The indigenous’s faith with the Catholic mission works in Chiang Rai, Thailand.
Chiang Rai is one of the provinces in the north of Thailand. In this province, there are 6 main groups of the indigenous; Akha, Karen, Lahu, Hmong, Lisu, and Mien. Each of them is unique cause they have their traditions, languages, and belief.
We believe that many readers or tourists have been experienced in Chiang Rai as it is one of the most attractive places in Thailand. Moreover, this land is the diversity of the indigenous also.
At the present, we can not reject that at the present there are many non-religion and many people have abandoned their faith. The causes for people do not believe in God, are increasing in the Western countries and some parts of Asia but it does not with the indigenous people. They still believe that God is significant for them.
“The believer on the mountains”
Recently, we have gotten some chance to visit “Ban Si Lang’s village” the location is the rural area in Chiang Rai. We drive the car there for 6 hours. The road is trouble as the construction is uncomfortable for travelling. During we are going to this village, we talk about the missionary work in the past till the present with the indigenous.
One of the diocese priests said that the Catholic mission works in the north of Thailand has been begun by the France missionary and the Spanish missionary. In the past, they did work to visit the ethnic people on the hill and started to proclaim the good news to them. There are many indigenous have got baptized, in the same way, the number of them is increasing, the missionary started to build churches, schools, and religious cooperation centres in their village.
The works of God has been successful, the ethnic catholic is the seed of grace. It has been for a long time that the missionary sacrifices their lives to the God mission in the north of Thailand. Nowadays, there are 25,596 Catholics in the Chiang Rai parish moreover, there are 12 congregations in this parish that works for the good news.
The faith brings the vocation to many indigenous. Many of them become priests which reflects that the indigenous faith is growing. The Catholic mission in Chiang Rai is also growing every day.
“ When you have in God, you don’t have to worry about the future, you just know it’s all in his hands. You just go to and do your best.”
When we arrived in Ban Si Lang’s village, we see the new church that has been built by the collaboration of the priest and the indigenous people who are in this village. The church has been built from wood, it is a simple church and wonderful. The villager who is the Ahka indigenous invite us to have a meal together with them. One of the villagers said that there are a few catholic people in this village as some of our neighbourhood still believe in animism. However, we do collaborate, we accept their beliefs.
Exactly! the church teaches to be unity with God and Christian. Nevertheless, we have to accept the different things also. They are the son or the daughter of God also. Although the Chiang Rai parish has just been established for 4 years will be 5 years, the grace of God and the faithful still work any time as the fruits of love in God.
Finally, the love that the missionary dedicate to God’s work becomes for the maintenance of everyone who believes in God as mother Teresa of Calcutta said that give your hands to serve and your heart to love.