MESSAGE

Dear MA Committee, Counsellors and the Members,

John Baptist Boonthai Lorcharadsriwong - the outstanding three names are Christian & Spiritual, First and Family Names give me personal Identity & Individual in Thailand. This is vital and helps lead my daily work, life and dealing with others in both lay activities ,MA and church activities as well.

The General Mid Year Meeting in July 2023 unanimously elected me as the 9th MA President of Montfortian Association. Subjective opinion, there are some other MAs who are more suitable, have higher potentials to better take up this honourable Position. The Subconscious question echoes within me " Will You accept and take upon This Cross, Hard and Heavy Burden Entrusted by Jesus Christ ?.” Thanks Jesus Christ and I really realized that I am just a small, little small Wheel that helps move the whole machine. Anyhow,I Fully Acknowledge my Limited Knowledge & Ability to Stimulate and Push function to reach the Ultimate Goal. That is to lead and serve all MAs in all activities, to make our organization united and stronger.

I am fully agreed and have acknowledged the crucial role of the new Executive Committees formed. They are necessary and will be hands of God that help us move forward with encouragement and far vision. With their capabilities, work, dedication, sacrifices, all our current and future MAs activities will be carried out in God’s ways and wishes. Trust in God's Providence that provides goal, means and all necessary resources, light to lead, solutions to problems, helpers to achieve the goal. Then, have deep faith in God and never ever lose faith.

I have to sincerely thank the Executive Committees, and all MAs who have worked with dedication and sacrifices. Their Co-operation and high moral support are striking and deserve my profound admiration and heartfelt gratitude.



Boonthai Lorcharadsriwong
MA President

Dear MA Members,

As we journey as followers of St. Louis Marie de Montfort, I would like to share with you the life of Montfort in his early days at RENNES - 1685-1692: as a student at Thomas Becket School; - October 1760 after the pilgrimage to Mount St. Michael; - * meal with his parents (the finest plate for the poor); - * the sermon to the nuns of Calvary; - * the sermon to the senior seminary: it was highly valued by Fr. Esnouf who wants to keep him. - Year 1714: Montfort meets Mr. 'Orville and the Morquis de Magnanne; - The rosary in the " high street " (street of St. Malo) - The Letter to the Friends of the Cross; - He says goodbye to Mr. d'Orville: I wish you lots of crosses. ( cf.Le Crom 319, 339-340)

A few facts He gives his clothes to a poor man (cf. Lecrom 24) : This is my brother and yours; I made a collection in my class and this is all I have. If it is not enough, it is up to you to supplement it." He kisses a poor idiot (cf. Lecrom 30). He visits the churches in Rennes and spends a long time praying to the famous images of the Virgin: Our Lady of Miracles and Virtues at St. Saviour's, Our Lady of Peace at the Carmel, Our Lady of Good News at the house of the Dominicans. It must be pointed out that at one point his parents moved to Rennes. Rennes was the intellectual capital of Brittany in the seventeenth century. It has an educational establishment in full prosperity: Thomas Becket Secondary School run by the Jesuits. This school welcomed young people from Upper and Lower Brittany. Its rolls numbered from two to three thousand.

Young Louis-Marie was eleven years old when he entered Thomas Becket school. He boarded at the house of his uncle, Alain Robert, a priest from the parish of Holy Saviour. The school does not exist any longer, a state secondary school has taken its place. However, the cloisters and the chapel are still there, and the chapel is the present church of All Saints.

The vocation of St. Louis began from his childhood, it had been nurtured slowly day by day. Through self-deny and humility, from his good family, his willingness to help the poor and needy were always in his heart and mind.

There are many more historical of St. Louis Marie de Montfort during his time. His devotion to Our Lady and Love of the Cross was symbolic which can be an example in our daily living. We can begin our small mission as he did, denying himself and preaching the Good News to all. What are we doing now? I encourage all of you to practice St. Louis's heritage he had given to us. Just begin today in a concrete way for the prosperous of M.A.

Brother Dechachai Sripicharn
Provincial Superior
Provincial of Thailand

Last April 2023, a group of Thai Brothers, Superiors and Directors, had a pilgrimage to Rome, Loreto and France in the footsteps of Montfort. Apart from our routine program, we were structed to know about the tragic death of Fr. Olivier Maire, the Provincial Superior of the French SMM., at St. Laurent sur Sèvre, on 9 August 2021.

He and his religious community had been offering shelter since the end of May to a 40-year-old Rwandan immigrant who had been refused political asylum and is a suspect in the arson attack on the Cathedral of Nantes in June 2020. On Monday, the man turned himself in to police, confessing to the murder of Fr. Maire.

French President Emmanuel Macron took to Twitter to pay tribute to the slain priest. He wrote that Fr. Maire’s “generosity and love for others were reflected in his facial features.”

Personally, I recall how he was so kind, as an archivist and Assistant General, to show us the manuscript of Montfort’s “The Love of Eternal Wisdom” to a group of Thai Brothers visiting SMM Generalate on 20th April 2009.

I consider Fr. Olivier Maire as one of the latest followers of St. Montfort in showing charity and kindness to everyone in need, even at the expense of his own life. How Montfort himself cried: “Open to Jesus Christ” at Dinan, or in his letter to Marie Louis (L.27) wrote: “If you don’t take risk for God, you won’t give (him) anything worthwhile.”

God bless you all,