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ISSUE 2007 |
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3-4
/ 2007
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| >> The 2nd Catholic Elderly National Assembly |
| >> Good Health Elderly of the Year 2550 |
| >> CHC facilitates the exposure to the Bishops of India |
| >> Seminar for the Spiritual Counselors |
| >> The CHC organizes a project to observe AIDS.. |
| The 2nd Catholic Elderly National Assembly |
| The Catholic Committee for the Elderly in joint venture with Social Development Office of Tharae-Nongsaeng Archdiocese and the Episcopal Department of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Thailand (CBCT) organized the 2nd Catholic Elderly National Assembly on Saturday 28th April 2007 under the theme: "A Progressive Long Jump with the Thai Intellectual Perspective" at the Marian Shrine of Martyrs of Songkhon, Mukdahan province chaired by H.G. Archbishop Louis Chamniern Santisukniran, while the Eucharistic celebration was presided over by H.E. Bishop John Bosco Panya Kritcharoen, after which honorary and Papal blessing certificates were presented to 24 of the "Model Catholic Elderly" and the "Grateful Children" coming from all over the country. |
| As previously mentioned these 2 projects were the initiative of the Catholic sub-committee for the elderly in collaboration with all the diocesan representatives to select the models among the elderly and grateful children throughout the country in order to set them as examples for others to follow. |
| The first national assembly of this kind was organized last year on 27 May 2006 at the Shrine of Blessed Fr. Boonkerd Kitbamrung with cooperation of the sub-committee for the elderly of the Bangkok Archdiocese making the assembly a success with inspiration for the elderly to play a stronger role in the society. |
| This second assembly would not be made possible without a good cooperation from the Archdiocese of Tharae-Nongsaeng and the Catholic Commission for Social Works of the CBCT. May God bless them all. |
| Pictures |
| Objectives of the Elderly Assembly |
| 1. To show the strength
of the elderly in faith, experiences and roles in the society and
in the Church. 2. To respond to the CBCT 2000 Pastoral Planning with a desire to revive the Thai society to see the importance of the elderly and to take care of them physically and spiritually including promoting the children to show gratitude and respect toward their parents. 3. To allow the elderly to make an annual pilgrimage. 4. To bestow the honorary and Papal blessing certificates to the model elderly and grateful children. 5. To open the forum for the elderly to show their intellectual skills and impart the same to society. |
| There were about 1000
participants in this 2nd assembly consisting of coordinators from various dioceses, elderly representatives from all over the country, those who would be receiving awards and followers, male and female religious, staff of the social affairs departments and volunteers from the 'facing life' project. |
| There were also medical staffs from the Bangkok Camillian Hospital and the Bangpong St. Camillus Hospital coming to provide physical check-up on 27-28 April free of charge. |
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Prior
to the assembly day the CBCT Social Works Commission organized a
workshop for the volunteers on the theme: "Facing Life Day"
on 26-28 April. There were about 200 participants consisting of
staffs of the social offices of various dioceses and volunteers,
staff from COERR, Aran and Baan Ua Aree, Cheingmai.
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| The purpose of this workshop was: 1. To develop potential of the core workers to be able to help their target groups in time of need. 2. To support the needy ones to enable them to exercise their potential in self-help. 3. To publicize positive aspects of the project so that it will be a model of assistance to the needy people. |
| There was experience sharing among volunteers of each social works office and, at the same time, they also had a brainstorm session on planning future activities. It is quite pleasing to see the staff and volunteers think, initiate and take action in taking care of members of their community with social affairs officers acting as coordinators for the volunteers. |
| The workshop was closed by the Eucharistic celebration presided over by Rev. Pibul Visitnonthachai who also distributed certificates to 44 volunteers who made a pledge to help the people in need. |
| The workshop on 28 April was opened by Archbishop Louis Chamniern Santisukniran with Rev. Phairat Sriprasert, Secretary General of the Catholic Commission for Health Pastoral Care, making a report of the purpose of this workshop. |
| The Most Rev. Chamniern gave his address on the inauguration thus: "Today, peoples are living longer. The gathering of the elderly on this occasion is with a purpose to remind us that this assembly is not an aggregation of ages, which, if added together, would be more than one thousand years. The workshop is organized with a double purposes: 1. It is an occasion to examine ourselves how we have been helping the Church, and 2. To make pilgrimage to the Holy Shrine. Hence, it should be a good opportunity to ponder on faith of the martyrs and modeling our lives after them, so that we will be happy elders and at the same time build happiness to the people around us." |
| Then Archbishop Louis Chamniern Santisukniran and Bishop John Bosco Panya Kritcharoen cut the ribbon with balloons and banged the gong as a token of opening the festival followed by stage performances by the elderly of the Tharae-Nongsaeng and Bangkok Archdioceses. |
| Bishop Panya chaired the certificate presentation to the 'model elderly' and the 'grateful children'. Rev. Viroj Nanthajinda, president of the sub-committee for the elderly gave a brief report on the history of the project and called upon 24 candidates who had been selected to receive the awards. |
| In his address Bishop Panya gave his thanks to all who helped organize the workshop so well. Inter alias he said: "It is not enough for the elderly to come together, but it shows the reciprocal solidarity among them which should remind the children of their role to have respect for their parents and grand parents, and that, while we are gathering at this Marian Shrine of the Martyrs we should learn from the 7 martyrs and behave ourselves as good children of God, as valuable citizens of the country and of the Church. Then we should bring the divine graces to our elderly brethren in our respective dioceses". |
| An elderly representative thanked the chairperson. A 'grateful children' representative presented a bouquet to the director of the CBCT Episcopal Department for Social Works and the president of the sub-committee for the Elderly, then followed by luncheon with stage performances. It is worth mentioning that throughout the festival the Camillian medical staffs from 2 hospitals graciously provided physical check-up for the elderly and villagers who came to participate in the festival. |
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Update
March 2011