The Redemptorists of the Province of Thailand have been caring for the most abandoned people of Laos origin and of the ethnic community of the Hmong tribe in the North East of Thailand in the province of Nan of the country. The Diocese of Chang Ri in which this province of Nan form a part has only a handful of diocesan priests and to the Redemptorists is entrusted the entire province of Nan to serve the most abandoned for whom there are no diocesan priests available but the Redemptorists have taken up this mission and serve joyfully.
It was a time of blessing and grace for me and the Provincial of the Province of Thailand, Fr Peter Jittapol, C.Ss.R. to visit our Redemptorist Community in the city of Nan in North East Thailand. We had the privilege of visiting two very vibrant Catholic communities among many whom the Redemptorists serve from the Redemptorist Mission and Formation Community in Nan. We visited the Church of Our Lady of Liberty in Ban Hang Luang, and were welcomed by the elders of the village, families, youth, and children of the parish who are mostly refugees from Laos. We were able to interact with the people and then give them a blessing. This community is served every weekend by the Redemptorists who are assisted by the sisters of the Congregation of Maria Bambina. The parish is about 100 kms away from the town of Nan and each weekend our Redemptorists travel to visit the parish, take communion for the sick and serve the needs of the people. For many years, this community of Catholics was abandoned by the Church and now they have slowly begun to return to the faith under the pastoral care of our confreres. We then visited the ethnic community of the Hmong tribe at the Church of St Peter and St Paul at Ban Nam Sod and interacted with the catechist and the people. The parish is served each Sunday by the Redemptorists from the Nan community with daily mass. Apart from these two village parishes our Redemptorists serve as many as 6 village parishes and the main town parish of St Monica’s.
The Mission in Nan Province of North East Thailand began through the tireless zeal and unwavering enthusiasm of Fr Harry Thiel, C.Ss.R. an American Redemptorist missionary who laid the foundation for this mission among the Laos refugees and the ethnic tribal communities of the area. Today, the mission continues to flourish under the leadership of our dedicated Redemptorist confreres: Fr. Natthaphong (Chi), C.Ss.R, Fr. Ekkaphon (Ek), C.Ss.R., and Fr. Nikom (Jor) C.Ss.R.
The Mission’s scope includes: A Formation house for middle school students in the town of Nan, Parish ministries serving the local communities, and outreach programs for the minority ethnic groups. The Redemptorist are blessed to work in collaboration with two groups of women Religious orders: The Maria Bambina Sisters and the Xaverian Missionary Sisters of Mary. I truly believe that the confreres of the Province of Thailand serving the most abandoned refugee people and the ethnic groups here in the North East of Thailand are missionaries of Hope in the footsteps of the Redeemer as our confreres together with faith and love, zeal and dedication above all with missionary joy continue to serve in the vineyard of the Lord.
This was a powerful experience of missionary joy for me as a Redemptorist confrere myself and one that will remain and inspiration for me as I shared the life of our three confreres, Chi, Ek and Jor.
Fr. Joseph Ivel Mendanha, C.Ss.R.
General Consultor
