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Episcopal Ordination Bishop of The Vicariate of Phnom Penh

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:06:45 +0100

Father OLIVIER SCHMITTHAEUSLER, MEP

Appointed as Caoadjutor Bishop to

BISHOP EMILE DESTOMBES,

For the Apostolic Viariate of PHNOM PENH, CAMBODIA

HIS EPESCOPAL ORDINATION

Which will take place at the Salesian of Don Bosco School

(Phnom Penh Thmey)

Saturday March 20^th, 2010 at 9:00 am

Through the imposition of hands by the participation Bishops. The Eucharist will be concelebrated by Bp. Emile Destombes, as president, assisted by H.E. Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio, the Apostolic Nuncio for Cambodia. Bp. Christian Kratz of Strasbourg, France, and by the other bishops and priest.

Kindly remember the new bishop in your prayers.

Olivier Schmitthaeusler, a Bishop with a Free Spirit

Thu, 11 Mar 2010 12:53:16 +0100

In 1999, he was celebrating Mass at Svay Pak, a settlement on the outskirts of the capital Phnom Penh. Later he was the Initiator of an agricultural education program in Takeo Province. Now Fr. Oliver Schmitthaeusler, a 39-year-old priest from Alsace will be ordained bishop of Phnom Penh in March.

Out on the road, driving his Honda CRV, Fr. Olivier brakes suddenly to avoid a dog lying beside the road. “My car has so much dust that one cannot even see it,” he smiles. On the windshield, the car has a VIP pass provided by the family of one of the parishioners.

Every week, he commutes between Phnom Penh and Takeo where last October he established the Institute of St. Paul, a large modern school which accommodates 120 students learning agriculture and 80 students studying computers.

“On the day the Prime Minister signed the sub-decree recognizing the Institute,” says Fr. Olivier, “Pope Benedict XVI announced my nomination as a bishop.” That means, in the months ahead, in addition to the travel between Phnom Penh and Takeo, his travels will extend throughout the vicariate which includes seven provinces plus the city of Phnom Penh. And it means he must abandon his little house equipped with a solar panel in Takeo, his garden, and the quiet of his rural parish to move to the Bishop’s House in Phnom Penh.

At 39, Fr. Olivier Schmitthaeusler will become, on March 20, the third-youngest bishop in the world. Born in Strasbourg, the eldest child in a family of four, he entered the seminary where he obtained his bachelor’s degree. Starting in 1991, he worked in Osaka, Japan, and then in 1998, just after he was ordained, he was sent to Cambodia. After a year of language study, he was able to celebrate Mass in Khmer.

He worked in Svay Pak (or “Kilometer 11”), an area on the outskirts of Phnom Penh known for its brothels. When he first arrived at the church there on his motorbike, the girls took him to be a client. He said mass in Svay Pak using a PA system which took his voice beyond the walls of church through loudspeakers. Of this period, Fr. Olivier does not say much, except that the Catholic community there was “very dynamic.”

His attention was quickly brought to what is now the parish of Chom Kartieng in the province of Takeo. ”There was not even one baptized person there. But one man, who had a cousin in the seminary, one day sold a cow to buy a motorcycle so he could go all the way to Phnom Penh to study catechism. It was a six-hour round trip for him to do that.”

Today, the Catholic community of that village has 97 people. Fr. Olivier supports the conversions there. “It is a long road leading to conversion. The villagers must participate in three years of activities in the parish before baptism, and then another two years after baptism.”

At Chom Kartieng, a baby named Olivier honors the strong personality of the priest responsible for the rapid development of the community. A young Christian woman greets Fr. Olivier with her baby in her arms. She named him Olivier after the priest.

Proselytism? The priest does not like the word. ”It has a negative connotation…. But I am not ashamed to announce the gospel. In the school, we offer meals to students and there is a prayer before the meal. They pray for what they want…. At the school a chapel has been set up which is prominent without being dominant. At Christmas, we explain the meaning of the celebrations we organize. An offer is made, but the people are free how to respond.”

On Fridays, when he celebrates Mass with a group of thirty students, Fr. Olivier asks, while preparing the hosts, how many students want to receive communion. Only about twenty of them raise their hands. ”Those who are not Catholics, they just come to see,” he says. While avoiding direct proselytizing, he wants to leave open the possibility for sincere conversions.

This school program, which can accommodate up to 6000 students, is intended to diversify training opportunities. The Royal School of Agriculture has already awarded diplomas to students from the St. Paul school program. The library of the Institute is among the six largest in the country, and the students can apply their knowledge in 70 hectares of fields near Kep where they grow rice, fruit trees, and sweet potatoes. These major initiatives have been funded with the assistance of a donor in Singapore, met during a tour to raise funds.

On the stairway in the school is a placard listing the values of the institute: Responsibility, humanity, solidarity. In the headmaster’s office, a portrait of King Norodom Sihanomi hangs next to a large painting of St. Francis. Outside, the students play soccer, each wearing a jersey of the national team of France. In the rear of the grounds is a large yellow and red stupa surmounted by a cross. “Here is where I will be buried,” says Fr. Olivier. For the present, it contains the ashes of only one person, the first Christian in the parish to have died.

Relations with the Buddhists are good, Fr. Olivier affirms. ”We make regular visits to their ceremonies … We have many contacts with the monks.” Dialogue between the two religions, however, remains ”a dialogue of life,” informal and rarely touching on matters of faith. ”At Christmas, we went with the Buddhists to the prison in Kampot to visit the prisoners,” he says. “That allowed a joint local religious response to occur.”

As bishop, Fr. Olivier wants to work to strengthen interfaith dialogue. “Non-Christians here rarely make the distinction between Catholics and others,” he noted. And what he called the ‘religion of Jesus’ is in general perceived negatively. It is often regarded as the religion of foreigners or as a belief that does not respect the ancestors.” Another perception attached to Catholicism is that it is the religion of Vietnam. To avoid stigmatization, the Vietnamese Catholics are urged by the Church to learn Khmer and to integrate into Cambodia society. At the annual Epiphany gathering of church leaders, the future bishop expressed the hope that the Church “continue to be a sign of communion, especially between the Cambodian and Vietnamese communities. In the history of Cambodia, Christians have often been targeted because they represented the “enemy” Vietnamese population.

The persecutions against Christians under the Democratic Kampuchea regime remain a subject of debate. “Christians suffered as Christians under the Khmer Rouge, and also during the Vietnam period,” says Fr. Olivier. “But in the current process, this is a very political issue.” The future bishop also plans to organize a seminar on historical memory. He says: “If we do not preserve that now, in thirty years there will be nothing left.”

Between March and August, Fr. Olivier will be the Coadjutor Bishop to Bishop Emile Destombes. In August, Bishop Emile turns 75 , the age of mandatory retirement.

Letter to all the Communities Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh 27 June 2009 (Solemnity of ...

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 10:30:42 +0100

I. Address (cf. Phil 1:1-2)
Emile, a servant of Christ Jesus to all Christians in Christ Jesus, to all those who seek the Lord with faith and generosity, with their priests and their catechists. To all the missionary societies, religious congregations and lay people who work in proclaiming the Good News in the Apostolic Vicariate. of Phnom Penh.
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ!

II. In thanksgiving and prayer (cf. Coll,3-13; 1 Thess 1.3)
I never cease to give thanks to the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ by thinking about you in my prayers. What a long way since 1989 ! Your faith and your hope have allowed the gospel to flourish, the Word of Truth to be announced in the Vicariate of Phnom Penh. I give thanks in the presence of our God and Father for the work of your faith, the labor of your love, the constancy of your hope that are caused by our Lord Jesus Christ.

III. Wishes
A reading of the survey: 20 years of proclaiming the Good News, I would like to make three wishes:
1. Keeping unity in humility
We are 38 communities composed of Cambodian and Vietnamese Christians, spread over 5 provinces that cover our Vicariate, we are forty congregations of missionary priests, nuns and religious, lay communities including English, French and Korean communities!
This diversity calls us to keep unity in humility with "us the same feelings that are in Christ" (Phil 2:5). "Try to keep the unity of the Spirit through the bond of peace ... one Lord, one faith, one baptism" (Eph 4,3.5).
Brothers and sisters, each a manifestation of the Spirit is given for the common gbod (1 Cor 12:7), let us build our gifts in service to our small beloved Church.

2. Have a mind full of missionary charity
But we are called to' leave our churches and our homes, to open our doors and our heart.
"Proclaiming the Gospel in effect for me is not a titlef! honor, but a necessity for me.
Yes, woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel" (lC09, 16). In Cambodian society today both in the cities than in rural areas, be the witnesses of the love and mercy of God.
Nourished by prayer and the Word, dare to be the heart of God for our brothers and sisters, dare to show the infinite love of God for everyone: your life has value. "I have neither gold nor silver, but what I have, I give you: in the name of Jesus of Nazareth, walk" (Acts 3:6). Brothers and Sisters, the vitality of our church will depend on the strength of our humble and discreet witness full of charity and mercy. Love is inventive!
"Try to imitate God as beloved children, and follow the path of love, following the
example of Christ who loved us and gave himself for us" (Eph 5,1-2)
3. Give us the means for training in the riches of the Faith and the Word of
Knowledge and Science.
Each of you stressed the importance to be given to training for years to come. I am delighted and I thank the Lord with you.

Training in the riches of faith and the Word first to get to know our Lord Jesus
Christ. I call with all my heart Christians of good will to accept the ministry of
catechist and I urge priests, religious, the catechesis committee to provide
resources and training venues for the catechists
Training and human intellectual then. I encourage religious congregations, the
Education Committee, NGOs Catholics to expand efforts to provide a solid
education for children and young people.
That this search for the truth so that "Hope abounds in you by virtue of the Holy Spirit" (Rom 15.13 b)

IV. Final Prayer
Finally, Brothers and Sisters, I turn to youth who are the vitality of our Church: "Bejoyful always, pray without ceasing, Do not the Spirit" (Fh 5,16-19). A new society and new church are emerging, you are the face,of the~! Walk faithfully with Jesus, our Savior. Be the witnesses of his life and his forgivetres-s:Maythe Spirit enlighten some of you to hear his call and respond with generosity and love to the service of the Church.
Brothers and Sisters, the Lord of peace himself give you peace even at any time and any way (2TH 3.16). I urge you by the Lord that this letter be read to all brothers. The grace of your Lord Jesus be with you (1Th 5,27-28).

Emile Destombes
Your Bishop

Article Source: Bishop's House

PRAYER FOR THE POPE

Tue, 07 Jul 2009 06:18:41 +0100

St. Charles Borromeo Catholic Church
Prayers

Lord, source of eternal life and truth, give to Your shepherd, the Pope, a spirit of courage and right judgement, a spirit of knowledge and love.

By governing with fidelity those entrusted to his care may he, as successor to the apostle Peter and vicar of Christ, build Your church into a sacrament of unity, love, and peace for all the world.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. Amen.

CLOSING CEREMONY OF THE SAINT PAUL YEAR

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:03:33 +0100

Saturday, 27th of June 2009
Time: 8 am – 2 pm
Teuk THLA - Salesians of Don Bosco

8.00 : Gathering
A. Video loop:
1. Diocesan House (CCS)
2. The announcement of the Gospel in the Vicariate (CCS)
B. Exhibitions:
1. Saint Paul (CCCC / CCS)
2. The parishes of Vicariate (Pastoral Youth / Father Olivier)
9 : 15 : Dance (Don Bosco Tuol Kok)
9 :30 : Theater (15 minutes): Announcing the Gospel with Paul (St Joseph)
10:00 : Eucharist (Father Olivier) Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul

Entrance Song
MESSAGE FROM HIS EXCELLENCY Archbishop Salvatore Pennacchio (15/20mn)
. 1st READING: Acts 12,1-11 .
PSALM: 33 (34)
2nd READING: Timothy 4,6-8.16-18
GOSPEL: Matthew 16,13-19
H0 MILY: Mgr EMILE
Credo
P.U
Procession of offerings
Communion
Final Song

a. Distribution of the letter to the communities
b. Announcement of the priorities for the Vicariate
c. Announcing the opening of the year of priest

12:00 : Theater (Wat Champa - 15mn)
12.15 : Release of Balloons (delegates from each community) .
12.30 : Lunch
14.00 : Departure

The Year of Saint Paul

Sun, 28 Jun 2009 12:01:59 +0100

Yet when I preach the Gospel, I cannot boast,
For I am compelled to preach.
Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel!
(1 cor 9,16)

Phnom Penh,16th June 2008

Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ Jesus.

To Proclaim the Gospel !

These words of Saint Paul can become our own words during this new pastoral year placed under the patronage of the Great Apostle. Pope Benedict has invited us this spiritual journey on the occasion of the two thousandth anniversary of the birth of the apostle.
Over the course of the year 2007-2008, we attempted to retell the story of Jesus in our own life. For the year 2008-2009 I invite the whole Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh to put on faith and love as a breastplate, and hope of salvation s a helmet (1th , 5,8) to revitalize our way of announcing the Gospel.
“With Paul, let us proclaim the Gospel”

In particular, I would like to invite the children and the young people to find a new energy to be witnesses to Christ who is all and is in all (Col 3, 11). I request that each parish community, each religious community and all the Catholic organization of our vicariate to support and stimulate the youth groups and the children’s groups so that they can discover the call of the Lord and become responsible for the Word of God that they have received. Therefore encourage one another and build each other up (1 the 5,11).
Various methods will be placed at our disposition to better know Paul
1. In September, an outline presentation of Paul will be sent to each community.
2. A short commentary of the second reading on Sunday will be sent to each community regularly during the year (September 2008 – June 2009).
3. We will read some letters of Paul together. Once a month, one short passage from a Pauline letter with guided notes will be sent to each community.
4. An edition of Paul’s letters will be published along with a video retracing Paul’s vocation and his three journeys.
5. We will organize a day of formation in Pauline theology in each pastoral centre of our Vicariate : Phnom Penh, Vietnamese Communities, Kompong Som, Takeo and Kampot . The program will be sent out later.
6. During the month of November 2008, we will send out a survey to evaluate our ways of proclaiming the Gospel.
7. On the 28 of June, we will close the pastoral year of Saint Paul by confirming the orientations to follow for the years to come so that our Vicariate can proclaim the Gospel with courage.. for “I am not ashamed of the Gospel, because it he power of God for the salvation of everyone who believe”(Rom 1,16)

These procedures are there to help us, but it is essential that each of us takes the time to reflect on the way that we proclaim Jesus crucified and risen both within our communities and outside of our communities.

We have also launched an ambitious program for the pastoral formation of young people in the vicariate, with sophal and Touer. We hope that it will empower our youth groups and children’s groups and encourage them to more dynamic witnesses of their own faith.

Let us pray that this year, placed under the patronage of Saint Paul, can be for us a missionary year during which we will be able to evaluate our ways of proclaiming the Gospel and renew these ways so the our little Church can be assign of peace and love in Cambodian society.

Be joyful always
Pray continually
Do not put out the Spirit’s fire
May God himself, the God of peace, sanctify you through and through.
The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ be with you
(1th 5,16….)

I pray for each and every one of you, dear sisters and brothers.

Emile Destombes

Your Bishop

CSC