austraLasia #2001
'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.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
'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. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use BoscoWiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - subscribe to www.bosconet.aust.com/RSS/rssala.xml Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at at http://sdl.sdb.org
