By SC THA
Bangkok, Thailand, 9 October 2024 -- On 6 October 2024, Fr. Joseph Nguyen Thinh Phuoc, Councillor for the East Asia-Oceania Region, arrived in Thailand. He was welcomed at the airport by the Provincial Fr. Boonlert Paneetatthayasai and at the Provincial house by the present Salesians as well by the bishop emeritus of Surrathani diocese Joseph Prathan, SDB.
On 8 October, he began his Extraordinary Visitation to Thailand - Cambodia - Laos (THA) Province of St Paul, which will end on 30 November 2024.
The 99 professed Salesians and 4 novices are living and working in 16 communities: 13 in Thailand, 3 in Cambodia and one in Laos: 64 Salesian Priests, 15 Salesian Brothers, 20 candidates to the priesthood (1 deacons, 4 students of theology, 6 practical trainees and 9 postnovices). In three aspirantates there are 75 students and in the only formation house of Sampran there are 4 prenovices.
The Salesian Family of Thailand-Cambodia-Laos (THA) Province is very large: apart from the SDB, FMA, VDB, Salesian Cooperators, Don Bosco and MHC Alumni and ADMA there are also three SF groups born in Thailand: SIHM (Servants of the Immaculate Heart of Mary), DQM secular institute (The Daughters of the Queenship of Mary Immaculate and SQM (The Sisters of The Queenship of Mary Immaculate).
The extraordinary visitation is held usually every 6 years and last 2018 Fr. Ángel Fernández Artime entrusted the THA province visitation to Fr Václav Klement. There are three main goals of these two months - to foster the communion between the Rector Major and the province, each community, and each confrere; to animate the SDB, and Salesian Family and contribute to the ongoing growth of the Salesian charism through evaluation of past 6 years with a view on near future.
You can follow the visitation on the THA province FB pages: https://www.facebook.com/SalesianThailand/
