Maryknoll – Page 2 – Welcome to Cambodia, and…..

New York #4

Here are some more Maryknoll friends I met with the next day.

Sr. Luise Ahrens told me about an exhibit of famous women from Ossining (where Maryknoll is) and we walked over to an arts center that has taken over the Bethany building which used to be a retirement home for the Maryknoll Sisters and then the headquarters for the Maryknoll Lay Missioners.

For lunch that day I met Adel ORegan, a former Maryknoll lay missioner in Cambodia, and we caught up on what has been happening for us.

Then I went to the Maryknoll seminary building and met with Fr. Tom Dunleavy who was assigned to mission in Thailand and then moved with returning refugees to Cambodia and started Maryknoll’s presence there.

New York #3

These last couple days in New York were devoted to catching up with friends. Some of them I had seen in Cambodia just two months ago.

Sr. Mary Little returned to the Sisters Center from Cambodia a month ago. Here she is meeting me at 7:00 AM to guide me through the breakfast line.

Then I went to the Walsh Building used by the Maryknoll Lay Missioners and met with a longtime good friend, Richard Gatjens of the development department. Richard is known for his outrageous ties.

At lunch back at the Sisters Center, I met up with Sr. Ann Sherman (L), recently returned from Cambodia, and Sr. Juana Encalada who also served in Cambodia.

The last of the recent returnees from Cambodia is Sr. Helene O’Sullivan who was also at lunch that day.

New York #1

Today was the day I made the transition from Kentucky to New York for the final part of my US journey.

Louisville is a busy airport because it is the hub for UPS and their hundreds of flights per day, but the passenger-side apron was relatively clear when I took off at lunch time.

Here we are starting our final approach into EWR, the Newark, New Jersey airport, and below us was one of the metropolitan area’s stadiums for a professional sports team.

I had to wait 65 minutes for the bus from EWR to Grand Central Station in Manhattan and then it was a slow journey through heavy traffic.

A high point of every trip to New York City is going through Grand Central Station, an iconic train station serving lines going all over the East Coast. It was a 50-minute ride on the train to Ossining and then I had to catch a taxi to the Maryknoll Sisters Center where I am staying. The taxis were few and far between and when one finally came, the young man ahead of me invited me to share his taxi so the taxi dropped him off and then went to Maryknoll.

Last weekend the Maryknoll Sisters officially made their exit from Cambodia, returning to the Sisters Center in Ossining, New York. For more than thirty years, Maryknoll Sisters did wonderful work in a variety of projects but the sisters here were starting to feel the years and their congregation does not have the new members to build up the sisters community here, so it was decided to end their presence here.

Sr. Ann Sherman, one of the last four Maryknoll Sisters in Cambodia, returned to New York in December. For the remaining three sisters, we had a special blessing ceremony at the end of the Saturday mass. Charlie led a blessing in which the whole congregation was asked to participate as we said goodbye to a fine group of women. In the photo (L to R) are Sr. Mary Little, Sr. Regina Pellicore, and Sr. Helene O’Sullivan. Sr. Regina will actually stay on another month or so to deal with the government requirements for terminating an International NGO in Cambodia.

Caritas Cambodia Retreat 2024 / Day 3

Today was the second of three full days of presentations and activities for the retreat.

A large amount of time was given to a panel discussion about social action as perceived and practiced by different religions. Buddhism and Islam speakers participated with our Catholic representatives.

Later in the afternoon, Soknym and I presented the vision and work of the now Caritas Deaf Development Programme. Here Soknym holds the microphone for me as I gave an introduction in English and sign language.

Then Soknym continued alone in Khmer, going through a presentation we had prepared to describe our work at DDP.

Some empty seats were visible at supper tonight. We had two hours between the end of the afternoon session and supper, and many people made a dash to the beach and were late for dinner.

Wednesday change

For 30-something years, the Maryknoll Cambodia Mission Team met every Wednesday for a business meeting, a liturgy, and then a meal together. Now that the Maryknoll Cambodia NGO has been closed and we no longer have an office to meet in, it was decided that those who are interested could continue to meet and Maria and Kila volunteered their apartment as a venue.

Our liturgy and meal today was special because Tony (standing, L) is leaving on Saturday to return to his teaching in Australia. (L-R: Julie, Cristina, Tony, Regina, Bro. Tony, Brian)

Moving time–unpacking it

Here is the same wardrobe shown in yesterday’s photo as it left Street 410, and here the workers are trying to wiggle it up the really steep and narrow stairs at the new house on Street 53BT.

Moving time–trucking it

The Maryknoll Cambodia NGO closes down this week, and today we vacated our office building. I was living there and moved to a flat a couple miles away in the Boeung Tum Pun area of Phnom Penh. I still have way too much stuff to move. I’ll have to get rid of a lot of it before my next move but at least for now it’s all in the new place, even if it’s all in boxes still.

Moving time–again

This week the Maryknoll Cambodia office will close and I had to find a new living space. That wasn’t too hard but then I was faced with the daunting task of packing up for the move. Luckily, two Christmas elves in the neighborhood appeared and did a fantastic job of getting (cramming?) all my stuff into boxes, bags, and suitcases. Thanks, Maria and Kila!

Category: Maryknoll