Forty-five young Cambodians are preparing to participate in World Youth Day (WYD) in Portugal in July under the theme "Mary gets up quickly and rushes to a village in the mountains of Judea."
The Pastoral Office for the Youth, Teenagers, and Children of the Phnom Penh Vicariate organized WYD preparation for these youths that occurred May 26-27 at St. Peter and Paul Church in Phnom Penh, Cambodia’s capital.
Speaking about the occasion, Mr. San Saroeun, a Cambodian leader for WYD, said, "This is an opportunity for young men and women to build relationships, make friends with young people from different countries, share their experiences of faith, meet the pope, and pray for Mass together with him,"
According to Saroeun, participation in the WYD would expose Cambodian youth to the lives and methods of youth-serving God in other nations. They can share their experience and observations with the local church upon their return.
The Cambodian Catholic Church will be represented by three bishops, two priests, three deacons, nuns, and active students from the three dioceses.
Saroeun added that for World Youth Day to function smoothly, the leadership team held three meetings to provide bishops with information on preparing vital documents and reflecting on the event's themes.
Clara Khan Kanha, 27, from Lovers of the Cross in Prey Veng province, stated that the program would help her comprehend how the community there educates and passes on the faith to her children, how they live as Catholics in society and other evangelism-related issues.
Sok Channy, 22, from Pochentong parish in Phnom Penh, said her group was ready to present Khmer culture through traditional dances to participants worldwide.
"We rehearsed Khmer songs and dances to perform on the international stage," Channy said.
19-year-old Dung Nita from Tum Poung parish in Battambang province expects that she "will be able to see the pope up close and have new friends from different countries to share, whether in small or large groups, especially from Culture by country.”
Nita is determined that she will do her best to participate in all activities and bring something new to the community in Cambodia.
San Saroeun expected all participants to open their hearts and be courageous enough to share their faith journey with the other youth there.
He also hopes that when they return, they will be willing to serve the church, continue to share and proclaim the gospel, serve church missions, and be a role model for the next generation.
The youth’s head asked all Catholics in his country to pray for the Cambodian youth who will participate in this day to have the strength, mental strength, and strong faith to know how to present the Cambodian Catholic life to the youth of other countries.
The Jornada Mundia da Juventude, also known as the WYD Lisbon 2023, takes place in the Portuguese capital from July 25 to August 8, 2023. It is a Catholic pilgrimage event for young people from around the globe, including a papal visit. World Youth Day will occur in multiple Lisbon locations, including Parque Tejo, Parque Eduardo VII, Terreiro do Paco and others. - RVA Khmer News Service
Radio Veritas Asia (RVA), a media platform of the Catholic Church, aims to share Christ. RVA started in 1969 as a continental Catholic radio station to serve Asian countries in their respective local language, thus earning the tag “the Voice of Asian Christianity.” Responding to the emerging context, RVA embraced media platforms to connect with the global Asian audience via its 21 language websites and various social media platforms.
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