Our Sisters in Bangkok

They are in danger. Please pray for them.

“During evening prayer we felt the strong blast of various explosions. Although we were frightened we continued praying”, recounts Sr Therese of the Child Jesus, Prioress of the monastery of Discalced Carmelite nuns, situated barely 200 metres from the place where five bombs exploded on 22nd April, shaking the financial district of Bangkok.

According to information from the Union of Asian Catholics (UCANews), this statement from the Prioress of the monastery was made a few hours after the explosion of five grenades near the Sala Daeng intersection, where there exists a tense clash between the “Red Shirts” and the government security forces.

In the middle of last month, the Red Shirts, supporters of the overthrown former Prime Minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, took possession of the centre of Thailand’s capital, seeking the immediate dissolution of Parliament, accusing the government of having illegally seized power.

Sr Therese pointed out that people regularly come to the monastery seeking prayers for the education of their children, for good health, to find work. Since the explosions, the number of people visiting the monastery has decreased while the requests for prayer by telephone has increased. Sr Therese explained that, “the majority of people call to request prayers for peace in the country.”

“Some seek prayers in support of the Red Shirt and others for the government. However we cannot take sides. We pray for peace and unity in the country,” and she added, “Our work is to pray for the world and its needs, particularly in times of chaos, such as is now happening across the country”.

This Carmelite monastery in Bangkok has 16 nuns and is one of the four monasteries of Discalced Carmelite nuns in the country.