Author: Charles Dittmeier

Chrism Mass

Every year, in the week or so before Easter, the Catholic Church has what is called a “chrism mass” in each diocese in which the bishop blesses the holy oils used in the different sacraments. It is also an occasion for the priests of that diocese to renew the promises of their ordination. We had that chrism mass in Phnom Penh today. Here Bishop Olivier (with the microphone) addresses the people who attended. It was an especially joyous event because it had to be canceled in 2020 and 2021 because of Covid-19.

Bill Burns Funeral

Our friend and lay missioner Bill Burns died here in Cambodia and his funeral was held 24 March 2022. Because of new environmental regulations, most cremations are prohibited within the city boundaries and even the ones on the edge of the city can only be held at night when the ashes in the air are supposed to be less of a problem. Bill’s funeral was held at the Church of the Child Jesus in the morning but the cremation was delayed until 6:30 PM in the evening at a Buddhist wat.

In the morning, after the funeral mass, Bill’s body was taken to Wat Dombok Khpuos to await the cremation in the evening.
Bill had taught English to some of the monks, and monks from that pagoda were familiar with many Maryknollers over the past two decades and so there was a Buddhist ceremony at the wat with about ten monks chanting their ritual prayers. The coffin is on a catafalque at the top of the stairs.
After the prayers the coffin was lowered into the pyre structure into a crematorium where it was burned out of sight. A symbolic coffin replaced it at the top of the funeral pyre. The smoke from the cremation can be seen coming from the white chimney pipe at the top of the structure.

Typical for Phnom Penh

Here is a typical scene–at least, not an unusual scene–on a major six-lane street in Phnom Penh at 4:00 PM. Two cars in the left-hand lanes and one car in the right hand lanes are backing up across traffic and blocking the street in both directions. No one thinks a thing about it….

The rains are coming

January through May is the dry season but it seems the rains are starting a bit earlier these years. Earlier we had photos of those who were carrying their rain ponchos and had stopped to put them on. Today the photos show those who don’t carry a poncho and just pull into a sheltered place to wait out what is usually a ten-to-twenty minute shower.

Preparing for the 3rd New Year!

The Khmer New Year is coming up, April 14-16, but because our students will go home before the holiday for a long break, the Deaf Community Center will have a new year celebration on April 1. Here some of the DCC staff prepare a backdrop for one of the activities. (Hmmm…everyone is supposed to be wearing masks!)