Bespoke silk robes await Pope Francis on Thailand visit

Thailand's capital boasts garment makers ranging from bespoke tailors to sweatshops, but for a truly divine frock, you have to look a little harder.

In a Catholic preparatory school, seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok are studiously snipping and sewing. They've been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month.

Using Thai silk, the nimble-fingered outfitters have made two full sets of custom robes, in gold-and-white and in vivid red, to grace the pontiff at two public Masses before tens of thousands of the faithful.

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, photo, Sister Sukanya Sukchai holds a newly made Thai silk miter at Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. Seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok are studiously snipping and sewing, fashioning robes for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis. They’ve been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

They are also stitching almost 200 robes for accompanying bishops, though no silk for them: Theirs are made of polyester.

The strong colors of the pope's two robes, known as chasubles, are not just to ensure he's visible from a distance — they also convey meaning. The visit's organizers say the gold and white symbolize innocence and joyfulness, while the red represents love and the blood of martyrs.

An air of quiet concentration pervades the high-ceilinged room where the 11-member team of sisters have been racing the clock, 10 hours a day, ever since the 82-year-old pope's measurements arrived from the Vatican in September.

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, photo, seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok snip and sew at a preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. The seamstresses are studiously snipping and sewing, fashioning robes for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis. They’ve been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

Despite nervousness over the approaching deadline, they say they're on track. Soon they'll send the chasubles to the Vatican's embassy in Bangkok for final approval.

"I felt that we didn't have much time, but I wasn't worried that we wouldn't finish them," said Sister Sukanya Sukchai, a member of the tailoring team.

"I knew that God would help. I knew that his help would come in time so that we would finish the job — despite our stress about not being able to complete the task."

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, photo, seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok snip and sew at a Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. A 11-member team of Sisters have been racing the clock, 10 hours a day, stitching almost 200 ceremonial garments for Pope Francis and accompanying bishops for Pope Francis four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

The pope's robes often incorporate designs relating to the country he's in. Two years ago in Myanmar, his green chasuble bore the country's national flower, the bright yellow padauk.

For Thailand, an ancient motif known as a "kranok" emblazons the cloth. The intricate design is frequently seen carved in the stone or wood of Thai temples.

The priest behind the idea, the Rev. Naruenat Pankrod, said by phone from Italy that he worried the kranok might be too elaborate for a pontiff who favors simplicity, but it's received the seal of approval.

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 photo, a seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok sews at a Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. The seamstresses have been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

The tailors hope the same will go for the garments themselves.

Gaysorn Srihera, who leads the tailoring team, said she can't wait to see the fruits of their labor before a worldwide audience.

"I am very excited. I want to see how good the vestments that I made could look. I am very excited and happy," she said.

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, photo, Sister Sukanya Sukchai, right, inspects a newly made pillow at a Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. Seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok are studiously snipping and sewing. They’ve been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

Pope Francis will arrive in Thailand on Nov. 20 before heading off to Japan three days later, where a new set of tailor-made robes will await him.

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 photo, a seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok sews at a Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. The seamstresses are studiously snipping and sewing, fashioning robes for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis. They’ve been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019, photo, Sister Sukanya Sukchai adjusts a newly made ceremonial garments at a Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. Seamstresses from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok are studiously snipping and sewing, fashioning robes for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis. They’ve been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 photo, a seamstress from the Congregation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus Sisters of Bangkok hangs a ceremonial garment after ironing it at a Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. The seamstresses are studiously snipping and sewing, fashioning robes for the upcoming visit of Pope Francis. They’ve been working tirelessly, running up the ceremonial garments Pope Francis will wear during his four-day visit to Thailand later this month. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

In this Friday, Nov. 8, 2019 photo, a boy wears a T-shirt marking Pope Francis' visit to Thailand at a Catholic preparatory school in Bangkok, Thailand. Pope Francis will arrive in Thailand on Nov. 20, before heading off to Japan three days later, where a new set of tailor-made robes will await him. (AP PhotoGemunu Amarasinghe)

This Friday, Nov. 1, 2019, photo provided by Rev. Naruenat Pankrod shows Pankrod with a design he created for Pope Francis miter for his four-day visit to Thailand, at San Giorgio delle Pertiche in Veneto, Italy. Rev. Pankrod said by phone from Italy that he worried the kranok might be too elaborate for a pontiff who favors simplicity, but it's received the seal of approval. (Naruenat Pankrod via AP)

LAS VEGAS (AP) — The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has for now denied the A's request to trademark the names “Las Vegas Athletics” and “Vegas Athletics.”

The club, which intends to move to Nevada in 2028, has three months from when the refusals were issued Dec. 29 to ask for an extension to file a new application within a six-month period.

The A's were told the nickname “Athletics” was too generic and could be confused with other activities even if associated with Las Vegas.

That, however, has been the club's nickname since the Philadelphia Athletics began playing in 1901. The A's kept the nickname when they moved to Kansas City in 1955 and Oakland in 1968.

The Patent and Trademark Office denied the NHL's Utah team to use the nickname “Yetis” on Jan. 9 because of potential confusion with companies such as Yeti Coolers. Utah, which moved from the Phoenix area in 2024, now uses the nickname “Mammoth.”

The A's relocated to West Sacramento, California, last year to play the first of three planned seasons in the city's Triple-A ballpark. The team is going solely by “Athletics” while playing in the Northern California city.

A $2 billion, 33,000-capacity stadium on the Las Vegas Strip is under construction. Club officials told the Las Vegas Stadium Authority on Dec. 4 that the ballpark is on schedule to open in time for the 2028 season.

Nevada and Clark County have approved up to $380 million in public funds for the ballpark, and the A’s have said they will cover the remaining expenses. Owner John Fisher has been seeking investors to assist in the funding.

In preparing for the move to Las Vegas, the A's have signed some notable contracts. The most recent was an $86 million, seven-year deal for left fielder Tyler Soderstrom, the richest in team history. Soderstrom signed his contract Dec. 30 at the A's Experience Center in Las Vegas.

The A's acquired second baseman Jeff McNeil from the New York Mets on Dec. 22.

Going back to last offseason, the A's also reached agreements on a $60 million, five-year contract with designated hitter/outfielder Brent Rooker and a $65.5 million, seven-year deal with outfielder Lawrence Butler. Manager Mark Kotsay signed an extension that takes him through 2028 with a club option for 2029.

AP MLB: https://apnews.com/mlb

FILE - Athletics' Tyler Soderstrom sprints towards first after hitting an RBI double during the fifth inning of a baseball game against the Houston Astros, Sept. 23, 2025, in West Sacramento, Calif. (AP Photo/Scott Marshall, File)