The Church of St. Joseph in Matupi township, under the Diocese of Hakha, was formally opened on Feb. 12, reported Fides, the Vatican news agency, on Feb. 17.
Chin state, in northwestern Myanmar, is home to about 500,000 people, roughly 85 percent of whom are Christians, predominantly Baptists. Catholics number about 70,000.
Myanmar has been engulfed in conflict since the military coup of February 2021 that ousted the elected government of Aung San Suu Kyi. Anti-coup protests erupted nationwide and fighting intensified between ethnic armed groups and junta forces.
The violence has displaced an estimated half of Chin state’s population and devastated towns and infrastructure. The city of Thantlang became a symbol of the destruction after the military launched an arson campaign between late 2021 and early 2022, forcing all residents to flee. Of the city’s 22 churches, only one remains standing, Fides reported.
Rights activists say churches belonging to Catholics, Methodists, Presbyterians, Pentecostals and Seventh-day Adventists were branded “resistance centers” and deliberately burned. A Chin-based human rights organization reports that more than 107 religious buildings, including 67 churches, have been destroyed in the state since 2021.
Much of Chin state is now reportedly under the control of anti-junta forces. Among Catholic sites damaged in recent attacks was Christ the King Church in Falam, in the Diocese of Hakha, which was targeted in April 2025, according to Fides.
In February 2025, an airstrike damaged Sacred Heart Church in Mindat, which was set to become the cathedral of the newly established Diocese of Mindat.
Despite the devastation, Bishop Lucius Hre Kung of Hakha, who presided over the inauguration in Matupi, hailed the new church as a milestone for local Catholics.
“There are few events in the life of a parish more significant and joyous than the dedication of a new church,” he said, calling it “a true sign of God’s love” at a time of suffering. “Let us remain steadfast in prayer and communion,” the bishop added, urging unity amid ongoing hardship.