Looking back. Short stories from the Archives

25/11/2024

Happy Centenary Province of Thailand (1924-2024)!

The Ursulines of the Roman Union have been in Bangkok since 24th November 1924 (fig. 1), but it was not until 24th January 1925 that they were entrusted with the running of a school called The Calvary (fig. 2), located at the Rosary Parish in the Chinese part of the city; the school had been opened for poor, Chinese and Siamese children. There, for three years, the first mothers, Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus Mertens, then prioress, Marie-Raphaël Vurnik, later prioress of Mater Dei [1], and Marie Agnès de l'Eucharestie Delattre, taught at the school and took care of the parish; they also ran a small orphanage (fig. 3).

2.  AGUUR, Rn.THA.03/1.1, Rosary School or Calvary School, [1954]	3. AGUUR, Rn.THA.03/2.10, Orphelinat Calvary Church, 1925

At the request of Bishop Rene Perros, the Ursulines opened another school in Bangkok in 1928 for the Siamese in the upper classes: 'Mater Dei Institute' (figg. 4-5).

4. AGUUR, Rn.THA.04/1.1, Mater Dei, Bangkok, 1928	5. AGUUR, Collection Souvenirs des missions, Mater Dei chapel, Bangkok, [1928-30]

A large plot of land had been purchased in an isolated part of the city; the sisters had chosen the date of 2 February, the Feast of Light, to open this new Catholic school in a neighbourhood where Catholicism had not yet arrived. On the morning of 2 February, ten Ursuline sisters, led by the Reverend Mother Marie-Bernard Mancel, gathered in the room that would henceforth be the chapel, lit the sanctuary lamp and celebrated the first Mass. The Ursuline schools offered classes with modern equipment and the laboratory helped with history, geography and science. The study of languages was considered of great importance. As for The Calvary, ten nuns remained there to continue the work, somewhat modified: there was Mother Marie Gabriel van Nieuwkuyk and Mother Marie Agnès de l'Eucharestie Delattre. Gradually the school adapted to the new official programmes for girls' schools.

In Chiang-Mai, a town about 470 miles from Bangkok and destined to become the centre of the new Catholic Mission in the North, the Ursulines founded a school, Regina Coeli, in 1932 [2]  (figg. 6-8). The sisters felt it was important that all the various forms of educational activities that belonged to the missionary apostolate were inaugurated in this area of the mission. Therefore, in addition to schools for the upper and middle classes, they organised free courses in schools for children from the poorer classes.

6. AGUUR, Rn. THA.06/2.04, Foundresses of the second Ursuline school and community, Regina Coeli, at Chiangmai, 7th April 1932, 1932	7. AGUUR, Rn. THA.06/1.1, Regina Coeli, Chiangmai, View of part of the building, 1950	8. AGUUR, Collection Souvenirs des missions, Chiang Mai class, [1935-36]

In 1955 a request was made for a third mission house to be opened in Bangkok. The response to the supplication is positive and authorisation is granted on 9 May 1955. [3]  The school that was created from this mission is called the Vasudevi School, or Regina Mundi (figg. 9-10). Initially, the school could only accommodate 17 boarders, but the high demand meant that the building was renovated and extended in 1958. Since then, the Institute has welcomed a large number of students and is still today a reference point for education in the capital.

In 1978, there is a new foundation in Chiang-Mai: Seven Fountains Student Centre,[4]  now a spiritual retreat centre run by the Jesuits.

9. AGUUR, Rn.THA.03/3.11, Regina Mundi, Bangkok, [1960]	10. AGUUR, Collection Souvenirs des missions, Regina Mundi, Bangkok 1957

The sisters still carry out their apostolate today through the institutes:

- Mater Dei School
- Regina Coeli College
- Vasu Devi School (Regina Mundi)
- Piyamart School
- Ban Petchsamran (Retreat House)

The Ursuline mission gives special attention to formation and education and does so in various forms, promoting in particular:

- Didactic work
- Formal education
- The promotion of justice and peace and the development of human potential to raise awareness of respect for all creation
- Various forms of basic education
- Pastoral work

Thank you for continuing your hard work in the footsteps of Saint Angela!

Happy Centenary Province of Thailand!

By Emanuela Lauro, Ph.D, General Archivist

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1.  Prioress since 6 April 1932, appointed by the Provincial Council of Northern France; cf. AGUUR, Fa, Thaïlande, 15, Bangkok Mater Dei School, act no. 5/32, 1932 March 6, ff. n.n.

2.  Founded on 7 April 1932; cf. AGUUR, Fa, Thaïlande, 17, Chieng.Mai Regina Coeli School, Membres et charges, ff. n.n. The foundation was authorised in March 1931 (cf. AGUUR, Fa, Thaïlande, 17, Chieng.Mai Regina Coeli School, Affaires, act no. 80/31, ff. n.n.) and approved by Protocol No. 767/32 by the Congregation of Propaganda Fide, February 1932 (cf. ibid, Authorisation, ff. n.n.).

3.  Cf. AGUUR, Fa, Thaïlande, 16, Vasudevi School, supplication no. 95/55, ff. n.n.

4.  Founded on 29 March 1978: cf. AGUUR, Fa, Thaïlande, 18, Chiang-Mai Seven Fountains, act no. 142/78, ff. n.n.