For a PIME missionary who first came to Chiang Mai decades ago to study the Thai language, this week’s celebrations for the new bishop of Chiang Mai were a moment of homecoming and renewal.
On Wednesday, July 29, thousands gathered at the Sacred Heart of Jesus Cathedral for the episcopal ordination of the Most Rev. Peter Suphot Roeksujarit.
The following day, Thursday, July 30, Bishop Peter Suphot celebrated his installation Mass, formally taking possession of the cathedral’s cathedra and marking the beginning of his pastoral governance of the diocese.
Among those present was a member of the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions, or PIME, who shared a reflection on the Pontifical Mission Societies’ Facebook page, MISSIO AD GENTES.
Photo credit: Nipat Siriphanyos
“My heart was drawn to the bishop’s episcopal motto: Caritas Omnia Cordis Unit — Love unites all hearts,” the missionary wrote. “This motto brought me back to my own beginnings in Thailand.”
The priest recalled his early years in Chiang Mai as a young PIME missionary assigned to study Thai.
“Like every missionary, I first had to learn not only the words and grammar of a new language, but also the language of the people’s hearts,” he said.
“Those days taught me that true communication begins with listening, humility, patience, and love.”
Returning for the historic celebrations, he said he realized that his language study was only the beginning.
“The most important language a missionary must speak is the language of charity.
“It is love that builds bridges where words are insufficient. It is love that unites people from different cultures, languages, and traditions into one family in Christ.”
A bishop as a principle of unity
The missionary noted that the ordination was more than the appointment of a new diocesan leader.
Citing the teachings of the Second Vatican Council, he recalled that a bishop is a successor of the Apostles, entrusted with teaching, sanctifying and governing.
According to Lumen Gentium, the Dogmatic Constitution on the Church, the bishop is the “visible principle and foundation of unity” in his particular Church.
The council’s decree Christus Dominus further describes the bishop as a shepherd after the heart of Christ, called to serve “not for honor but for the salvation of souls through humble and loving pastoral charity.”
For Bishop Peter Suphot, this mission will now unfold in one of Thailand’s most culturally diverse dioceses.
The Diocese of Chiang Mai covers northern Thailand and is home to Lanna Thai communities and many ethnic groups, each with its own language and traditions.
Bishop Peter Suphot chose “Caritas Omnia Cordis Unit” — “Love Unites All Hearts” — as his motto, saying that diversity is a gift that teaches respect and encourages a shared journey.
A renewed missionary vocation
The PIME priest said the celebrations renewed his own missionary calling.
“Our mission is not simply to cross geographical borders but to cross the boundaries of the human heart,” he wrote.
“Wherever we are sent, we are called to become living witnesses that the Gospel is spoken most clearly through acts of charity, compassion, and communion.”
He concluded with a prayer that Bishop Peter’s ministry would embody his motto.
“May the episcopal ministry of Bishop Peter Suphot, guided by Caritas Omnia Cordis Unit, become a living witness that love is the force that unites the Church and heals the world.
“May he continue to gather the faithful as one family in Christ, reflecting the Good Shepherd who lays down His life for His flock.
“Caritas Omnia Cordis Unit. May this be not only the motto of a bishop but also the daily mission of each one of us.”
