St Theresa of the Child Jesus - New Parish
Church Opened, THA
HUA HIN: Sunday, 6 February
2012 --
Saturday 5 February was a significant day for many associated
with the
Salesian presence in Thailand, the solemn opening of a
spectacular new
Parish Church at Hua Hin. The Salesians have been at Hua
Hin for over
70 years, and from the very beginning they have offered the
small
community of Catholics in what was then a small seaside
village their
Parish Church, dedicated to Saint Theresa of the Child
Jesus. Some 48
years ago a larger Church was built, due to the growing size
of the
community, and to the fact that Hua Hin, now the seat of the
summer
palace of the Royal Family, was becoming a popular tourist
resort.
That Church has since been further expanded, but even the
larger Church
is now too small. The Salesians offer three Thai Masses
and an English
Mass (for tourists and the large expatriate community that
lives in and
about Hua Hin) every week.
Four years ago, under the leadership of Fr Dheperat, the then
Provincial, and Fr Yarat, the then Rector of the Salesian work
in Hua
Hin, an ambitious new project began.
In
collaboration with the Bishop of Surat Thani, the Salesian,
Joseph
Prathan, space was allocated for a large Church and
surrounding
gardens. The first stage in this development came to a
conclusion on
Saturday, 5 February. Set within beautifully landscaped
gardens, a
beautiful Church that can hold up to 500 people has been
almost
completed. Bishop Prathan opened and blessed it, along
with the
special blessings for the baptismal font, the lectionary for
the Word
of God (a special love for Bishop Prathan) and the altar.
About 60
Priests from the Thai Dioceses, from the Salesians and other
Religious
Orders in Thailand, along with about 3,000 faithful, were
present.
Those who were not able to enter the Church followed from the
grounds
on special screens. The distribution of communion was
never-ending,
and Priests heard confessions for most of the morning.
After the
Eucharist, more people joined the celebration, and a meal was
served,
Thai style, for about 5,000 people.
The Church itself is extremely beautiful, a sign of the
commitment of
the Salesians to the people of Hua Hin, and the generosity of
many Thai
Catholic families. The works were directed by Fr Yarat,
and brought to
conclusion under Fr Prasert, the new Provincial. For
anyone who knows
the Australian icon, the Sydney Opera House, the similarities
are
immediately obvious. They were deliberately copied by
the Thai
architect, and Buddhist who has worked closely with the
Salesians, and
who has spent a long time studying Church architecture in
preparation
for this building. Soaring into the sky, and looking
down upon the
Gulf of Thailand, is a roof made up of three sail-like
features. The
inside of the Church is uncluttered, spacious, and open to the
gardens
that surround the Church. Fifteen steps lead up to all
the entries
into the Church: the Way of the Cross + the
Resurrection. For this
Church, the three sails are a symbol of the Trinity.
In his homily, Bishop Prathan (who spoke in both Thai and
English, in
recognition of the many tourists who come from all over the
world to
Hua Hin) based his words on the text from the Prophet Ezekiel
about the
waters flowing from the Temple. They bring life and
healing into the
parched waste of Judah and the Dead Sea, down to the
Arabah. He prayed
that this might be the future of this Church, which opens
East, and
looks down upon the waters of the Gulf of Thailand.
Salesians of the East Asia Pacific Region, who regularly
welcome guests
at Hua Hin, were represented by Fr Frank Moloney, the
immediate
past-Provincial of Australia and the Pacific.
