The rural parish of St. Mary Church in Altus has welcomed seven growing refugee families from Myanmar, breathing new life into the community.
One of their leaders, GregoryKap LianNgaihte — who goes by Greg — is studying to become a deacon. He lives in Altus with his wife, Annunciata, and their three sons. His journey from Myanmar in southeast Asia, which the Zomi American community prefers to call by its more common name, Burma, reflects a deep sense of calling and faith.
“I came to the United States in 2005 because of the corruption of the country, economic crisis, religious crisis and the oppression of the military junta to pursue a future for my life and for the future of my family,” LianNgaihte said. “There’s a limit on education in Burma, and I also wanted the freedoms of justice and to worship Christ.”
While life in Myanmar was full of uncertainty for LianNgaihte, one thing was certain from a very early age — his faith. As Catholic missionaries made their way through Myanmar over the past 100 years, many people in the dozens of ethnic groups converted to Catholicism.
“I was around 3 years old, I think — I remember I was baptized. My grandma, my mom, some of my sisters and brothers — all baptized and became Catholic. I’m a cradle Catholic, but my parents follow the traditional faith.”
Nearly 90 percent of Myanmar is Buddhist, but much of the culture and religion has integrated polytheistic beliefs into their worship, also worshipping spirits called “nats.”
After college, while still in Myanmar, LianNgaihte joined the seminary for three years. But LianNgaihte, 47, felt that his vocation had changed again. Soon, he met his wife, who is also Catholic. His sister-in-law is a Franciscan nun.
“The seminary is not my vocation, but I always feel like I am a child of God,” LianNgaihte said. “Wherever I go, the first thing I look for is a Catholic church, and whoever I see there, I feel like they are my brother and sister.”
Finding family in faith became especially important as the LianNgaihte family made their move to Florida in 2005, LianNgaihte was ready to go to school and further his education, but discovered he would have to wait three years until he was granted asylum and given his legal documents. It was then that a friend in Tulsa, Okla., reached out.
“A friend of my brother, named Thang Mang, from Burma, they have a sushi bar, so they taught me how to make sushi,” he said.
LianNgaihte lived in Florida to work as a sushi chef while seeking asylum.
His dedication caught the attention of a training facility in South Carolina, which promoted him to oversee a sushi bar in Enid, Okla. After three years, he moved to Stillwater while he attended Oklahoma State University in 2010. There, he connected with the Zomi American Catholic community and began helping Catholic Charities with translation and interpretation.
When several community families asked for help buying chicken farms in Arkansas, LianNgaihte stepped in, eager to support others seeking a better life. He assisted several families in buying farms across western and northwestern Arkansas.
A year later, as the sushi bar changed ownership, LianNgaihte and his wife decided it was time for a new chapter. She suggested buying a chicken farm of their own in 2021.
“I never thought of that for me,” he said. “I found the person we bought the farms from and went with (Annunciata) to check it out. … She said … ‘We don’t know how the new (sushi) company is going to be and who they are going to give it to.’ That made me change my mind. I said, ‘OK, God has a plan. Let’s make an offer on this farm.’”
LianNgaihte now lives in Altus, where he and six other large Burmese families — about 50 people — form the Zomi American Catholic community at St. Mary Church.
He began to discern joining the diaconate in 2009 after meeting with clergy and bishops in Oklahoma to advocate for Zomi American Catholics, who lacked a dedicated Catholic ministry. He was accepted for the Diocese of Little Rock diaconate formation program in 2023. He is set to be ordained a permanent deacon in 2028.
“Deacon Mark (Verkamp, assistant diaconate formation director) … encouraged me to keep on praying, working, doing my best. I know that English is not my first language, so I have a little bit of difficulty studying some parts and theology, but so far I am doing well and I’m trying my best.
“I pray for the Holy Spirit to lead me and guide me and preserve me in this job. … You have to pray to God and to the Holy Spirit, and develop a relationship with God. When you feel the Holy Spirit’s fire, there is nothing to be afraid of. … God is welcoming us, and God will guide us.”
The Zomi American community has also brought several cultural celebrations and practices to the rest of the parish.
“We have a harvest celebration like Thanksgiving that we do back in our country,” LianNgaihte said. “We have a similar celebration at Christmas, where we butcher a pig and everyone comes to the church to eat. Every family member cooks something. The meat is shared by everyone, and each family is given a portion. We celebrate the New Year and we pray together.”
The Anglo community in Altus has warmly embraced the customs of the Zomi American parishioners. On May 26, 2024, the Zomi community hosted Bishop Anthony B. Taylor for a cultural celebration featuring traditional food, music, language and dance.
They presented Bishop Anthony B. Taylor, pastor Father Polycarp Ssebbowa and Deacon Brian Lachowsky with sashes patterned in a Zomi design, similar to a Scottish tartan.
“They’re so positive and they’re so eager to do what they need to do to reconstitute their family and their community,” Lachowsky said. “Their identity as a community is so strong … and they found St. Mary’s and they found different economic opportunities. They’re just very enthusiastic about being a part of the community.”
Lachowsky said that many in the Zomi community have a room in their house dedicated to the Catholic faith, full of images of the Virgin Mary, the saints and religious iconography.
“Their faith is visible for their children to see and to participate in — it’s a great family thing. … Their children are serving at Mass. They’re involved in our parish and classes. The parents frequently have potlucks, and they always bring the best food that you could ever taste. … Anytime you have a parish event going on, they’re there, they’re helping, they’re all a part of it.”
Lachowsky said the Zomi American community has brought new life into the parish.
“There was an influx of enthusiasm — they made us all prouder of our parish … the parish events are louder and more joyful and more festive. The yeast that they bring leavens the dough of the whole parish.”
