Established in 1863, the Church of Russey Keo near Phnom Penh was a thriving Catholic community before 1970.
"In order to get the Khmer people to support his government, General Lon Nol stirred up secular hatred between the Khmers and the Vietnamese...In view of the importance of the Vietnamese in the Catholic Church, the Khmer population equated "catholic" to "vietnamese"...several villages where Vietnamese Catholics lived were pillaged and churches sacked...On the 12th [of March 1970], the large church of Russey Keo was [sacked]."
-- Excerpts from The Cathedral of the Rice Paddy: 450 Years of History of the Church in Cambodia by Francois Ponchaud.
We have learned lately that about 3,000 people who fled from the massacre at Russey Keo have fled to Vietnam and settled in Suan Lok where they established their community as New Russey Keo. Now they are a thriving Catholic Community of about 7,000 people. Sometime next year, they will celebrate their 150 years of foundation, counted from the time they were founded in Cambodia.
May God heal the wounds of the past and give the joy of living out our Faith.
"In order to get the Khmer people to support his government, General Lon Nol stirred up secular hatred between the Khmers and the Vietnamese...In view of the importance of the Vietnamese in the Catholic Church, the Khmer population equated "catholic" to "vietnamese"...several villages where Vietnamese Catholics lived were pillaged and churches sacked...On the 12th [of March 1970], the large church of Russey Keo was [sacked]."
-- Excerpts from The Cathedral of the Rice Paddy: 450 Years of History of the Church in Cambodia by Francois Ponchaud.
We have learned lately that about 3,000 people who fled from the massacre at Russey Keo have fled to Vietnam and settled in Suan Lok where they established their community as New Russey Keo. Now they are a thriving Catholic Community of about 7,000 people. Sometime next year, they will celebrate their 150 years of foundation, counted from the time they were founded in Cambodia.
May God heal the wounds of the past and give the joy of living out our Faith.
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