ASIA/CAMBODIA - A new church in Phnom Penh, a new Salesian priest and deacon

Phnom Penh (Fides News Agency) – The Cambodian Catholic community celebrated the consecration of a new church in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh: the Church of St. Joseph the Worker, consecrated and opened for worship on May 2nd during a solemn Mass presided over by Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, with the participation of numerous priests, religious, and faithful.
With these words, the Vicar expressed the sentiments of the community: “Enter his gates with thanksgiving and his courts with praise; give thanks to him and praise his name” (Psalm 101:4). “In opening these doors today, we experience immense joy: the joy of a completed church, the joy of having a sacred place worthy of praising the Lord. It is the joy of our people, the People of God in Cambodia, who have been able to build a beautiful church in the city of Phnom Penh to celebrate, praise, and give thanks to the Lord.”
The Vicar thanked Father Paul Chatsirey, National Director of the Pontifical Mission Societies in Cambodia, for his perseverance, as he, along with a pastoral committee and a team of architects and builders, completed the project in five years.
The Vicar also placed a handful of earth from the Cambodian martyrs under a stone slab at the foot of the altar, recalling that “the stone the builders rejected has become the cornerstone.” He further noted that the Cambodian Church has sent the documentation for the diocesan process of martyrs—including Bishop Joseph Chhmar Salas and eleven companions—to the Apostolic Nunciature in Bangkok, which will then forward it to the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. “These are signs of God’s love for us and of the strength of our faith,” Bishop Schmitthaeusler emphasized. He also recalled that when Bishops Ramousse and Émile Destombes returned to Cambodia in 1990 and restored the minor seminary in Phnom Penh with the Chapel of St. Joseph, the country was still experiencing great instability. “Today, thanks to the faith and hope of our pastors and the love of our small flock, we can praise the Lord here.” “We are the living stones of this 21st century. And you, priests, as living stones, form a spiritual temple, a holy community of priests. To be priest, king, and prophet is the dignity of all the baptized, to praise and pray, to serve and love, to proclaim the Word and live it,” he said, referring to the passage in the First Letter of Peter that speaks of the “living stones.” “We can be proud,” the Apostolic Vicar concluded, “not because our beautiful church with its tall bell tower can be seen from the sky, but because we are these living stones for this new era.” Buildings crumble, but faith endures, and God is with us until the end of time.”
The bishop also recalled that the church stands on the banks of the Mekong River, near a former Carmelite monastery where nearly 600 Christians were murdered in 1970: “From a river that was once stained with blood, today flows a river of life,” he said, quoting a passage from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel. The bishop then placed a relic of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, on the altar, inviting everyone to pray for families, especially those suffering because of war.
In recent days, the small Cambodian Church has experienced another event of hope. On April 26, 2026, a large assembly joined the Salesian Family for the priestly ordination of Fr. Paul Bao Le Quoc, SDB, and the diaconal ordination of another Salesian religious, Fr. Raymond Lawrence, SDB. The celebration had a distinctly international and missionary character: Fr. Paul's family is from Vietnam and Deacon Raymond's family is from India, while Salesians and faithful from Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and the Philippines participated. The Salesians of Don Bosco continue their apostolic work in Cambodia, especially in Phnom Penh, where they work with the most vulnerable sectors through educational and social programs. The two newly ordained priests are involved in youth ministry at the "Don Bosco Phnom Penh" center, in collaboration with the diocesan pastoral team. In Southeast Asia, the Salesians began their mission among Cambodian refugees in Thailand between 1988 and 1991, offering technical training and support programs for minors. Later, invited to Cambodia, they established their first community in Phnom Penh, subsequently extending their mission to five provinces of the country. (PA) (Fides News Agency, 4/5/2027)

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