Catholic youth and lay missionaries in Surat Thani and Bangkok gathered over the weekend to mark the 100th World Mission Sunday.
First established in 1926 by Pope Pius XI, the centenary observance carried the theme, “United in Christ, One in Mission.”
Young Catholics took part in prayer, formation activities, and community outreach as part of the nationwide observance.
Assembling the Puzzle of Faith
In southern Thailand, the Diocese of Surat Thani hosted young missionaries and lay groups at the Pastoral Center, Don Bosco Technological College and the Cathedral of Saint Raphael the Archangel.
The two-day gathering began on Saturday, October 17, with a procession carrying the San Damiano Cross, a lighted candle and the Holy Bible into the Pastoral Center’s Joseph Conference Hall.
Children, seminarians and lay faithful assembled a large jigsaw puzzle depicting scenes from the life and mission of Jesus Christ as part of an activity emphasizing unity.
“In God’s mission, no one is superfluous,” declared Fr. Sitthichok Sawaengkarn, Delegate for Mission, during the opening liturgy.
“A solitary puzzle piece cannot reveal the complete picture; yet, when everyone brings their own piece—joined together by love, mutual support, and forgiveness—the world is able to behold the face of Jesus Christ.”
Youth groups also took part in performance competitions, including a dance to the anthem “Moving Forward with Love,” which was broadcast live nationwide.
Participants joined a 120-question quiz on the life of St. Francis of Assisi and took part in sacred art contests.
Faith in Action: From Prayer to the Margins
While young participants attended activities at Don Bosco College, local adults and lay participants heard Bishop Paul Trairong Multree speak about the role of the laity in evangelization.
Lay participants later visited local villages with community leaders and Village Health Volunteers. Through the local cathedral’s “Leaven of the Kingdom” initiative, they joined ecumenical outreach and service activities among neighboring communities of other faiths.
In the evening, participants gathered for Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the Sacrament of Reconciliation and the recitation of the Missionary Rosary, offering each decade for world peace and the global apostolate.
In the northern borderlands and Bangkok, the Pontifical Institute for Foreign Missions (PIME) also marked the centenary with children under its care.
PIME missionaries, who have ministered in Thailand since 1972, including among the Akha, Lahu and Lanna communities and displaced refugees from neighboring Myanmar, organized prayer vigils for children.
At the St. Martin Foundation north of Bangkok, which shelters roughly 100 orphaned and vulnerable children, participants prayed for missionaries serving communities around the world.
The nationwide observance concluded on Sunday, October 18, with a Eucharistic celebration at the Cathedral of Saint Raphael the Archangel, presided over by Bishop Trairong.
Reflecting on a century of papal commitment to foreign missions, Bishop Trairong spoke about the universal call to mission.
“Regardless of differences in race, language, culture, or roles, everyone is called to be one in Christ,” the Bishop emphasized. “We are sent forth together to proclaim the Good News of salvation to the entire world.”
