David’s News for Eastertide 2010

 This Eastertide, perhaps I should begin with an abject apology, something that officials in the church seem very reluctant to do. I am sorry that it is too many months since I have managed to get out a circular to give you some news and to thanks you for your continued belief and commitment to our work in and from The Seven Fountains.

 At the same time let us wish each other the Paschal Peace of the Risen Lord Jesus.

 Fr.Miguel, the Superior of the Jesuit Community and Director of the Centre, returned from his relatively short break in his native Spain to make the full Spiritual Exercises of our Jesuit Founder, St.Ignatius Loyola & also spend some time with his ever-enlarging family. The immediate cause of all this flurry of familial and spiritual renewal was, of course, his Golden Jubilee as a Jesuit on 8th December.

 Our Friends of Seven Fountains here in Chiang Mai arranged for a wonderful evening of food and entertainment under the stars, beginning with a concelebrated Eucharist, with Bishop Francis Xavier Vira, the newly installed Bishop of Chiang Mai as the Presider.

 As well as an audio-visual portrayal of Fr.Miguel’s life, we were also delighted with music from the Karen harp (across the border known as the Burmese harp) & an amazing series of piano pieces played by a very young girl. Now we hope to get another 50 years out of him!

 Fr.Miguel

 This past Christmas we had our usual two ‘Midnight’ Masses - the earlier one in Thinglish (Thai and English) and actual midnight one in Kayah (for the Karenni people from Kayah State in Burma).

 This year we had about 500 of these migrant workers come. They use our facilities during the day for catching up with each other and a shared meal. Before the Mass they kept the 2 priests from Loikaw Diocese in Burma extremely busy in hearing confession.

In January I was surprised to be invited to dine with Her Royal Highness Princess Maha Chakri Sirindhorn, daughter of the King of Thailand. Greatly loved, because of her keen interest & involvement in the development of the poor rural and people in the mountain, the Thai people commonly refer to her as Phra Thep (Thai : พระเทพ), meaning “princess angel.”

 This was a very informal dinner party hosted by a mutual friend who assists the Princess in her various development projects. I was surprised & honoured to be seated at the top table. Certainly the table conversation convinced me of the truth of what I had heard of her deeply informed understanding of foreign cultures, technology, conservation, development and education.

 Perhaps this is the place to put in a report of our own much more limited efforts towards the development of some of the poorest of the Thai people. Our efforts are limited not just because of limited funds but also because of the demands of our core apostolates (chaplaincy to the English-speaking community in Chiang Mai: university chaplaincy: school-teaching-English, mathematics, catechism, IT: here and in several schools; as well as the work of retreat-giving and Spiritual Direction both here and in other places). In our extra-curicula activities we focus, but not exclusively, on education as a means of breaking out of the ‘poverty trap’.

 For the year 2010-2011 we estimate the total number of students helped to be 626 in 20 different locations in and around Chiang Mai. The total cost will be 1,737,180 Baht (approx 53,700 USD or 35,245 GBP).

 Our income for this outreach from July 1st 2009 to Mar 13th, 2010 comes to:-
 1. Local Friends of Seven Fountains: The Christmas fundraiser & individual sponsorships, the selling of cards, bread & Christmas gadgets: 318,860 Baht

 2. Donations from retreatants 268,788 Baht
 3. Donations from friends in Thailand 167,655 Baht
 4. Donations from abroad 303,839 Baht

TOTAL: 1,059,142 Baht (32,735 USD or 21,475 GBP)

 So we need to raise another 700,000 Baht or so to cover the estimated costs of these outreach projects.

 On a personal note, I have recently had a medical check-up and have been told that there is nothing to be alarmed about. Of course one never knows what might ‘turn up’. I do continue my regular swimming, despite the presently much polluted atmosphere of Chiang Mai from the practice of burning off the stubble in the fields, and the high temperature, well above blood temperature - today it is 40 degrees Celsius or 104 Fahrenheit. My ears seem behaving, and, with the help of the drops, I do not appear to have any reduced vision in my eyes.

 A considerable concern for the people of Thailand will be the stuck, polarized nature of Thai politics, and the prolonged disruption of the ordinary lives of people, particularly in Bangkok, by the large-scale street protests against the legitimacy of the present government, aided and spurred on by the fugitive multibillionaire former Prime Minister dislodged from office by an military coup and subsequently found guilty of abuse of office and given a 2 year prison sentence.

 Although the protests have been largely without physical violence, there have been around 25 bomb and grenade attacks in and around Bangkok, and a few in the North of Thailand including Chiang Mai. So far there have been no deaths and only slight injuries.

 Meanwhile in the far South of the country the separatist insurgency continues unabated with daily fatalities and injuries not only of the security forces but also of ordinary people such as teachers, rubber-tappers, telephone lines-men.

 Do please remember the long suffering people of Thailand in your prayers, especially the poorest and most vulnerable. And do not forget us either. Our hope is that you realize that you are regularly prayed for by the Seven Fountains Jesuit Community, and that you are every bit as much part of our ministry as we ourselves.

  16th C Russian Icon The Resurrection of the Lord Jesus

With much gratitude & love,

In the Peace of our God,

 David
 David Townsend, S.J.

Should you be able to do so, kindly send your donations in support of Seven Fountains:-

In the UK to
Fr. Timothy Curtis, S.J., Director of Jesuit Missions - UK (director@jesuitmissions.org.uk) 
Postal Address: 11 Edge Hill, Wimbledon, London SW19 4LR, England (UK).

N.B. Please don’t forget to inform Jesuit Missions-UK (& myself) that the funds are for the work of Fr. David Keith Townsend, S.J. in Thailand.

JM-UK (& so Seven Fountains) may be able to benefit from any UK income-tax paid by you – kindly ask the Director for details.

The Jesuit Missions UK Bank Account details:
Barclays Bank plc, Wimbledon Common Branch, Sort Code: 20.96.89, Account Name: Jesuit Missions, Account Number: 30523380

In the USA our Bank is:
Bank of America, 2835 Geary Blvd., San Francisco, CA 94118.  Name: Jesuits Thailand, Route Number: 121000358, a/c: 02945-08923

N.B. Again kindly inform me that funds deposited are for Seven Fountains Spirituality Centre

In Thailand our local Bank is:
Siam City Bank, 5 Thape Road, Chiangmai, Thailand, Name: Miguel Garaizabal, a/c number: 300-2-16319-5, Swift Code: SITYTHBK

Again since the Bank does not inform us of the source of deposits, a note from you to me will allow an acknowledgement