From a small village in the Ayeyarwady region of Myanmar, to leading an essential sustainable mission, Fr Salai Michael MSP discovered his vocation through a deep longing.
In Ka Beh, where Fr Salai was raised, the isolation meant the parish priest would visit only twice a year. Yet those rare visits were filled with joy.
“When I was about six years old, I felt a deep desire to be someone who could bring the sacraments and the closeness of God to the children and the people of my village,” Fr Salai recalled.
That childhood conviction would shape the course of his life.
In 2007, he joined the Missionaries of St Paul, a congregation founded in 1990 by Cardinal Bo. Inspired by the call that ‘each new generation needs new apostles’, the community embraces the charism Ad Gentes, bringing the Gospel to remote and conflict-affected regions across Myanmar and beyond. After years of formation, Fr Salai was ordained in 2018 at St Mary’s Cathedral in Yangon.
Today, as Secretary of the Missionaries of St Paul, he leads an integrated mission that weaves together faith, social development, and ecological responsibility. One of the key initiatives in bringing these elements together is the Ecological Farming Project. At the heart of his work is a sustainable farming program that upgrades boarding hostels, promotes organic agriculture and trains young people in vocational skills.
“We don’t just farm; we train religious leaders and the Catholic laity in conflict transformation and peacebuilding. We all are the real agents of peace,” he said.
For Fr Salai, priesthood is inseparable from service to the poor.
