Official Announcement
Prot. No. CM053/2020
Regarding the Establishment of an Ad Hoc Committee on the Aspect of Economy during the COVID-19 Outbreak

Due to the outbreak of COVID-19 pandemic, schools are not able to offer special tutorial classes and the normal opening of schools would not be possible until the 1st of July 2020. As a result our Chiang Mai Diocese lacks the necessary funds to cover the salaries of teachers, staff and personnel starting from the month of May. Consequently, this would affect the local people as well.

The Chiang Mai Diocese issues this letter to all priests, men and women religious and all Catholic faithful to encourage local people to request a Mass to be offered. Each family is encouraged to make a Mass request intention at least once a month in order to help the church. (Please refer to the Chiang Mai Diocese Official Announcement Prot. No. CM051/2020 Regarding the Request to Inform the Christian Faithful and Provide Assistance to the Diocese Due to the Effects of the COVID-19 Outbreak)

Furthermore, we should reduce various costs and encourage large parishes to strive to contribute towards becoming self-sufficient in order to foster cooperation between the Diocese together with our brother priests in the parish and our social welfare centers for young people. Accordingly, an Ad Hoc Committee composed of the following was established to implement this:

1. Rev. Joseph Pratheep Kiratipong – Episcopal Vicar for Finance and Property
2. Rev. Stephen Sirichai Bungasawan – Episcopal Vicar for Evangelization
3. Rev. Joseph Saravuth Haeto – Chancellor of the Diocese

This Ad Hoc Committee will contact our brother priests, consult and find solutions to problems in the economic and social conditions we are faced with so that we could survive as the early Christians did when “The community of believers was of one heart and mind, and no one claimed that any of his possessions was his own, but they had everything in common.” (Acts 4:32, NABRE)

Dated 25th April 2020

+ Bishop Francis Xavier Vira Arpondratana

Bishop of Chiang Mai Diocese

Rev. Saravuth Haeto

Chancellor of Chiang Mai Diocese