austraLasia #2586 A two-province, three-bishop, thousand-person ordination to
remember!
BAN PONG: 31st January 2010 -- The Thai and Australia-Pacific
Provinces were linked by a priestly ordination at Ban Pong, in the
Diocese of Ratchburi (สังฆมณฑลราชบุรี), Thailand, on the eve of St John
Bosco's Feast. Monthon Rojjanasutadkul SDB was ordained priest in
a ceremony that involved two Salesian Bishops and the Bishop of
Ratchaburi who bears the name John Bosco anyway, though he is a
diocesan bishop!
The Church of St Joseph's at Ban Pong was packed
with a thousand worshippers for the event. Fr Monthon completed
his theological studies in Australia at the Salesian Formation House in
Clifton Hill, Melbourne, where his first Rector is the now Auxiliary
Bishop of Melbourne, Bishop Tim Costelloe SDB. The principal ordaining
prelate was Bishop Joseph Prathan Srdarunsil SDB of neighbouring Surat
Thani Diocese. Surat Thani was once part of Ratchaburi
Diocese. Bishop Joseph Prathan was also Monthon's former
provincial.
Amidst this intimate weave of former this and former
that were many current confreres and friends of Monthon's, including a
number of others from Australia - his most recent Rector, Fr Peter
Rankin, and good friend Fr Frank Freeman, and of course his
family. After the traditional consent of the People of God,
Monthon proceeded to where his parents were sitting and knelt in front
of them thanking them in silence for their gift of faith and life and
vocation. And it was they who brought up the gifts of a specially
presented chalice and paten.
Several of Monthon's friends and fellow students
from Catholic Theological College in Melbourne were able to be present.
Also
in the congregation were young Lay Missionaries from Australia
involved in what is known as the Cagliero Project who were due to leave
for missionary assignments in Cambodia and different Salesian Houses in
Thailand immediately after the special events of the Ordination and
First Mass.
The music was undoubtedly Thai except for the now classic hymn 'Here I
Am Lord', while the Litany was composed by Australian-Pacific Salesian,
Marc Barry, and sung in English.
Following the Communion, Fr Monthon's parents were
presented with a beautiful statue of Our Lady Help of Christians by the
local Bishop and Provincial of Thailand, Fr Theparat, to recognise the
importance of the family in the nurture of a priestly and Salesian
vocation. A beautifully prepared luncheon followed the ordination Mass
in the hall adjacent to the parish Church.
The First Mass was celebrated in the Monthon's
family's Parish Church where Monthon attended as he grew up. Monthon
led the celebration of the Eucharist with grace and composure. The
gospel reading was the passage whereby Jesus attended his hometown and
was rejected by the townsfolk with the words "a prophet is despised in
his own country". The homilist, the Rector of the Salesian community at
Hua Hin... made the point that the large number of townsfolk who
attended the First Mass meant Monthon was certainly not rejected by his
townsfolk but many local people were able to rejoice in this special
day of a newly ordained priest celebrating his First mass in his
home-town. The homilist also made mention that as a young boy Monthon
wanted to spend time at the local Salesian Oratory but his mother was
initially reluctant to let Monthon jump in the back of the truck as it
went through the neighborhood gathering youngsters for games and
activities. The Provincial, Fr Theparat, spoke after communion and
expressed his gratitude for the Formation received in Australia and
challenged Monthon to become a zealous educator amongst the young
wherever he was posted. _________________ 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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