Society Matters | Volume 30 No. 3 | Spring 2020

Volume 30 No. 3 | Spring 2020 4 Unexpected change makes way for unexpected graces for SVDs in Thailand It’s been a time of farewells and new beginnings for some of the SVD missionaries in the Thailand District of the AUS Province, with the Bishop of Udon Thani reassigning them to take on new challenges in a different area of the diocese. The SVDs had been working in the area of Ban Dung in northern Thailand for some time, taking care of large parishes as well as small, deserted churches in different villages. Their new assignments will take three of the confreres to another province, BuengKan, which borders Laos. “The diocese is revamping its organisation and structure to serve the people better,” Fr Truong Le SVD says. Fr Truong says the change came upon them quickly, but they were encouraged by the words from the SVD Prologue: ‘Sent by Jesus, we leave. Led by the Spirit, we enter’. “With that in mind, the Thailand District believes that with change and transition come transformation and new ways of mission,” he says. Entering into the province of Bueng Kan, Fr Vinh The Tran SVD will take care of a large parish community at Presentation of the Lord Church and St John Neumann Church. “In the meantime, he has had to say goodbye to his parishioners in Chum Phae and Phuwiang,” Fr Truong says. “Vinh has been taking care of these two parishes for over a year. Although these parishes are small, Vinh serves meekly, reaching out to the those who are in need and especially those who have left the church.” Fr Bernardus (Ben) Bella Nofrianto will replace Fr Vinh as the pastor of these two churches of St James and St Clements and continue the SVD mission in the area. “Ben has been working diligently to renovate the church in Ban Thin and serving those who are in need, particularly during the time of the pandemic,” Fr Truong says. “Although the move is hasty, Ben is ready to enter into his new assignment.” In Nongbualamphu, Fr Ha Hai Tran SVD will replace Fr Truong as pastor at St Michael the Archangel Church. Truong has been working both at St Michael and at the Mother of Perpetual Help Centre for people living with AIDS for the past two years. Fr Truong will move to Phoncharoen in the province of Bueng Kan as one of the three SVDs to be assigned to this new area. Fr Tuan Dinh Pham is moving from the Ban Dung area to take up the role of pastor at Jesus of Nazareth Church and Immaculate Conception Church in Nasing. He replaces