(ANS – Hua Hin) – On Saturday 5 February Salesians in Thailand joyfully celebrated the blessing and opening of the new parish church in Hua Hin. More beautiful and larger than the previous one it had become necessary because of the increase in the number of Catholics in the city.

 The Salesian house has been in  Hua Hin for over 70 years and from the beginning it provided a parish church for the small Catholic community dedicating it to Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus. After about 20 years with the growth of the Catholic community and the influx of tourists (Hua Hin nowadays is the site of the summer residence of the royal family), a new larger building was erected. This was later enlarged but still proved too small. For this reason the new ambitious project began in 2008.

The Church itself is extremely beautiful, with three large “sails” symbolising the three Persons of the Trinity and looks down upon the waters of the Gulf of Thailand. Fifteen steps lead up to all the entrances into the Church: a reminder of the the Way of the Cross and the Resurrection. The interior is bright and spacious and open to the surrounding gardens.

The Thai architect, a Buddhist. has worked closely with the Salesians, and  spent a long time studying Church architecture in preparation for this building. The church which has been made possible thanks to the generosity of many Thai Catholic  families is a visible sign of the commitment of the Salesians to the people of Hua Hin. 

Presiding at the opening Mass was Bishop Joseph Prathan SDB of Surat Thani who  also blessed the church. About 60 Priests from the Thai Dioceses, from the Salesians and other Religious Orders in Thailand, along with about 3,000 faithful, were present.  Those who were not able to enter the Church followed from the grounds on special screens. 

Speaking in both Thai and English, Bishop recalled the words of the prophet Ezekiel about the waters flowing from the Temple that bring life and healing.  He prayed that this might be the future of this Church and its faithful,

Published 07/02/2012