Emmaus Farm, a Jesuit ecological centre in Chiang Mai, welcomed 25 students from the Catholic Student Network of Northern Thailand for a two-day learning programme on Laudato sí held from 26 to 27 October.
The programme included various activities. Kep Phokthavi, the centre’s director, showed the participants how to make concrete paver blocks decorated with small pieces of stained glass. Somneak, a staff member, taught students about soil cultivation and planting garlic, and he guided them in making mud bricks. Another staff member, Ken, demonstrated bamboo weaving to create beautiful flower pots and showed the group how to plant new trees around the compound.
Through these activities, the students gained a deeper understanding of nature. For example, they learnt that a house built with mud bricks stays cooler inside compared to a concrete house. Working together also strengthened their friendship, as they got to know one another better, living and working like a family and sharing moments of joy.
Anchoen Charoekul (Ann), a second-year student at Lam Pang Rajabhat University, found the skills and insights she gained invaluable—from making floor tiles and mud bricks for building earthen houses to planting vegetables, weaving baskets, and practising teamwork. She expressed gratitude for the opportunity to participate in the Laudato sí camp, especially thanking God, the organisers, and the benefactors who have made the experience possible for young people like her.
“This camp helped us become aware of the importance of God’s creation. It helped us see and understand just how deeply God loves us, reminding us to take good care of nature in return,” Ann shared, adding how wonderful it was to meet new friends—both senior and junior students from other universities.
“For me, this camp was very different from others I’ve attended, yet I was deeply impressed by it,” said Ann. “In my view, the Catholic Student Network of Northern Thailand has a unique and special quality. Each participant is a student with their own life goals, unique qualities, and diverse abilities. When we come together from different universities, faculties, fields of study, and backgrounds, it’s as though we share experiences, support one another in happiness, and complete the missing pieces in each other’s lives.”
Pham Ngo Hoang Dung SJ, known to all as Dzung, is a young Vietnamese Jesuit priest who committed himself to the Jesuit Region of Thailand. He serves as the university chaplain of the Catholic Student Network in the North of Thailand and is also the director of the Seven Fountains Scholarship Fund (SFSF).