Thailand’s first Catholic nursing institution marked the seventh World Day of the Poor with a commitment to support financially challenged students.
St. Louis College vowed to allocate support to more than 10 newly admitted nursing students who were recently denied government loans.
The decision was made during the College Council meeting Nov. 19, chaired by Cardinal Michael Michai Kitbunchu, retired archbishop of Bangkok and chairman of the council since its foundation.
After hearing the administration’s report that several first-year students risked dropping out because they were unable to secure government assistance, the cardinal immediately directed that the institution’s annual profit be used to ensure these vulnerable students could continue their studies.
“This is our response to Pope Leo XIV’s call that the Church should be a mother to the poor,” Cardinal Kitbunchu told council members.
He cited the pope’s message for the World Day of the Poor, which urges Christians to cultivate attention to those in need because “we have many opportunities to bear witness to God’s tenderness.”
Quoting the Holy Father, he emphasized that the poor “are not a distraction for the church, but our beloved brothers and sisters, for by their lives, their words and their wisdom, they put us in contact with the truth of the Gospel.”
The prelate added that the celebration of the World Day of the Poor “is meant to remind our communities that the poor are at the heart of all our pastoral activity.”
Cardinal Kitbunchu said the college’s decision reflects the church’s broader vision for what he called the “Jubilee of the Poor,” a moment to renew and deepen the commitment to accompany the marginalized in their pursuit of justice and dignity.
He noted that the Archdiocese of Bangkok has long offered scholarships to disadvantaged children and would continue doing so.
“The poor are not merely recipients of our pastoral care,” he added. “They are creative subjects who challenge us to find new ways of living out the Gospel today.”
Recalling past moments when the Thai Catholic community acted decisively in times of crisis, the cardinal highlighted how the church cared for hundreds of Cambodian refugees fleeing violence in the 1980s, an effort strengthened by the visit of Pope John Paul II to the refugee camps in 1984, as well as its widespread assistance to victims of the 2004 tsunami in southern Thailand.
These, he said, are reminders that “the poor are not outsiders to the church but are at the very heart of who we are.”
St. Louis College, which celebrated its 40th anniversary earlier this year, renewed its commitment to forming nursing graduates rooted in love, charity, and professional excellence.
The institution said it will continue to uphold its mission as a faith-driven educational community while fully complying with Thailand’s educational standards.
Although unable to attend the anniversary celebration in person due to health reasons, Cardinal Kitbunchu remains actively involved in setting the direction of the college.
His leadership, council members said, ensures that the values of justice, care for the vulnerable, and fidelity to Catholic teaching remain central to the college’s identity.
