PHNOM PENH: 15th April 2006: -- When Easter and New
Year clash, as they do in Cambodia, and Catholics are few in number,
then the solution is to bring Easter forward! That's what they
did in one of the Cambodian Prefectures, anyway: transferred the Easter
celebrations to the week beforehand. But the preparation of
catechumens has gone on steadily, and this Easter Vigil, dozens of
newly baptised Catholics have resulted from the preparation, including
two from the Don Bosco Phnom Penh SYM. They have been prepared
with years of catechism and have passed an examination in faith and
been declared to have the right disposition. At present Don Bosco
Phnom Penh has 24 Catholic and catechumen staff and about 50 Catholic
and catechumen students amongst 129 staff and 527 students.
The history of the Church in Cambodia can be traced
to 1555 when Fr. Gaspar Da Cruz, a Portuguese Dominican, brought the
Good News to Cambodia. But a constant run of war and political
conflict has meant that the Church has never grown there. It was
only in 1957 that the first Khmer priest was ordained. During the
years 1975-79, the time of the Genocide, all Khmer priests lost their
lives and their property. All Church buildings were
destroyed. It was only in 1990 that Catholic communities were
again given permission to start up. The Salesians arrived in 1991
on 24th May.
By the year 200, the Catholic Church in Cambodia had
one Apostolic Vicariate and two Apostolic Prefectures - the Apostolic
Vicariate of Phnom Penh and the two Prefectures of Battambang and
Kompong Cham.
There are 10 SDBs and 16 FMAs living, working and
serving in Cambodia. The motto for this year as given by the
Salesian Provincial, Fr Dheparat is: "live, learn, love and leave a
legacy through optimism and enthusiasm".
We hope to bring you news of other 'Easter growth'
occasions in the Region. Some details from Mongolia are trickling
in, but we are awaiting confirmation of baptism numbers (not confusing
two sacraments: confirmation and baptism!!)
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