St Michael's Church, Songyae
Encyclopedia
St Michael's Church, Songyae
is a
Roman Catholic parish church in the northeastern Thai
village of
,
subdistrict
,
Thai Charoen
district
,
Yasothon Province
(.)
indicates a fen; swampy or marshy land; is dialect for a group;
is the Beauty or Common Butterfly Lizard
, Liolepis belliana.
is constructed of timber in a classic Thai style, and is billed as the Largest Wooden church in Thailand. It has been designated by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as a site Unseen in Thailand.
(16 hectares; 40 acres) also host a fully accredited school, Songyae Wittaya for children in kindergarten through senior high school with a total enrollment of 960 students in 2010.
(TAT) has designated the church as a unique cultural heritage site of the sort Unseen in Thailand.
is a
Roman Catholic parish church in the northeastern Thai
Isan
Isan is the northeastern region of Thailand. It is located on the Khorat Plateau, bordered by the Mekong River to the north and east, by Cambodia to the southeast and the Prachinburi mountains south of Nakhon Ratchasima...
village of
,
subdistrict
Tambon
Tambon is a local government unit in Thailand. Below district and province , they form the third administrative subdivision level. As of the 2009 there are 7255 tambon, not including the 169 khwaeng of Bangkok, which are set at the same administrative level, thus every district contains 8-10 tambon...
,
Thai Charoen
Amphoe Thai Charoen
-History:Thai Charoen, formerly a subdistrict of Loeng Nok Tha, was established as a minor district on April 1, 1992, comprising 5 subdistricts formerly of Loeng Nok Tha....
district
Amphoe
An amphoe is the second level administrative subdivision of Thailand. Usually translated as district, amphoe make up the provinces, and are analogous to a county seat...
,
Yasothon Province
Yasothon Province
Yasothon is one of the provinces of Thailand, located in the North-East of Thailand on the Chi River. Neighboring provinces are Mukdahan, Amnat Charoen, Ubon Ratchathani, Sisaket and Roi Et.-Geography:...
(.)
indicates a fen; swampy or marshy land; is dialect for a group;
is the Beauty or Common Butterfly Lizard
Common Butterfly Lizard
The Common Butterfly Lizard or simply Butterfly Lizard is a widespread species found in Asia. It can be found in the forests of Indochina, Thailand, and Malaysia. It is known for the beautiful patterns on its back and sides. It has yellow spots on its back, and small orange and black lines on its...
, Liolepis belliana.
Background
According to the brochure published by the church, the Reverend Bishop Baye collected the history proper from congregational recollections, together with information from the Reverend Desaval's memoir. The first five families to settle in Ban Nong-Song-Yae arrived in 1908, some of them having been accused in their former homes of being possessed by ghosts. News of a Catholic priest in Ban-Sae-Song ( reached the villagers, and four of them met the Reverends Desaval and Ambrosio. The two began to taking turns making monthly visits, staying four or five days to teach the catholic faith. They soon asked that a temporary shelter be built for them, and in 1909 this shelter became the first chapel in Ban Nong-Song-Yae. In 1913 the village and congregation increased to fifteen families. In 1914 war between Germany and France resulted in about ten French missionaries being recalled to serve in the army. The reverend Gantang was left responsible for a large area, assisted by the Catechist Nai Siang Tan who was responsible for Ban Nong-Song-Yae. I By 1919 the congregation had increased to 400. A second church was built that was used for only three or four years before it proved too small. The third, built like a big terrace house with a wooden roof, bamboo walls, and six rooms, was located near Nong-Kai-Pig. Fire damaged four of the rooms, after which the congregation repaired and enlarged it, and located a priest's residence nearby.Resettlement
In 1925 some Catholics from Ban-Dong-Ma-Fai joined the community at Song-Yae. In 1933 – 34, six catholic families resettled in Ban-Phon-Sung in Udonthani province. In 1938, the reverend Degueir lead ten villagers to resettle at Ban-Khok-Khi-Nak, Nong Phok, Roi Et province. In 1955 – 56 some families resettled in Ban San-Ti-Suk, Petchaboon Province. Some Song-Yae families moved a mere 10 kilometers to Ban Nong-Kae. As of 2006, there were about 200 Catholics in the community with a small chapel and St. Anthony, that remain under the pastoral care of the parish priest of St. Michael.Fourth construction
The Reverence Deguir's memoir says the villagers supplied the reverend Alazard with 60 cartloads of wood in 1936 for the construction of a new building, but the wood was confiscated by authorities. In 1947 under the direction of the reverence Montree, plans were laid for a church made of timber 57 meters long and 16 meters wide. The wooden, Thai-style church building was completed by skilled carpenters in 1953. On Sunday, 25 April 1954, the Reverend Bishop Chaudius Baye presided over and celebrated the inauguration and consecration of the fourth wooden church of St. Michael.First restoration
In 1981, pastor Buppha Salupshua with a budget of 200,000 Baht donated by Mrs. Thanom of Bangkok, had the old wooden roof replaced with corrugated iron sheets.Second restoration
In 1994, pastor Boonlert Promsena presided over extensive repairs of termite damage, necessitating the replacement of 124 of 227 poles, new planks for the platforms, elevation of doors and windows, and complete painting, inside and out.Third restoration
The third restoration was a project begun in 2006 to prepare the church for its centennial celbartion in 2008. The stated objectives were (English version):Architecture
The main sanctuarySanctuary
A sanctuary is any place of safety. They may be categorized into human and non-human .- Religious sanctuary :A religious sanctuary can be a sacred place , or a consecrated area of a church or temple around its tabernacle or altar.- Sanctuary as a sacred place :#Sanctuary as a sacred place:#:In...
is constructed of timber in a classic Thai style, and is billed as the Largest Wooden church in Thailand. It has been designated by the Tourism Authority of Thailand as a site Unseen in Thailand.
Modern times
The Church is still active today. The third restoration for the 2008 centennial was followed in 2009 by the opening of a museum dedicated to the memory of the church's founder, the Reverend Desaval.School
The church grounds of approximately 100 raiRai (area)
A rai is a unit of area, equal to 1,600 square metres , used for measuring land area. Its current size is precisely derived from the metre, but is neither part of nor recognized by the modern metric system, the International System ....
(16 hectares; 40 acres) also host a fully accredited school, Songyae Wittaya for children in kindergarten through senior high school with a total enrollment of 960 students in 2010.
Heritage designation
The Tourism Authority of ThailandTourism in Thailand
Tourism is a major economic factor in the Kingdom of Thailand, contributing an estimated 6.7% to Thailand's GDP in 2007.-Overview:Among the reasons for the increase in tourism in the 1960s were the stable political atmosphere and the development of Bangkok as a crossroads of international air...
(TAT) has designated the church as a unique cultural heritage site of the sort Unseen in Thailand.