austraLasia #2651
Papal 'Cross' for missionary in Thailand
BANGKOK: 30-05-10 -- The already much-honoured and awarded Fr Charles Velardo, director of the Skills Development Centre for the Blind, Pakkred, Thailand, is to receive the Papal decoration 'Pro ecclesia et Pontifice' on 27 June 2010, the date which celebrates the 5th year of the pontificate of Benedict XVI.. Fr Charles was recently informed of the honour by the Papal Nuncio to Thailand Archbishop Pennacchio. The award will be made in a simple ceremony following Mass at the Assumption Cathedral on that day.
Fr Velardo has featured in these pages now over a number of years (he has spent 30 plus years working for the blind), and a quick resumé of recent activity soon underscores the breadth of activity and depth of charity exercised by this good Salesian missionary.
In 2006, he was awarded the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn, a Royal honour. The fact that Fr Velardo is not Thai (he is Italian) made that conferment all the more prestigious. In 2008 the Thai Government saw fit to award him with 'Outstanding Person in the Field of Disability', for obvious reasons.
In the meantime, Fr Velardo was demonstrating considerable creativity in his work with the blind, including a 'Tour de Thailande' where he had his blind cyclists join a Tour that raises money for leukemia sufferers. His activity was not restricted to energetic pursuits only. He was also 'virtual chaplain' to 500 top Italian chefs dotted around the world! Over all these years, until recently, he was also Provincial Economer and took part in reaching a significant MOU agreement with the Laotian Government on a new scheme involving training in technical skills for the poor and disadvantaged in Vientianne.
2009 brought recognition for his work from the St Matthew Foundation which awards the Van Thuan Solidarity and Development Prize set up to honour Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan. This award is tied in directly with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
And now 2010 is crowned with a Cross! But not without its other laurels, including the opening earlier this year of the Don Bosco Sports Centre for the Blind.
_________________
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 Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
Papal 'Cross' for missionary in Thailand
BANGKOK: 30-05-10 -- The already much-honoured and awarded Fr Charles Velardo, director of the Skills Development Centre for the Blind, Pakkred, Thailand, is to receive the Papal decoration 'Pro ecclesia et Pontifice' on 27 June 2010, the date which celebrates the 5th year of the pontificate of Benedict XVI.. Fr Charles was recently informed of the honour by the Papal Nuncio to Thailand Archbishop Pennacchio. The award will be made in a simple ceremony following Mass at the Assumption Cathedral on that day.
Fr Velardo has featured in these pages now over a number of years (he has spent 30 plus years working for the blind), and a quick resumé of recent activity soon underscores the breadth of activity and depth of charity exercised by this good Salesian missionary.
In 2006, he was awarded the Most Admirable Order of Direkgunabhorn, a Royal honour. The fact that Fr Velardo is not Thai (he is Italian) made that conferment all the more prestigious. In 2008 the Thai Government saw fit to award him with 'Outstanding Person in the Field of Disability', for obvious reasons.
In the meantime, Fr Velardo was demonstrating considerable creativity in his work with the blind, including a 'Tour de Thailande' where he had his blind cyclists join a Tour that raises money for leukemia sufferers. His activity was not restricted to energetic pursuits only. He was also 'virtual chaplain' to 500 top Italian chefs dotted around the world! Over all these years, until recently, he was also Provincial Economer and took part in reaching a significant MOU agreement with the Laotian Government on a new scheme involving training in technical skills for the poor and disadvantaged in Vientianne.
2009 brought recognition for his work from the St Matthew Foundation which awards the Van Thuan Solidarity and Development Prize set up to honour Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan. This award is tied in directly with the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.
And now 2010 is crowned with a Cross! But not without its other laurels, including the opening earlier this year of the Don Bosco Sports Centre for the Blind.
_________________
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 Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2009 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
