Information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies since 1927
Phnom Penh (Agenzia Fides) – The gift of God's grace comes through the events and the celebrations which the Church proposes to the people of God: in this spirit the Catholic Church in Cambodia concluded the Year of St Paul and opened the Year of the Priesthood.
The Year of St Paul was an occasion to launch initiatives aimed to make the life and the spirituality of the Apostle of the Nations better known. For example, over the past year the Apostolic of Phnom Penh, undertook a survey among the faithful with the title “Twenty years of evangelisation: 1989-2009”, because 1989 was the year when the Vicariate was created. The year 1989 coincided with the beginning of a new life for the small Catholic community in Cambodia, after the dark years of oppression by the Red Khmers. The survey revealed many events of “good news” in the life of the local Church: in twenty one years 38 new communities have been established and the spiritual and missionary formation of the faithful has improved.
The Apostolic Nuncio in Cambodia Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, was present for celebrations to close the Year of St Paul. Addressing about one thousand faithful he said “Saint Paul reminds the Church of the variety of charisma and that each one must be put at the service of the community”.
For his part the Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, Archbishop Emile Destombes, in a Letter for the closing of the Year of St Paul, underlined three points for the community: to be united in humility; to have a spirit of mission, in charity; to continue formation to deepen knowledge of the Word of God.
The Apostolic Nuncio paid a visit to Phnom Penh Major Seminary dedicated to St Jean Marie Vianney, where he celebrated Vespers with the seminarians and a large crowd of local young people. Attention is now focused on the Year of the Priesthood: at the end of Vespers, Archbishop Pennacchio venerated a relic of Saintly Cure of Ars, preserved in the Seminary Chapel. The Nuncio urged those present to pray for all priests, and to pray for vocations to the priesthood and the consecrated life for the Church in Cambodia. (PA) (Agenzia Fides 6/7/2009 righe 28 parole 289)
