Christmas 2002 in Cambodia

Christmas in Phnom Penh Christmas Dinner 27 December 2002 Everyone worked all day on Christmas Day and then the Maryknoll family plus a few of the regulars who join us on Wednesdays got together for a Christmas dinner of turkey and all the trimmings. Quite good! We had about thirty people, just about the limit we can handle at our house. By 8:00 PM people were already heading home because the next day it was back to work. And this is the end of the Christmas 2002 reporting!

Christmas in Phnom Penh Christmas Eve Mass 26 December 2002 Christmas Day is a regular working day here in Cambodia so instead of a Christmas morning mass, we decided on a Christmas Eve mass at 6:00 PM. That gave people barely time enough to get home from work but also allowed the mass to finish before it was really late and more dangerous on the streets after dark. A lot of our regular Saturday-night church-goers had gone "home" to the Philippines, Australia, Europe, and North America, but the church was still more than full with many new faces. Students from the religious education program acted out the gospel, and after mass people were invited to soft drinks and conversation on the front yard of the center.

Christmas in Phnom Penh Santa and His Elves 25 December 2002 Each year John and Kathy Tucker dress up in full Santa Claus regalia and visit the various Maryknoll group homes for AIDS patients and for children with developmental disabilities. None of them have a clue what Christmas is all about, but they certain enjoy the arrival of Santa's jeep, this year with the addition of Elf Ed McGovern! Here Santa puts some gifts under the tree at the Maryknoll center house and then poses with our kitchen staff. Charlie found himself restocked with peanut butter and jelly, thanks to Santa!

Christmas in Phnom Penh At the sisters' house 24 December 2002 On the Sunday before Christmas, there is always a lot going on at the Maryknoll sisters' house. Earlier in the afternoon children from the neighborhood and the kids of the motorcycle drivers are invited over to decorate Christmas cookies. They all go home with gifts and bags of candy. Then at supper time, the big Maryknoll kids come over for a pizza supper. This year we had several Korean guests, friends of Cho Hae In, a Maryknoll associate priest from the Seoul diocese.

Christmas in Phnom Penh The Ecumenical Service 22 December 2002 The five major international Christian congregations held a joint Christmas service again this year. Pictured are the congregation and children's choir (above); two of the prayer leaders (left); and the regular and Filipino choirs (below). About 425 people from many nations attended the service held in a hotel ballroom.

Christmas in Phnom Penh The second event... 20 December 2002 Today was supposed to be a general staff meeting for the Disability Action Council but last week the director suggested that we take a boat ride together instead, in honor of the Christmas season. None of the staff are Christian, except for the three of us ex-patriates seconded to DAC from other organizations, but everyone thought it was a grand idea. We had a three-hour trip upriver, farther up than I had ever been before. The boat stopped at its turnaround point at a well-organized river village where we saw local women weaving silk material in beautiful traditional Khmer designs. The village was full of children who provided the only connection with Christmas that I could make on this trip.

Christmas in Phnom Penh The first event... 19 December 2002 Christmas Day itself is a work day in Cambodia where few of the Cambodian people would know what Christmas is all about. In the foreign community, though, some Christmas events take place. Some NGOs have parties for their staffs, schools have parties in the classrooms, and the odd few public events are scheduled. One of those took place last night when the Filipino choir who sing at the Saturday night mass of the English-speaking Catholic community held a Christmas song session at the Sunway Hotel. It had been announced at the mass last Saturday and five of us Maryknollers decided to go to show our support for the choir. Unfortunately the choir's announcement failed to mention that reservations were needed, the music program was in conjunction with a buffet dinner, and there was a $6.50 charge. We finally got in and sat in extra chairs set up in the aisles (there are no such things as fire-safety rules here). The photo shows our group lighting our candle for the singing of Silent Night.

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