Author: Charles Dittmeier

Deaf Week

Preparation

Deaf Week around the world is September 17-23, and our big Deaf Day celebration will be on Sunday, 17 September. We are using the Don Bosco Vocational Training school’s outdoor area and a DDP staff team went to look at the site. Upon returning, they gathered to discuss the placement of the various activities.

Plastic Buddha

In the US, especially in the past, many cars had a plastic Jesus on the dashboard. Recently, riding in the newer motorized tuk-tuks in Phnom Penh, I encountered a driver with his plastic Buddha–and a few other figures I can’t account for.

Christian Unity

[Pope Francis] has tellingly spoken about what he calls the “ecumenism of blood”, pointing out that today’s Christian martyrs — and there are many — are killed without regard for their denomination. The persecutors don’t ask whether they are murdering a Presbyterian or an Evangelical, he has insisted, they just know they are targeting a Christian. In this, they understand the reality of our true unity in the Christian faith better than we do. Indeed, by baptism we are already united!

From an article by Robert Mickens

Commuting to Work

Last year Cambodia’s garment factories exported more than $13 billion worth of apparel. The clothing, footware, and travel gear industry is a major sector of the kingdom’s economy, along with tourism.

There are more than 1,300 garment factories in Cambodia, employing upwards of 840,000 workers, mostly young women. Most of these workers travel from their villages to the factories in open trucks, standing in the back with no seats, no seat belts, no safety measures.

[Photos from the Khmer Times]

Road accidents involving factory workers are common. More than 70 workers were standing in the back of this truck when it was in an accident with another truck. They may have been lucky there was so much mud to soften the impact when they were thrown from the vehicle as it rolled down an embankment.

Customizing

One of our barber students spent some after-hours time customizing his bike. I’m not sure how he got the yellow plastic strips or what they are from, but he spent a couple hours fixing up his ride.

Daughters of Charity

The Daughters of Charity, a congregation founded by St. Vincent de Paul, opened a new building near the airport in Phnom Penh and asked Bishop Olivier to come bless it.

The house is located in an area where thousands of garment factory workers live, and the sisters will take of the workers’ children during the day while the mothers are on the job.

Of course, every ceremony starts with a traditional blessing dance.

After a liturgy, Bishop Olivier went through the building and blessed the rooms with holy water, and then all the guests were invited for lunch.

Jesuit Ordination

Bishop Olivier prays the prayer of ordination over Fr. Damo while all the attending priests support the call for God’s Spirit to come upon Damo by extending their hands

After ordination, Fr. Damo is embraced by Bishop Olivier, marking a joyful end to years of preparation. Jesuits are usually ordained at an older age than diocesan priests, typically getting an advanced degree before they are deemed ready for priesthood.

At the end all the priests, Damo’s family, and Buddhist monks as invited co-workers get together.