Category: Church

The Catholic Church in Cambodia.

Epiphany 2023

There is a tradition in Phnom Penh of the bishop inviting pastoral workers and parish representatives to a gathering at the pastoral center on Epiphany Sunday. In the past it was a time for the pastoral workers to catch up with each other and for the bishop to disseminate news but now it has become an occasion more for socializing and recognizing different offices in the diocese.

All the Maryknollers arrived in the Maryknoll Mental Health van.
Every Cambodia event features at least one traditional dance.
One of the diocesan agency groups receiving the bishop’s thanks and appreciation.
A choir of teenage youth sang twice during the evening.
The younger set participated, too. Here children dance and sing to Jingle Bells.
At the end of the program, Santa Claus arrived and distributed gifts of rice and cookies and booklets to all who had come.

Back on the block…

Fr. Hung Nguyen was an associate priest with me starting in 2001 and then he returned to his diocese of Seattle. Now he is looking at possible Asian mission again and today he and I met with Bishop Olivier to discuss the possibility of Hung’s working with the English community here. I hope so!

Mass on Christmas Day

For mass on Christmas morning, we moved from the small chapel (where we can seat only 100 persons) to the large upstairs church used by the Khmer community. We had to bring in chairs because they sit on mats on the floor and we had to take off our shoes as they do, but it was a very comfortable worship space that enabled us to welcome more people.

The Khmer community had copiously decorated the sanctuary for their own liturgy before ours.
In Khmer masses where the people sit on the floor, the priest presides from a sitting position instead of the usual standing position.
The sanctuary area of this church is very “busy” visually.
The Christmas crib or creche was a bit different. Made from 25-lb bags of rice, it looked something like a military bunker.

No Entry

This morning I went to the Don Bosco Technical School for a day of reflection for the Salesian brothers and priests who live there. I have always used this gate to get in but today it was locked and no one was around. I waited about five minutes and then noticed a man on the inside of the wall to the left of the gate. He was rather far from this gate so i went back to the street behind me and walked to the left and found they have a second gate that they use only on Saturdays and Sundays. Finally I got in and met with the confreres there.

Christmas is near…

Today Bishop Olivier had the quarterly meeting with all the priests from the Phnom Penh diocese and he added a Christmas air to it. At the lunch at the end of the morning, he donned a Christmas cap and handed out some simple gifts to all of us. There are now 45 priests in the diocese of Phnom Penh. When I came to Cambodia 22 years ago, there were 32 priests in the whole country.

Confirmation

Yesterday was a special day for the English Catholic Community. First, it was Gaudete Sunday, the third Sunday of the season of Advent which has traditionally been celebrated joyfully because of the approaching birth of Jesus the Messiah. Because of the theme of joy, the priest uses rose or pink colored vestments. Secondly, Bishop Olivier was with us. His presence serves to unite our community with the church of Phnom Penh and with our Cambodian Catholic brothers and sisters. And thirdly, Bishop Olivier came to administer the Sacrament of Confirmation to 16 of our parishioners, an important step in the life of Catholic Christians as they receive the Holy Spirit as their guide and strength through the struggles of daily life as a follower of Jesus.

After the scripture readings, Bishop Olivier introduced the actual confirmation ceremony. At one point he extends his hands over those to be confirmed, a symbolic laying of of hands as described in the Christian scriptures.

Then the bishop went down the line of those to be confirmed, anointing them with chrism (holy oil). He also gave them a small medal blessed by Pope Francis as a memento of this day.

This is an unusual photo. As Bishop Olivier and I and all the congregation were singing the final hymn before we processed out, the photographer went up behind the altar and took an ultra wide angle shot of the whole community.

Confirmation

Tonight the English Catholic community had a confirmation ceremony to give that sacrament to thirteen youth and three adults. It was an especially pleasant and really enjoyable religious experience.

Christmas Event

When I first came to Cambodia, there were very few Christmas events and most of them were small private gatherings at churches or Christian schools. Now Cambodian society has learned there is money to be made recognizing Christmas and there are Christmas trees and Santa Clauses everywhere. And many of them have already been set up for this coming Christmas season.

Tonight the Phnom Penh Choral Ensemble perfromed Christmas songs in a charity concert at the Oakwood Premier Hotel. Almost all of the ensemble are members of our Catholic community so they invited me and I gladly attended.
The opening Silent Night song was accompanied by a ballet dancer who had wings sparkling with fairy lights.
At the intermission, refreshments were served at an outdoor courtyard in the building complex which is quite new and modern.
At the closing, Hannah Lyn Bandalan, the conductor of the Phnom Penh Choral Ensemble, gave a very well written thank-you and tribute to the people made this even possible.