By Ly Sovanna

 

After several meetings of preparation, we are ready for WYD 2008 in Sydney, Australia from July 15th to 25th said Father leo Ochoa , SDB the team leader for the young Cambodian attending WYD. Father Leo Ochoa added that “WYD 2008” in Sydney is indeed an extraordinary gift to  the Catholic Church in Cambodia.

There will be a group of 50 Cambodians participation in this gathering, including young people, priests and sisters: From the three Church jurisdictions there will be a representation of 24, plus 26 from other group such as: the Salesian Youth Movement, the Marist Brothers’ Young Adult group, Saint Vincent de Paul of Phnom Penh and the Jesuit service group (MAGIS).

Mister Srey Sokhon, 22 a young Catholic from Chum Kiri Parish, of the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom penh talked to a CSC reporter while applying for Thai Visa in Phnom Penh and said “the great joy of my trip will be to see the Pope and meet the other young people and it will be a good opportunity to learn from them He will bring back that he learns from WYD in Sydney to shere with views and the Church is new, only beginning in 1995”.

Miss Thuem Sinoeut, 22, from the Saint Vincent de Paul group in Phnom Penh told the CSC reporter that, though she has some fears, she is confident that it will be a good experience for her to open her hear and mind”.

Father Ivan Campana of the Yarumall missionaries, and parish priest of kdol Leu parish of the Apostolic Prefecture of Kompong Cham told the CSC reporter that WYD 2008 is great occasion for Cambodian young people to express their life, faith, and love to others. It is also a great time to share prayer and meditation on the word of God, and to be together. He added that the theme of WYD 2008 “Power, witness, holly spirit and youth”, is taken from Acts 1:8”You will receive the power when the holly Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witness”.

Sister srey Socheat, a Religious Cambodian Sister of the Congregation the lovers of the Cross said that we are mot just learning from the other young people but we will show to them our Catholic Church in Cambodian. We are preparing many activities such as Khmer traditional dance, Khmer Traditional dress and songs, Church and Khmer history. We will have an exhibition on the brief history of the Church in Cambodia. We can tell them that the Catholic

Church in dark years of recent history.

World Youth Day International level celebration: 1984 in Rome- Italy with present of late Pope John Paul II, 1985 in Rome-Italy, 1987 in Buenos Aires –Argentina, 1989 in Santiago de compostela, Spain, 1991 in Czestochowa- Poland, 1993 in Denver Unites States, 1995 in Manila- Philippine, 1997 in Paris- France, 2000 in Rome- Italy 2002 in Toroto Canada, 2005 in Cologne- Germany with the present new Pope Benedict XXI, and 2008 Sydney- Australia.

On July 3rd 2008 a group of 49 Cambodian Catholic Youth will departure to Sydney via Bangkok By Bus.

Website: www.sjygkh.tk
Email: sjygkh@gmail.com