Seven Fountains Jesuit Spirituality Centre

Home Welcome! Inspired by the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola, the founder of the Society of Jesus, the Seven Fountains welcomes all who come to deepen their knowledge and love of Jesus Christ. The Seven Fountains offers a variety of retreats, conferences, days of prayer, and spiritual direction for those seeking personal growth in faith, prayer, and in the ability to respond whole-heartedly to God in one's daily life. Why is our place called Seven Fountains? The northern part of present day Thailand used to be an independent kingdom, the Kingdom of Lanna. In the year 1411 A.D. (1954 B.E.), two rival leaders led their armies into this northern kingdom to wage an attack on King Saam Fang Kaen. The King and his troops were located at the foot of Doi Suthep (the northwestern tip of the current city of Chiangmai), and they built a small fortress there to defend the King and his control of the city. The two armies who attacked the royal fortress were led by Yee Kum Kaam (the elder step-brother of King Saam Fang Kaen) and King Sai Lyy Tai (Sukhotai). The military commander of King Saam Fang Kaen had protected this fortress by surrounding it with soldiers commanding more than 200 bullock carts. When the approaching invaders saw this show of strength, they turned back and started their retreat away from Chiangmai. King Saam Fang Kaen later turned this fortress and its surrounding area into a palace and called it The City of the Seven Water Troughs because of the seven wooden troughs or small aqueducts that brought the water from Doi Suthep into the palace area. The original name of the palace was Wiang Jet Lin. Wiang means a city enclosed by a protective wall Jet means seven Lin means trough or conduit for water The water from Doi Suthep was considered sacred, and so added to the special nature of this palace. Several kings from nearby kingdoms would come to ask for this lustral water as part of the royal ceremonies, and eventually water from this source was also used for the enthronement of kings of the Lanna Kingdom.