25 Years of Witnessing to the Word in Thailand 17 Bangkok armed with the same good news to reach where the gospel has not been preached sufficiently. Over the past 25 years, the Divine Word Missionaries have touched countless lives, spreading the light of faith and the warmth of kindness through openness and respect for the local culture and church, seeking peripheral and neglected areas of Thai society. There are too many pastoral activities in which the light of Christ has shone brightly to mention, especially at the Mother of Perpetual Help Centre, the Villa Marie hospice, the Mother Mary House, Self Help Occupations Project, Education Program for Children of HIV and Poor Families, parish and community development, English Language Ministry, Asian Research Centre for Religion and Social Communication, Vietnamese migrant ministry, and many other social outreach in remote Thailand. My recent visit to Thailand was filled with gratitude to the Triune God that, despite the tyranny of distance from Australia, our confreres have not failed to witness as an international missionary-religious community. The current SVD team and the visionary Brothers must be acknowledged and commended as they continue to go out in mission so that all may enjoy a new and fuller life to the glory of God. This is our raison d’être. If the Church is not on a mission, then we are not the Church. As we reflect on the past 25 years of Divine Word Missionary presence in Thailand, may we pause to express our deepest gratitude and appreciation for their invaluable contributions to society. Their tireless work, unwavering dedication, and boundless compassion have left an indelible mark on the
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