11 a. SIHM History %28i%29 Be All to All%21 %28ii%29 Rooted in Charism %28Sr. S. Thabping SIHM%29


11 a. SIHM History %28i%29 Be All to All%21 %28ii%29 Rooted in Charism %28Sr. S. Thabping SIHM%29

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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
Day 3 | Wednesday | 6 Nov 2013
Books to be presented from the SIHM
There are books that will be presented:
1. “Be All to All” (1 Cor.9:22 ) : Mons.Gaetano Pasotti’s
life and mission.
Mons. Pasotti’s episcopal motto seems to be the best summary of all his life and
mission.
Objectives of the book
1. The Sisters Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary may know more and
deepen their knowledge on the life and mission of their founder.
2. Make his life and mission known to those who have somehow heard about him
or want to know more about him because he had quite an important role in the past
history of the Church in Thailand.
Summary of Mons. Gaetano pasotti’s Life and Mission
First Part: Chapter 1 and 2 ( From childhood – religious life)
Feb. 5,1890 He was born in Pavia, Italy.
Oct.10, 1900 He joined the sdb oratory in Turin.
Sept.15, 1905 He entered the novitiate at Foglizzo.
Sept.16, 1906 He made his first profession at Foglizzo.
July 30, 1909 He made his perpetual profession at Valsalice.
1915 He was called to millitary services at Udine during the first World War.
March 18, 1916 He was ordained priest at Udine in the War zone.
On the day of his ordination
“The world will make you suffer. But be brave ! I have defeated the world” (Jn.16:33)
As if he foresaw what he would encounter in the future.
His joy was the fruit of faith and hope in the Lord.
Part 1: Chaper 3-4 (9 years in China)
June 20, 1918 He started his missionary life in China.
March 1, 1924 He was named superior of the Linchow territory.
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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
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1926 He was named novice master in Macau.
Oct.26, 1927 He was assigned as leader of first group of missionaries to Thailand.
His hope and consolation during his apostolate in China were the example of St.Louis
Versiglia sdb. and the lay catechists, their witness of christian love among the
people.
From them he got the inspirations and ideas for his work in Thailand especially in the
preparation of catholic teachers and lay catechists.
Parts 2 and 3 : Chapter 5-13 (The first 10 years in Siam - 1927-37)
As the first superior of the missionaries in Thailand.
1929 succeeded the work from MEP. He was seriously ill and had to take one year
for convalescence in Italy.
Feb.11, 1930 With the Conferes he started the Minor Seminary for the Diocesan
Clergy.
Nov.14,1931 He welcomed the fma. to work in Ratchaburi Diocese.
May 28, 1934 He was nominated Prefect of Ratchaburi Diocese.
April 24, 1936 He welcomed the Clarist Cappucin Sisters to found their first cloister
in the Ratchaburi Diocese.
July 1, 1936 Udomphan Maggazine was born.
Dec.7, 1937 He founded the “Xi Songkro” (Later Sisters, Servants of the Immaculate
Heart of Mary (SIHM)
Dec.20, 1937 The Salesian Province of Thailand was elected with the first
Provincial, Don John Casetta.
There was an evidence that proved Mons.Pasotti’s originality’ and desire to
found the religious congregation in his diocese;
In 1932 he reported to the congregation for the Propagation of faith;
“I hope that the FMA. would help in the foundation of the diocesan religious
congregation” (Aug.1, 1932)
Part 4 : Chapter 14-16
(During second World War and religious execution 1941-45)
June 24, 1941 He was consecrated bishop of Ratchaburi.
His motto: “Be All to All”
Aug. 23, 1941-45 He was nominated to help the diocese of Laos (in the Thai part)
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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
Day 3 | Wednesday | 6 Nov 2013
and also temporary Delegate of the Holy See in Thailand (one year).
1948 He went to Italy for the last home visit.
Mons.Pasotti’s personal contacts with the Superiors.
He reported often regarding his co-workers and new establishments in the new
Mission.
There were reasons behind;
The Rector Major insisted Mons. Pasotti from the beginning;
“Send any news and be sure that all your works are ours and what is your interest is
ours too… send news each month to the Salesian Bulletin, for the superior please
tell everything”
Mons. Pasotti followed those directions obediently and we profited much from
those documents.
Part 5: Chapters 17-18 (His Last Moments)
July 14, 1950 He was seriously sick, and admitted at St.Louis Hospital, Bkk.
Aug.30,1950 He received the Sacrament for infirmary.
Sept.3, 1950 He rested in peace at the age of 60 and 7 months.
He is now “As Father among his children” in the Cathedral’s cemetery, as desired in
his last testaments.
Be all to all (Omnia Omnibus)
-the first born of the family
-brother of his 3 brothers and 2 sisters
-Salesian for the youth
-Soldier for the Nation
-missionary to China as parish priest, superior , formator
-Missionary in Thailand as leader, superior, Bishop, Delegate of the Holy see during
difficulty time and
-“Father among his children”
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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
Day 3 | Wednesday | 6 Nov 2013
2. ROOTED IN CHARISM.
THE FOUNDATION AND LIFE OF THE “ SISTERS, SERVANTS OF THE
IMMACULATE HEART OF MARY” (SIHM)
1. The Foundation of the Congregation in God’s plan.
1.1 The Circumstances : The election of the new Diocese and it’s needs.
The Foreign Missionaries of Paris who worked in Thailand (Siam) asked
the Holy See to send another Society to help in Siam, which was then the only
one big region or diocese of Siam. The first Salesian group of missionaries was
assigned to govern a new section (diocese), divided from the Diocese of Siam.
When the MEP left, Mons.Pasotti thought of Religious Sisters; the Daughter
of Mary Help of Christians for the girls and women, and the Clarist Cappucines
for spiritual support.
The Salesians and the Salesian Sisters had marvelously worked for the
local church, especially for the youth according to their charism. However the
local church had its own nature that need “the Siam for the Siams”.
Both Rev. Fr. Carlo Della Torre and Mons.Pasotti realized well the
situations and the needs; to have a native congregation of Sisters for the
apostolate of the parishes.
1.2 God’s instruments : The roles of the Salesians and the Daughters of
Mary Help of Christians.
The Salesians, through Mons.Pasotti, Rev.Carlo Della Torre at
the beginning, and many others Salesians are involved in the formation of the
candidates to the new Congregation. Mons.Pasotti assigned the the Salesian
Sisters to prepare the good foundation (ground) of the SIHM Congregation.
The Salesian Sister, especially Sr.Antonietta Morellato was selected to be the
first novice mistress. Thanks to The Major and the local superiors who
permitted and made that possible. Later Sr.Luigina di Giorgio was name the
first Superior of the new Congregation, and prolong in the position for 20
years. Many other Salesian Sisters who were at Bang Nokkhuek at that time
involved lovingly and in many ways in the new founded Congregation.
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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
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1.3 The Salesian Seminary’ kitchen : The cradle of the new Congregation.
It was God’s design that the new Congregation was born in the
campus of the Salasian Seminary’s kitchen. We didn’t have our own home.
Humble birth place, yet very close to the Salesian family. It gave us a symbol
of deep spirituality of the Congregation’s foundation. The kitchen and the
first name given “Xi Songkro.” or “Ausiliatrici” or “Helpers”, designated our
mission, from a narrow compound of the kitchen to all the parish’s apostolate.
2. The first borns, the reaching out and growth of the Congregation.
In 1938 the first 6 Sisters made their first vows and the following year , April
13, 1939 four of them with all the candidates transferred to the other bank of
the river, to the new convent closed to the Cathedral of Nativity of our Blessed
Mary. The convent was still in the Mission’s house. The first two Sisters were
assigned to the Salesian Seminary’ s kitchen in which campus they were born.
The new Congregation grew quite fast at the beginning and it could send their
members to helps in many parishes. They worked side by side with the priests,
Salesians and diocesans. At the same time those parishes sent the Congregation
new vocations.
In 1956 the Congregation had its first house and school in Ratchaburi. Later it
gradually acquired more convents, schools and formation houses.
The present statistics: (in 2013, 76th year of foundation)
Members of perpetual profession
85
Members of temporary profession
9 (1 cambodian)
Deceased members
17
Second year Novices
3
First year novices
2
Aspirants (After high school)
6
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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
Day 3 | Wednesday | 6 Nov 2013
Candidates in high school
39
Apostolate :
Parishes where the Sisters work in Thailand
15
Parishes in Cambodia
2
Congregation’s schools
7
Salesian Houses where the Sisters work
2
Home for the poor and abandoned children
1
Novitiate
1
School Camping compound
1
Home for the aged and sick members with
Sisters Residence
1
Mother house and House for the retreat and meeting
(230/2 Phetkasem Rd., Hua Hin, Prachuabkirikhan, Thailand. 7711
3. Rooted in the Salesian Spirit.
Through initial and on- going formation given by the Salesians and the
Salesian Sisters, the new Congregation’s members had been growing in the
Salesian Spirit, added to their natural inheritance from the foundation. There
were continuously good relationships with the Salesian Family through many
persons and activities, especially through the Salesian Bishops who were the
ones responsible of the Congregation. Several members were given opportunity
to really deepen their living knowledge and experiences in the Salesian Spirit.
Each year there have been two representatives joining the “Consulto Mondiale
della Famiglia Salesiana” in Roma.
4. Searching and discovering the Congregation’s identity.
The Congregation have started their Books Cronacles in May, 1937 before the
Foundation on December 7, 1937 , thanks to Sr.Antonietta Morellato who gave
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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
Day 3 | Wednesday | 6 Nov 2013
the new candidates to write down daily events. The gave us a lot of insights and
the real situations of the Congregation history.
Without knowing the importance of the History, the charism and the identity
of the Congregation, the Congregation was not interested in them until before
the Golden Jubilee of the Congregation in 1987. For some reasons it was quite
late to gather the evidences, especially from many persons directly involved in
the foundation and the beginning period of the Congregation. The first person
was Mons Gaetano Pasotti, our Founder. The closest collaborators were
Sr.Antonietta Morellato and Sr.Luigina Di Giorgio, FMAs. Some of the first
group were already dead or too old to give us the evidences we needed. From
then we started and continued our researches, firstly on the life and Mission of
our Founder and secondly on the history of the Congregation.
The book “As Father Among His Children” was our first attempt to pile
up the documents; letters, reports etc. found in Salesian Bulletins or other
Salesian Magazines. That was started on the occasion of the 100th of Mons.Birth
Day in 1990 and completed as a book in the year 2000.
Before the 60th anniversary of our Foundation in 1997 a team work started to
gather the materials on the life of the Congregation from the Cronacles. It has
been a long and complicated worked involved all the houses where the Sisters
have gone to work. The team succeeded only the first period of the
Congregation, the most important, from the beginning to the end of the
Founder’s life, about 13 years from 1937-1950. This work was completed as the
book “Rooted in Charism” only in 2011, the first year of preparation for the
75th Anniversary of our Foundation.
The last book issued after the 75th Anniversary was “Be all to All” at the
bebeginning of 2013. It will not be the last of our work in order to deepen our
understanding of God’s plan for us.
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EAO Regional Conference on the State of Salesian Historiography
Day 3 | Wednesday | 6 Nov 2013
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