Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung

BLESSED NICHOLAS BUNKERD KITBAMRUNG (1895-1944)

Fr. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung, a former student of College General Major Seminary, Penang, was beatified on March 5 by Pope John Paul II.

Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung came from a traditional Thai Catholic family and was a parishioner of St.Peter’s Church in Nakho Pathom Province, not far from Bangkok. He was the first son of the five children born to Mr. Joesph Poxang and Mrs. Agnes Thiang Kitbamrung. He was born on January 31, 1895 and baptized on 5 th February, 1895 with the Christian name “Benedictus” by Fr. Rene Perros who later became the Vicar Apostolic of Siam from 1909-1947.

Nicholas studied at Bang Xang Seminary (1908-1916) and later served as a catechist between the years 1916-1920. Thereafter he was admitted to College General, the Major Seminary in Penang in 1920 and remained there until 1925. He was ordained priest on January 24, 1926, at the Assumption Cathedral, Bangkok by Bishop Rene Perrros. He then worked in various parishes in Thailand until his arrest in 1941.

Religious persecution in Thailand began in 1940 and ended in 1944. Persecution against Catholism can be linked to a combination of factors: rising Thai nationalism, its hostility towards French imperialism and the allegation that Catholism was a French religion. It was due to this hatred of the Catholic Faith that Fr. Nicholas was falsely accused, arrested, convicted and sentenced to fifteen years imprisonment. During his detention he continued his active priestly ministry, teaching catechism to prisoners and was responsible for baptizing 68 people in prison, so that the prison authorities were extremely displeased with him. His life manifested to fellow prisoners the virtues of love, endurance and perseverance.

Due to great suffering, which he endured in prison, he fell ill of tuberculosis and died on January 12, 1944 before completing the official sentence of 15 years of imprisonment. His death was directly caused by anti-Catholic hatred and was heroic sacrifice. His death is also a vivid witness and living faith to all of us.

In one of his letters from prison, Blessed Nicholas wrote: “Following the example of Jesus, my universal Master, I have always prayed to God to forgive those three false witnesses who filed false accusations against me.”

In his homily, Pope John Paul II said that Fr. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung’s priestly life was an authentic hymn of praise to the Lord. As a man of prayer, Fr. Nicholas was outstanding in teaching of the faith, in seeking out the lapsed and in charity to the poor. The strength of his faith was made clear to all when he forgave those who falsely accused him, deprived him of his freedom and made him suffer.

In proclaiming blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung as a martyr, January 12 has been set aside as the day to commemorate his memorial.