Author: Charles Dittmeier

The morning after the anniversary we headed out on a circuitous route to Phnom Penh, for some sight-seeing. First, though,we had breakfast.

The first stop was a durian plantation. Our group really enjoyed that and bought probably a couple hundred pounds of the fruit with the spikey hull and pungent smell.

The second stop was at a park along really high and really fast river. People enjoyed nature for an hour and then we ate lunch in the little shelters around the area and then headed home. Good trip….

After the mass, many people crowded around Bishop Kike to congratulate him and take photos with him.

Then there was a dinner for everyone, and after the food, there was an hour of dances and performance of various kinds.

The next morning there was a mass at 6:15 AM for those who wanted to pray before starting their return journey home.

Lots of goodbyes and photos followed.

And then it was time for the clean-up to begin.

Prior to the anniversary mass, there was a welcome to all the guests near the church compound entrance and then an introduction to the evening’s celebration.

There were four classical Khmer dances throughout the evening. This one included young women in wheelchairs, recognizing Kike’s work with people with disabilities.

Young boys with peacock feather headgear waiting to participate in the procession.

Then the whole gathering, followed by the clergy, processed to the stage where the mass was held.

Arriving at the open-air mass site. About 2,000 people were expected for the event. Luckily the rain stopped during the mass.

One of the Jesuits explained what was happening to a Buddhist monk invited to represent the Buddhists Kike works with. The poor monk was probably rather bored sitting through the 2:15 hour ceremony.

Before the actual anniversary mass started at 5:00 PM, there was an exhibition in another building where everyone gathered.

Kike (with flowers) greeted the families and others who had come to celebrate with him.

A central table had many albums of photos. Kike himself is quite a photographer.

The exhibition displays showed many events and people from the last 25 years.

The exhibition was a good opportunity for me to meet with people and tell them goodbye. I will be leaving Cambodia August 11th and most of the people at the anniversary I will not see again. Here I am with Korean Jesuit Fr. Oh Chang, the superior of the Jesuit Cambodia mission.

Today was the 25th anniversary of the installation of Bishop Kike as apostolic prefect of Battambang. I had attended the installation years ago and went to the anniversary.

We left the pastoral center in Phnom Penh at 6:15 AM and stopped an hour later for breakfast in this typical highway restaurant.

Four hours later, a little after noon, we arrived at our hotel which had the mandatory Buddhist shrine and a typical huge wooden sculpture.

At 2:30 we went to the church compound where the anniversary was celebrated. Bishop Olivier arrived shortly after we did.

There was a heavy rain shower after we arrived. We were concerned because the anniversary mass was held outside. There were two rainy periods before the celebration but luckily it held off when the 2,000 people were gathered.

While waiting for the exhibition to begin, we circulated among several displays of events of the last 25 years.

I said I would post more photos today after running out of time yesterday, but it’s 10:14 PM and I just got home. I thought we were supposed to be home at noon but I hadn’t received the full schedule.

Here is one photo–Bishop Kike Figaredo arriving for an exhibition about his 25 years as bishop of Battambang in northern Cambodia. On his right is a retired bishop from Puerto Rico. More to come….