By Chainarong Monthienvichienchai
BANGKOK, Thailand – The Archdiocese of Bangkok marked World Mission Sunday with the observance of Laity Sunday to honor the vital role of laypeople in the Church’s mission.
George Varakorn Techamontrikul, president of the Catholic Business Executives and Professionals (CBEP)—one of Thailand’s leading Catholic lay organizations in the business sector—said the laity is “called to participate in spreading the Gospel through our daily lives, our talents, and our actions in the secular world, a mission rooted in our baptism and confirmation.”
He urged the lay movements gathered at St Louis Church on Oct 19 “to respond to Pope Leo XIV’s invitation for us to become Missionaries of Hope among all peoples” and “to reflect on our vocation as laypeople,” which he said is “central to the Church’s mission.”
Varakorn emphasized that evangelization is not limited to priests or missionaries but extends to all baptized Catholics. “We are called to act as everyday ministers of the faith—living out Christian principles in our workplaces, marketplaces, and families,” he said.
He noted that the Christ-like witness of laypeople in their everyday lives remains the most effective means of evangelization, while emphasizing the importance of supporting and praying for missionaries.
Since the Second Vatican Council, the Catholic Church has reaffirmed the laity’s essential contribution to the Church’s mission.
Continue reading in LiCAS.news.
