YANGON (UCAN) -- Getting people back on their feet is the priority for the bishop of Pathein diocese, which covers most of the cyclone-battered Irrawaddy River delta.

Bishop John Hsane Hgyi estimates it will take one-to-three years to rehabilitate the survivors of Cyclone Nargis, which struck on May 2, but five-to-10 years for his diocese to "return to normal."

Bishop John Hsane Hgyi of Pathein, Myanmar

Reaching out to the survivors has been a harrowing experience for the 54-year-old ethnic Kayin prelate, who has been bishop of this diocese for nearly five years. He and his Church-led teams have faced numerous challenges.

With many areas of the delta accessible only by boat, some of the mostly Kayin ethnic people in the diocesan territory are hard to reach. According to the 2008 Catholic Directory of Myanmar, the diocese has 72,320 Catholics amid a population of 5,670,760.

A native son, Bishop Hsane Hgyi ordained a priest for Pathein on March 7, 1982. He served in parishes until 1991 and then studied spirituality at San Carlos University in the Philippines for three years until 1994. After his return he was appointed spiritual director and then rector of the philosophy section of the major seminary in Pyin Oo Lwin. In 2001 he became rector of St. Joseph's Major Seminary in Yangon.

Five months after he was ordained auxiliary bishop of Pathein in March 2003, he was installed as bishop of the diocese on Aug. 24.

UCA News spoke to the bishop in Yangon on June 28 prior to a meeting of the Myanmar Disaster Relief Committee (MDRC), which the Church formed to help provide cyclone relief. The interview follows:

UCA NEWS: What has Pathein diocese been doing to help the people?

BISHOP JOHN HSANE HGYI: Three days after Cyclone Nargis hit the Irrawaddy delta, Laurence, a former catechist from the worst-hit area, came to me and reported the destruction it had caused. We had a meeting and organized a diocesan emergency group for disaster relief. I appointed Father Maurice Nyunt Wai, vicar general of Pathein diocese, to lead the relief groups, and we tried to hire four or five motorboats to rescue the villagers in the cyclone-affected areas. On May 8 we started emergency rescue work. One of the motorboats led by Father Maurice set out straight to the worst-hit area, Aima village, and the other boats to villages such as Peinnegone, Tayautgone and Phyarlaygone, all within Aima parish.

When the rescue boats arrived at the villages, the disaster survivors rushed to the boats. We requested they wait, promising to help everyone. All the survivors were taken to the village of Kanazokone, and within a few days the number of the refugees grew from 1,500 to 2,000. Since it was very hard to feed and shelter 2,000 refugees, we discussed opening some more camps in Maungmya township and Aima village, where some people were staying in the Church compound and sisters' convents. We used bamboo to make temporary tents for the victims and distributed food, water, clothing and shelter.

What difficulties did you face?

The cyclone destroyed all telecommunications and transportation by road, so we couldn't do the emergency rescue work at once. It was very hard to hire motorboats. It was risky and the owners of the boats were afraid of the high winds and flooding. But finally we managed to hire the boats, at a high price. It was very hard to do the relief work, but now we have distributed four cellular phones to four camps run by the Church.

The local authorities demanded that we give them our data on the survivors and told us to send some of the people taking refuge in our Kanazokone camp to the Wakema camp run by the government. After rescuing them from the worst-hit areas, we don't want to force any of these people, whose future is uncertain, to move, so it depends on their free will. But no one wanted to move from the Church-run camp. However, 50 refugees who were not willing to go volunteered, for the sake of others, to accept the demand of local authorities to move to the government-run camp.

How did the tragedy affect you personally?

During my visit to the worst-affected area, a man approached me and told me about his agony due to the cyclone. He lost his wife and children. Most of the people who survived held onto the branches of trees, or to coconuts or plastic materials that float. The fisherman who lost everything requested a fishing boat and nets to restart his livelihood. His calmness in his plight touched me, and we are discussing what our diocesan committee can do to help him and others in similar straits.

What are the Church relief priorities?

The priorities for the survivors are food, water, shelter and medical supplies. We have distributed all the essential needs for a family such as rice, water, shelter, cooking utensils and some tools for cultivation. I have appointed one priest from Pathein diocese to help the villagers rebuild their houses. We distributed housing materials such as bamboo and roofing materials. We will continue to support them until their life returns to normal.

How does the Church plan to help the refugees return to their homes?

We are building houses for the people who return to their respective villages. We will continue to distribute rice until the time of the harvest. As now is the time for cultivation, we are distributing agricultural inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, and providing a power tiller to plow the fields in time for the crucial monsoon planting season. Last week we filled seven motorboats with rice and non-food items to send to the affected areas. When I visited one of the villages in the worst-affected area, I came to know that there was only one day's stock of rice left for them, so we distributed rice and cooking utensils to the people. In one village where we are doing the relief work among 180 houses, only 15 belong to Catholic families, but we have distributed relief aid to all of the disaster victims equally. We are doing relief work without differentiating by race or religion.

As the number of villagers who return home to their respective villages grows larger and larger, we need to help them until their lives become normal again. But we tried to reach out to all the victims, and as rice is the most important item, we tried to buy as much rice as we could, and we will continue to distribute it to the disaster victims.

What is your plan for people still in the Church refugee camps?

Some of the survivors returned to their villages. But some of them are not willing to go back, and we'll never force them to leave. People need to try and go back to normal life as soon as they can. The Church bought 40 acres of land and distributed one acre per family. This land cannot be used for growing rice, but fruit and vegetables can be grown. We also bought 300 acres of farmland near Pantanaw Township, 75 kilometers from Yangon, and distributed 4 acres per family. Creating assets is very important so people can start their livelihood again and not be dependent on the Church.

Are any Church programs aimed specifically to help children and orphans?

Last month, we gave uniforms, books and fees to support hundreds of children who returned to school. Many children in the delta region lost their parents and homes, and their lives have been turned upside down. According to our plan, we sent the children to convents in different parishes in Pathein diocese in order to help them continue their formal education. In Kanazokone village, we discussed with the principal to accept 150 children in the school there, and we have donated 5 million kyat (US$4,200) for the construction of a new school building.

Bishop John Hsane Hgyi meets with those affected by Cyclone Nargis at a temporary shelter in Sanchauk Church.

So many people approached us wanting to adopt the orphans, but for the time being we are not thinking about giving them away, because the sisters are looking after them in the convents and helping them. Psychological counseling is essential for the children. and it will be a long-term service for them.

How long do you think this process of rehabilitation will take?

The process of rehabilitation will take one-to-three years. What we are doing now is supporting them materially and guiding them in spiritual matters. We will continue supporting the victims until they return to normal life and are able to stand on their own feet and not be dependent on the Church.

Can you tell us about the priest you lost in your diocese?

When I heard about the death of Father Andrew Soe Win, the parish priest of Aima, I was very sad. He was an obedient and very zealous priest. He was my classmate, and was kind-hearted and ready to help anybody who was in need. One day after I was appointed bishop of Pathein, we were talking about the diocese's financial difficulties. As a true friend he encouraged me and promised to support the diocese as much as he could.

He was doing missionary work in Kengtung diocese in Shan State (northeastern Myanmar). After this missionary work in the hills, he was transferred to the seaside village of Aima in Pathein diocese. Before he died he told me he wanted to work in an area where he could travel by car and train, not boat. But before his transfer, Cyclone Nargis took his life while doing missionary work in the delta. It was a great loss for me and for the diocese, and he was buried in Aima village.

How long will it take for Pathein diocese to get back to normal?

It will take about five-to-10 years for Pathein diocese to get back to normal. Between 30 and 40 churches were completely destroyed by Cyclone Nargis, and some of the roofs of the other churches, priests' houses and convents were blown off by the high winds. We have lost many of our faithful, and the survivors are left empty-handed -- all their possessions have been destroyed by the cyclone. Our diocese has to start from the beginning, because we have lost everything.

First we need to rebuild or repair the churches, in order to help people improve their spirituality, and build houses for the victims. Creating assets is very important, so people can start their livelihood again and not depend on the Church alone.

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