Vicar General of Loikaw Diocese reports 500 faithful attending Sunday Mass in Loikaw cathedral

Approximately 500 faithful attend Sunday Mass at Christ the King Cathedral in the Diocese of Loikaw, according to Father Marko Phe Bya, the Vicar General and parish priest. Father Phe Bya reported the attendance figures to Agenzia Fides during the International Forum of Catholic Action in Rome.

The cathedral and the diocesan pastoral center were occupied by the military in November 2023. This occupation forced Bishop Celso Ba Shwe, priests, religious sisters, and the faithful to leave the area. During that period, the military used the cathedral compound as a base.

Father Phe Bya stated that the return of the community followed the resumption of pastoral life in the center of the diocese. The conflict in Myanmar's eastern Kayah State has displaced many communities through fighting and airstrikes.