This photo is from
Feb 1999 with me with Vassula and my Thai Bishop who was a close friend of
mine who sadly died in 2011 who I visited in hospital just before he died.
I was so sad to hear the Greek Visionary Vassula Ryden died yesterday (25 September 2024 at 2.30 Greek time). She was about 82 years old as she was born in 1942 during World War 2 and was a famous visionary known over the whole world. She was born in Egypt of Greek Orthodox parents. She was a worldly person obsessed with tennis until she was converted by her Guardian angel appearing to her when she was living in Bangladesh.
In early 1997 I was praying about my future direction and I felt God say in my heart that he would take me on eagle wings and I would connect with Vassula Ryden, whose messages I had been reading. Within a couple of months God took me on eagle wings (plane) to teach at a Buddhist run Commercial/ Business College in Thailand. I arrived in Thailand on my 34th Birthday in 1997 to teach EFL.
In 1998 Vassula visited Thailand and I attended her meeting in Bangkok (on March 4 at the Holy Redeemer (Ruam Rudi) Hall), where she prayed over me with a crucifix with a relic of the True Cross and I was struck like electricity and fell back and when I got up I couldn't stop sobbing for ages and felt I was receiving deep spiritual healing.
I met a lovely older lady called Joan that night who ran a Catholic charismatic meeting at the hall which I then on occasion would attend when I came to Bangkok. She and I were asked to be the god parents of a baby who was half Thai and half Filipino called Monica. I introduced Joan to my Bishop who then asked Joan to come and minister with her charismatic gifts to the people in his diocese.
With my priest and the Bishop I spoke in many places and either Father Surin or Bishop Manat translated for me and I prayed over thousands of people throughout Thailand. I shared about the charismatic, Marian and Eucharistic Adoration which were all very new to the Thai Catholics outside Bangkok.
I also attended the Jewish Synagogue in Bangkok on occasion and I would stay at a nearby hotel so I could walk on Shabbat. I also attended the Jewish Community Passover Seder there and remember spending Yom Kippor there one year as well.
Then with my Thai Bishop Manat I spent time with Vassula at the Mt Tabor retreat centre in rural Thailand (Kanchanaburi) up in the hills in February 1999 on Vassula's second visit as a visionary to Thailand. I got to know her and her best friend Catarina who was there with her as I ate with them and chatted for every meal during the days of the retreat. She prayed over me again and this time I felt I was falling like a gentle leaf to the ground. A little Thai young man tried to catch me which apparently caused great amusement to all present!
Later in February 2001 on a week's school holidays (I was now teaching in a Catholic Commercial College in Ratchaburi in Thailand) I went to visit Catarina (who was Greek Orthodox) and her husband Duleep in Bangladesh where they ran a house for the poor called Beth Miriam (founded in 1999). I stayed at the Beth Miriam and they feed aroud 49 poor people every day.
While I was there Vassula came to Bangladesh with a delightful Armenian Orthodox Bishop Zakarian from France on February 18. Then for a few days I travelled in a van with Vassula and the Bishop and Catarina around Bangladesh and attending her meetings. The Bishop and I got on like a house on fire. He was one of the holiest men I have ever met and had such an open heart. We also visited an old Armenian Church in Dhaka
We also sailed on a small boat up the river to visit a small Christian village where Vassula and TLIG were financing the building of a school and I gave them 500 American dollars to help complete it and was told I had just paid a quarter of the price for the school! Not only the Christian students would attend the school but also Hindus and Muslims from nearby villages. I refused to eat my meal with my fingers so they found the only spoon in the village to give me while Caterina and the others ate with their fingers like the villagers. It was very messy so I was glad I insisted on a spoon!
Though I haven't seen Vassula for 23 years I was deeply saddened to hear of her passing to her reward yesterday. May she rest in peace and I am redoing her life and death in Divine Will.
I know I felt the Holy Spirit powerfully at work in her healing meetings and was impressed with her writings and teachings that I studied or heard and did not find anything heretical in them. However, I have not read them in many years and have not been involved with TLIG for many years. I am cautious of those Catholics who say writings are heretical who do not have some expertise in mystical theology and have found these kind of clergy, who may be experts in ontological theology, are often blind to the different use of terminology used by a mystic.
Some clergy in both the Catholic and Orthodox Churches are very rigid in regards to true ecumenism which I believe was exemplified by Vassula, which is similar to that of Pope Francis. He is also criticised by many for his ecumenism and outreach to all. My personal opinion is that Vassula was called by God and that her messages are genuine but of course I submit my discernment to that of the Pope and obey any rulings by the Dicastery of the Doctrine of the Faith.
Me teaching in Thailand in 1998 at E-Tech in Chonburi