Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page
Today’s Khmer Times newspaper has this article about a woman jailed for throwing a shoe at a billboard image of the prime minister! The prime minister regularly reminds the people that he is not a dictator and government spokesmen repeat again and again the claim that human and civil rights are respected. Does this look anyone has freedom of speech? Basically it shows how weak and insecure the current government is when they feel they need to prosecute such a trivial event.
|
“I used to think that prayer changes things but now I know that prayer changes us and we change things.” ~ Mother Teresa |
Every month we have a celebration for those whose birthdays are that month and today we celebrated September–and also added two staff who are finishing their time at DDP. Working with a young and lively staff is one of the benefits of the management job at DDP.
This weekend was the last time for Fr. Bob Wynne to celebrate with the Saturday and Sunday English communities before he takes up a new assignment in the United States. Click here to see pictures from the two farewells.
In two weeks, Fr. Bob Wynne will take up a new assignment at the Maryknoll house in Seattle, Washington. Tonight was the last time he would celebrate the liturgy with the Saturday night congregation which meets at World Vision auditorium. He spoke about his mission in Cambodia and at the end of mass the community thanked him and gave him a gift.
Pat Marrin is an artist who applies his skills to church themes connected with Pope Francis. He does a really good job of giving new insights into current issues such as the sexual abuse scandal or caring for the environment. His comic strips on Pope Francis are published twice a week, on Tuesdays and Thursdays.
Here is his latest strip, again taking a stance on clergy sexual abuse and the cover-up:
You can have an e-mail sent to you about each new Pope Francis cartoon by going to this address:
https://www.ncronline.org/news/environment/francis-chronicles/francis-comic-strip
Today was Fr. Kevin Conroy’s birthday and we celebrated it as part of our regular Maryknoll Wednesday meeting.
Kevin: “I was afraid no one would remember my birthday so I dressed up a little….”
Sr. Regina: “I’m staying away as far as I can. I think I’m safe here….”
|
“This is an astonishing thing to have to say about an American president, but Trump is taking a page from the playbook of totalitarian dictators: Believe only me. Reality is what I say it is. Anyone who claims otherwise is an Enemy of the People.”
~Eugene Robinson (Washington Post Op-Ed) |
The foreign population of Phnom Penh is constantly turning over. We see that in our parish community where we need to recruit new ministers every four or five months because so many are rotated out or reassigned. And it’s the same with the buildings here. Places that I pass often have been family homes, a restaurant, a crocodile farm, a bar and brothel in quick succession. One group moves out and the other moves in with the least bit of disruption.
An illustration is the house in these pictures. Just a year and a half ago, it was a residence for high-ranking US Embassy personnel. I was often there for meetings, dinners, birthdays, etc., with the family with four children who lived there. Yesterday it opened as some sort of high-end coffee shop!
