Joshua Lindsey/Daily News Kim Pu (from left), 2, is held by his father Pau Tuang, both of Bowling Green, as he is baptized by father Paul Tin Reh, a visiting Burmese priest from New York City, at Holy Spirit Catholic Church, Sunday, June 23, 2013, in Bowling Green, Ky. Once a month, the church hosts a visiting Burmese priest.

In his native Burma, Joseph Khai was in the minority as a Christian. In Bowling Green, he’s part of a growing Burmese Catholic community at Holy Spirit Catholic Church.

Once a month, a priest visits to lead Mass in the Burmese language, which means a lot to Burmese Catholics in Bowling Green.

“It’s helpful for them to maintain their faith and community,” Khai said. “Even though we don’t speak the same language, we are one in the faith.” 

Holy Spirit has about 250 Burmese members who are refugees from three ethnic groups in Burma. 

“It’s kind of like a small congregation in itself,” said Jennifer Bell, Burmese ministry coordinator at Holy Spirit. “Our goal is to integrate them into the Catholic Church.”

Though many languages are spoken in Burma, most of the population understands Burmese, the language in which the Rev. Paul Tin Reh, a visiting priest from New York City, led Mass on Sunday.

“It is the common language that everyone knows,” said Rose Mary Hau Lun Cing, a native of Burma who attends Holy Spirit. “We need to connect Burmese people from every state (in Burma).”

Cing grew up in a Catholic family in Burma and moved to Bowling Green from Florida a few months ago. “I heard the church is very welcoming, and I want my children to grow up in a Catholic life,” Cing said.

In addition to organizing a Burmese worship service monthly, church volunteers give Burmese members rides to church and offer classes that teach them about the Catholic faith.

“We want people to be educated about what the church believes,” Bell said.

Most refugees who attend the church came to the U.S. either already Catholic or interested in becoming Catholic but didn’t have the opportunity in Burma.

“While we are interested in having more Catholics, our mission is not to go out and evangelize,” Bell said.

Holy Spirit also hosts a Burmese Council about once a month for Burmese refugees to address issues they face in Bowling Green.

“There’s just a lot of different community needs outside of faith,” Bell said.

Sunday was the first chance for the Rev. John Thomas, Holy Spirit’s new priest, to meet Burmese members. Thomas spoke to the group at the end of the Burmese Mass, with Reh serving as translator. 

“I look different than you, and my language is different than your language, but when we gather at this altar, we are exactly the same,” Thomas said.

— Laurel Wilson covers faith and general assignments for the Daily News. Follow her on Twitter at twitter.com/FaithinBG or visit www.bgdailynews.com.