Category: Church

The Philippines Embassy in Phnom Penh was trying to recreate the spirit of the Simbang Gabi pre-Christmas devotions celebrated on the nine days before Christmas in the Philippines but limited it to three nights. The first two nights were Catholic masses but the third night was an ecumenical service with people attending from five Christian churches.

This evening the Filipino Community had a second Simbang Gabi mass at the Philippino Embassy.

Every year the girls at the Salesian Sisters Technical School have a Christmas Bazaar in December. Click here to see what was going on there this year.

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Last week the priests of the Phnom Penh Vicariate met at the pastoral center for a business meeting, prayer, a tour of the new seminary building, and lunch together. Click here to see pictures from the day.

Finally all the clergy were vested and everything prepared and the installation ceremony began. It lasted about 2 1/2 hours. Click here to see pictures from the actual ceremony.

Fr. Bruno Cosme of the French Foreign Missions group was installed as the Apostolic Prefect of the Kampong Cham Prefecture on 30 November. Click here to see the preparations and gathering of the people for the celebration.

This week LaValla Village was formally opened as an addition to the LaValla School for children with physical disabilities. The Marist Brothers from Australia established the school in 1998. Click here to see scenes from the opening ceremony.

Yesterday one of our Pakistani refugees here in Cambodia was able to go to Japan where he hopes to start a new life. Our St. Vincent de Paul Society in the English parish has been working with ten families who have fled religious persecution in Pakistan, and Saturday night we got two more newly arrived families. There is a limit to what we can do. In the past two weeks I have been asked for $46,000+ for refugee needs. We just don’t have that. The persecution is real, though, and people are fleeing for their lives.