St. Louis College, Thailand’s first Catholic nursing institution, marked its 40th founding anniversary on Monday with a solemn Thanksgiving Mass at St. Louis Church, led by its founder, Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu.
The retired archbishop of Bangkok and president of the college council, since its establishment in 1985, presided over the liturgy attended by school officials, alumni, faculty, and guests.
“In establishing St. Louis College of Nursing, the Archdiocese of Bangkok had a clear and holy purpose—to nurture young people to become frontline caregivers with love and compassion, especially for the sick,” Cardinal Kitbunchu said in his message after the Mass.
Founded shortly after Pope John Paul II’s visit to Thailand, the college is administered by the St. Paul de Chartres Sisters and has gained a reputation for producing competent and compassionate healthcare professionals.
Cardinal Kitbunchu, now 96, recalled the college’s guiding motto, Ubi caritas et amor, Deus ibi est (“Where charity and love are, God is there”), and described the anniversary as significant for coinciding with the Holy Year of Hope declared by the late Pope Francis.
“This is a holy year,” he said. “May all our teachers and staff walk together as one in bringing hope to our students, forming them not only as academically and professionally capable nurses, but also as courageous leaders in love, compassion, and moral integrity.”
College Rector Soeur Christoph Kamolwan Pekanant responded by affirming the school’s commitment to its founding vision.
“In this Year of Hope,” she said, “we at St. Louis College commit ourselves to becoming Pilgrims of Hope, walking in the footsteps of Jesus—our source of healing and light—as we care for those who wait in hope.”
Soeur Christoph said the college has grown significantly over the past four decades, both academically and in its service-oriented formation.
“We have grown in many ways,” she said, “not only in academic excellence but also in continuing to form nurses who serve with humanity and heart. Our graduates are equipped to adapt to advances in science and technology without ever losing sight of the compassionate care that defines our Catholic tradition.”
She also noted the school’s increasingly international profile.
“We have opened our doors to students from neighboring countries,” the rector added, “and expanded international cooperation through faculty exchanges and collaborative learning across the region.”
The college is planning a yearlong series of activities to mark the milestone, including international academic seminars aimed at strengthening faculty development and promoting dialogue on healthcare education rooted in human dignity and moral values.
From its modest beginnings to its current status as a respected academic institution, St. Louis College continues to pursue its mission to form healthcare professionals who “not only treat illness but heal lives, inspired by the Gospel call to love and serve.”
