newsletter of the bangkok vice province

May the Risen Christ bring joy to your life ! The Mission of the CSSR in Thailand is vibrant. We invite you to rejoice with us!! We also ask for your prayers that the promise of Christ may guide us to live up to His expectations as written in John 15/16: “It was not you who chose Me, but it was I who chose you to go forth and bear fruit”.

We begin this VISIT to review a bit of our early History in Thailand in a spirit of thanksgiving. So

much of this early History concerns our Pioneer in Thailand, Father Charles Cotant !! It is time to celebrate !! Father Charles has been a Redemptorist priest for 70 years ! For these last 62 years he has been a Missionary in Thailand !! It was on July 2, 1941 that Father was ordained in our seminary chapel of Oconomowoc, Wisconsin. He was recognized for his brilliant mind. The Superiors asked him to go for more study and return to the seminary to teach a branch of Philosophy as professor of Logic. Our Mission in Thailand began in 1948 with the first team of Bishop Duhart, Fathers Godbout, Kane and LaRiviere. Father Charles Cotant joined this team in 1949. Things began to happen quickly at the CSSR headquarters in Xang Ming, northeastern Thailand. The Archbishop of Bangkok soon heard about our missionaries and requested the CSSR to begin a parish in Bangkok for the English speaking Catholics. Father

This VISIT announces the good news that we celebrate the priesthood of several confreres on May 5, 2011.

70 Years for Father Charles Cotant25 Years for Father Apisit Kritsaralam25 Years for Father Picharn Jaiseri25 Years for Father Inthi Saisawang

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Cotant joined Father Godbout to arrange this foundation in 1951. The Fathers rented a place to stay, searched for property, and found a piece of several acres down Ruamrudee Lane for our new parish of Holy Redeemer . The Corner Stone of this beautiful Thai style church reads :1954. Father Cotant had become our leader as Superior of the Mission in 1953 when Bishop Duhart was appointed as Prefect Apostolic of the future diocese of Udorn Thani. When our Mission was elevated to be a Vice Province in 1956 Father Cotant became our first Vice Provincial. He soon establish Canonical Houses in Viengkhuk and Nongkhai in Northeastern Thailand in 1956. By 1958 he opened another Community in Khon Kaen that became a Canonical foundation in 1959 with Father Tom Griffth as Superior. That community was

a great one, with Father Harry Thiel and Pat Morrissy helping Father Griffith. Brother Corny had arrived on December 31, 1956. Father Cotant asked him to use his genius to construct a permanent community house in Nongkhai. Father also sent missionaries down the Mekong River to the villages of Huey Suem and Huey Leb Mu where there were many Catholic families. Brother Kevin, now Father Pat Power, built a boat for the Fathers to travel the river between Thailand and Laos and then began building a beautiful church in Viengkhuk. Father Cotant was a great missionary and found ways for our men to use their expertise in spreading the faith among the villagers. In 1957 Father Cotant gave permission to Father Godbout to build a school for the parish of Holy Redeemer Church in Bangkok. The school soon became an International School. Father Cotant was vigilant in leading all of these movements while inspiring our young missionaries to preach Parish Missions. There is very little doubt in the minds of the Catholics of Thailand that those years of leadership of Father Cotant were glorious years for the spirit of St. Alphonsus and for the Mission of the Redemptorists. He led our missionaries until 1964 when Father Wil Lowery, another great missionary, was elected to be the new Vice Provincial. Father Cotant then took up duties to promote the Parish Mission Band, with Father Gautreaux and other conferees, soon to be joined by Fathers Wichien, Vallope. We celebrate Father Cotant as he approaches his 70th year as a priest !! We thank him for his guidance and example of full Redemptorist life. God bless Father Cotant !! We pray that we might follow his example !

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Fathers Apisit Kritsaralam, Father Picharn Jaiseri, and Father Inthi Saisawang will celebrate their 25th

Anniversary on May 5, 2011. In the next VISIT we will feature these great confreres . We rejoice with them !!! Knowing the birth places of these three confreres also helps us to be a bit more thankful about the earliest establishments of the Redemptorists in Thailand. In the very first days of the Redemptorist presence in Thailand they had residence at the Catholic church in Xang Ming, caring for villages all around the area - where Father Picharn Jaiseri would be born ! Our second Foundation was in Bangkok - where Father Apisit Kritsaralam would be born. In 1956 we made a Canonical residence in Viengkhuk, the birthplace of Thailand’s two Blessed Sisters - and is also where Father Inthi Saisawang would be born ! May God be praised ! that those early

Foundations would one day inspire these three to join the Redemptorist Congregation. We now celebrate them on their 25th Year ! May these three find joy in their vocation as they move strongly toward their 40th and 50th Anniversaries in years to come !! Glorious Celebrations yet to come in the month of May ! With our 95 year old Father Charels Cotant celebrating his 70th year of priesthood. With Fathers Joseph Apisit, Michael Picharn and Peter Inthi celebrating their 25th, we now have our three Deacons

Joseph Poowanai TantikulJohn Mathee SrivorakulJoseph Jetana Kitcharoen

Prepared for Ordination to Priesthood Our three CSSR Deacon have

completed their seminary education of Theology in the Philippines and will be ordained to Priesthood on May 28, 2011 at St. Thomas Church, Minburi, Bangkok by Bishop Philip Banchong Chaiyara C..Ss.R. More information about these three fine confreres will follow in the next VISIT. Their ordination to priesthood will fill our Mission with great joy !!! Greetings to our readers. Assist us with your prayers, please. Thank you.

25th Anniversary of Priesthood

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