"The Technical School was opened on request of the then Paro Penlop (1964), so as to train young lads in trades.  The first Salesians in-charge were the late Fr. Philip Giraudo and Fr. Giaime.  A few years later, they were joined by Fr. Dominic Curto and Bro. Gabriel Garniga.  The King and Queen (now Queen Mother - Ashi Kesang Wanchuck) used to visit the School very often and showed their appreciation to the Fathers for their valuable educational system.  The Fathers  were told that Bhutanese lads understand  only the stick .  We never used it!   “Fathers,” the Queen   remarked in one of her frequent visits, (almost monthly). “I see that you have formed a family with your boys” – “Yes, the students are good boys”, Fr. Philip answered.  The Queen added: “It is your dedication and sacrifices that work.”

On another occasion, the Father was called  to see the Queen at the Namseling Palace. She had two couples as guests: one from the U.S. and the other from Switzerland.  She introduced the Father to the guests: “Here is Fr. N.N. who works very much for our poor Bhutanese youngsters.  We feel very grateful to the Fathers. "

During the 7-day coronation feast of her son as king, the Queen mother  and the new king often sat for hours chatting with  the Fathers while watching the Bhutanese dances.  At  the last dinner, the Father took his plate and lined up for a self serving with at least 150  foreign guests viz. Ambassadors, High Officials of different Governments: viz. U.S., Swiss, U.K, Chinese, Australians etc.  The Queen approached him and said,  “Father, you are my real brother who works much for my poor Bhutanese”.  Next she took the plate from the Father and went to fill it  with the goodies of the dinner. “Father, you  work  a lot and have to eat”, she muttered.

She had the Father sit at her very table to eat.  During  the Queen’s travelling to Thimphu – Phutsholing,  a 6-hour drive,  every body had to stop along by the side of the road, get out of the car and bow at the King and Queen as they passed  by. But whenever she spotted a Father, she had the long car line wait.  She would move out of  her car, approach the Father and ask him whether he was okay.  She would then call her attendant and order him to bring gifts (fruits or anything) to the Father: “Father you need them.”, she would say.

In 1983, she invited Frs. Philip and Dominic as royal guests to Thimphu.  She had them put up  at the Bhutan Hotel at her own expense. Often she enquired whether the Fathers were alright and warned the manager to comply with any request of theirs.

                                                                                                                                   

March 2000, Fr. Dominic was invited by the Don Bosco past pupils to visit Bhutan.  Beside the past pupils, the whole  family of Fr. Kinley S.J. treated the priest as their real Father.  Fr. Kinley was a Buddhist lad,   but endowed  by God with special spiritual gifts.  He was baptized in 1972. He wanted to die a martyr, and proclaimed before the King and his council that he was a Christian.  After some trials and  discussions, the King allowed him to remain a Catholic but he bade him not to teach the Christian religion, because a Bhutanese, he said, has to be a Buddhist. The lad then 17, told the king “Poen, I shall not preach in public, but in private,  I’ll say what I feel.” After his baptism, Kinley held a very profitable business in the country.  He was the most outstanding and enlightened person in the Kingdom.  After 10 years he left a very profitable career to become a Jesuit priest of the Darjeeling Province.   Before entering the Jesuit noviciate, he came to Santa Cruz [Philippines, and the scene of Fr. Dominic's 25 years work in that province] , to get acquainted with a Christian environment.  From Kurseong he now visits Bhutan nearly every month and says Sunday Masses for the Christians who work there.