Showing 1 - 10 of 70
'Father Joe' still on a mission
Published on 15/10/2022
» The young priest, always something of a misfit, chose an unconventional spot to start his preschool: a former pigsty near a slaughterhouse in one of Bangkok’s poorest neighbourhoods.
Our Rose of Klong Toey, a Christmas baby
Life, Father Joe Maier, Published on 23/12/2021
» At Christmas, deep in the heart of each of us is a "broken alleluia". So often, almost always, in the slums of Klong Toey and here at Mercy Centre. The whispers, tears, the silent gestures of the children say so much about sadness and being dumped, left alone in an abandoned building or a bus stop. That's the broken part, and the alleluia is the joy of Christmas, of being loved. Being found.
Opening doors for the ordinary
Life, Father Joe Maier, Published on 15/04/2021
» To kick open the door only once -- and it stays open. That's what our Mercy Centre and Human Development Foundation does.
Jesus in Klong Toey
Life, Father Joe Maier, Published on 25/12/2020
» Baby Jesus was too young to travel but there was no choice. It was either life or death. His parents -- blessed Virgin Mary and carpenter Joseph -- had to run from the bad guys. It was either flee or die. The angel had jarred Joseph awake in a vivid no-nonsense dream saying that they are going to kill baby Jesus and that means you and his mum too because we angels know you will give your lives defending infant Jesus.
Christmas carols, Isan music end troubled year
Life, John Clewley, Published on 22/12/2020
» This has been a tough year for everyone involved in the music business, here in Thailand and everywhere else.
From the muck andback into the muck, with a different purpose
Life, Father Joe Maier, Published on 01/06/2020
» It began with a slaughterhouse alumna of our oldest slum kindergarten. She's a young mum now and a heroine in our war on Covid-19. But just a short time ago, she was in a spot of bother. In fact, several spots of bother.
When others turn away
Life, Father Joe Maier, Published on 06/04/2020
» Temple kitchens are always off to the side, unnoticed unless you are part of the kitchen staff -- those devoted ladies who cook and clean for every ceremonial meal. Auntie Grannie is one of the selfless. Not surprisingly, she is also someone who will always stand by your side when others turn away.
Irish shenanigans on Sukhumvit
Life, John Clewley, Published on 03/03/2020
» Irish music takes centre stage in this edition of the column. Long-time Bangkok resident Prof Mick Moloney featured in a previous column on the Sunday music programme at the Mercy Center in Klong Toey, Bangkok. It was a fun trip, but I didn't have the chance to see Mick play his beloved tenor banjo and sing some Irish songs.
Dance, love, sing, live
Life, John Clewley, Published on 11/02/2020
» Father Joseph Maier, an Irish American priest who has dedicated his life to helping marginalised and abused children in Klong Toey, Bangkok, will be well-known to long-time readers of the Bangkok Post. His short stories on these children and their struggles are, in my view, among the best written in the Bangkok Post. They present some of the saddest yet most uplifting tales you'll read about. Father Joe’s stories pull at the heart strings and make you take notice.
Christmas Letter 2019
Life, Father Joe Maier, Published on 25/12/2019
» Along with revered legends like the Archangel Gabriel, who appeared to the Virgin Mary to ask if she would be the Mother of Jesus, we hold dearly to the Star in the East.