Seventy-five years after a group of exiled missionary priests first reached the highlands of northern Thailand, the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus of Bétharram gathered at Sacred Heart Cathedral in Chiang Mai on Oct. 24 to mark its mission in the country.
The anniversary celebration, marked by a thanksgiving Mass, recalled three-quarters of a century of missionary work among Indigenous hill tribe communities in the Lanna region.
Bishop Peter Suphot Roeksujarit of Chiang Mai presided over the Mass, attended by Archbishop Peter Bryan Wells, apostolic nuncio to Thailand, and Bishop Joseph Wuttilert Haelom of Chiang Rai, a former vicar general of Chiang Mai.
Priests, religious men and women, and laypeople from mountain parishes across the region also joined the celebration.
The Bétharram mission in Thailand traces its roots to the early 1950s, when political upheaval in China forced the French-founded missionary congregation out of Yunnan Province.
Driven from China, the missionaries moved into northern Thailand, eventually working in the provinces of Chiang Mai and Mae Hong Son.
They encountered language barriers, unfamiliar cultures and difficult terrain. Reaching isolated mountain communities often meant traveling on foot through forests and across the highlands.
“Those who sow with tears will reap with songs of joy,” said Very Rev. Luka Kriangsak Kitsakulwong, SCI di Béth, superior of the Thailand-Vietnam Region, quoting Psalm 126.
“Throughout these 75 years of blessings, we have experienced the grace and favor of God. It was His divine will that called these missionary priests to continue the mission of evangelization here in the land of Lanna,” Father Kriangsak said.
The missionaries lived and worked among highland communities, combining pastoral ministry with programs addressing education, health and livelihoods.
Palithu Krajaisapphayakorn, a parishioner from the St. Cecilia community in Huai Ton Nun, Khun Yuam District, is descended from the first Christian family converted through the work of Father Mirco Trusgnach, SCI di Béth.
He recalled how his family’s encounter with the missionaries changed their lives.
“Originally, we followed traditional customs that were extremely burdensome. Whenever someone fell ill, we were required to provide livestock for rituals to appease the spirits, posing a major obstacle to our daily survival. If consecutive deaths occurred, it was believed the spirits had cursed the land, forcing whole villages to repeatedly relocate,” he said
“When the Bétharram missionaries arrived, they taught us to trust in a loving God. The 75th anniversary is truly a celebration of complete redemption, liberation of both body and soul. They brought salvation in every sense: building irrigation channels for sustainable agriculture, supplying medicine, and establishing schools for our children,” he added.
Catechist Narongchai Wobu, who was formed at the Mae Pon Catechetical Center, also recalled how the missionaries combined religious formation with programs addressing the material needs of communities.
The priests established “rice banks,” which later developed into a diocesan-wide rice fund network aimed at addressing seasonal food shortages. They also established youth centers for children in mountain communities.
Over the decades, the mission also helped foster local vocations.
Father Joseph Durongrit Krabuansiri, a priest of the Diocese of Chiang Mai who was baptized, nurtured and mentored by early Bétharram fathers, recalled the influence of Father Carlos Rodriguez Saiz.
“I was shaped by the example of Father Carlos Rodriguez Saiz, who brought the Lord Jesus and the Living Word into the midst of the villagers through his own life—a presence they could truly feel,” he said.
“To us, he was a father, a mother, a teacher, a doctor, and a companion sharing in our joys and sorrows. He showed us what it truly means to be alter Christus—another Christ,” he added.
Father Alberto Pensa, 86, remains the sole surviving link to the original generation of missionaries and continues his pastoral work among the Akha people at the Church of the Holy Spirit in Mae Sai, Chiang Rai.
The Thai branch of the congregation now has 27 native Thai priests and one deacon.
Its ministry spans the dioceses of Chiang Mai, Chiang Rai and Nakhon Sawan, as well as two formation houses in Bangkok. Its missionaries also serve in England, Israel and Vietnam.
During the anniversary celebration, Archbishop Wells delivered a papal message conveying the prayers and solidarity of the Holy See.
“With great courage and selfless dedication, these pioneers traveled through forests and mountains to proclaim the Gospel—not only through preaching, but also by promoting human dignity,” the prelate said.
“May the life and example of Saint Michel Garicoïts continue to inspire the Congregation to proclaim the love of the Sacred Heart of Jesus with faithfulness, compassion, and hope,” he added.
Bishop Suphot closed the celebration by reflecting on the motto associated with Saint Michel Garicoïts: “Here I am! Without delay, without excuses, and without going back on one’s word.”
“It is an unconditional response—an embrace of everything, a willingness to undertake tasks that others might avoid and to go to places where others might be reluctant to venture,” Bishop Suphot said.
“One cannot help but be moved by the spirit of the Bétharram Congregation. It is precisely this spirit, vividly lived out from the past to the present, that has borne the bountiful harvest we witness today,” he added.
