the entrance of Bishop Trairong Multree in Surat Thani

The ordination of the young pastor of the great diocese of southern Thailand, the first priest of the Thai Missionary Institute called to lead a local Church. “Go and preach” is the motto chosen in a context in which Catholics represent less than 0.1% of the population. Fr. Pelosin: «A moment of grace for our community. “It will help everyone to grow in the missionary spirit.”

Surat Thani () – On Saturday, September 28, the Church in Thailand experienced the joy of the ordination and installation of the new young bishop of Surat Thani, Bishop Paul Trairong Multree, 48, appointed by Pope Francis on the 8th of July. An event of a marked missionary character: the new bishop – who succeeds Monsignor Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil, who left the leadership of the diocese due to age limit – is, in fact, a member of the Thai Missionary Institute, created in 1990 to donate local priests to the mission ad gentes. Born on September 7, 1976 in Khon Kaen, and a priest since 2007, Monsignor Paul Trairong Multree was a missionary in Phnom Penh (Cambodia) for five years, and since last year he has been superior of the institute, as well as director of the Pontifical Mission Societies Thai.

On September 28, he began his ministry in the Cathedral of Saint Raphael in Surat Thani, seat of the great diocese of southern Thailand, where Catholics represent less than 0.1% of the population, dispersed in some 40 parishes in an immense territory. inhabited by more than 10 million people. A flock in a region with a Buddhist majority, but also with a strong Muslim presence in the southern districts. The outgoing bishop, Prathan Sridarunsil, presided over the rite, in the presence – among others – of the apostolic nuncio to Thailand, Mons. Peter Bryan Wells, the archbishop emeritus of Bangkok, card. Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij, the Apostolic Vicar of Phom Penh Mons. Olivier Schmitthaeusler and the confreres of the Thai Missionary Institute directed by Fr. Adriano Pelosin, PIME missionary, who was its promoter and still follows its path. Along with many Thai friends from the Surat Thani cathedral, a group of faithful from a parish in the diocese of Padua, in Italy, where the new bishop exercised his ministry during his liturgy studies at the Santa Giustina Institute, was also present.

“Go and preach” (Mt 28:19) is the motto chosen by the new bishop for his service to the diocese. “I have gladly accepted this invitation,” he said, addressing his flock, “and I will try to put it into practice together with you.” For his part, Monsignor Joseph Chusak Sirisut, president of the Thai Episcopal Conference, thanked Monsignor Trairong Multree, Father Adriano Pelosin and the Missionary Institute for their contribution to the local Church.

“This ordination has been a moment of grace for our small institute, which now has around twenty priests,” commented Father Pelosin, who has followed step by step the priestly path of Bishop Paul Trairong Multree and has also accompanied him in these last days in the spiritual exercises prior to his entry into the diocese. «Father Paul had many tasks among us – continues the PIME missionary – but the Holy Spirit evidently had other designs on him. And we are happy because we believe that it will help the entire Thai Church to grow in the missionary spirit. Theirs is a very large diocese, with few faithful, but with many schools built by the Salesians who have led this diocese until today and also beautiful structures built by Bishop Prathan Sridarunsil, starting with the cathedral where the ordination took place. There is much left to do, but Father Paul is calm and I am sure that he will give a lot to the mission of this Church.