His Majesty, the Late
King Bhumibol Adulyadej
5 December 1927 – 13 October 2016
Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power
Over the many years I have been associated with Mater Dei School, I have always been im-
pressed with the honour and respect shown to His Majesty, the late King Bhumibol Adulyadej. The King
was an alumnus of this school for a short, yet very special time.
The King held a number of Catholic Church projects close to His heart and is known to have
attended many Church and Church School functions throughout His reign. A highpoint of Catholic
association was in 2014, when the King and the 10 Dioceses of the Catholic Church in Thailand were
honoured by the receipt of relics of both Pope John XXIII and Pope John Paul II, embodying respect
from the Vatican for the King’s kind work with these Popes.
Throughout His life, King Bhumibol Adulyadej honoured the name He was blessed with at birth,
a name meaning ‘Strength of the Land, Incomparable Power’. As the ninth monarch of the Chakri
Dynasty, He humbly devoted almost 71 years of His life to supporting the people of His beloved Thai -
land. As the ‘Development King’, He carefully planned the positive development of Thailand in stages.
This development included large-scale irrigation projects, as well as the sufficiency economy theory to
support the rural areas. He really did have a feeling for the needs of His people and accomplished
these deeds with creativity and foresight. His kind heart will be greatly missed.
The two memorial Masses held at Mater Dei School were very honourable. One was held for
staff at the beginning of Semester 2. The other, on 1st November, was organised by the Alumnae
Association. There were so many attending that there was barely room to stand. Such wonderful ap-
preciation! A number of the alumnae present at this Mass have associations with royal projects, some
even working very closely and in positions of great importance with the royal family. The care taken
to ensure this occasion was humbly beautiful and heartfelt was very evident.
18 Mater Dei News ฉบับที่ 51 ปีที่ 13 ปีการศึกษา 2559