Among those  honoured by the St Matthew Foundation, the organisation promoting the awards, was also the Salesian Fr Charles Velardo, Rector of the “Skills Development Centre for the Blind,” Pakkred, in the St Paul’s Province of Thailand. (THA).

The “Skills Development Centre for the Blind,” was one of four projects awarded prizes for their contribution to Solidarity and Development.  The others were the  “ALAS project in Bogota, Colombia, a Catholic national centre for prison ministry";  the “COMIS (Missionary and Development Cooperation) project which builds churches in developing; and the `Le Rocher` Association in France, which carries out social and educational work on the streets in the heavily populated areas of large French cities.

Those in charge of the four winning projects received a statuette of St Matthew, and  15,000 euro. In addition, all the winners will be meeting Benedict XVI today at Castel Gandolfo.

The “Van Thuân” awards were established in honour of Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuân, who for a number of years was a prisoner in Vietnam and then President of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

The Grand Duke Henri of Luxemburg  was given the “Van Thuân” Awarded for his efforts on behalf of the human right to life and to religious freedom.

This is  not the first important award for Fr Velardo in recognition of his work for the disabled in Thailand.  In 2006 he received the distinguished Thai Royal award, the Gold Medal of the Most Admirable Order of the Direkgunabhorn. In 2008 he received the "Outstanding Person in the Field of Disability" award.

Published 17/09/2009