Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Vatican City (Agenzia Fides) - The Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, on 7 March 2007, appointed Rev. Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit Bishop of Nakhon Sawan in Thailand, until now the Bishop elect was parish priest at the cathedral of Bangkok.
Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovitvanit was born on 27 June 1949 at Ban Rak, archdiocese of Bangkok. He entered St Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Sampran. He was sent to Rome to study philosophy and theology at the Pontifical Urban University (1970-1976) while residing at Urban College. He was ordained in Thailand on 11 July 1976 for the archdiocese of Bangkok. He has since ministered as follows: 1976: assistant priest at, Nativity of Mary Church, Ban Pan; 1977-1979: and at Epiphany Church Koh Vai; 1979-1981: vice rector of St Joseph’s Minor Seminary in Sampran; 1982-1983: specialisation in Spirituality at the Gregorian University, Rome. 1983-1989: rector of Holy Family Intermediate Seminary in Nakhon Ratchasima; 1989-1993: under-secretary of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Thailand; 1992-2000: rector of Lux Mundi National Major Seminary in Sampran; 2000-2003: parish priest at the church of Our Lady of Lourdes in Hua Take. Since 2001: special lecturer at Sampran major seminary. Since 2003, parish priest of the cathedral and secretary of the council of priests of the archdiocese of Bangkok.
Nakhon Sawan diocese, suffragan of the archdiocese of Bangkok, was created in 1967. It has an area of 93,54sk km, a population of 8,327,052 of whom 11,605 are Catholics gathered in 29 parishes assisted by 35 priests (26 diocesan, 9 religious 5 Brothers and 44 women religious and there are 15 major seminarians. (S.L.) (Agenzia Fides 7/3/2007; Righe 20; Parole 252)
