Sr. Teresa
First Profession of Vows

 

On August 15th, 2008, Sr. Teresa professed her first vows as a member of the Carmelite Sisters at the Khmer parish in Phnom Penh.  Previously the Benedictine monks had established a monastery in southern Cambodia, but all the religious, clergy, and hierarchy were killed during the Khmer rouge regime.  Sr. Teresa's profession of vows thus became the first monastic profession in Cambodia since the Khmer Rouge.   The Carmelites came to Cambodia three years ago from their house in Korea.

 

The Khmer parish church
 For this ceremony, the Carmelites left their monastery to celebrate this special occasion with the whole diocese in the de facto cathedral of Phnom Penh. Cambodian churches do not have seats.
Sr. Teresa before the ceremony
 As others prepared the church, Sr. Teresa reflected in silence.
Sisters greeting the bishop
 When he arrived, Bishop Emile Destombes greeted Sr. Teresa and her mother (blue) and the other sisters.
Friends greeting Sr. Teresa
 Then the sisters gathered at the rear of the church for the procession in. More friends greeted her there.
Preparing to process into the church
 Finally the sisters gathered at the head of the procession.  Sr. Teresa will wear the white veil until she takes her final vows.
Bowing before the bishop
 Sr. Teresa bowed before the altar as she arrived at her place.
Reading her vows
 After the gospel, Sr. Teresa read her vows, committing her to a life under the rule of the Carmelite Order.
A picture of the Carmelites with Bishop Emile.
 At the end the sisters gathered with Bishop Emile for a photograph. Several of the sisters came from Korea for the ceremony because the motherhouse from which the Cambodian monastery was formed is in Seoul.

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