A relic of Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung is set on the altar of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Penang.
Blessed Nicholas was the first martyred priest in Thailand. Born in 1895 as one of six children in a Christian-converted family, Nicholas entered the seminary at age 13 and did his priestly formation at College General in Penang
Throughout his years as a priest, he worked as a missionary across Thailand to engage lapsed Catholics. During World War II, Thailand’s Buddhist-majority government was skeptical of Western influence, including that of the Catholic Church. Nicholas was arrested and eventually died in prison of tuberculosis after being refused medical treatment due to his religion.
As a fierce advocate for religious freedom, Nicholas helped people find their faith even at the end of his life, converting nearly 70 people while in prison.