Caritas Cambodia meets to seek hope and serve people

Caritas Cambodia, the social development agency of the Catholic Church in the country, organized the 31st annual staff retreat under the theme "Pilgrims of Hope." 

Organized by the three bishops of Cambodia, the program took place from February 4 to 6 at Phnom Vor Natural Paradise Resort in Kampot Province, in the south of the country.

Before leaving for Kampot, all 180 Caritas Cambodia members passed through the Holy Door and Shrine of Divine Mercy at the Saint Peter and Paul Church in Phnom Penh, the capital, which is a Jubilee place of the Phnom Penh Vicariate, under the guidance of Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler.

Afterward, the Cambodian Caritas staff and the bishops visited Sok San village and the coconut handicraft center of the parish in Takeo province and proceeded to Phnom Vor Natural Paradise Resort.

The next day, Kim Ratana, executive director of Caritas Cambodia, welcomed and said that Caritas had been traveling with the Cambodian people, especially with the poor, for 35 years; it was like going on a pilgrimage with the poor in Cambodia to find hope.

"We are here to think together about hope with the three bishops who will instruct us,” said Ratana. “We have the strength to share this hope with others and to bring others to find the light of new hope for their lives.”

He emphasized that Caritas Cambodia's vision, mission, and dream are to create a fair society, respect each other's rights, listen to one another, and promote and care for the rights of the poor.

Bishop Olivier, the Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, welcomed the Caritas staff and introduced the Jubilee Year.

"We come together to share our thoughts and reflections on our lives and roles,” he said. “We are gathered to reflect on our responsibilities, to thank God, and to bless all of us on our journey to hope.”

Sitting at a round table, everyone shared and discussed with each other regardless of status in the spirit of the Synodal Church.

The bishop said, “We talk, discuss, listen, and receive strength from each other, traveling together toward hope.”

He added that the role of Caritas is to ensure social justice in the workplace and wherever we are present. This can only be done if “the individual has ethics that guide their hearts and that the work we do generates meaning and value.”

"According to Christianity, we have three gifts that guide us: faith, hope, and love," said Jesuit Bishop Enrique Figaredo Alvargonzalez, Prefect of Battambang and Chairman of Caritas Cambodia.

He said the identity of Caritas is love. “We must have love and compassion in our hearts.”

The prelate urged Caritas staff of different faiths to work as Jesus did willingly in society to be able to do God's will.

“If we have hope, we think about the future because God has prepared it for us, and that hope inspires us with love and faith,” he said. “This year, keep up the hope of true love, with strong faith, to proclaim it to our brotherhood, so God will give us a full life.”

According to him, the annual staff retreat of Caritas Cambodia was a special event designed to unite and inspire the team.

The gathering provided a transformative opportunity for personal growth, communal reflection, and spiritual renewal.

“The retreat aimed to deepen our collective understanding of the Caritas mission while strengthening community bonds,” he said. “At its core, a retreat was a sacred time set apart as a space where individuals and communities can pause, reflect, and discern.

“It invited us to step away from daily demands, engaging in prayer, dialogue, and shared experiences that nurture growth in faith and mission,” he added.

On the same day, Msgr. Pierre Hangly Suon, a prefect of Kampong Cham, spoke on "building a community of hope," followed by group discussions.

“Whenever we talk about building a community of hope, we need time, patience, and enormous love for the community,” he said. “I wish our team would create a community full of hope; give each other hope.”

At the end of the retreat, Caritas staff attended the Mass and planted trees in Phnom Vor Natural Paradise Resort, including 15 durian trees, 50 cashew trees, 40 passion trees, 15 Logan trees, and 70 Thnong trees.

Later, Monsignor Enrique gave certificates of appreciation to the employees who have worked for 30, 25, 20, 15, and 10 years with Caritas.