| Each year, usually in the first week of June, all the priests and bishops of Cambodia come together at the Catholic center in Kampong Som Province for a retreat. This year 46 men gathered for the retreat led by Fr. Louis from India. |
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The waiting area for the Capitol Tours buses is outside, and various vendors--like this woman selling breads--come and offer their wares to those waiting for a bus. |
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Everything at the bus station takes place outside, on the sidewalks and the street. There is a lot of confusing, running into each other, etc., but no one seems to mind too much. It's part of life here. |
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At the 102 kilometer marker (from Phnom Penh), the buses make a stop to give the passengers and driver a break. Here two of the Jesuits on the bus with me buy some cha siu bou--a Chinese steamed dumpling--from a vendor. |
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The rest stop is at the peak of the ridge between Phnom Penh and Sihanoukville. It is right next to a large roadside shrine where the Cambodian people stop to make offerings to a female spirit of the mountain who lives there. The sign indicates travelers are at the halfway point of the five-hour bus trip. |
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By late afternoon almost everyone had arrived at the Catholic center and old friends had a chance to be reunited. Because the priests are in three different dioceses in different parts of the country, they may see each other only once or twice a year. |
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At 6:00 PM, in an upstairs reception area, Bishop Olivier welcomed Fr. Louis who comes from an ashram (a spiritual center) in south India. He was in Phnom Penh much of last week and offered a workshop on meditation for everyone. |
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For the actual presentations, the group moved after supper to a large meeting area in an open-sided building on the other side of the parish church from the retreat buildings. |
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For the last activity of the day, Fr. Louis gave a brief introduction and outlined the general areas of spirituality he will touch on this week. |