Sitting in a chapel of the Salesian Sisters Foundation at 124 Sala Daeng in Bangkok, Sister Ana Rosa Sivori, 77, looks calm and kind. The Catholic nun always has a smile on her face -- a habit she may have obtained while living in Thailand for 54 years.
Speaking fluently in Thai, Sister Sivori -- whose mother tongue is Spanish but who can also speak Italian and English -- has come under the media spotlight because she's Pope Francis' only relative living in the Kingdom. She will reunite with him during his visit to Thailand from today until Saturday.
"He is like a brother to me," she said. In her view, the pontiff is a down-to-earth kind of person.
"He is very humble. He does not cling to his title or power. People feel at ease with him. They feel like he is one of them," she said.
While people may think that she is quite special to be a relative of the Pope, she said: "I do not feel that I am better or have any more privilege than others. I've never shown off and never told anyone that I am his cousin."
The news recently broke when the media looked high and low for her. They asked how they were related. "I told them that my father and his mother were first cousins and we are the second cousins," she said.
They both grew up in Buenos Aires. Their families are quite close. When she was young, the idea to be a nun never crossed her mind. Like other teenagers who enjoyed hanging out with friends, she was happy to join parties and loved freedom. But when she turned 16, she had an unsettled question: "I wondered if my life was only this."
She seriously analysed herself and thought about what she wanted to be. "I came to realise that I wanted to devote myself to others. I want them to be happy," she said.
After finishing high school, Sister Sivori asked to be ordained a sister of the Salesian Order, the female branch of the Salesians of Don Bosco. She wanted to dedicate her life to the care and education of girls in developing countries. The preparation took about five years. She became a missionary in 1996, when she was 23. She left Argentina for Italy and was assigned to Thailand.
Although she knew Thailand as Siam from her school textbooks, Sister Sivori didn't say no to the opportunity. She knew she could live anywhere. She flew alone to another side of the world. Although it was a little difficult to adjust to a new life in the hot and humid air of Bangkok, where people spoke a different language and ate unfamiliar food, the sisters in the foundation helped make her feel at home. She managed to blend in.
From Bangkok, she was assigned to Ban Pong, Ratchaburi. Later, she flew to India to complete her bachelor's in chemistry. After returning to the Kingdom, she studied Thai and passed a test at the primary-school level, qualifying her to teach in Thailand.
Sister Sivori worked in schools across the country, including Marie Upatham School in Nakhon Pathom, Thidanukhro in Hat Yai, Narivooth School in Ratchaburi, and St Mary's School in Udon Thani, where she has been assigned six times. At present, she is a superior vicar of St Mary's School in Udon Thani.
In every school where she's taught, she sets an example for students by being modest and generous. She does not look for brand-name products nor fancy items. She has simple stuff like a typical wristwatch and two pairs of shoes, which she will use until they can no longer be repaired.
"Sisters in our school are good examples for our students. We teach them religion and morality. We prepare our kids to be good people in society. We do not try to convert anyone to Christianity. In our school, we have 2,300 students. Only 150 are Catholic," she said.
Apart from Thailand, Sister Sivori has also lived in Cambodia. In 1990, she was among a pioneer missionary team that went to Phnom Penh after the civil war. At that time, churches, sacred sculptures and buildings of all religions were destroyed after the communist Khmer Rouge ran the country from 1975-79.
It took years before the country had a new government and the people had religious freedom. In 1990, a church was opened in Phnom Penh. The mission of the Salesian Order from Thailand in that year was to build a Catholic school in Phnom Penh. The school has been open until now along with some more in other parts of the country.
When she looks back to the past, Sister Sivori experienced her first political unrest in 1955 in her hometown during the regime of President Juan Peron.
"At that time, I was still young. We heard a loud whirring sounds of aeroplanes. Three of us [her eldest brother and younger sister] went to the rooftop of our house. We saw aircraft fly very low to drop bombs on the government house," she said.
It was June 16, 1955, when 30 aircraft bombed Plaza de Mayo square in Buenos Aires. The target was Casa Rosada, which houses the president's office. But the president was unharmed and fled to Uruguay. The incident killed more than 300 supporters who had gathered in the square.
At present, Sister Sivori still follows the situation in her country. She also uses WhatsApp to video-call her sister to update each other about their lives. Political instability and social chaos are seen in her country as well as in other parts of the world.
"I pray for them. Even for Thailand, I pray for strength [of the people]. I pray that there will be someone who will think of the country first, who will help people, who will not seize and stay in power for their own benefit."
For youths, she hopes that her students will live the dream.
"Youths should know what they like and what they want to be. They should not only live from day to day and keep themselves busy on smartphones. One day, they will have to be on their own. They should know what they are good at and go for it."
When asked about Thailand, where she has spent most of her life, she said: "I like Thailand. It is peaceful. As a missionary, I'd like my body to remain in the country that I have lived and worked for. My bones will be buried in this ground."
