Sister Mary Tang Sovathanak takes her first vows -- Photo by Ly Sovanna
Sister Sovathanak is the first Cambodian nun of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco -- Photo by Ly SovannaAugust 10, 2009
PHNOM PENH (UCAN) -- The Salesian nuns in Cambodia have cause to celebrate. For the first time since the congregation started here 16 years ago, a local member of their congregation made her first vows.
Wearing a white habit and with her head covered, Sister Mary Tang Sovathanak, 29, described the occasion as "a special day" since she is now a "bride of Christ."
"I don't have anything to give him back," she said, "only my life to him."
More than 150 people attended the special Mass, concelebrated by the heads of the three Church jurisdictions in Cambodia, to mark the occasion on Aug. 5.
Monsignor Antonysamy Susairaj, apostolic prefect of Kompong Cham, where Sister Sovathanak comes from, presided at the Mass, held at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for girls at Tek Thla, Phnom Penh.
Sister Sarah Garcia, superior of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco in Cambodia said she is overjoyed at the occasion. "My prayer is that she will be able to live out her journey faithfully," she said.
All the other 20 Salesian nuns in Cambodia are foreigners.
Bishop Susairaj, in his homily, said he is aware that Sister Sovathanak's parents may not be entirely happy with her decision. However, he reminded everyone that being a nun does not mean leaving one's family.
Moreover, the bishop asserted that Sister Sovathanak, in responding to God's call, "will help many young people who need education" through her ministry.
The bishop also pointed out that Sister Sovathanak's mother was one of the first Catholics in Kompong Cham when the Church revived here in the 1990s after decades of civil war and religious persecution.
Sister Sovathanak studied at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for girls, run by the Salesian congregation, and graduated in 2003 in secretarial and computer studies. It was while studying at the center that she first decided to become a Salesian nun.
"I was attracted to the simple life of the nuns. They are always smiling and putting their lives in God's hands, even though they encounter problems." Moreover, she said, "holiness does not come from just impressive deeds, but also from small acts carried out with love."
Sister Sovathanak is the oldest in her family of four children. Her father, a Buddhist, is director of a primary school, and her mother, a Catholic, is a vendor at the local market.
Speaking after the ceremony, Sister Sovathanak's father, Tang Phirom, 51, admitted he had wanted his daughter to marry and have children, but now accepts his daughter's decision.
The Salesian Sisters in Cambodia run a secretarial and computer program, a food and home management program, and a literacy and sewing program for girls in Phnom Penh and Battambang. They also run two kindergartens, one primary school, and a hostel for 20 high school girls in Phnom Penh.
Out of a total of about 100 nuns in Cambodia, only seven are Cambodians.
Wearing a white habit and with her head covered, Sister Mary Tang Sovathanak, 29, described the occasion as "a special day" since she is now a "bride of Christ."
"I don't have anything to give him back," she said, "only my life to him."
More than 150 people attended the special Mass, concelebrated by the heads of the three Church jurisdictions in Cambodia, to mark the occasion on Aug. 5.
Monsignor Antonysamy Susairaj, apostolic prefect of Kompong Cham, where Sister Sovathanak comes from, presided at the Mass, held at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for girls at Tek Thla, Phnom Penh.
Sister Sarah Garcia, superior of the Salesian Sisters of Don Bosco in Cambodia said she is overjoyed at the occasion. "My prayer is that she will be able to live out her journey faithfully," she said.
All the other 20 Salesian nuns in Cambodia are foreigners.
Bishop Susairaj, in his homily, said he is aware that Sister Sovathanak's parents may not be entirely happy with her decision. However, he reminded everyone that being a nun does not mean leaving one's family.
Moreover, the bishop asserted that Sister Sovathanak, in responding to God's call, "will help many young people who need education" through her ministry.
The bishop also pointed out that Sister Sovathanak's mother was one of the first Catholics in Kompong Cham when the Church revived here in the 1990s after decades of civil war and religious persecution.
Sister Sovathanak studied at the Don Bosco Vocational Training Center for girls, run by the Salesian congregation, and graduated in 2003 in secretarial and computer studies. It was while studying at the center that she first decided to become a Salesian nun.
"I was attracted to the simple life of the nuns. They are always smiling and putting their lives in God's hands, even though they encounter problems." Moreover, she said, "holiness does not come from just impressive deeds, but also from small acts carried out with love."
Sister Sovathanak is the oldest in her family of four children. Her father, a Buddhist, is director of a primary school, and her mother, a Catholic, is a vendor at the local market.
Speaking after the ceremony, Sister Sovathanak's father, Tang Phirom, 51, admitted he had wanted his daughter to marry and have children, but now accepts his daughter's decision.
The Salesian Sisters in Cambodia run a secretarial and computer program, a food and home management program, and a literacy and sewing program for girls in Phnom Penh and Battambang. They also run two kindergartens, one primary school, and a hostel for 20 high school girls in Phnom Penh.
Out of a total of about 100 nuns in Cambodia, only seven are Cambodians.
19 comments:
i heard some ppl who r Christian(Cambodian). they don respect the monk. is this true or not?
i think it's good news that some khmer are embracing other religion. before, in the past, catholic are only known to be vietnamese in cambodia, but now, how thing changed in cambodia. it is great, to say the least. of course, khmer must not forget buddhism as well. we should embrace other worldy religion as well like christian, catholic, etc... nothing wrong with that. see, what happened when we travel the world and get o live overseas, we see how big and diverse the world really is. thank god for opeing up the door of opportunity for many khmer people who otherwise would only think inside the box, without god's teaching. god bless cambodia.
embracing other religion doesn't mean you should trash or look down on khmer culture and religious religion. because if that is the case, it is wrong teaching and not should and ought not be tolerated in cambodia or anything in the word for that matter. people should each other's religious preference. that's smart! god bless.
cambodia is becoming a piece of pie for the world. The powerful will take a bigger piece.
Vietnamese people embraced Catholic since French Colony.
I am Buddhist by birth, but the more I learnt about our Lord Buddha the more I know Preah Se-Art Metreya, and Christ is Preah Metreya. The world needs peace than war, this is a sign of LOVE and PEACE. We have Khmer Jews and now we have Khmer Nun, sooner we will have Khmer Priests.
Thanks to PM Hun Sen who sees far.
God bless our country, Cambodia and our people.
excellent point, 10:48am. may god help cambodia to embrace and accept all religous preferences. let's help make cambodia a true cosmopolitan nation that tolerate diversity in every way, especially in religion, and nationality. perhaps, everyone will become khmer from all over the world. cambodia has always been a very tolerant country since colonial time. of course, we should not look down on local, traditonal buddhist or indigenous religions either! we must respect everyone; this is how we all can live side by side in peace and justice for all. i wish and praise that cambodia will be a happy, god-loving nation and prosperous as well. god bless my beloved country, cambodia.
i'm so glad to see khmer people amongst the diverse group of the world. may god help cambodia to open up and learn from everybody from all over the world. god bless cambodia.
Sister Sovathanak was called to serve the poor and the needy, like some Khmer Monks said they were called. Being a catholic nun or priest a person has committed her or his life to God to serve the poor like Mother Teresa in Calcutta.
10:40 AM, no one will take Cambodia is we the people really practice what Buddha or GOD teaches. Look at our leaders who claimed to be Bhuddists but killing the innocence Khmers is their appetites. With a strong faith, Cambodia will survive.
God bless cambodia and all the khmer people.
amen!
Thanks so much you Sister Vathanak for sacrificing your life to serve and help our poor people.
My tear drops when Sister Vathanak said she will help many young people who need education through her ministry, in responding to God called her.
God please save my country and my people. Only God can.
i'm thrilled to see someone dedicating her life to God in the service of mankind. a lot of work will need to be done to help the downtrodden in our beloved cambodia. at one stage however food clothing and housing will not be enough. people will yearn for spiritual freedom. that is where, as a khmer christian i believe that only Jesus of Nazareth is the only one who can deliver us from our sin. call me a bigot, narrow minded etc.., if you will, but after going through pol pot's time, it only makes me see how people (me more than any one else) are full of sin and need the divine intervention of our Saviour.
I don't care what religion you believe. I am buddhist, but I am not very religious, I mean I am not CRAZY with BUDDHISM. I have many christian and muslim friends.
I fully respect other religions. But I remarks that many Cambodian Christians, especially the NEW Converts or the Budgeoning Christians alwasys say when we talked about non-religious subjects:" You know, God Jesus has helped me", " Our Khmer people are building too many pagoda in the Country".
Thta's inacceptable for me. I disgust that kind of new Khmer Christians.Because of their mistake
and arrogant attitude, in some provinces, many churches waere burnt down. Who are at fault?
Buddha respect all life and he also encourage us to love one another. May peace among all of us regardless of our religious belief. May Buddha bless sister Sovathanak to give her life in helping other.
Gentleman
Religion is about love and compassion to any mandkind without racial prejudice.
God is only aspirational trust,and can be any shape or form.
there are three ideologies:
1) Individual morals, mainly focus on indiviual acts relative to respect others based on living rights, and predominently buddhists guided themselve commonly 5 percepts in short.
2) Idolised morals dominated by Gods,whether Christ or Mohamed. some aspects of believe can be extreme depends on what are being idolised and its relevences. All living are created by God and also the surrounding nature.Thus God prescribes ways of life for his/her devotees.
3)Hindu, predominently believes nature has important roles to give life and supporting life. Various segment of society believe what are giving to ongoing life, whether animals or any part of environment or habitats.
In principle, air,heat,water and soil are elements of life support when circumstances suitable. it is described in buddhism. Others believe that these are God given because human cannot control them.
However, regardles any religion that people believe in, the common grounds are love and compssion where respect is the common bond.
So please,all devote religious friends, familiar yourselve with our Human rights.
Neang SA
6:24 PM,
True Christians don't make those kind statements even it is true, and true Buddhists don't go and burn down the Churches either.
This is called Bab or Sin.
There are too many Buddhist Temples grow but 99% Khmers don't practice Buddhism that's true, but the Christians should had not made those statements. They did they are not Christians but fools.
Catholic nuns and Buddhist nuns do their duties differently. Buddhist nuns are mostly our elders who concentrate only Chol Nipean building more Temples and Tveu Bonn Kateun, but Catholic nuns from young at 17 years old to old nuns, they medidate to GOD for strength, good deeds to help the poor and the needy like Sister Sovanthanak said. This is a very good sign of love, peace and prosperity. The sufferings in Cambodia will help Khmers to see God than Evils. God bless Cambodia.
7:49 PM,
Buddha told us Preah Se.a.Metrei comes, and He will teach His kingdom of heaven, Christ is Preah Se.a.Metrei. Amen
I'd prefer to see artist make a status of the virgin Mary and Baby Jesus Christ look Khmers not Caucasians. God is colorless. He can be anyone. He can look Khmer, Black or White.
In fact God chose a Jew woman whose skin was dark brown like Khmers in 2009 years ago to carry a Holy child, and I think the statu of the holy mother and her holy child should be looklike Khmers.
It's going to there soon. A lot of Khmer artists. I can't wait to see Khmer Priests.
there is a khmer prophecy about the coming king of righteousness (Preah Batt Thoammik) who will come to redeem everyone. He has marks on his hands and rides a white horse. As a khmer christian, i think that fits the description of Jesus Christ when he returns at his second coming.. and i don't mind being called a crackpot if this draws attention on Jesus - it's what i'm living for and i would love to see our Cambodian people who have suffered so much in the past, finally find salvation in Him.
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