The Bishop of Thailand’s northernmost diocese recounts the Church’s tireless efforts to aid stranded parishioners as heavy flooding and landslides wreak havoc on the area and neighboring Vietnam.
By Chainarong Monthienvichienchai – Thailand, LiCAS News
Following continuous heavy rains in the wake of typhoon Yagi’s landfall in Vietnam, flash floods, river overflows, and landslides have ravaged multiple areas within the northernmost Diocese of Chiang Rai in Thailand.
“The flood water level has been steadily rising since Monday. The cathedral is submerged up to the altar. [The bishop’s] two-story residence is uninhabitable, even on the second floor. We are currently without electricity,” Bishop Joseph Vuthilert Haelom shared with LiCAS News.
Stranded residents from single-story homes were spotted on their rooftops, while elderly individuals found themselves perched on top of cabinets inside their flooded houses, unable to reach higher ground.
Meanwhile, donations of cash and goods from the other ten dioceses in Thailand have poured in to support the Chiang Rai Diocese in its critical rescue mission.
Flooding at the Cathedral of the Nativity of Blessed Virgin Mary, Diocese of Chiang Rai, Thailand. (Photo by Diocese of Chiang Rai)
All hill-tribe children under the diocese’s care have been safely evacuated to higher ground in other parts of Chiang Rai province.
In some areas, the floodwater reaches depths exceeding three meters.
“I barely slept last night, tirelessly assisting our parishioners stranded in their flooded homes. This is the worst flood I’ve witnessed in my life, facing a level of crisis I’ve never known before,” expressed the prelate.
Simultaneously, parishioners, under the leadership of Fr. Bancha Apichartvorakul, have been navigating the swift floodwaters to deliver food, water, and essential supplies to those affected.
Bishop Joseph Vuthilert Haelom of the Diocese of Chiang Rai on his way to assist flood-stricken communities. (Photo provided by Bishop Joseph Vuthilert Haelom)
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