Tag Archives: Pornchai Moontri

2024-04-28 · 3:20 am

Claire Dion 1940-2024 RIP

Claire (Girardin) Dion, 84, of Bridgton, ME, died Wednesday April 24, 2024 after a courageous battle with cancer. Born in Lynn to the late Arthur and Doris (Therrien) Girardin. Claire had lived in Lynn for many years, as well as Beverly, MA, and most recently in Bridgton, Maine with her husband of 23 years Ronald Guthenberg. Claire’s faith was strong and she was very active in the Catholic community and loved the connections she made over the years through her church and its extended community.

Claire was passionate about caring for others and while raising her family, she followed her dreams and attended Bunker Hill Community College and obtained her degree in nursing. She spent many years working with patients and caregivers helping them through their times in need. From labor and delivery to end-of-life, she brought the care and understanding that graced all those who had the privilege of her support.

Claire was also an avid volunteer and gave her time freely to programs such as Greater Lynn Mental Health, where she once served as president of the board. She was also known for taking in those in need, whether an elderly relative or young adult that needed a safe place, her home was always filled with love. Her volunteerism led to her being selected as a torch bearer for the 1996 Olympics. Her caring spirit also extended to animals, whether pets or wild, she loved them all and never missed an opportunity to contribute to their welfare. […]

Funeral Mass: Monday, April 29, 2024, 10:30AM – St. Pius V Church, Maple Street; Lynn, MA

In the picture at the top you see Claire visiting with Pornchai Maximilian Moontri, who were, are both friends of Father Gordon MacRae, Claire helping the both of them through the years. God speed, Claire. Hail Mary…

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2023-07-29 · 6:00 am

2023 Update on Pornchai Maximilian Moontri. Thanks be to God. So many prayers answered.

Have you seen Sound of Freedom? Well, well. This is your must read. For Pornchai Moontri, Hope and Hard Work Build a Future, by Father Gordon J MacRae

  • “Ponch” to “G”: “Thank you for my future.”
  • Father G reminiscing: “That reduced me to tears.”

And then: Pak Chong Nonthaburi

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2022-10-29 · 7:07 am

Elephants and Men and Tragedy in Thailand

  • “The Kingdom of Thailand weeps for its children. Only a wounded healer like Mr. Pornchai Moontri could tell such a devastating story and yet leave readers feeling inspired and hopeful. This is indeed a gift. I have read many accounts of this tragedy, but none told with such elegant grace.” — Dorothy R. Stein

Elephants and Men and Tragedy in Thailand

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2022-09-15 · 6:52 am

Raped for years, his mother murdered, imprisoned most of his life, now a friend of Immaculate Mary’s Son, Jesus

In that picture above the background you see is boxes of cold cases, murders, piled high in the United States Territory of Guam. The label that’s visible says “HOMICIDE: WANNEE L BAILEY”. She’s the one who was murdered. That’s her on the left in the picture at 19 years old, when she was pregnant with her son, Pornchai Moontri, who is to the right in the picture at 12 years of age.

From Father Gordon J MacRae:

  • “It has not escaped my notice that this is being posted on the Feast of the Exultation of the Cross. That is most fitting. This is an unusual post for us, but a necessary one. It tells a story that has deeply impacted our lives and it has been a long time in the making. Please note that portions of this account may be disturbing. I have done all I can to minimize such content without minimizing the story itself. This post is longer than most, but it is a mesmerizing account with no part that I could justly omit. If you have never shared a post of mine on social media or with others, please share this one.”

Just to be clear: share that post on BeyondTheseStoneWalls, over there. Here’s the link:

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/posts/getting-away-with-murder-on-the-island-of-guam

It is one of the very highest honors of my entire life to be called a friend of Pornchai Moontri.

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2022-02-23 · 11:14 am

Pornchai Max Moontri, the Great. Enter Hill, the Great: Good DAAWWG!

That’s Pornchai. And that’s Hill. Over in Thailand.

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/posts/pornchai-moontri-a-night-in-bangkok-a-year-in-freedom

Currents run deep. I’m guessing that Ponch is just now beginning to breath. Thanks be to God.

Meanwhile, Father Gordon MacRae says that Hill looks fierce, ferocious.

I say that Hill looks entirely placid.

Anyway, Father Gordon says that Hill is like the only dog in the Sacred Scriptures that appears without any negativity, you know is the Book of Tobit.

Of course, it depends what you mean by negativity.

  • “Get up and go down to meet Ahab king of Israel, who is in Samaria. See, he is in the vineyard of Naboth, of which he has gone to take possession. Tell him that this is what the LORD says: ‘Have you not murdered a man and seized his land?’ Then tell him that this is also what the LORD says: ‘In the place where the dogs licked up the blood of Naboth, there also the dogs will lick up your blood— yes, yours!’” When Elijah arrived, Ahab said to him, “So you have found me out, my enemy.” He replied, “I have found you out because you have sold yourself to do evil in the sight of the LORD. (1 Kings 21:18-20).

The dogs licking up the blood of the enemies is absolutely glorious. I would say: “Goood DAWWWG!”

There are a lot of goood DAWWWGs in Sacred Scripture.

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2021-11-29 · 8:41 am

Advent Project at BTSW for Thailand. Bonus: humor of Max and Father Gordon, Eh?!

Did I hear that right? You need an Advent Project? Here’s one:

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/special-events

That project involves Father John Le in Thailand (who has been assisting Pornchai Maximilian Moontri), as well as Father Tim Moyle, in Canada, who is twinning his parish with Father Le’s Advent Project.

Meanwhile, some humor, because, it is what it is, Eh?! First of all, as a prerequisite, the first minute of this video dedicated to Canadians saying, asking, “Eh?!” after everything they say, “Eh?!”

Now then, once this twinning of parishes goes forward, everyone involved in Canada will be saying the traditional Thai greeting of “Sawasdee kup!” There are fuller spellings for orthography and changes for the person to whom you are greeting, but that’s the basic form.

  • Pornchai, with typical humor, said: “Oh great! Now everyone in Canada is going to be saying “Sawasdee kup! Eh?!”

Hahaha! Eh?! Lol.

  • Meanwhile, Father Gordon MacRae, not to be outdone in humor, having learned from the great Pornchai makes his own joke: “This is how you tell Canadian Geese from all other geese. Other geese say “Honk!” and Canadian Geese say “Honk! Eh?!”

One of these geese actually says “Eh?!” in the midst of this few seconds of honking:

Father Gordon learned well from the master of humor, Pornchai Maximilian Moontri, Eh?!

Meanwhile, be sure to go to that special events page of Beyond These Stone Walls:

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/special-events

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2020-11-14 · 7:14 am

Censoring the already censored: that hurts bad

As long time readers know, yours truly, a Catholic parish priest, speaks with Father Gordon MacRae on average of about an hour a day. I edit articles for him which we discuss amidst the usual save the world and the Church banter so common among all priests, day-in and day-out.

Until recently, those articles went up on a site many of you know well: TheseStoneWalls.com, which, sad to say, is no longer a live blog. We’re in the process of transferring the old venue to what is appropriately called https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/.

Father Gordon describes just a bit of the censorship with his first post at the new site: https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/posts/life-goes-on-behind-and-beyond-these-stone-walls.

Yours truly continues to do the OCR scanning, then correcting that, then searching for links and pictures, then sending that on to our new anonymous helper behind the scenes. Blessings upon that volunteer. Yours truly chooses not to be anonymous as it’s more important that it be seen by the laity, by fellow priests, by bishops, by the idiots who hate God and their fellow man, who hate justice and due process, that a priest in good standing is willing to be public about his support for a fellow priest who has been unjustly kicked in the face. Jesus stood by all of us, right?

I’m no techy, but I’ve been able to put a note on the no-longer-live TheseStoneWalls.com site opening page so as to encourage people to go to Father Gordon’s fledgling site: https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/.

The new site is just in its infancy. Lots of hurdles with lots of difficult logistics, as you might imagine. All the nightmares, all at once.

All of this is a nightmare for us and the absolute worst possible time for us, what with Father Gordon’s long time friend, Pornchai Maximilian Moontri, in his terrible sufferings. This is all terribly painful, but it is also a new beginning and a freedom from censorship. First say a Hail Mary…. for Father Gordon and for Max, and then go to:

https://beyondthesestonewalls.com/posts/life-goes-on-behind-and-beyond-these-stone-walls

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2020-04-17 · 11:14 am

Coronavirus High Holy Days Humor in a real Prison while we’re on lockdown

pilate jesus barabbas passion of the christ

Pilate in the center, Jesus in light, Barabbas in the dark.

When Pilate asks whom the people want him to release, as was the custom during the High Holy Days, the people shout repeatedly: “We want Barabbas! We want Barabbas!”

Jesus is the Divine Son of the Father, laying down His life for us, the Innocent for the guilty, taking on the punishment each one of us deserves so as to have the right in His own justice to have mercy on us. Hours before, in the Garden of Gethsemane, Jesus prayed to His Father: “Abba! Father!”

Jesus, the Divine Son of the Father is passed over in favor of Barabbas, whose name, in full irony, means “Son of the Father.” And so are we all created and now redeemed as children of our gracious Heavenly Father.

Has any of us ever said about anyone anywhere, “Better him than me”?

Meanwhile, the people, all of us, received what we wanted: Barabbas.

And then this is what happened to Jesus before being crucified:

Jesus Pilate Ecce Homo

Notice the clever film editing: Jesus, who was at the right hand of the political powers that be, is now on the left hand of the political powers that be.

Humor: So, in prison, two good friends, Father Gordon MacRae and Pornchai Maximilian Moontri, celebrated Palm Sunday Mass with the reading of the Passion. Max took all the parts except Jesus and the Narrator, meaning he also had, for instance, the crowd.

Max, you have to know, is from Thailand, and grew up speaking Thai until 11 years old, when he was effectively stolen away to Maine, being a horrific saga that has turned out well in the end. The point is that he doesn’t have perfect English Pronunciation of Hebrew, which means that… drum roll… wait for it…

At the point where the crowd yells: “We want Barabbas! We want Barabbas!” Max instead reads, entirely innocently: “We want Baber-Ass! We want Baber-Ass!”

Father Gordon said that he somehow contained his laughter. I would have laughed so loudly the guards would have had to show up in force.

This is one of those epic, epic moments in the life of Jesus’ little flock. A story that will surely be told in heaven, hopefully with also a redeemed and saved Barabbas listening.

Meanwhile, on this Friday of Easter week – every day like Easter Day…

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2018-09-26 · 9:17 am

Pornchai Moontri, Fr Gordon MacRae: Account summing up abuse crisis

 

Father Gordon MacRae (About) has after a dozen years finally been able to publish the article of his life, that is, not about himself, but about his cell-mate in prison:

Pornchai Moontri: Bangkok to Bangor, Survivor of the Night

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2018-06-19 · 7:31 am

The Gift of Father Gordon J MacRae and Pornchai Maximilian Moontri

img_20180618_191758540_ll~2933566123..jpg

These spiral notebooks of blank, lined pages were envisioned and created and sent to me by Father Gordon and Max and dearest Charlene Duline (my all time favorite State Department diplomat who also totally spoils Laudie-dog and Shadow-dog).

I’m wondering what they have in mind with these notebooks, as they have at other times said in all humor and in all truth that “Father Byers doesn’t have an unpublished thought.” Ha ha ha.

When I was doing my doctoral thesis, and when I was writing my first[!] novel, I used to carry around paper and pen everywhere, no matter what. After all, you never know when ideas, when solutions to impossible conundrums are going to pounce on heart and mind. I many times had to control myself from stopping mid-step while crossing busy Roman streets so as to jot down some notes. Many times I could be seen writing notes while driving a scooter on the way to some Missionaries of Charity house outside of Rome to say Mass early in the morning. But with the pictures and titles of these note-pads, what could the message possibly be?

Anyway, it is they, Father Gordon and Max who are themselves gifts to me. Both are the most extraordinary people, so balanced, so humorous, so insightful, having not only the wisdom of suffering while at the same time always coming to know Jesus’ friendship all the more. I do not know where I would have been without them. Jesus is good and kind in granting that we help each other get along to heaven.

Anyway, anyone have any ideas about what is intended to fill the pages of these note-books?

The subtitles to the books: TheseStoneWalls.com /// MercytotheMax.com

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