Saint John XXIII, original name Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli, (born November 25, 1881, Sotto il Monte, Italy-died June 3, 1963, Rome; beatified September 3, 2000 canonized April 27, 2014; feast day October 11), one of the most popular popes of all time (reigned 1958–63), who inaugurated a new era in the history of the Roman Catholic Church by his openness to change (aggiornamento), shown especially in his convoking of the Second

Legacy of Saint John XXIII

There was nothing in the earlier life of Angelo Giuseppe Roncalli to suggest that his reign as pope would be anything other than the decorous, tradition-bound, static pontificate the Sacred College of Cardinals was counting on when it chose him as an “interim” pope-a papa di passaggio-in October 1958.

His brilliant, strong-willed predecessor had shaped a defensive policy for dealing with the modern world that the cardinals thought would serve the needs of the church for another century, and they had every reason to believe, from his past behaviour, that the elderly Cardinal Roncalli would maintain the status quo for the few years he had to live.

Then, according to the plan, the church would be turned over to a younger prelate who was cast in Pius XII’s mold. As pope, however, Roncalli put into effect so many of the ideas he had entertained privately during a half century of obediently serving others that the church was never the same again. Angelo Roncalli might have lived and died as an obscure parish priest had he been less of a conformist throughout all but the last few years of his life.

The child of a peasant family, he began his career in the church with no connections of any significance and no powerful patron to guide him through the maze of ecclesiastical politics. His steady climb was above all due to his readiness to subdue his own preferences, follow orders, and adjust without complaint to the will of his superiors. Such was the clerical ideal proposed at his seminary in Bergamo, and it guided him throughout his life.

His successor, Paul VI, instituted the formal proceedings that would lead to John’s canonization as a saint. Had the ancient custom of popular canonization still been in effect in 1963, that honour would probably have been given to him immediately by the tearful crowd who were gathered in St. Peter’s Square when his death was announced. In 2000 he was beatified by Pope John Paul II. In 2014 he and John Paul II were canonized on the same day.

At Assumption University of Thailand

Assumption University' main Conference Hall located at Suvarnabhumi Campus was indeed named after Saint John XXIII

The Rector Emeritus of Assumption University of Thailand, Rev. Brother Prathip Martin Komolmas was influenced by two major considerations in his choice of name for the John XXIII International Conference Center at the Suvarnabhumi campus. The first reason was that Pope Saint John XXII in his five-year papacy, made a major impact on the Catholic Church, opening it up to dramatic unexpected changes promulgated at the Vatican Council and by his own dealings with other churches and nations. The second reason was that in his major encyclical Pacem in terries, the Pope encouraged equality among all peoples and nations, declaring “we were all made in God’s image, and thus, we are all Godly alike.”

John XXIII Conference Center

The John XXIII Conference Center is a two-story building for conventions and receptions. Its modern facilities include language translation capability to and from several languages. On the second floor are seven meeting rooms, the largest of which can accommodate 300 people. Ideally located near the entry and exit of the University, it is an idyllic place that overlooks natural and architectural beauties. Its name is a tribute to the Head of the Roman Catholic Church. This international convention center is another center where different human races will unite and exchange their ideas and ideals for the benefit of future generations.

Level 1: Banquet hall

The Banquet Hall offers an immense space accommodating the seating arrangement of up to 1,000 guests for national or international conferences, seminars, exhibition, or any large-scale events.

Level 2: John XXIII Conference Room

The conference room is able to seat 300 guests and offers multimedia solutions including microphones and complete audio systems. The mezzanine floor, seats 100 guests and features two rooms for interpreters.

J201: VIP Room

  • The VIP Room can be used to accommodate VIP guests such as presidents or speakers.

J202, J203, J204, J206, J207, and J208: 6 rooms

  • These are small meeting rooms which can host approximately 30 participants.

J205: Kiattikhun UNESCO Conference Room

  • This meeting room features round conference tables which can seat 80 participants. The room is named as such in honor of UNESCO at United Nation. The walls are decorated with Ramakien paintings.

J209: Wiman Bangsaothong Conference Room

  • This meeting room has a semi-circle seating setup which can host 60 participants and can be used for special meetings or seminars.

Sources:

Conference Center. (n.d.). https://www.au.edu/visitors/suvarnbhumi-campus.html
Hatch, A. (1963). A man named John: the life of Pope John XXIII. Hawthorn Books.
Murphy, F. X. (1959). John XXIII: the story of the pope. Avon Book Division.
Saint John XXIII. (n.d.). https://www.britannica.com/biography/Saint-John-XXIIIJohn XXIII