Bishop Emile Destombes, (second from right), praying in front of an image of Saint John Mary Vianney at the St. John Mary Vianney Major Seminary on June 19July 9, 2009
PHNOM PENH (UCAN) -- In Cambodia, where religious freedom revived only during the 1990s, most Catholic priests are still foreigners and feeling the strain resulting from many responsibilities.
"In Cambodia right now, we only have five local priests. So missioners like me must work in the parishes too," said Father Paul Roeung Chatchai of the Thai Missionary Society. There are a total of 62 priests in the country.
He admitted it is a challenge to juggle his many responsibilities. The Thai priest is pastor of three parishes. "Every Sunday I have to go around Phnom Penh to celebrate Mass and meet Catholics," he said.
Apart from his parish work, he is also the deputy director of the Phnom Penh vicariate's catechetical committee and a member of its health committee. Moreover, he is also working to produce a liturgy book in the Khmer language. Only a few months ago, he was made a coordinator of the Church's mass media office and the Cambodia Catholic Cultural Center.
One layperson who appreciates the work of priests is Hom Toeur, a member of the youth committee of Phnom Penh apostolic vicariate.
"They help the poor and sick, support poor children with their education, and conduct many activities. I know a priest who has responsibilities in three or four parishes. We are really in need of more local priests," the 28-year-old told UCA News.
The shortage of priests, especially local ones, has prompted at least one person, Moung Ros to enter the major seminary. "Although we have many missioners, we need more local priests to serve the Church. We must make the Cambodian Church our own," he told UCA News.
To help seminarians appreciate the mission of the priesthood more, Father Bruno Cosme, rector of St. John Mary Vianney Major Seminary, said he is planning monthly sharing sessions on the lives of priests at the seminary starting from September. He is also planning to promote vocations to the priesthood in parishes.
Father Cosme said the Year for Priests is an occasion for all priests to reflect deeply on their mission and responsibilities. "There are many things we have to learn such as loyalty, faithfulness, love, living a simple life, and serving the poor."
Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed a special Year for Priests starting on June 19, the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint John Mary Vianney, patron of parish priests.
Sister Gertrude Ditching, in charge of the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for girls, said the special year is a call for the renewal of all priests, "who are very important for the Church." The nun also sees the Year for Priests as an occasion for promoting local vocations.
The local Church celebrated the Year for Priests at St. John Mary Vianney Major Seminary on June 19.
Bishop Emile Destombes, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, celebrated Mass with eight other priests. He said that "Jesus Christ is a great priest" and the "Church today needs truly loyal priests to continue the mission of Christ."
"In Cambodia right now, we only have five local priests. So missioners like me must work in the parishes too," said Father Paul Roeung Chatchai of the Thai Missionary Society. There are a total of 62 priests in the country.
He admitted it is a challenge to juggle his many responsibilities. The Thai priest is pastor of three parishes. "Every Sunday I have to go around Phnom Penh to celebrate Mass and meet Catholics," he said.
Apart from his parish work, he is also the deputy director of the Phnom Penh vicariate's catechetical committee and a member of its health committee. Moreover, he is also working to produce a liturgy book in the Khmer language. Only a few months ago, he was made a coordinator of the Church's mass media office and the Cambodia Catholic Cultural Center.
One layperson who appreciates the work of priests is Hom Toeur, a member of the youth committee of Phnom Penh apostolic vicariate.
"They help the poor and sick, support poor children with their education, and conduct many activities. I know a priest who has responsibilities in three or four parishes. We are really in need of more local priests," the 28-year-old told UCA News.
The shortage of priests, especially local ones, has prompted at least one person, Moung Ros to enter the major seminary. "Although we have many missioners, we need more local priests to serve the Church. We must make the Cambodian Church our own," he told UCA News.
To help seminarians appreciate the mission of the priesthood more, Father Bruno Cosme, rector of St. John Mary Vianney Major Seminary, said he is planning monthly sharing sessions on the lives of priests at the seminary starting from September. He is also planning to promote vocations to the priesthood in parishes.
Father Cosme said the Year for Priests is an occasion for all priests to reflect deeply on their mission and responsibilities. "There are many things we have to learn such as loyalty, faithfulness, love, living a simple life, and serving the poor."
Pope Benedict XVI proclaimed a special Year for Priests starting on June 19, the feast of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, to celebrate the 150th anniversary of the death of Saint John Mary Vianney, patron of parish priests.
Sister Gertrude Ditching, in charge of the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for girls, said the special year is a call for the renewal of all priests, "who are very important for the Church." The nun also sees the Year for Priests as an occasion for promoting local vocations.
The local Church celebrated the Year for Priests at St. John Mary Vianney Major Seminary on June 19.
Bishop Emile Destombes, apostolic vicar of Phnom Penh, celebrated Mass with eight other priests. He said that "Jesus Christ is a great priest" and the "Church today needs truly loyal priests to continue the mission of Christ."
24 comments:
Priests and pastors should not be allowed in my country.
Christian, Buddhist or Muslim are the same believes, only the people and infrastructure are different.
The Khmer have had their own believe and Religion long time before Jesus Christ was born, therefore we Khmer don't need to change.
Do the Christians in Cambodia pay religion tax like in European countries ?
If there's only one God, why are there so many religions?
I say: The hell with Mary, Joseph, and Jesus, and the hell to all Christianity.
PPU
Buddhist is the first, Muslim is the second religion of the Khmer Kingdom.
Other religions only have mission activities in Cambodia. Missions meaning do business activities, therefore the Cambodian government should ask all foreigner missions or religions activities in the Kingdom to pay tax.
Don Bosco is the largest center training many Cambodian youths in order to convert them. It is reflecting to the rotten Buddhist monks who are enjoying entitlement and those high ranking monks are spoiled by the CPP political mechanism.
We should stick sharp sticks into these priests' asses for making trouble in other country.
PPU
Thank to "Don Bosco" for your help, but you make a big mistake. You did not provided a real help.
Mission means sale their ideology.
Our Khmer youths converted in to Christian, because they needed help and did not have another chance.
I am sure the head of the Spanish Kingdom "Spanish Catholic" will not very lucky, when they know about the real activity of Don Bosco mission .
Wowe and you guy just do not think and wish to be smart!
Don't they give you a good competition to help your own people?
How much ignorance, stupidity and intolerace in Cambodia!! REading all the comments reflect the low level and class of some khmer... only a clean, modern and tolerant society will bring progress and prosperity to our Srok Khmer....
since this thread is about european catholic religion which there are a minority in cambodia, i'd like to to see they request cambodian gov't to ressurect phnom penh's former catholic cathedral that the KR destroyed. the former former magnificent catholic cathedral was located on monivong blvd across from the faculty of medicine and pharmaceutical school in central phnom penh. i hope one day they can rebuild the cathedral again. by the way, can some post find the old picture of the former magnificent phnom penh catholic cathedral and post the picture here for all to see. i think it's so beautiful back then. i think big in scale is beautiful like angkor wat, bayon temple, etc...it was one of phnom penh's many landmarks that the stupid KR regime destroyed. i'd like the french or italian to help build another one in cambodia in grand scale. god bless cambodia.
on a miscellaneous note, i'm glad the french gov't help to renovate one of phnom penh recognizable landmark, the psah thmey or "central market" building in central phnom penh. the architecture is very unique as angkor wat and beautiful relics from the french colonial period as well. that's why i mentioned the former phnom penh magnificent catholic cathedral that the KR destroyed. it is good for a growing major city like phnom penh have a lot of recognizeable landmarks. god bless cambodia.
The Melchizedek Priesthood or Priest will not destroy the World.I believe only the wickendess that cause the world out of control.
May God bless the Kingdom of Cambodia!!!
Laisses Khmer tranquille et en paix mon cher PPU. Retournes chez-nous à Hanoi. Tu dois m'aimer sinon tu dois mourir, PPU!
Depuis Hanoi, ta plus jeune 7ème concubine Yuon, PPU!
6:44 AM
Sorry, kid, I'm not the former king.
PPU
Fuck the Christianity!
Christianity and Jews are the culprit of all problems in the world.
PPU
I support you 100% PPU
Just wonder how many people still believe the world and the universes is created in 7day :)
the cathedral was not destroyed during KR times, I think it was later and done by the then government to build what is there now-the ministry of communications or something like that.
Stupid Khmers destroyed everythings not only Cathedral.
The stupdi Khmers like ah Kanhchass chkourt PPU are the same as ah jumkourt Taliban who blew up the 3000 years of Giant Buddha Statue.
The stupid Khmers are going backward always be going backward.
Ah Youn kantorb PPU wants to keep Khmers below Youn and Siam. Oh no Khmers cannot be Priests but ah Youn and Siam can. Because ah kantorb is afraid of Barang or the west love Khmers more than them.
FUCK YOU AH CHO Youn-Siam.
We need to have Khmer Priests in Cambodia.
well, the point is something destroyed can always be rebuilt by human. i hope the church is considering requesting cambodian gov't for support to rebuild that magnificent european catholic cathedral in phnom penh. it was one of the most recognizable phnom penh landmark of the time. of course, the stupid KR destroyed it. now, i would like european to rebuild it in a grander, marble style like in europe so it can last forever in phnom penh this time. god bless cambodia.
i think cambodia should start using concrete and marble to build all of religious and traditional architecture again like angkor wat, the bayon temple, preah vihear, banteay chhmar, etc, etc... so they can lost forever against nature even after we all long gone. at look angkor wat and all other ancient khmer religous structures, all over 1000 years old and will standing. all other tradition khmer structures built from woods had perished from weather erosion, etc..., but not concrete buildings. think about it.
at least one thing khmers are good at is building and art forms, if nothing else. we should be proud of ourselves for having existed over 2000 years as a nation and race of khmer. god bless cambodia and all khmer people.
Is the Pope Catholic?
PPU
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