austraLasia #1927
Surat Thani, Thailand: a Salesian mission with enthusiasm, three years after the Tsunami
SURATTHANI: 17th August 2007 -- Mention Surat Thani and most Salesians or those associated with them closely will know that it is a diocese headed by former Thai Provincial, Bishop Joseph Prathan. But it is also an immense (geographically speaking and in terms of evangelisation) Salesian mission with SDBs, FMAs (all at Haad Yai), VDBs and lay helpers. The Salesians SDB include 4 missionaries from other parts of the world.
The area covered by the diocese of Surat Thani lies in one of the troubled regions of East Asia, marked by violence, the reasons for which are not always so clear. It is border territory in the deep south (with Malaysia). The majority of the population is Muslim, across 5 provinces. One of those provinces, Narrathiwat, has the smallest Catholic presence of all - just several Salesians! Altogether the Diocese has a population of 9 million of whom 6,500 are Catholics. There are 11 diocesan priests, 22 Salesians SDB, 9 FMA, 9 Stigmatin Fathers and another 20 or so Sisters of one or other Congregation. At Haad Yai the Salesians run a school of 3000 students, 1 large parish and with 2 outposts, one of them 290 kms from Haad Yai and just 7 kms from the Malaysian border.
Bishop Prathan points out that the 2004 Tsunami was 'some kind of blessing for the Diocese', in that it stirred the Church into greater sensitivity and awareness of the pain, especially in an area close to the part where the Tsunami damage and destruction was greatest - there was just one Catholic parish in the area of Khao Lak where 3,500 people died. Now, at nearby Baan Porn Tawan parish there is a Caritas presence looking after fishermen and their families along a stretch of chiefly Buddhist villages. An SIHM Sister has remained in the area since the Tsunami. Nearby the Camillians are building their 'Life Protection Centre' focused largely on HIV-AIDS. And the Salesians have nearly completed the Ban Don Bosco, a home and orphanage made up of 10 houses with 15-18 children in each. A Volunteer of Don Bosco (VDB) is in charge and is assisted by 8 other lay educators. The children were orphaned by the Tsunami.
Fr Vaclav Klement recently made a brief animation visit to the Diocese, staying overnight at Bangsak (Ban Don Bosco), then travelling south to the Malaysian border to spend time with the two Salesians in the most dangerous border territory where there are more than 20,000 Thai military personnel located. He claims to have passed through more than 100 military checkpoints in that zone! Reaching Betong, just a few miles from the border, he visited a Catholic school with 1,000 students, most Buddhist, and a handful Muslim and Catholic. The Salesians first arrived in Betong 60 years ago.
In spite of the distances and difficulties, the confreres in this far-flung region come together regularly, twice a month of recollection and community day or at least when roads, weather and socio-political circumstances permit.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
Surat Thani, Thailand: a Salesian mission with enthusiasm, three years after the Tsunami
SURATTHANI: 17th August 2007 -- Mention Surat Thani and most Salesians or those associated with them closely will know that it is a diocese headed by former Thai Provincial, Bishop Joseph Prathan. But it is also an immense (geographically speaking and in terms of evangelisation) Salesian mission with SDBs, FMAs (all at Haad Yai), VDBs and lay helpers. The Salesians SDB include 4 missionaries from other parts of the world.
The area covered by the diocese of Surat Thani lies in one of the troubled regions of East Asia, marked by violence, the reasons for which are not always so clear. It is border territory in the deep south (with Malaysia). The majority of the population is Muslim, across 5 provinces. One of those provinces, Narrathiwat, has the smallest Catholic presence of all - just several Salesians! Altogether the Diocese has a population of 9 million of whom 6,500 are Catholics. There are 11 diocesan priests, 22 Salesians SDB, 9 FMA, 9 Stigmatin Fathers and another 20 or so Sisters of one or other Congregation. At Haad Yai the Salesians run a school of 3000 students, 1 large parish and with 2 outposts, one of them 290 kms from Haad Yai and just 7 kms from the Malaysian border.
Bishop Prathan points out that the 2004 Tsunami was 'some kind of blessing for the Diocese', in that it stirred the Church into greater sensitivity and awareness of the pain, especially in an area close to the part where the Tsunami damage and destruction was greatest - there was just one Catholic parish in the area of Khao Lak where 3,500 people died. Now, at nearby Baan Porn Tawan parish there is a Caritas presence looking after fishermen and their families along a stretch of chiefly Buddhist villages. An SIHM Sister has remained in the area since the Tsunami. Nearby the Camillians are building their 'Life Protection Centre' focused largely on HIV-AIDS. And the Salesians have nearly completed the Ban Don Bosco, a home and orphanage made up of 10 houses with 15-18 children in each. A Volunteer of Don Bosco (VDB) is in charge and is assisted by 8 other lay educators. The children were orphaned by the Tsunami.
Fr Vaclav Klement recently made a brief animation visit to the Diocese, staying overnight at Bangsak (Ban Don Bosco), then travelling south to the Malaysian border to spend time with the two Salesians in the most dangerous border territory where there are more than 20,000 Thai military personnel located. He claims to have passed through more than 100 military checkpoints in that zone! Reaching Betong, just a few miles from the border, he visited a Catholic school with 1,000 students, most Buddhist, and a handful Muslim and Catholic. The Salesians first arrived in Betong 60 years ago.
In spite of the distances and difficulties, the confreres in this far-flung region come together regularly, twice a month of recollection and community day or at least when roads, weather and socio-political circumstances permit.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
