BANPONG: 9th February 2005 -- After all the tsunami-wrought sorrow of the past two months, and with reminders still of the rehabilitation work ahead, the Salesian Province of Thailand gathered at Banpong, Sarasit school to celebrate province day, the bringing together of the Salesian Family from all over, including from Cambodia, the farewell to a provincial made bishop and a welcome to a provincial whose proclaimed program is 'serve the Lord with joy'

    Why Banpong, Sarasit school and not Bangkok?  This year the Salesian school celebrates its 75th anniversary.  Two days prior to the Province Day was the actual Diamond Jubilee Celebration

    Some 250 members of the Salesian Family gathered there on 7th February for Province Day celebrations which began with a Mass at 10.00, main celebrant Bishop Prathan, homilist Fr Theparat.

    It was an occasion too for the Bishop to remind the gathered members of the ongoing and long-term work following the tsunami devastation in his diocese.  The sorrow of those moments cannot be so easily forgotten.  Sixteen different Catholic congregations along with Catholic Scouts headed by Salesian Fr John Baptist Suthep remain in the affected area with the local population.  Despite some lack of clarity at the level of international intervention and that of the Thai Government, the Bishop is working calmly at long-term plans which include his priority for an orphanage managed by the Salesians and already with an established budget.

    One grand feature of the Province Day was the presence of so many aspirants from the Salesian Family, about 80 in all.  In the latter part of the day a football match took place between the Salesians and the aspirants.

    The new provincial, Fr Theparat, spoke humbly of the learning that a new office, a new set of life's circumstances bring to one.  He would be using this learning to benefit the confreres and the life of the province.  Not only could he see that Salesian spirituality, in the end, is always a spirituality of joy but he could see too, with everything that was happening, that the Rector Major's Strenna for 2005 was already showing signs of rejuvenation for the Thai Church.