When Pope Francis travels to Thailand next week (November 20-23), there will be one especially loving face to greet him: that of his second cousin, Salesian Sister Ana Rosa Sivori.
Sister Ana Rosa has been a missionary teacher in Thailand since 1965. Her grandfather and the pope’s grandfather were brothers, and the two grew up together in Argentina.
[See this 2017 feature on Sister Ana Rosa here from Crux.]
Sister Ana Rosa told the Italian magazine Il Mio Papa that her joy at being able to see her cousin extends to excitement for Thailand’s small Catholic community and for all the people of the country, saying the papal visit is a “special gift.”
After the pope’s time in Thailand, he will go on to Japan, from November 23 to 26, where he will visit Tokyo, Nagasaki and Hiroshima.
The Church in Thailand has been celebrating in 2019 the 350th anniversary of the establishment of the Apostolic Vicariate of Siam, erected in 1669.
This event is represented in the logo prepared for the visit. Beneath a smiling Pope Francis is a boat that symbolizes evangelization. Its three sails recall the Trinity. The stylized representation of Our Lady’s hand supports the vessel. Finally, a golden cross invites the Church in Thailand to be a witness to the Good News.
There are about 389,000 Catholics in Thailand, less than 0.5% of the mostly Buddhist population.
See more here.
And today we celebrate...