Santa’s Elves?
Click here for photos from a string of small family-owned bicycle shops along Street 107 in Phnom Penh. (This is where I bought my bicycle.) And the pictures are just of one side of the street!
Wearing the latest…
Motorcycle Loads #268
Soft Target
Last Easter three churches were bombed by terrorists in Sri Lanka and 290 people were killed. World Vision International became concerned about its facilities around the world and has them to increase their security practices. The English Catholic community rents the auditorium of World Vision in Phnom Penh for its Saturday evening mass and now we need to introduce new security measures. We had an extensive meeting with World Vision and heard their requests for really stringent measures that wouldn’t be suitable for a church service, e.g., signing in and signing out, bringing no bags, backpacks, etc.
In the end we arranged that all our members will be issued ID badges which they must wear each week. Because we get tourists and others coming to our services irregularly, people without badges will be asked to sign in and possibly have their backpacks checked. It’s a nuisance but a measure we can live with. About ten years ago I was talking to an official of the U.S. State Department and he cautioned me that our congregation would be a prime soft target for terrorists. It’s all foreigners, we have various ambassadors and UN officials coming, and it would generate a lot of publicity which would be attractive to the terrorists.
Simbang Gabi in Phnom Penh 3
The Philippines Embassy in Phnom Penh was trying to recreate the spirit of the Simbang Gabi pre-Christmas devotions celebrated on the nine days before Christmas in the Philippines but limited it to three nights. The first two nights were Catholic masses but the third night was an ecumenical service with people attending from five Christian churches.
Simbang Gabi in Phnom Penh 2
This evening the Filipino Community had a second Simbang Gabi mass at the Philippino Embassy.
Simbang Gabi in Phnom Penh
The Philippines has a pre-Christmas tradition called Simbang Gabi in which, every morning on the nine days before Christmas–at 4:30 AM or 5:30 AM–everyone attends mass in their parish church. The Philippines Embassy couldn’t replicate the full custom here but is having masses in the evening on the first three days of Simbang Gabi. Fr. Charlie Dittmeier was asked to preside.
On the first evening, after the mass, the Phnom Penh Choral Ensemble performed a medley of Christmas carols.
Integrity? No….
“I solemnly swear (or affirm) that in all things appertaining to the trial of _ , now pending, I will do impartial justice to the Constitution and laws, so help me God.”
— oath required of senators by Senate Rules in Impeachment Trials
“There will be no difference between the president’s position and our position as to how to handle this…We’ll be working through this process… in total coordination with the White House counsel’s office and the people representing the president in the well of the Senate… There is no chance the president is going to be removed from office.”
— Sen. Mitch McConnell
~ from Doonesbury.WashingtonPost.com
Don Bosco Christmas Bazaar
Every year the girls at the Salesian Sisters Technical School have a Christmas Bazaar in December. Click here to see what was going on there this year.