Sunday Mass Times

0730 Mass in Thai
0930 Mass in English

People first in economic crisis: Thai Catholic employers
   
Thailand’s Catho-lic Business Execut-ives Group members say they will refuse to retrench employees or use undue pressure to collect payments from clients during the present global economic crisis.
“The crisis has impacted my company, but we didn’t lay off any employees,” Paul Mary Suwit Suwarujiporn, owner of a dairy company, told UCA News on the sidelines of a recent CBEG meeting.
“We had a meeting with our 2,000 employees. We told them the situation, and in the end we got their agreement to cut their salaries by 30 percent, except for those who earn less than 6,000 baht (US$176) a month. Their salaries will be adjusted again when the crisis is over,” Suwit said.
“If we lay off workers, we can survive, but the workers will encounter a lot of problems.”
Wichai Suebsiripong, owner of company that produces factory equipment and machinery, pointed out a similar concern on the other side of the business equation. “The economic crisis has affected payments by our customers. Many can’t pay for products they have bought,” he said.
“Many people told me to use the services of a debt-collecting company or to sue the customers, but I do not agree with these methods,” he continued. “My customers also face problems. If I resort to these heavy-handed methods, they may have to close their businesses. So I use the method of negotiation.”
He said he and customers agreed on installment payments with an extended payment period.
Nipon Saengpradap, manager of a project that builds environment-friendly houses, noted that CBEG has even tried to help those who lost their jobs.
CBEG chairperson Prachuab Trinikorn echoed Nipon’s view. “During an economic crisis, we have to place people as our first priority.”
He asked participants to promote the Gospel values of justice, peace and love in society by conducting their business honestly and responsibly. “Catholic businesses have to show that Christianity is the light of society,” he told them.
Fr Prasert Trakkavetch, CBEG chaplain, added that businesses should aim to provide employees as well as employers with a good life and create a community of love and solidarity.
Catholic employers say people must come first during economic crisis (UCA News)
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God's Earth is sacred
The destruction of the planet raises many theological questions.
We have been led to believe that God cares only for the salvation of humans and that our calling is to exploit the earth for our own ends. This false Gospel has its preachers, politicians and policymakers who follow its dictates. In doing this they are destroying the Earth.
The Churches are challenged to articulate a more coherent theology of ecology and to proclaim more persistently its teachings on social and environmental justice. Catholic Church teaching is relevant in the face of the grave ecological problems facing the Earth. The teaching on sustainability, bio-responsibility, humility, frugality, solidarity and compassion are appropriate at this time.
Sustainability reminds us that the Earth is finite and that we must live in a way that is fair and just to future generations of humans and other creatures.
Bio-responsibility includes all other life forms as beloved creatures of God and as expressions of God's presence, wisdom, power and glory in the world.
Humility should act as an antidote to the arrogance that underpins much of our technological culture. Many want us to believe that we can manage the world with new technologies. The truth is that we only know a little about our world. For example, we don't know whether there are five million or one hundred million species on Earth.
Frugality invites us to restrain our economic production and consumption patterns, especially in rich countries for the sake of the welfare of the Earth. Jesus has warned us that we will not achieve happiness by accumulating material things.
Solidarity is a concept much beloved by the late Pope John Paul II. Solidarity acknowledges that we are increasingly bound together as members of the Earth community. We are responsible for the well-being of the poor and all creation. Our destinies are linked.
Compassion, which means "suffering with," encourages us to promote the 'healing' of the Earth as well as a just and sustainable society.
This teaching is badly needed in Asia, as China and India are rapidly following the model of development which was fashioned in the U.S. and Europe and which is responsible for depleting our planet. With a few notable exceptions, Church leaders have been slow to acknowledge the mounting ecological crisis.
They have a serious moral obligation to give leadership at this time because we aren't discussing some minor, passing problem.
We are talking about the future of the world, which God loved so much that he sent his only beloved son as a Saviour to it.
Fr Sean McDonagh has written many books: To Care for the Earth, The Greening of the Church, Passion for the Earth, Greening the Christian Millennium, Why are we Deaf to the Cry of the Earth? Dying for Water and Patenting Life? Stop! The death of life with his latest book Climate Change.

Pray-as-you-go can be found at
www.pray-as-you-go.org

Sacred Space may be found at www.sacredspace.ie

Child trafficking:‘the worst kind’ of violation
   
Child beggars in the bustling streets of Bangkok are a common sight for commut-ers, with few realizing that some of these kids could have been trafficked from other countries. (UCA News)
Fifty-two Catholic student leaders from the Catholic Student Center of Thailand (CSAT) recently discussed this issue and went to a major city intersection to meet and talk with child beggars there.
“Trafficking is the worst kind of violation of human rights. The Church is very concerned about this issue,” said CSAT chaplain Father Maharsono Probo, S.J. during an Aug. 21-23 retreat he conducted for the students in Nonthaburi province, just north of Bangkok.
The Jesuit priest said that Pope Benedict XVI has also asked the Thai Church to act on this problem. “The anti-trafficking campaign is a long term campaign of the Thai Catholic Church,” the priest said.
Students learn about child trafficking in Thailand

THE HEYTHROP INSTITUTE FOR RELIGION ETHICS AND PUBLIC LIFE
www.heythrop.ac.uk/HIREPL

Thinking Faith   http://www.thinkingfaith.org/index.htm

SEVEN FOUNTAINS ANNUAL FUNDRAISER FOR THE EDUCATIONAL SPONSORSHIP PROGRAMME

Date: 31 October 2009.
Venue: Seven Fountains Garden
Time: 6:30pm – 9:30pm

The Annual Seven Fountains Christmas Dinner and Fundraiser that normally takes place in December will take place on October 31 this year (Halloween – the Eve of All Saints/All Hallows).

As you know, this annual fundraiser raises funds for the Seven Fountains Education Sponsorship Program which currently supports 450 needy children.  Help us to make this event a successful one as these needy children will not receive an education unless they receive funding from Seven Fountains.

Entertainment planned for the whole family on October 31st:
 International buffet supper
 Silent Auction  
 Door prizes
 Piano recitals by gifted young pianists from Chiang Mai Land Music School.
  Bake Sale
  Make or buy  your own Krathong
  Face-painting for children
  Christmas Cards, Christmas Decorations
  Gifted Musician Pornpattana Vichitvejpaisal
  Catholic students choir

Fr.Miguel is soon to become a Golden Jubilarian

Please mark your diaries:-
Celebration of Fr. M's 50th on Saturday December 12th 2009,

50 years ago to the day, on 8th December 1959, a young Miguel Garaizabal entered the Jesuit Noviciate in Spain.

 This year Fr. Miguel celebrates 50 years a Jesuit – a life of fidelity and dedication, to God and to others, particularly to those often overlooked by the world, and sometimes even by us. The Seven Fountains Community is hoping to celebrate the occasion in some appropriate manner.

Than Hartman has very kindly and very generously offered to co-ordinate our efforts. If you would like contribute to marking Fr. Miguel’s Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit, please contact Than.
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An Exhibition of Oils and Watercolours
By Louise Truslow.
 
Over the years Louise has donated prints of her beautiful paintings to Seven Fountains in order to raise money for the Education Scholarship Fund. She has agreed to do this again for our event on 31st October. For those of us lucky enough to be able to visit Bangkok, here is an opportunity to view Louise’s latest exhibition.
 
3rd-29th October 2009
Rotunda and Garden Galleries, Neilson Hays Library,195, Suriwongse Road, Bangkok 10500.
The exhibition can be viewed online at: www.louisetruslow.com from October 2nd.  

Finally – don’t forget to put October 31st into your diaries now. We expect to have an enjoyable and successful evening, raising funds for young girls and boys who would otherwise not receive an education.

Laus Deo Semper