1927 THA-Cambodia Surat Thani - mission with enthusiasm
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.
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