Soviet Union in 1991, independent Kazakhstan retained the holiday as a sign of respect for all women, from girls to grandmothers. The second Sunday in May is celebrated as Mother's Day in most countries in Europe and the Americas, as well as some other countries around the world. Irina Feiler, 36, told UCA News after Mass that Mother's Day is more important to her than Women's Day. "It is a reminder that it is necessary to remember mothers not only once a year, but every day," she said. Her 17-year-old son, whom she has raised on her own, said Mother's Day is a special occasion for him to remember that his mother gave him life. After leading the Mass, Archbishop Peta blessed the mothers and their children. Then Catholics from the parish youth group performed a play, sang songs and read poems. One of the poems that appeared to deeply touch listeners told about a young man who disregarded his parents and led an immoral life. Only after his parents died did he understand his mistakes. The youth who read the poem has been attending Mass secretly at the cathedral since he was 14. He told UCA News that he was born in a family that has belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church for generations. The youth still worries that his parents will never accept his becoming a Catholic. He knew that his mother would not be there to hear the poem at the Catholic liturgy, but he said he took part because he "wanted to honor all mothers." Larisia Shetinina traveled 380 kilometers southeast to Astana from Kokshetau. Her daughter, a student at one of the capital's universities, invited her to enjoy the celebration. There is a big difference between Mother's Day and Women's Day, Shetinina said. "This holy day is an opportunity to look back at our life, to see children growing up, while March 8 is only an opportunity to rest." After the celebration the mothers returned home together with their children. But the youth who read the poem set off for home alone. As he left the cathedral, he told UCA News he wanted to please his mother by watching her favorite movie with her. "It doesn't matter that today is not a holiday for her," he said. "The most important thing is that she has been around for me." END Related UCAN Reports KAZAKHSTAN UCAN Interview - Bishop Of Almaty Tends To Small Flock In 'Huge' Country (May 25, 2007) KAZAKHSTAN Nuns Offer 'Joy Of Easter' Meal To Poor (April 27, 2007) KAZAKHSTAN Local Catholics Celebrate Their Church Patron's Day (April 9, 2007) KO02556.1447 May 29, 2007 57 EM-lines (558 words) KOREA    Buddhist, Catholic Artists Hold Joint Exhibition, Find Common Ground SEOUL (UCAN) -- Buddhist and Catholic artists presently holding a joint exhibition for Buddha's birthday say they have deepened mutual understanding and relations as a result. The Third Meeting of Buddhist and Catholic Artists is a "beautiful" exchange, Cho Seoung-hwan, a Buddhist sculptor told about 15 artists during the opening ceremony of the May 22-June 15 exhibition. The exhibition at the Catholic Art Gallery in Seoul commemorates Buddha's birthday, which fell on May 24 this year. Cho, speaking for the Buddhist participants, suggested that in the next joint exhibition, Catholic artists could deal with Buddhist themes or ideas, while Buddhists work on Christian themes. Cho, a retired professor of a Buddhist-run university, himself exhibited a wooden Buddha statue. Cecilia Han Jung-eun, curator of the gallery, told UCA News that Catholic artists hosted the first such exhibition in April 2003, also on the occasion of Buddha's birthday. A total of 22 artists participated. The Buddhist artists then took it upon themselves to host a similar exhibition at a Buddhist gallery in Seoul in December 2004 to commemorate Christmas. The exhibit featured the works of 23 artists. The current exhibit attracted 13 Catholic and 11 Buddhist artists, who contributed 20 Oriental- and Western-style paintings and six sculptures. Artists were also invited to send in their most recent works, even if they were not necessarily based on religious themes. Father Vincent Choe Won-o, undersecretary of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Korea (CBCK), also congratulated participants at the opening ceremony. He said that this kind of "practical" exchange is really important for promoting interfaith dialogue. Lee In, a Buddhist painter, told UCA News he feels that Buddhism and Catholicism have more religious tolerance than other religions, which gives them greater affinity with one another. He could not differentiate the Buddhist from the Catholic works in the exhibition, he said, especially the paintings. "We as Koreans share similar sentiments, and our lives have more in common than (the differences between) our religions." He exhibited two Oriental-style paintings depicting a mountain, a full moon and a lotus, a Buddhist image. Clara Song Soo-ryun, a Korean painter and lecturer who contributed an abstract artwork, told UCA News she believes Asian people have a Buddhist "mind." "I am a case in point," she said, explaining that she focuses on a "spot" or "point" as a main theme in her paintings. "According to Buddhism, the 'spot' represents all things in reality, which interests me very much," she added. Joseph Choi Jong-tea, a Catholic, who had first proposed the idea of a joint exhibition, along with gallery director Father Martin Park Hang-oh, feels a sense of affinity with Buddhism, unlike Christians from other Churches. "Buddhism and Confucianism have been with Korean people for a long time and so most Koreans feel comfortable with them," reasoned Choi, a leading sculptor. According to the Korean Catholic Encyclopedia, Buddhism arrived in Korea in 372 A.D. and Confucianism came even earlier. Father Park told UCA News that Buddhism and Catholicism have more artwork than other religions in Korea. "Art can be useful for breaking down the walls between religions and promoting religious harmony," he pointed out. Lee, viewing some of the works at the exhibition, appeared to support Father Park's observation. Lee commented that both Choi's sculptures of Jesus and Mary and Cho's Buddha statue have the "natural" face of Korean people. END Related UCAN Reports KOREA Buddhist, Catholic Artists Hold Christmas Exhibition To Boost Harmony (December 15, 2004) KOREA Buddhist And Catholic Artists Stage Joint Exhibition For Vesak (May 12, 2003) KOREA Exhibition Of Artworks By Religious Helps Inculturate Faith (September 16, 2002) KOREA Catholic Artist Makes Buddhist Sculpture To Promote Interreligious Understanding (May 4, 2000) MY02558.1447 May 29, 2007 64 EM-lines (702 words) MYANMAR    Communications Day Program For Kids Stresses 'Nutritious' Media YANGON (UCAN) -- Archbishop Charles Bo of Yangon describes what Pope Benedict XVI calls the "proper use of media" as analogous to eating nutritious food. People eat fruit, vegetables, rice and curry because these are good for health, but they do not eat worms, earth or cow dung, he pointed out. Similarly, "bad media" is bad for our health, he concluded. Archbishop Bo was addressing a lively audience of 300 children and some parents on May 19 at St. Theresa Church in Ahlone Township, Yangon. The program that day marked the Catholic Church's 41st World Communications Day, observed in most places on May 20, the Sunday before Pentecost. The message Pope Benedict XVI issued for the annual observance this year is titled Children and the Media: A Challenge for Education. Drawing on this theme, Archbishop Bo stressed the importance of the right media and the right forms of communication in the world today. "If we read good books and see good movies or videos, it will provide nutritious food for our minds. If not, our minds will be damaged," he told the children. On a day devoted to discussions, plays and singing, Archbishop Bo encouraged the children to heed the pope's message by seeking what is good, true and beautiful, embracing good forms of communication and rejecting the bad. The reach of one form of modern communications technology became apparent after the Church leader's mobile phone rang during his talk. He told the caller to ring back later. After the phone rang again, to laughter from the children, he asked the members of the audience to put up their hands if family members have mobile phones. Most of the children put up their hands. The archbishop explained how useful mobile phones are for communication, even though they can also be disruptive. In a question-and-answer session, Archbishop Bo asked the children what they observed about the Chinese, Korean and Indian movies they have seen. The children said they saw many things, most notably movie actors. Some said they wanted to be actors when they grew up. The archbishop told them many messages can be contained in movies and other media, not all of them good. He also asked them to think about the video games they have played, and how they use computers. After listening to the talk, Aung Sow Win, 36, from Fatima Church in Yangon, told UCA News, "Any kind of media, like movies, books, or Internet websites, can be good for communication, but if they glorify violence or sex, they are bad media." She added that advertisements can lead people to waste money and time on computer or video games, instead of improving their knowledge through English or computer classes. Archbishop Bo also led a special Mass for the children. Father Nereus Mg Mg, in charge of children's formation in the archdiocese, and Father Benedict Htay Lwin, director for social communications of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Myanmar, concelebrated. During the Mass, instead of the customary Scripture readings, children acted out the story of Jesus Christ's resurrection and how Jesus loved children. Afterward, Father Htay Lwin told the children about various forms of communications, presenting a guitar, organ and microphone, discussing music and sound waves, as well as how messages from the Bible communicate with the reader. Following lunch, groups of children from each parish sang songs and they all learned music for a Eucharistic adoration session, introduced in a graphic way. Father Htay Lwin showed the children pictures depicting greed, temptation, anger and worry, which he said blocks them from adoring the Eucharist. Children took turns tearing up the pictures until at last, as the priest explained to them, they had rid themselves of these negative emotions and could pay homage to the Eucharist. Bernadine Ei Ei Wai, 14, from St. Lazarus Parish, said she was happy to attend. "This year we had no competition like a singing contest or games," she noted, recalling that last year her parish had won prizes. "But we learned new ways to think about media and a new style of adoration of the Blessed Sacrament." She said the children previously did not really understand the media, but now had gained "a little knowledge." END Related UCAN Reports MYANMAR Youths Dramatize Family Relationships In Parents' Day Celebration (July 31, 2006) MYANMAR Church Forms Media Expert Group To Give Social Communication Courses (June 10, 2003) MYANMAR Seminarians and their rectors Study Latest Communications Tools (October 23, 2002) PL02570.1447 May 29, 2007 63 EM-lines (674 words) PHILIPPINES    Fire Destroys Parish Roof And Mezzanine On Pentecost Sunday QUEZON CITY, Philippines (UCAN) -- Masses are now held outside Our Lady of Sorrows Church near Manila, after the church building caught fire at dawn of May 27, Pentecost Sunday. "We cannot use the church, so we are having our Masses outside," St. Paul Father Socrates Montealto, the assistant parish priest, told UCA News the next day. The priest said the extensive damage has made the church building "dangerous" and "impossible to use." The St. Paul Fathers run the parish in Pasay City, just south of Manila. The church structure might collapse any time, and engineers will have to check whether the church should be demolished, Father Montealto continued. A makeshift tent was erected at the small grotto outside the church for parishioners to attend Mass, he added. The fire originated in the mezzanine area, which serves as a choir loft, at about 4:15 a.m., reported Fire Inspector Leo Andiso of the Pasay City Central Fire Station in his May 28 investigation report. No one was reported hurt, but the whole ceiling and mezzanine were destroyed. Andiso described the fire as having "rapidly spread." He estimated the damage at around 500,000 pesos (about US$10,920). Father Montealto, however, believes the damage will cost 4 to 5 million pesos. The church can accommodate 500-700 Massgoers. According to Father Montealto, initial fire department findings indicate faulty electrical wiring as the cause. He dismissed the possibility that the fire could have been set by one of 15 parishioners who reportedly staged a protest in front of the church in April. An abs-cbnnews.com report said 15 former employees and members of parish organizations lobbied for the resignation of parish administrator St. Paul Father Nicomedes Reforeal "after he fired them from their positions in the parish." The 15 parishioners accused the priest of "abusing his power" and charged that he "coddled a former worker who was involved in the overpricing of plastic chairs for the church." When reached by UCA News on the phone, Father Reforeal declined to comment on the allegations. Father Montealto said the church is now empty. He explained that all images were saved because parishioners helped carry images and chairs to safety. As for funding of the restoration work, "we will just ask our parishioners to help us financially," he said. Dolly Balisnomo, who serves in the parish's teaching ministry, told UCA News when she went to church for 7 a.m. Mass on May 28, the sight of crying parishioners greeted her. "I was very saddened, considering that it's Pentecost," she said. Nonetheless she noted that the fire might be God's way of "telling us something which we don't know, and we are praying for that." The 58-year-old woman, who has been a Church worker since 2000, admitted the parish has a bad image because of the allegations, but hopes all parishioners will unite at this time of need. "Good things always come out, in every problem and bad situation," she said. Masses at Our Lady of Sorrows are well attended, compared with other churches, because of its accessibility, Balisnomo said, adding that attendance did not decline on May 27 despite the fire. "As for me, it's part of my daily activity to go to church and to attend the celebration" because it is "Jesus Christ who is there," she declared. A nine-day novena to the parish's patron started on May 28 to ask for her "intercession," she said. The parish has 29,000 members, according to Father Montealto. Our Lady of Sorrows Parish, established in 1941, just celebrated its feast on the first Sunday of May. It is in the territory of Manila archdiocese, which covers the cities of Manila, Makati, Mandaluyong, Pasay and San Juan. Pentecost Sunday, which fell on May 27 this year, is the seventh Sunday after Easter. It commemorates the descent of the Holy Spirit on Jesus' disciples after his death, resurrection and ascension. Earlier this year, Paranaque diocese's Mary Immaculate Church in Las Pinas City, just south of Manila, and Holy Child Catholic School in Manila's Tondo district were also burned. END Related UCAN Reports PHILIPPINES Cardinal Rosales To Write To President On Relocating Urban Poor (April 23, 2007) PHILIPPINES Flames Raze School Buildings On Eve Of Fire Prevention Month (March 5, 2007) PHILIPPINES New-Year Revelry Leaves 'Nature Church' Roofless (January 8, 2007)