A bishop in Cambodia urged priests, nuns and Catholics to pray for the Church, family and society.
Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, released a special message on October 2 from the Carmelite monastery in Phnom Penh to priests, nuns, and Catholics for October, the month of evangelism and rosary, to pray for the Church, families, and Cambodian society.
In a special three-minute video message, Bishop Olivier said that October is the month in which we, together with St. Teresa of Jesus, live closely to Jesus and witness the gospel.
The Catholic Church has a tradition of dedicating each month of the year to a different devotion. Because the Feast of Our Lady of the Rosary falls on October 7, the entire month of October is dedicated to the Holy Rosary.
October is also World Mission Month, a month dedicated to the life-giving work of missionaries worldwide.
The Bishop of Phnom Penh brought a relic of St Teresa of Jesus and put it on the altar to pray with the faithful before releasing the message.
St Teresa of Jesus (1873–1897), a French Catholic Discalced Carmelite nun, is widely venerated in modern times. She is one of the Doctors of the Church.
"As October is evangelism month, Pope Francis invited us to be witnesses to the Gospel to all," said Bishop Olivier, a member of Paris Foreign Missions (MEP).
The prelate invited Catholics in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh for reflection, especially youth, and Catholic families to live regularly as witnesses of the gospel in their lives, like St Teresa loved Jesus in her life.
"Today, I brought here the rosary that I have received from Pope Francis and invite you all to pray more and more for the Church, our families, and peace in the world through the Blessed Virgin Mary and the four mysteries of Rosay," he said.
In this video message, the Bishop of Phnom Penh also thanks God for Msgr. Pierre Suon Hangly, who was installed as apostolic prefect of Kompong Cham on October 1.
Olivier also expressed his gratitude to Bishop Joseph Chhmar Salas and his companion, who died during the Khmer Rouge regime. And to former bishops Yves Ramousse, MEP, and Emile Destombes, MEP, who took care of the Catholic community and kept the church alive today.
God's will inspired Cambodian society and continues to enlighten the faithful today, Olivier said.
Mrs. Nov Malin, a parishioner of St Peter and St Paul Church in Phnom Penh, told RVA News that the life of St Teresa of Jesus has encouraged many Catholics to love, cherish, give to help others and serve the Church from the heart.
Leng Hong, a catechist of St Martine Church, has expressed his commitment to join the invitations of the bishop, saying, "We, Catholics wealthy for children, are not the property of the world but our faith in God."
He continues that Catholics should teach children to know God and pray daily to help them become aware of and believe in God.
He added, "Faith makes our children become Catholics who have a strong belief in God and serve the Church with love. At the same time, they can become good people who can help people in society and bring the Kingdom of God everywhere to our Cambodian brothers and sisters."
"Apart from that, parents must continue to pray for their children's future and for and for God's call to them," he added. - Kagnha Keo
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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