Khmer's first Jesuit-ordained priest

Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, ordained Martin Damo Chour as the Society of Jesus' first Khmer priest on August 19.

More than 2,000 Catholics, local authorities, and clergy attended the ordination of the first Jesuit Cambodian at the Assumption Church in Battambang City, Battambang Province, approximately 291 kilometers west of Phnom Penh.

In his sermon, Bishop Schmitthaeusler stated that the Society of Jesus and the Cambodian Catholic community were delighted to welcome Chour into the priesthood.

"It is not common for a church to receive a new priest. We have a rare occasion in Cambodia," the bishop said.

The Catholic Church in Cambodia rarely had a priest ordination ceremony after the country fell into civil war under the Pol Pot Regime. There are currently 10 Cambodian priests among more than 100 who are serving in the three dioceses, which have more than 100 parishes and communities.

Bishop Schmitthaeusler added that at this time, Chour would become a servant of Jesus, following in his footsteps, as well as a servant of the Jesuits who particularly cherished the Cambodian community.

He reminded the new priest of three aspects of service: First, as ministers of God's doctrine, we must proclaim and instruct children and youth, the ignorant, and all situations.

The second responsibility of the spiritual minister is to enable men's souls to delve deeper into the mysteries of their own lives, to receive the sacraments, to develop spiritually, and to dwell with God.

Thirdly, as God's gracious servant, he must mediate in order to assist the impoverished, the sick, and the prisoners, as well as the abandoned, Catholics, those seeking God, and social justice.

To the Cambodian Catholics, the Bishop exhorted them to consider their roles as servants.

"Let us be servants of grace, daring to consolidate all of life's circumstances; let us be servants of peace in the midst of war, envy, and hatred, so that the love of God may emerge; and let us be servants kneeling next to the little ones in all circumstances, waiting for a smile, love, affection, and encouragement," he said.

​While Cambodians were fleeing to the Cambodian-Thai camp during the war, members of the Jesuit helped some Cambodians in the camp, and upon their return home, they came to serve in Cambodia in 1990. The mission of this group is to help the poor,
especially the disabled people.

Father Oh-Chang Simon Kwon, a delegate of the Korean provincial of the Society of Jesus in Cambodia, says he is very happy today. "I am a missionary from another country. If we see that a Cambodian can continue this mission and proclaim the gospel through his language, it is wonderful, and I am very excited."

The new priest's mother, Mrs. Theresa Buntha Soun, said Chour decided to become a priest at age eight.

"I told him that he does not know how to do anything; washing clothes is not even clean. If you want to serve anyone, you have to know how to do it yourself so that mom is not worried about you. At that time, he started to help himself," she said.

Ms. Soun admitted that while her son was in college, she kept her children away from the church because she believed it to be a childish notion. However, Chour attempted to convince the priest in command of the Catholic Student Center to grant him permission to study there.

"When he entered the student center, he started to mature," and her husband always told her that we can only raise our children physically and educate them, but we cannot decide their future, and this vocation is not a bad thing," she said, adding that "To be a savior is a good deed to help people on earth." 

Since then, she has encouraged him and prayed for him to achieve his life goals.

"I was happy and shed tears not because I felt sorry for my child, but because my child was more than 20 years in the formation, he sacrificed a lot for this vocation. He has to learn and do many things," she said.

Chuor, 38, was the third of four children born in the province of Kampong Cham. In 2006, he earned a bachelor's degree in business management, and in 2012, he joined the Society of Jesus Fellowship. In 2022, he was consecrated in Manila, Philippines, as a deacon.

On the day of his ordination, it was declared that Chuor would be in charge of vocation and youth ministry for all three dioceses.

In this work, the new priest said that he must be open-minded to help and guide young people to be beloved of God. He did not work only for the vocation of the Society of Jesus or help them to become religious or priests; in the life of a young man, a spiritual guide is needed.

He plans to visit Catholic youth, build relationships, and further educate them so that they can discover God's will in daily life and in the future.

The apostolic prefect of Battambang, Mgrs. Enrique Figaredo was pleased by young Cambodians' interest in the priesthood and the cooperation of diocesan priests, authorities, and Catholics from three dioceses in building God's kingdom.

He also hoped the Battambang Prefecture would attract new priests. He added that to advance in our vocation, we must first listen to God with an open heart to fulfill his will and then sacrifice a lot for God and the church's common welfare.

"The church needs young people to pay attention to their vocation and to sacrifice their lives for the common good, like Jesus," he confirmed.

Bishop Schmitthaeusler stated that Chour and the three dioceses collaborated to serve the Word, spirituality, and the needy in an interview. "I hope Damo, the first Jesuit priest, can penetrate deeply into the community and culture to help the church and Cambodia testify to Jesus' life and make many friends."

The bishop prayed for the young men to find their calling at Father Chuor's ordination.

Pope Francis also congratulated Father Chour and welcomed him to Christ's priesthood at the ceremony. - Kagnha Keo