Presided over by Mgr. Enrique Figaredo also known as Kiké of the​​ Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang and joined by many priests, St Therese of the​ Child Jesus’s Church in Chamnoam village   organised a village festival on 5 February 2020 attended by a large number of Catholics.

At 2pm, four trucks carrying some water buckets were being prepared to make their way to each house. While the trucks moved slowly from house to house, the priests sprinkled villagers with Holy Water. On the way, we saw that many Catholic and Buddhist followers were waiting for the priests in front of their houses, with flowers.

The residents in the village including a paralised man, Chhoeurm, said: “This village festival is a joyous one because Holy Water is sprinkled on us. The priests too came to join the village festival.  We are very happy.  May brothers and sisters have a healthy life.” Chhoeurm recalled that the festival was organised for the last several years, but he didn’t remember when it started.

68-year-old Cheng Suon who waited for Holy Water said: “I feel happy to join this festival as it is organised ever year. I think that it was organised 17 or 18 years ago. God helps care for our health. I don’t have an illness that pains me. I don’t get sick always as I used to before. Now I built merit, it seems to me that I am healthy.” She further said that every Saturday she joins a group organized by Catholics.   The group gets together for prayer services.

Chaeng Yat, the head of the parish pastoral committee said that the Church organised the event in 2004 also known as the Village​ Festival.   The festival had moved from Mongkol Borei district’s Chamnoam commune, Banteay Meanchey province to another. ​Then, the event was named “Village Festival.” It is celebrated after​ the people had harvested rice.

Chaeng Yat further said that the festival means “Solidarity between religious groups and the people unite to do good deeds to express love for one another irrespective of race and religion.” He added that organising the festival by the church is aimed at thanking God for giving everything a year earlier including fruits.   We had obtained everything in our whole life. We have been happy and our suffering, we offered them to God. “Some obtained rice, some don’t. Some suffer, only praying to ask God. We offered our sufferings to God along with this Village Festival.”

He continued by saying that the village festival was organised for the whole Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang and the Church in Cambodia and the entire world. In his homily, Fr. Totet Banaynal said: “Our life must become a life of thanking God all the time. Today is the symbol of thanking God for the harvest that we have in our life.”

Fr. Totet Banaynal, who is also the Vicar Delegate, encouraged the Catholics present to be always hopeful and thank God not only for the harvest but also for their families and businesses.   In doing so we show that our life depends on God.

The priest further said: “Don’t forget to pray, when you enter church even if others don’t”. He requested that older Catholics show the faith as Catholics and teach their children to pray and know the Church.

He added: “Don’t ask why children don’t enter the church because when we speak ill of and hate the Church, it makes them not to want to know the Church.” He pointed out: “Please do good deeds to others to show that we are Catholics. Our faith is to thank, pray and show our faith.” ​Village festival focusses on thanking God

Presided over by Mgr. Enrique Figaredo also known as Kiké of the​​ Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang and joined by many priests, St Therese of the​ Child Jesus’s Church in Chamnoam village   organised a village festival on 5 February 2020 attended by a large number of Catholics.

At 2pm, four trucks carrying some water buckets were being prepared to make their way to each house. While the trucks moved slowly from house to house, the priests sprinkled villagers with Holy Water.

On the way, we saw that many Catholic and Buddhist followers were waiting for the priests in front of their houses, with flowers. The residents in the village including a paralised man, Chhoeurm,  said: “This village festival is a joyous one because Holy Water is sprinkled on us. The priests too came to join the village festival.  We are very happy.  May brothers and sisters have a healthy life.”

Chhoeurm recalled that the festival was organised for the last several years, but he didn’t remember when it started.  68-year-old Cheng Suon who waited for Holy Water said: “I feel happy to join this festival as it is organised ever year. I think that it was organised 17 or 18 years ago. God helps care for our health. I don’t have an illness that pains me. I don’t get sick always as I used to before. Now I built merit, it seems to me that I am healthy.”

She further said that every Saturday she joins a group organized by Catholics.   The group gets together for prayer services. Chaeng Yat, the head of the parish pastoral committee said that the Church organised the event in 2004 also known as the Village​ Festival.   The festival had moved from Mongkol Borei district’s Chamnoam commune, Banteay Meanchey province to another. ​Then, the event was named “Village Festival.” It is celebrated after​ the people had harvested rice. Chaeng Yat further said that the festival means “Solidarity between religious groups and the people unite to do good deeds to express love for one another irrespective of race and religion.”

He added that organising the festival by the church is aimed at thanking God for giving everything a year earlier including fruits.   We had obtained everything in our whole life. We have been happy and our suffering, we offered them to God. “Some obtained rice, some don’t. Some suffer, only praying to ask God. We offered our sufferings to God along with this Village Festival.”

He continued by saying that the village festival was organised for the whole Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang and the Church in Cambodia and the entire world. In his homily, Fr. Totet Banaynal said: “Our life must become a life of thanking God all the time. Today is the symbol of thanking God for the harvest that we have in our life.”

 Fr. Totet Banaynal, who is also the Vicar Delegate, encouraged the Catholics present to be always hopeful and thank God not only for the harvest but also for their families and businesses.   In doing so we show that our life depends on God. The priest further said: “Don’t forget to pray, when you enter church even if others don’t”. He requested that older Catholics show the faith as Catholics and teach their children to pray and know the Church.

He added: “Don’t ask why children don’t enter the church because when we speak ill of and hate the Church, it makes them not to want to know the Church.” He pointed out: “Please do good deeds to others to show that we are Catholics. Our faith is to thank, pray and show our faith.”