As Catholic missionaries with a long history in Myanmar (formerly Burma), the May 3 cyclone that caused tens of thousands of lives to be lost and enormous devastation to this Southeast Asia nation have stunned and saddened Columbans everywhere.

In response to this overwhelming tragedy, the Society’s General Council has released money from its emergency fund to Caritas Internationalis to help that Catholic relief organization respond as best it can to this unfathomable crisis.

When Tropical Cyclone Nargis struck Myanmar, electrical services and almost all communication services were destroyed. We continue to make every effort to reach our missionaries who mostly work in the northeast city of Myitkyina, which is a considerable distance from the heart of the destruction.

We ask for your thoughts and prayers to be with the Columban missionaries in Myanmar along with all Burmese people as they work through the aftermath of the storm. We trust that God’s grace and mercy will be evident in Myanmar as international humanitarian aid arrives.

If you want to help us help the Burmese people, you can make a donation online. Just click here to begin. Be sure to type “Myanmar Relief” in the “Additional Comments” portion of the form.