Charlie Dittmeier's Home Page
Traditionally all the priests of Cambodia had a retreat together the first week of June. Because of Covid there was a two-year hiatus, but this year the diocese of Phnom Penh organized a smaller gathering of only the Phnom Penh priests at the diocesan pastoral center on the outskirts of Phnom Penh.
Cambodians, especially in the rural areas, are a rather superstitious lot. Their world is full of spirits good and bad and there are certain omens and charms to be called upon. Some of these ideas come from the Chinese. Often the number 168 is displayed in shops and situations calling for good luck and good fortune. This practice comes from the Cantonese language. If the numbers one, six, eight are pronounced in Cantonese, they sound like the sentence “One path to prosperity” so the number is posted quite prominently on vehicles, buildings, etc.
“Peace demands the most heroic labor and the most difficult sacrifice. It demands greater heroism than war. It demands greater fidelity to the truth and a much more perfect purity of conscience.”
~ Thomas Merton
Most of the time my photos of wagons and carts and motos show them full of food to sell or goods to be carried. Here is a guy at the end of the day with just a few cabbages left on his wagon. I hope he sold all the rest and he feels good going home to his family.
It used to be quite common to see many motorcycles and bicycles parked outside of shops and other establishments. Not so much now. Twenty years ago, it was a significant achievement to get a motorcycle. Now everyone wants a car. That is a huge problem because there is no place to park them.
Here are some photos of the construction of the new St. Joseph Church at the beginning and end of April, 2022.
