We already knew that this parish was an old community in Cambodia. Many were killed. In Battambang, the original church structure was destroyed; the compound and surrounding lands were confiscated for different use.Because of Pol Pot regime everything in this parish was destroyed but the faith of the Catholics is still a living and continuing in the difficult ways. they met each other by 4 or 5 people in one place and started their pray to the Lord.

On 4th January 2013, In Battambang parish was celebrated the anniversary 223th for the parish. there are joined from some of the commnunities in Battambang prefecture as Chomnom, Svay Sisophon, Tahen, Chrab Veil, Tapong, Nikom, Knachromeas, Snerng, and Battambang.  Totally around 500 people came to this celebration. Before the Mass there is a Mary procession from the Bishop house to the Church. Why we have to have a Mary Procession? Because this parish was named Our Lady of the Assumption parish, 

After the Mass there are performance from the difference communities as dancing, singing, comedy.... etc. to congratulate to the 223th of the Battambang parish.

Battambang: Battambang parish prepared a meditation for catechetical student in 10 December 2012. In this meditation was join by 200 student of Catechism. There also a parish priest
Fr. Totet Banaynal, Sr. Maria Yawasang Lakana, FMA who responsible for the Catechism in Battambang prefecture and other teachers in battambang parish. in this meditation we collage from grade 1 to grade 5 in Catechism classes.

Sr. Maria Yawasang Lakana, FMA said: " every year we have a meditation for the catechism class only for Easter, but this year we want them two meditation in Easter and before Christmas. Because this year is the year of Faith. She continuous:  " In this meditation we want them to know about the faith of Catholic, to firm in their faith, to know how to pray to the Lord through Catholic and especially we want know how to share their love and their faith to other people as Jesus does on us.

In this meditation we also let them to perform about the Christmas's Day and let them see the movies that related to the faith of Catholic from the bible, give them to paint as they know about the catholic, answers the questions to get the rewards.

03 December 2012 this is the 31 anniversary of International day of persons with disabilities. In Battambang parish, Arrupe Center was also celebrated this in the parish. there were around 100 people came and joined in this celebration including Msgr. Enrique Figaredo, SJ Bishop of Battambang prefecture, Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ is a parish priest and Fr. Manoj Kumar Ekka, SJ, and other guests.

Msgr. Enrique Figaredo, SJ shared: We should think about the people in Cambodia who is disabilities and give them in what we can do. I would like to say thanks to the government that take care of the people who can't with anything. As our missions we work with the people who are disabilities and give and support them as scholarship to the children who disabilities, give them the opportunities to get a job, give them a place for live and study as the results the we got in Arrupe Center, and other three center in Otanhea, Prey Thom and Ratanak Mondol district.

Mr. Cham Sor the one who live and getting the support from the outreach and he also a disable people share: We are happy that we are get better than before and they give them the work and also help our children with the scholarship.

Mr. Ven who is a disable person and living in Arrupe welcome Center shared: Before i live in the bad situation because my family is poor and i am also disability. I used to think i had no value. I never think that I am here as today. After Arrupe Center allowed me to live in the center i feel that i had a value and i encouraged my-self and i felt that i have many people around and support me. they give me equal. I feel very very happy.

One volunteer Spanish doctor name Middeam came give a check to all the people in Battambang prefecture. This is the the second time that she came Cambodia for help with poor people in the village of Battambng province. She went to the prison and other villages as Snerng village, Nikom, Ek Phnom, Kbal Spean, Tahen, Chrab Viel, Chher teal, Knach romeas and Battambang parish Rocheck I village in Welcome Center for sick.

She said "she was very very happy that she came to Cambodia and made a check for the poor people and give them the medical that they need." 

In Battambang parish we just installed a  New Mary in to the grotto. This new grotto of Mary we built up for the Catholic in Battambang parish come and pray to God through our Lady and thanks to her that she care of us and our Catholic communities. This grotto was blessed by Mgr. Kike is a Bishop and Fr. Totet is a parish priest.

Battambang: Recently, On 5-6 November, there four Spanish Opticians came to help the people in Battambang parish. There have many services as check eyes, surgery, medical treatments, and they also gave the glasses to the people who need for read and protect the sun shine  For two days that they worked in the Welcome Center for the sick,  In a day we got more than 60 patients came. They also work in other villages in Battambang province through the schedule. they will work until Friday of this week. 

The Pet Yiey Chi Musical Program of Battambang Church has been established since March, 2012, under the direction of Br. Soo Young, a Jesuit seminarian. At 4.40pm on 27 October 2012 a small concert was performed by the latest batch of 17 graduates. This event followed a previous concert given on June 17 2012 by the first batch of graduates. After the concert Br Soo Young presented each graduate with a Certificate of Attendance in recognition of their excellent results.   

The aims of the Pet Yiey Chi musical program are; to give an opportunity to students who otherwise couldn't afford to attend musical classes; to corporate and fulfill some of their social needs and to build confidence by giving them the chance to perform in front of a live audience.

Battambang:      On 23-24, October, 2012 our prefecture celebrated the pastoral meeting for the 13th. In that time there were 150 delegates from 27 communities including sisters, Brothers, and also the priests in our prefecture came to share their faith and their work in those meeting. Msgr. Enrique Figaredo, SJ share “I am very happy to see all of you here. Pope Benedict XVI chose this years as The Year of Faith 2012-2013 so please firm in the faith to make our communities more strongly and developing “

In those meeting they also introduced them-self for knowing to each other, because we are family.

Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ is a parish priest of Battambang also explained about Logo the Year of Faith. And then they also share about their faith and to be a witness of Christ in their work and their society.

Fr. Franco is a parish priest of Kompong Chhang explained about the steps to receive a new Catholic. He said: The Catechism is a way that we walk together so we have to encourage to other that is poor and help them to forward. 

We mourned for our hero king Sihanouk for 7 days. Every evening at 7:00pm many catholic came and pray for the king in the chapel  On 22 October evening there was a mass for the king more than 200 catholic came in the church to celebrated the mass for our hero king Sihanouk also.

Not long after I came to Battambang I noticed one morning that colorful banners had appeared along the paths surrounding the Church. What’s this? Well they signaled the arrival of Pchum ben.

This is a 15 day period of annual remembrance and special prayers for the souls of the dead.  
A family or several families join together and adopt a day on which prayers are said at mass for their past family members and again in a special service later that same day. 
After their services the family provides food to those attending.

At the start of morning mass the family members distribute smoldering joss sticks to the congregation who in turn place them before the altar and incense fills the air. Meanwhile, the priest reads aloud the names of departed family members ensuring accuracy of pronunciation so as not to cause any offence to the family. Oh poor Father. Today’s family has provided a list of 170 names!

As pchum ben now draws to an end I’m impressed how the church community remembers its departed souls in a Christian way which is sympathetic to Cambodia’s Buddhist culture and traditions.

Mr. Tony Fenlon                                                                         Photo by Vong Rethy

Battambang: From 18-20 September 2012 there is a seminary for all the Kindergarten teachers in Battambang prefecture. Every year there is a seminary before reopening class start and also wants to train all the teachers before they start teaching. In this seminar teach them about the strange games, painting, and the technique how to teach the children understanding as soon as.  There are 56 teacher from other communities came and participated. They are from Kompong thom, Kompong Chnang, Siem Reap, PoiPet, Tahen, Chomnom, Pailin, and Battambang. In this seminary were leaded by 5 sisters. They are helpful to find out about, difference of games, songs, and the technique in teaching. 

The last day of the seminary Mgrs: Kike Figarido and other three priests Fr. Totet, Fr. Manoj, and Fr. Pedro also joined in the seminary to ‘give them the certificate that they completed training course for three days.
Mgrs: KIKE Shared: Before our prefecture there are just only a few kindergartens because we were poor with the teachers and we have a lot of children came to study. And we didn’t have a good leader as sisters. So we work with the hard situation. The children need good teachers came and help and take care of them. I am very happy that there are a lot of teachers came today and trained them self. We have good sisters also that always help and lead all the teachers, and give them the new knowledge that they have. Other hand it is also our prefecture needs to develop the human resource .

The 6:00 evening mass yesterday, September 3, 2012 was quite different than any other Monday evening masses. The church was packed as Fr. Manoj Ekka, SJ and Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ concelebrated the mass and the choir for the Sunday mass did

The singing. The mass was certainly a special one since it opened the 2012 Diocesan Youth & Catechists Synod. 

This year’s synod theme tags as "Faith Is A Gift From God." There are 207 young people and catechists from different provinces under the tutelage of the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang such as Kompong Chanang, Pursat, Siem Reap, Pailin, Kompong Thom, Banteay Mencheay and Battambang province.

After dinner, the formal opening of the synod was highlighted with a gospel reflection led by Fr. Pedro Gomez, the chairman of the synod. A procession from behind the audience to the stage by Fr. Pedro bringing the holy bible with two candle bearers started the refection. The gospel was taken from John 4: 14, about Jesus’ encounter of a Samaritan woman at a well which read: ““Everyone who drinks this water will be thirsty again, but whoever drinks the water I give them will never thirst. Indeed, the water I give them will become in them a spring of water welling up to eternal life.” It was interpreted through a dramatization which captured the feelings of the participants.
 
Mgrs. Kike welcomed the delegates after the gospel reflection. He also blessed the water used to bless the participants. Each parish was called and representatives got up on the stage for the blessing. Most of the priests in the entire prefecture were present in the opening program. Several sisters coming from different parishes are also participants of the synod. 

There are 3 main purposes in the synod
  1.     Give the youth and catechists good communication to each other.
  2.     Give the youth and catechists good communication with Lord through prayer, listen, and practicing the Gospel.
  3.     Give them through the theme “Jesus met Summary women…….” John 4, 1-38.

In the first day of the synod they discussed about them “Where is the faith from” and the second day they discussed about “What does the faith push us to do?”  And the last day they also discussed about “ how do we catechize?”  in this three they learn and share about their faith to each other well.

Fr. Pedro shared: I am very happy in this year because the youth and catechists had meeting to each other that we have never before. In this synod there are many icons as the well that we already performed, the water of the life, and especially the bible that is the food to feed our spiritual. Love and Mercy will be change the mine of the people who far away from God will beck and live near him.

Mgrs. Kike shared: The faith is a gift from 100% and we are son and daughter of God should receive from him100% as he gave us. We already discussed before about the strategy of our prefecture for 5 year from 2010-2015. We have 4 important strategies 1. Values formation, 2. Education, 3. Faith formation, 4. Leadership. We should continue to follow  our strategies it will helpful in our communities in Battambang prefecture. 

Living as a catholic life we should show  your faith to other people around you.  Life of prayer, Take care of our Liturgy, know how to serve other, and create a good habit in your society  

The Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang is blessed to have many people interested to extend help in the different ministries. People coming from different corners of the globe come to volunteer for a short or long period of time. Some share their time and expertise for a couple of days, for a week, a month, a year or two and even more. Volunteers are spread out to different parishes depending on their work interest and suitability. Medical practitioners such as doctors and nurses, and dental practitioners such as dentists may have been the most number of volunteers every year. Youth groups conducting summer camps and short activities to communities also have a big chunk of the volunteers coming for the year-round. Indeed, there is a variety of professions, skills, and talents that volunteers including lay missionaries and seminarians having mission exposures bring in to the various ministries of the prefecture. 

Recently, five volunteers have said adieu. Leticia Isasi Guerrero who is from Spain came in February 2012. She was helping in coordinating some of the programs of Bishop Kike for the entire prefecture and was stationed in Battambang. She left for further studies at Georgetown University in Washington DC. Min Jung Kim also known as Anna was stationed in Kompong Thom. She taught English with the students living at the parish hostel with elementary to high school students. She also educates them in personal hygiene and conducts other personality development activities. Originally from Korea, Anna had to reinstate with her job in Australia as nurse after her three months stint. 

Gordon Kao serves the parish in Siem Reap for a year. He hails from Taipei, Taiwan and acted as manager of the computer training course and Chinese and English classes that his organization sponsored as part of the parish educational programs. He plans to get a job back home and is hoping to be back in Cambodia when he saves enough money and continue to serve the Khmer youth. Harold de Witte is a seminarian from Belgium. He came to witness how Catholics who are not even one percent of the total population in Cambodia live amidst the Buddhist majority. He hops from one community to another during his two months stay to get a glimpse of how people live their faith. KC Doctolero came to Svay Sisophon last year from Manila, Philippines. She helped set up the website of the parish. She moved to Battambang in May of 2012 to update the website of the Our Lady of the Assumption Parish Church. 

This month of September, there are some volunteers who will also bid goodbye. But just like as the saying goes: “when God closes the door he opens a window,” after some volunteers will leave, there are also many other generous people who are eager to come and offer their services. 

By: Blas Descallar, JVP 
Jesuit Volunteers Philippines   

On 21 August 2012 there are some guest from Korea came and visit to our Lady of Assumption parish. And they also showed their ability to the parish with the music performance. This group name Music for One. There are 10 people in the group some are student from university of Korea. They came to Cambodia is not only visit but they want to make a communication with the Cambodian through the Music and they also want Cambodian interest with the music as the world like it. In the beginning of the performance the parish also welcomes them with tradition blessing dance. There are around 200 people came to visit them in the church including Fr. Pedro, Br. Soo young, Br. Pilo and Mrgs. Kike.

Mrgs. Kike shear: We are happy that you came to visit us and thank that you showing us about your ability with your great us in our parish. We believe that art and music will be make us feel communicate to each other. 

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page.  

The 2nd Battambang Taekwondo Competition held at Dewey International University concluded today, August 19, 2012. The competition was participated by more than ten teams coming from different places including Siem Reap and Phnom Penh. Our very own Catholic Team harvested 8 medals – 3 gold, 1 silver and 4 bronze. Our little dancers also performed at the awarding ceremony. The traditional ensemble performed the music with our youth group singing which made the Catholic community presence unique and awesome. 

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page.   

For many years Bro. Mong Ros tried hard to find God in his life. He chose to become a servant of God and though the way is long and hard, he has recently taken another step closer to becoming a priest. 

On 12 August 2012, his installation as an acolyte for the Battambang Prefecture was celebrated in Our Lady of the Assumption Parish. The mass was celebrated by Msgr. Enrique Figaredo, SJ who nominated him to become an acolyte. Bro. Ros' family was invited to mass as the community witnessed as he received his function as an acolyte. An acolyte has a special role during the celebration of the Eucharist, he is the one who gives the Bread and Blood of God to other people, and also helps out during special events of the church. 

During the mass, Msgr. Kike shared to Bro. Ros: "Bro. Ros you have to serve and thank God who has chosen you to become his servant. When you become an acolyte, you have to be with care and full of mercy. You have to follow Jesus and encourage everyone; the sick, the elderly, and others. Give them hope from God. The people are the living Body and Blood of Jesus Christ." 

Br. Mong Ros shared: "I am ready to serve our church and its people. I am here in the heart of the Catholic Church. I have a new role as an acolyte. This function may be simple as a servant in the Mass but the real service takes place in the soul. That means, I am not the one who gives the Bread  and the Wine. It is God  who has given us his real Body and Blood, through his Son... "

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page.  

BATTAMBANG: On 12 August 2012 a large celebration was held in Our Lady of the Assumption Parish in honor of the Feast of the Assumption. Every year our parish celebrates this feast in praise of Our Lady. 

A week before the celebration the feast day, the Catholic community hosted prayer  for Our Lady in their respective households. Several families welcomed the small replica of the Our Lady of the Inclusive Love and prayed the rosary in her honor. On the day before the feast, Taizé evening prayers were also conducted in the house of the faithful. 

On Sunday morning the procession started from one of the Catholic households near the compound. Msgr. Enrique Figaredo, SJ,  Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ,  Fr. Manoj Kumar Ekka, SJ, and Fr. Bruno COSME from Phnom Penh led the procession and the mass. 

In the Mass Fr. Kike shared: "Today we are happy to celebrate the Feast of the Assumption. God chose Our Mary to be a Great Lady. Mary is a simple Lady but she  held firm in her faith and belief in God. She is also humble to the other people. So I would like you to follow Our Lady; learn how to be humble, and pray to God through Our Lady Mother of Jesus Christ. Let's pray together with her to God. Thanks be to God who gave us the Great Lady to lead us."

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page. 

BATTAMBANG: On 8-30 August 2012, a group of 20 volunteer dentists from Spain has come to volunteer their time and services to those in need. The group was divided into 3 to serve different communities for village and prison outreach. 

They performed general dental services such as checking, cleaning, filling in and pulling out teeth in Pet Yiey Chee from 8:00AM to 12:00PM and 2:00PM to 4:00PM.  An average of 20 people come every day for the free services. 

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page. 

BATTAMBANG: On 5 August 2012, football matches were held in the football field inside the Pet Yiey Chee Compound organized by Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS) Cambodia. The  football match was organized between teams comprised of JRS staff, the Cambodian Army (Kong Yotea Kemarak Pumen, Pumpeak 5), CMAC and the Paristhan football team of the Msgr. Oscar Romero Pastoral Center of the Parish. 

The football match dubbed "Oslo Cup" was done to raise awareness about the ongoing advocacy to ban clusters mines and munitions, as well as to foster relations between groups who were working together on the issue, and finally encourage people with disability. It was also part of the advocacy for the 2012 Oslo Conference on Cluster Munitions. 

Msgr. Enrique Figaredo, SJ  shared some opening remarks and prayers. Song Kosal, widely known landmine activist, also shared some words about the importance of their advocacy. Other activists also spoke during the event. 

The Metakaruna team (JRS team) won the event while the Cambodian Army placed in second. Souvenirs such as shirts, kromas, soccer balls, mugs, umbrellas, and other items were distributed to all teams after the event. 

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page. 

A tourist coach full of guests from Japan came to visit Our Lady of the Assumption Parish last August 4-5, 2012. The guests were coming from Siem Reap and proceeded to Phnom Penh after their visit in Battambang. Our Japanese friends divided themselves into five smaller groups and visited the homes of our parishioners to get a glimpse of what a Catholic Khmer life look like. They were accompanied by the Oscar Romero Pastoral Center staff and parish supporters. 

In the evening of August 4th, the children in the parish offered our visitors a foretaste of the Khmer traditional dance. The guests also rendered a song number where they used bells as accompaniment. A decent dinner followed after the program shared by more than a hundred people consisting of both the guests and parishioners.

The following day, our guests joined the Sunday mass where they were introduced to the general public. They left right after the mass for Phnom Penh.

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page.   

BATTAMBANG: Every year for three weeks from July – August, a group of youths from Spain come to Cambodia to work with the ANATHA program of the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang.

Football is one of the things that they share in interest with the youth of Cambodia. On 28 July 2012, friendly competitions were held with the footballs teams of the community which participated in the last Bishop’s Cup in earlier in July. There were 6 teams in total; the Spanish Youth, Phum Barang, Tahen, Pet Yiey Chee, Pakrithan, and Tep Im Student center. 

Pet Yiey Chee won the competition and were given gifts by the Spanish Youths. The Spanish Youth group came in second. The friendly football matches are held every year during the visit of the summer camp from Spain.

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page. 

The Jesuits in Cambodia gathered in Battambang on July 31, 2012, to commemorate the feast day of St. Ignatius of Loyola – the founder of the Society of Jesus (SJ), a.k.a. the Jesuits. More than twenty (20) Jesuits – priests and regents, together with their volunteers and associates came to celebrate the big feast.

In the afternoon of the feast day, two separate groups met. The Jesuits, as one group convened at the chapel of Pet Yiey Chee Catholic compound to share about their respective ministries. The second group was the volunteers of the Jesuits coming from different countries such as Korea, France, Philippines, Spain, and Belgium. Blas Descallar, who is a member of the Jesuit Volunteers Philippines (JVP) facilitated the sharing of the volunteers. A copy of St. Ignatius’ prayer for generosity was handed to all volunteers to recite as opening prayer. He explained that the prayer will also be a catalyst for the sharing.

After the prayer, Blas asked everyone to briefly introduce themselves, where they are from, and to tell in what way each one established linkage to the Jesuits. A second reading of the prayer for generosity followed and everyone was asked to be silent and reflect how the prayer affected them or what words in the prayer struck them. The volunteers then were encouraged to share their experience and try to relate it to the prayer - if they are inspired to do it. A good discussion came out as some really correlated their sharing to the prayer. Many in the group heard about the prayer for the first time despite of them coming from Jesuit schools.

At 5:30pm, procession started from the house of Bishop Kike, who is also a Jesuit, to the Our Lady of the Assumption Church. Before the mass begun, a reading of the life of St. Ignatius took place with some important photos shown to get a better glimpse of the saint’s life story. The mass was concelebrated by more than ten Jesuit (10) priests with two diocesan priests from the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang. Fr. Jub Phongphand, SJ – pastor of all Catholic communities in Kompong Thom was the gospel reader and Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ – parish priest of the church in Battambang was the homilist. 

Festivity on food and drinks, stories, singing and dancing completed the feast day. Fr. Manoj Ekka, SJ – parish priest of St. Andrew Parish in Nikum was in-charge of the preparation for the liturgy. The person behind the planning of the sharing was Fr. Rajat Purti, SJ – pastor of St. Mary Magdala Parish in Poipet and St. Francis Xavier parish in Svay Sisophon. Fr. Totet Banaynal, SJ was the over-all event organizer.  

For more pictures, please visit our Facebook Page.

Battambang. His Eminence Jean-Pierre Ricard, Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church and Archbishop of Bordeaux et Bazes in France, arrived in Cambodia on 15 July 2012. He has been a Cardinal of the Bordeaux Diocese for the past 6 years. He came to visit the churches and get to know the Catholic community in Cambodia.

He arrived in the Battambang Apostolic Prefecture on 25 July 2012 and was received by Msgr. Enrique Figaredo SJ, Fr. Totet Banaynal SJ, Fr. Pedro Gomez, MXY, Fr. Manoj Kumar SJ. A small community lunch was held to welcome the Cardinal. 

Cardinal Ricard shared, “I have stayed in Cambodia for 10 days and visited many churches. I saw the way they have developed and became more attractive... Their activities show our identity as a Catholic.”

He also celebrated mass in Our Lady of the Assumption Parish on the morning of 26 July 2012 and was welcomed by the churchgoers. He also visited and held mass in St. Joseph Parish in Tahen Village, the parish of Msgr. Kike. 

For more pictures of the event, please visit our Facebook Page.