Category: Church

The Catholic Church in Cambodia.

A different venue…

Last night we had an inch of snow and single-digit temperatures that left snow and ice frozen on streets. That was no environment for riding my bicycle so I used Lyft to get to St. Boniface Church for 8:30 AM mass. The streets near Nazareth Home had a lot of snow and ice but downtown the streets were clear.

We anticipated that we would have fewer people attending the masses, and the 8:30 AM mass ordinarily only has 40-50 people so we proposed moving the mass from the main church to this chapel which was used by the Franciscan friars when they staffed the parish. We ended up with about thirty attendees, more than we expected, and we added some folding chairs to the monastic-style choir stalls in the room..
The small congregation, sitting next to each other rather than spread throughout a huge church, being able to see and hear each other, and being close also to the altar made such a difference! People commented how positive was the experience today with a real feeling of community and a sharing of something important and meaningful. That’s the way we should experience liturgy always!

AI training for priests

AI is much in the news and the consciousness of society today and the Archdiocese of Louisville this week offered a training on AI for the Louisville priests. The presenter identified many of the different AI providers and discussed how AI can assist a priest in his general ministry. Discussions covered what AI can do and cannot do, and also delved into the ethics of using AI for tasks like writing homilies.

Cambodia-Thailand Border War

Here is some information received from the bishop of Phnom Penh about the conflict on the border between Cambodia and Thailand. Caritas Cambodia, the church relief agency, is organizing tent cities, water, food, toilets, and other assistance. They are probably the main positive force in the renewal of this century-old dispute.

Advent

 The Church asks us to understand that Christ, who came once in the flesh, is prepared to come again. When we remove all obstacles to his presence he will come, at any hour and moment, to dwell spiritually in our hearts, bringing with him the riches of his grace.

From Creighton Online Ministries

Christmas Preparation

Yesterday the church crew started setting up a nativity scene at St. Boniface Church. Today I was back there for a mass for the Immaculate Conception and this is what I found. From what I understand, the St. Boniface tradition is to set up stable and manger and then the next week add the stable animals and then the last week before Christmas to add supporting people statues and then the Holy Family on Christmas Day, but it seems the animals were in a hurry to get there.

Thanksgiving gratitude

On Thanksgiving Day it’s easy to be thankful for the material and economic benefits we have acquired but we need always to think beyond that, to the people and programs who promote better relationships among us sisters and brothers. Pope Francis did that in Fratelli Tutti, #191:

At a time when various forms of fundamentalist intolerance are damaging relationships between individuals, groups and peoples, let us be committed to living and teaching the value of respect for others, a love capable of welcoming differences, and the priority of the dignity of every human being over his or her ideas, opinions, practices and even sins. Even as forms of fanaticism, closedmindedness and social and cultural fragmentation proliferate in present-day society, a good politician will take the first step and insist that different voices be heard. Disagreements may well give rise to conflicts, but uniformity proves stifling and leads to cultural decay. May we not be content with being enclosed in one fragment of reality.

Pope Francis in Fratelli Tutti