Maryknoll Retreat and Meetings 2009

Travel from Bangkok to Hua Hin
9 January 2009

Today those Maryknollers who came to Bangkok early finished up their work and others arrived from various countries in order to take the bus from Bangkok to Hua Hin together. At 1:00 PM, everyone gathered at the Menam Riverside Hotel, now a Ramada Hotel, to board two large coaches for the three-hour trip to the south.

Working at Maryknoll Bangkok office In the morning, some of the Maryknoll partners, from the Quebec Foreign Mission Society, came to the Maryknoll office, near the Menam Hotel, to check e-mail and do laundry.

Tuk-tuk taking luggage to the buses The walk from the Maryknoll office to the Menam Hotel is about two blocks, but the sidewalks are rough, the curbs are high, and much of the pathway is blocked by vendors. It is very difficult to pull luggage along the way so several people hired a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled motorcycle) to haul many of the suitcases to the buses.

Alicia Butkiewicz, the Director of Mission for the Maryknoll Lay Missioners, pulls her suitcase to the bus while Fr. Kevin Conroy puts his backpack in the luggage compartment.

Getting off the bus in Hua Hin When the buses arrived at the Salesian Retreat Center in Hua Hin three hours later, the Thailand mission team was there to welcome everyone. The Thailand group came to the center yesterday for a day of meetings.

Checking the room assignments The first task after getting off the bus is to check the room list to see where each person will spend the next nine or ten days. The retreat center can hold about 75 or 80 people. The overflow from our group usually stays with the Ursuline Sisters who have a house a short distance away.

Meeting the new lay missioners for Asia Three new lay missioners came to Asia to join the Maryknoll Asia South company. Talking with Celina Campas (seated) is Susan Sporl. Lisa Pirie (back to the camera) watches as Claudia and Peggy meet Jim Campion. Susan has been assigned to Cambodia and Claudia Chin and Peggy Vamosy to East Timor.

Fr. Timothy Radcliffe Our retreat leader this year is Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, formerly the superior of the worldwide Dominican priests and brothers, and now best known as an author, theologian, and speaker. After supper he gave an opening talk for the retreat which will have a strong liturgical theme to it.

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	In the morning, some of the Maryknoll partners, from the Quebec Foreign Mission Society, came to the Maryknoll office, near the Menam Hotel, to check e-mail and do laundry.
	The walk from the Maryknoll office to the Menam Hotel is about two blocks, but the sidewalks are rough, the curbs are high, and much of the pathway is blocked by vendors. It is very difficult to pull luggage along the way so several people hired a tuk-tuk (a three-wheeled motorcycle) to haul many of the suitcases to the buses.
	Alicia Butkiewicz, the Director of Mission for the Maryknoll Lay Missioners, pulls her suitcase to the bus while Fr. Kevin Conroy puts his backpack in the luggage compartment.
	When the buses arrived at the Salesian Retreat Center in Hua Hin three hours later, the Thailand mission team was there to welcome everyone. The Thailand group came to the center yesterday for a day of meetings.
	The first task after getting off the bus is to check the room list to see where each person will spend the next nine or ten days. The retreat center can hold about 75 or 80 people. The overflow from our group usually stays with the Ursuline Sisters who have a house a short distance away.
	Three new lay missioners came to Asia to join the Maryknoll Asia South company. Talking with Celina Campas (seated) is Susan Sporl. Lisa Pirie (back to the camera) watches as Claudia and Peggy meet Jim Campion. Susan has been assigned to Cambodia and Claudia Chin and Peggy Vamosy to East Timor.
	Our retreat leader this year is Fr. Timothy Radcliffe, formerly the superior of the worldwide Dominican priests and brothers, and now best known as an author, theologian, and speaker. After supper he gave an opening talk for the retreat which will have a strong liturgical theme to it.