Blessed Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung

Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung (Thai: นิโคลาส บุญเกิด กฤษบำรุง; RTGS: Bunkoet Kritbamrung; 31 January 1895 – 12 January 1944) was a Thai Catholic priest. Kitbamrung studied for almost two decades prior to his ordination at which stage he began pastoral work as an assistant to two pastors across Thai provinces. He soon became a noted catechist who instructed Salesian seminarians in such while teaching Salesian priests the Thai language. He was thrown into prison in 1941 when the Thai authorities accused him of espionage and collaboration with the French (whom the Thai were hostile towards) and he died in 1944 from tuberculosis after prolonged periods of mistreatment. He is the first Thai from the faith recognized for being killed "ex aerumnis carceris" ("from the hardships of incarceration") following his beatification. The beatification was celebrated on 5 March 2000 in Saint Peter's Square. Nicholas Bunkerd Kitbamrung was born on 31 January 1895 in Nakhon Pathom as one of six children to Joseph Poxang and Agnes Thiang Kitbamrung; some sources suggest that he was born on 28 February though his parish's baptismal register disputes this. Both parents were converts to the faith. Kitbamrung received baptism on 5 February in the parish of Saint Peter's from Father (and future bishop) René-Marie-Joseph Perros with the name "Benedict". He commenced his ecclesial studies in Hang Xan at the Sacred Heart ecclesial institute in 1908 (1908–16) and completed a period in which he worked as a catechist in 1920. He continued studies abroad in 1920 at the Penang ecclesial institute and concluded in 1925 all the while having received the minor orders (August 1924) as well as both the subdiaconate (August 1925) and the diaconate (September 1925). He received his ordination to the priesthood on 24 January 1926 in the Cathedral of the Assumption in Bangkok from Bishop René-Marie-Joseph Perros.