HUA HIN: 23rd July 2007 -- As many as 80 Salesian
Cooperators from Thailand gathered at Hua Hin from July 20-22 for their
annual retreat. The short but intense few days of prayer began
with a prayer service led by the Provincial of the Thai Province, Fr
John Bosco Dheparat Pitisant.
The Salesian Cooperators in Thailand hark back to
their origins in the 1960's and the then provincial Fr Mario Rezzeddu.
One name which stands out from those early years, a long time local and
then Provincial Coordinator as well as founding member, is that of Mr
Benedict Prasong Chompanan. Thailand now has a total of around 170
members in 11 Centres. The Salesian SDB Delegate is Fr Dominic Savio
Suphot Riungam, and the FMA Delegate Sr Theresa Udom Sridarunsil,
younger sister to Bishop Joseph Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil. The current
Provincial Coordinator is Mr Pomsawat Lertvitayavivat.
The theme for this year's annual retreat was the new
Project of Apostolic Life. The SDb Delegate led the retreat since he
was present at the discussions which resulted in the new PAL. The
occasion was also used to inform members of the forthcoming East
Asia Cooperator Region Congress to be held in May (22-25) of next year.
Of interest is the fact that the PAL has now been
translated fully into Thai, and copies of the Statutes and Regulations
forwarded to Rome. This intense work of translation has been
carried out with the help of Fr Anthony Nopphorn Joseph, Bro. John
Baptist Thanand Anan and Sr Theresa Udom Sridarunsil.
The retreat concluded with a typical expression of
Thai gratitude to older members. The Provincial, Fr Dheparat
offered a bouquet of flowers (some 30 of them!) to older members after
praying for them. The concluding Eucharist was an occasion for
renewal of promise and one new member made her first promise. _________________ AustraLasia is an
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