Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung
Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung (born January 31, 1895 AD in Nakhon Pathom, Thailand; died January 12, 1944 AD in Bang Khwang prison, Thailand) was a Thai Catholic priest and martyr, who died in prison of tuberculosis during a wartime persecution of Catholics in Thailand, having been imprisoned on the false charge of spying because of his faith and his zeal for evangelization. He is venerated as a Blessed and martyr of the Church. His feast day is January 12.
A tireless missionary priest who built churches and schools and instructed many converts, Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung continued to minister to his fellow prisoners even as he died. He was beatified in 2000.
Stored in Cargo: Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung
| Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung | |
|---|---|
| Feast Day | January 12 |
| Profession | Priest; missionary; martyr |
| Rel. Affiliation | Catholic Church |
| Patronage | The Church in Thailand; those persecuted for the faith |
| Attributes | Priestly cassock; palm of martyrdom |
| Birthplace | Nakhon Pathom, Thailand |
| Death Place | Bang Khwang prison, Thailand |
| Cause of Death | Martyrdom; died of tuberculosis in prison during persecution in Thailand |
| Primary Shrine | Thailand |
Biography
Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung was born on January 31, 1895, at Nakhon Pathom in Thailand (then Siam), into a Catholic family. Feeling called to the priesthood, he undertook the long course of seminary studies, part of it abroad, and was ordained a priest. He gave himself with great energy to the work of evangelization, traveling widely to preach, to instruct catechumens, to build churches and schools, and to strengthen the scattered Catholic communities of the country and beyond.
During the Second World War, a wave of nationalist and anti-Catholic feeling in Thailand led to the persecution of Christians, who were viewed with suspicion as foreign in their loyalties. Father Nicholas, zealous in his ministry and unafraid to defend the faith, was arrested and accused of being a spy—a false charge that arose from hostility to his religion. He was condemned to a long term of imprisonment.
In prison he bore his sufferings with patience and continued to act as a priest, instructing and baptizing fellow prisoners and encouraging them in faith. He contracted tuberculosis and, weakened by the harsh conditions, died in the prison of Bang Khwang on January 12, 1944, a martyr. He was beatified on March 5, 2000, by Pope John Paul II. His feast is kept on January 12.
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Feast day
January 12
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