'Return to Don Bosco' - Thai ordination candidate tells
his story
BANMPONG: 8th December 2007 - Bishop Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil
sdb ordains Deacon Peter Nopphadon Joseph at St Joseph's Church
Banpong, at 5 pm on 8th December. The candidate has already
reflected on the winding paths of God's love that has brought him to
this moment, and shares it via our Thai Salesian correspondent.
Nopphadon attended primary school in Sampran, where
he was born in 1970, but then went on to Hua Hin to enter the Salesian
aspirantate in 1983. Following completion of his high school studies he
left the aspirantate and went on for further studies. At that
point he left the Salesian atmosphere behind entirely...or so it seemed.
After years of working in various companies, earning
a living with his mechanical skills, he found himself in France, where
he had gone to learn some trades. Nopphadon took the opportunity
to make a pilgrimage to Lourdes. He asked the Lord to guide him
to the Salesian Congregation in some way (he had not entirely left it
behind in his thinking). There he met a helpful Thai Salesian
priest, also on pilgrimage to Lourdes. His spiritual director was
a Jesuit priest, who advised him to work in a Salesian House to
reconnect and deepen his understanding, so Nopphadon applied to teach
back at Bampong's Don Bosco Technical School, and was accepted.
The 'return to Don Bosco' was crucial at this
point. At the age of 26 he joined the pre-novitiate and went
forward from that point, first studying English at Canlubang in the
Philippines, then entering the novitiate at Sampran. By 2004 he
found himself in Messina for theology where, last year he was ordained
deacon.
Fr Nopphadon's ordination comes amidst general
celebrations in Thailand - for the Feast of the Immaculate Conception,
for the 80th birthday of the revered Monarch, King Rama IX. After the
ordination there will be a grand procession of the statue of Mary
Immaculate from the parish to Sarasit Phithayalai School. The
First Mass will be celebrated on Sunday 9th December at St Peter's
Church, Sampran. _________________ 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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