Description
The Redemptorist Center of Tha Rae (ศูนย์คณะพระมหาไถ่ ท่าแร่) is a Catholic congregation that serves the sick and elderly of Sakon Nakhon (Northeast Thailand). The center also trains people with disabilities, and includes a Church which spreads the Gospel of Christ.
The Redemptorists also are known as the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer. They were founded in 1732 by the Italian Bishop Saint Alphonsus Liguori, with an aim toward serving the poor and marginalized communities. In Southeast Asia they are sometimes called “The Rebels of St. Alphonsus” due to their fearless support of the downtrodden and abandoned.
The first congregation members to come to Thailand (Siam) were American Redemptorists in 1948. They quickly made a name for themselves in their vocal advocacy for the homeless, disabled, blind, hungry, and illiterate; orphans and refugees; and all Thai communities facing abuse and oppression (and whose problems often were ignored by the government).
They also made waves among Catholics in 1954 by building the Church of the Holy Redeemer (Bangkok) in the style of a Buddhist temple, rather than in the French style which was typical of other Catholic churches in Thailand at that time.
During the height of the Covid pandemic, their Bangkok church broke ranks with the Archbishops of Thailand, and were the only Catholic church in Thailand to remain open, while serving the sick, poor, elderly, and infirm.
The Tha Rae Redemptorist Center is located about a kilometer from Nong Han Viewpoint, which has some of the best views of Nong Han Lake. The church grounds have large statue of Jesus Christ on an elevated platform, carrying the cross. The statue is named "Phra Maha Thai," which means "The Monk who is the Great Redeemer."
The inside of the Catholic church includes a worship hall with wooden pews and a pulpit that is back-dropped by a beautiful mural featuring the Birth and Last Supper of Christ, along with images of well-known Redemptorist priests.
To get to the Tha Rae Redemptorist Center (ศูนย์คณะพระมหาไถ่ ท่าแร่), go through the entrance to Nong Han Viewpoint and make an immediate left onto the small road that borders the edge of the lake. The Center will be on your left about 1 kilometer down the road and about a kilometer before you arrive at Don Koen Park.
