Missionary in Thailand for 62 years

By FMA secretary Thailand

Ban Pong Ratchaburi, Thailand, 28 November 2018 -- The funeral took place on 28 November at Ban Pong Ratchaburi of our dear Sister Nadia Ferro FMA, Missionary to Thailand for 62 years. Local Bishop John Bosco Pannya Kritcharoen presided at the Requiem Mass while Bishop Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil SDB gave the homily. The Secretary of the Nunciature, Fr Dario Paviša was also present along with a number of Salesians, Camillians and priests of the diocese. The chaplain of the Italian community in Bangkok, Fr Carlo Velardo was present as well as a number of the faithful. Many Salesian Sisters and religious women from other Congregations, as well as members of the Salesian Family, past pupils, teachers and laity were there to farewell our beloved Sister.

During the homily, Bishop Prathan commented on the Gospel episode of the 10 Virgins and stressed the characteristic virtues of our dear Sister Nadia, her prudence, serenity, her optimistic outlook and her constant efforts to do good for all people.

Sister Nadia died at the Camillian Hospital in Bangkok on il 6 August 1950. She belonged to the St Mary Mazzarello Province Thailand.

We believe it is well to listen to Sr Nadia herself as she tells us about her origins in the brief written memoirs she has left us. “I was born into a humble family, according to my sister who was also a Daughter of Mary Help of Christians (She died 13 January 2017). It was a very loving family. Our father was enterprising and a hard worker. Our gentle, kind mother created a family atmosphere of love and unity despite the inevitable difficulties of living together. Her faith and witness of life helped us to know and love the Lord.

Unfortunately, the Second World War broke out when I was 8 years old and for 5 long years we suffered so much hunger, though our father always managed to procure what was needed and it was always enough to share it with our poorest neighbours, but there was the instability, stream of refugees, and the terror of bombardments. When our heart was already rejoicing at news that an armistice had been announced on 25 April 1945, in the afternoon we heard the rumble of engines and thought they would be friendly aircraft, but instead they unloaded bomb after bomb. Among the dead were our mother and father struck by a bomb that fell just several metres away while they were on the street waiting for my sister who had run back to the house to hand over a rifle to a partisan who had entrusted it to dad just a few hours before. My sister and I were saved. I was coming back from our grandmother's home about 100 metres away. The same day that peace was declared and the end of the war, we had been left orphaned in just a few minutes, the two of us alone and our house half destroyed. The tutor chosen by our relatives who, according to the law, had to follow us up, was a young priest, Fr Settimo Lazzeri who sent us to board at the Genovese Institute in Corso Sardegna 86. What gave me comfort in going to the college was Don Bosco, whose statue I found in the chapel. It as the statue of Don Bosco that both I and my sister had contemplated, loved and celebrated in the suburban church dedicated to him near our home.”

Don Bosco was waiting for her and never allowed her to leave his houses. Unknown to each other, the two sisters asked to enter the Institute and after their profession in the 1950 Holy Year Sr Nadia completed her studies at Teacher's College while an assistant and also helping out the Sister in charge of finance (Economer). “The Lord", Sr Nadia tells us "gave me another great gift: a missionary vocation.” She was sent to the Pedagoical Institute in Turin, which had just opened, where she gained her diploma in Education and Social Welfare. After taking Perpetual Vows, she farewelled her beloved Superiors in September and her dear sister Fulvia and left not knowing when she would ever return. She arrived in Thailand on 22 October 1956.

While learning the difficult Thai language at Ban Pong, Sr Nadia was assistant to the boarders and day students. Inl 1960 the new Provincial House was opened in Bangkok with an attached hostel section for students and Sr Nadia was one of the 4 pioneers who laid a solid foundation for the work which flourished from the outset. In 1970 she was appointed the Superior for a 6 year term in the same house, at the end of which she became Provincial and spent 8 years in that role; then from 1985 to 1989 she was novice mistress at Hua Mak,and from 1989 to 1995 was appointed superior of the large school at Hat Yai. For the three year period from 1995-1997 she was again superior of the hostel at Sala Daeng, Bangkok. At the same time, in 1996 she was appointed Provincial Economer, a task she fulfilled for 11 until 2007. Sr Nadia then spent the remained of her life in the Provincial House first as assistant to the Economer and then looking after the Italian immigrant community.

Sr Nadia's health was never very strong, but she placed herself and all her gifts of intelligence and a good heart at the service of the young and the development of the work in Thailand. It was a gift without reserve and a genuinely Salesian one. She spread good humour and cheer around her. With the hostel students in particular, in cooperation with the community she knew how to create the family spirit which made the setting an attractive one, while demanding that duties be well done. The girls felt that she was doing it for their welfare. Proof is the many visits from past pupils during the long years spent at the Provincial House earlier while still active and then after her fall which required a hip operation on 28 April 2016.

She was a Eucharistic and Marian soul. She had an outstanding devotion to the Sacred Heart, Don Bosco and Mary Mazzarello. She took part in the Canonization of the latter in 1951 as representative of the Juniors.

Now we can think of her in Salesian Paradise enjoying the reward deserved for her tireless dedication. We entrust her with the needs of the Church, the Institute and our Province for a flourishing of vocations.

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