Category: Church

The Catholic Church in Cambodia.

Salesian Girls Schools Graduation

Today was the 23rd graduation for the students of the two Salesian Sisters girls technical schools in Phnom Penh.  One school teaches food service and sewing; the other teaches secretarial and business skills.  Both have two-year programs.  This year only three girls came from the school in Battambang in the north of the country.  Previously they would have 30-40 graduates but now that school has almost closed because it is easier now to get across the border to work in Thailand and the families of the girls pressure their daughters to work in Thailand to make money for the family–instead of going to school.

The graduates gather, happy and excited, before the ceremony.  The sister there to congratulate them is one of the fixtures of the Salesian ministry to youth in Cambodia.  She is 96 years old and still active and about everyday.

After the national anthem, these students performed the blessing dance that begins every formal function.  Notice the words in red on the wall at the right: Together we Build a Peaceful Society.  They are a sad indicator of the unease and turmoil in Cambodia because of the actions of the government.

A special part of this graduation day was the recognition of these women–mothers of students at the school–for participating in a wonderful literacy program.  All of them have advanced through Level 1 of the program that enables them to read and write.  Another sad indicator–the lack of literacy–of the failure of the present government that has been in power for thirty years.

World Refugee Day: A Wise President

“I esteem foreigners no better than other people–nor any worse.  They are all of the great family of men, and if there is one shackle upon any of them it would be far better to lift the load from them than to pile additional loads upon them.  And inasmuch as the continent of America is comparatively a new country, and the other countries of the world are old countries, there is more room here, comparatively speaking, than there is elsewhere; and if they can better their condition by leaving their old homes, there is nothing in my heart to forbid them coming, and I bid them all God speed.”

Abraham Lincoln                          13 February 1861

World Refugee Day

The world has never before this present decade experienced the plight of so many millions of refugees on the move in so many different parts of the world, all at the same time.

“Refugees are not numbers.  They are people who have faces, names, stories, and need to be treated as such.”                        ~ Pope Francis

The Maryknoll Office of Global Concerns has some excellent materials for this day.  Click here to find interesting and informative resources about refugees.

Another Farewell

Once a month, lay missioners from a variety of countries come together for fellowship, discussion, and community.  Joining them this past year has been Denis, a seminarian from Kenya.  Now he is preparing to leave to return to conclude his studies and the lay mission group gave him a goodbye gift.  Miyuki (yellow) presented the gift while Yessica and Clara looked on.

Pentecost 2017

For quite a few years the Pentecost liturgy at St. Joseph Church in Phnom Penh has brought together the English, French, Khmer, and Korean-speaking Catholic communities at one mass presided over by Bishop Olivier.  All of these communities have used St. Joseph Church as their base at different times, meeting in different buildings at different times on the weekend.  Today we had our gathering and a central part of the ceremony was the conferring of the sacrament of confirmation on 37 mostly young people.  Here, dressed in traditional Khmer garb and traditional sitting position, they listen as Bishop Olivier has an opening prayer.  Because of the large crowd when all the communities are together, the liturgy was held on an outside stage covered with a light tenting to keep everyone out of the sun.

Our Graduates

This year we have an especially large group of young men and women in our English Catholic community who are graduating from secondary school and moving on to universities.  At our mass this morning we recognized them and gave them a blessing as they all prepare to depart to other countries for the next phase of their education. From L to R: Charlotte, Bea, Miriam, Mikael, Juliyus, and Manuel.  Congratulations to you all!