New Church at Takua Pa

Saturday 16^th February saw the Marist Community awake bright and early, and on the road at 5.30am. Along with a few other members of the MMR team, we traveled to Takua Pa for the blessing and opening of the Church of Our Lady of Grace.

Takua Pa was hard-hit by the 2004 Tsunami, with over 1,400 deaths in the area, and much devastation. The Catholic Church, though very small in this predominantly Muslim region, has played a generous part in the recovery effort. With the financial support of the Church in Italy, our Diocese has also been able to establish a Pastoral Center in Takua Pa, and has now completed the building of this beautiful new Church.

The opening of a new Church is a rare event here in Thailand. Several hundred people traveled from far and wide to join the forty parishioners in celebrating the event. Bishop Joseph Prathan Sridarunsil SDB presided over the blessing, assisted by the Papal Nuncio to Thailand, Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio.