Author: Charles Dittmeier

Hong Kong Trip 2–December, 2023

Day 3

Day 2 was spent mostly in the room where I am staying, catching up on some work. Then on Day 3, December 29th, I went to Macau to see the Catholic deaf people there.

When we arrived, Rebecca met us and got us to St. Joseph Church were some of the Catholic deaf community had gathered.
The parish has always been most gracious to the deaf group, and today they provided us with a wonderful lunch–a great time to be together.
From the church we drove to the Trappistine Monastery were ten Trappist Sisters minister. Sr. Emmanuela warmly welcomed us and showed us around.
The monastery sits on a hilltop and overlooks the four square miles that comprise the whole area of Macau.
Finally was it was time to go home and we took a jetfoil ferry for the one-hour trip to Hong Kong. We had wanted to experience the bus ride across the new bridge, but because of holiday period, the waiting time for a bus was too long. These ferries are powered by two aircraft jet engines.

Hong Kong Trip 2–December, 2023

Day 1

Earlier in December I went to Hong Kong for the 30th anniversary of the pastoral center for people with disabilities that I helped to start. Yesterday I returned to Hong Kong for the 50th anniversary of the founding of the Canossa School for the Deaf. That celebration will be on December 30th.

I took the airport bus into town and when I got off, two really good friends were there to meet me–Peggy and Angel. First we went to the apartment I am using this trip–courtesy of another really good friend, Judy in Taiwan.

Then we went to a phone shop to get a Hong Kong SIM card installed in my phone. That took an hour! After that we ate a delicious meal in a nearby restaurant.

After eating we walked to a grocery store in the Wanchai area, to get something for my breakfast in the morning. Our travel took us past a public area beautifully decorated with Christmas lights and scenes.

Moving time–trucking it

The Maryknoll Cambodia NGO closes down this week, and today we vacated our office building. I was living there and moved to a flat a couple miles away in the Boeung Tum Pun area of Phnom Penh. I still have way too much stuff to move. I’ll have to get rid of a lot of it before my next move but at least for now it’s all in the new place, even if it’s all in boxes still.

Moving time–again

This week the Maryknoll Cambodia office will close and I had to find a new living space. That wasn’t too hard but then I was faced with the daunting task of packing up for the move. Luckily, two Christmas elves in the neighborhood appeared and did a fantastic job of getting (cramming?) all my stuff into boxes, bags, and suitcases. Thanks, Maria and Kila!

Christmas Caroling

Our musicians and choir members for our two English communities are really exceptional in their time, talents, energy, and willingness to minister to the English Catholic Community. Tonight, after the 5:00 PM evening mass, the Saturday choir presented a mini Christmas concert that was well attended and really well done. Thank you! Thank you!

Priest Meeting (December, 2023)

Bishop Olivier has quarterly meetings of all the priests in the Phnom Penh diocese and today it was a less formal, more social gathering.

After an opening prayer, Bishop Olivier led the group to a former hearing clinic that has been remodeled into offices for the vicariate staff.
Bishop Olivier introduced the staff and explained who would work from this new office center.

Then we had the official meeting but it was low key, noting so much that is going on in the vicariate.
Once we got into the dining room, Bishop Olivier recognized those having birthdays and other special occasions in the lives and ministries.
Under the Christmas tree in the dining room was a gift bag for each of the priests at the meeting with cookies and handicraft gifts from Bishop Olivier’s social enterprise in Takeo Province.

Farewell to Ann

Maryknoll Sr. Ann Sherman returned to the United States today after ten years of ministry in Cambodia. She regularly attends the masses I have with the Missionaries of Charity and today at the end of mass we said goodbye and took a group photo–with some of the orphans who come to the mass.

Sr. Ann Sherman (C).

Exciting Day for the Deaf

After the students had eaten and it started to get dark, the musicians took the stage. There were three music groups who performed for 2+ hours.

First on stage was Musica Felice who presented songs from the musical Les Miserables.
During that first set, the deaf people–who could not hear or understand the vocals of Les Miserable–gathered together to talk and enjoy this different venue.
When Musica Felice had finished their performance Miwako came down to be with the students and a lot of selfies were taken.
Then Sea Wolf, a prominent rock group in Cambodia, took the stage and our students got energized by music they could feel even if they couldn’t hear it. Some of them jumped up on the stage to dance.
The third group to perform was Kai, from Thailand, and they were well received, too, and brought out the dancers. This was probably the first rock concert the deaf youth had ever attended and the setting was perfect for them to get an experience of exciting music.