“Happiness does not refer to wealth but to living together with love, faith, and joy in the heart,” said Msgr. Seila Suon Hangly, Apostolic Prefect of Kampong Cham, to the participants in the closing ceremony of the Year of Family.
Commencing in March and concluding on December 5, 2023, the Kampong Cham prefecture has observed The Year of the Family to better the lives of Catholic families in every region.
Throughout the year, Catholic families had the opportunity to gather as a unit, share, and learn from priests and nuns regarding the Word of God, the significance of love, and the way of life as a couple, according to Msgr. Hangly. “When we talk about love, it is about sharing,” he reiterated.
The ceremony took place in Kampong Cham province, about 124 km east of Cambodia, and was attended by Catholics and their families of around 100 people.
The pastor added that the family is a small community where we have to live together, eat together, work together, share love, pray, listen to the Word of God, and continue to believe together. This is what we call a loving and happy family.
During the family year, the churches organized small regional workshops focusing on the pope’s message about “the joy of love,” how to build a family according to God’s will, and the family’s treasurer, which they have to transfer to their next generation, reconciliation and forgiveness.
There is also a report from the testimony of Catholic families in the area that found that there are some problems, such as misunderstandings, no family plan, difficulty in educating children because parents have different religions, lack of listening to each other, family’s economic problem, lack of confidence, drinking alcohol, lack of loyalty to each other, etc.
In such cases, the family also finds various ways to solve the problem, including preparation and understanding before marriage, even if there is a conflict, the family must sit and eat together, mediate and solve problems together, try to understand each other, spend time together, reconcile before going to bed, discuss the child’s education together, etc.
At the same time, the prefect confirmed that the closing of the family year is not the closing of activities. He encouraged priests, nuns and leaders in the prefecture to continue to care for their families, encouraging each other, especially young families, to understand family life. Develop a youth education program on partner selection.
He said that if there is a problem in the family that is difficult to solve, please pray with God or go to the elders or the priest for guidance.
Ms. Psal Klell from St. James Dakdam Catholic Church said that the guidance of the church is important, and the church leads us to think about how to live as a family in the community. We have a responsibility to be a role model to others and set an example for our children by showing love.
Fr. Stephen Sat Se, in charge of the four parishes in Kampong Cham, said that the family is a small society, and love starts with the family; evangelism comes from the family. Rituals, prayers, and renewals of faith also come from the family. He added that the family is an important foundation before entering a large family like the church.
