Aussie volunteers for JRS in Cambodia
Lian, recently replaced lawyer Taya Hunt as JRS Australia’s representative in Phnom Penh, where she will work with the increasing numbers of asylum seekers arriving in Cambodia.
Newsbits on Cambodia
Jesuit Refugee Service Cambodia reports that the International Convention on Cluster Munitions has now been ratified by 30 countries, which means that it will become binding international law on 1 September 2010. The director of JRS Cambodia, Sister Denise Coghlan, had been lobbying tirelessly governments as part of the Cluster Munition Coalition (CMC). (Source: Headlines 2010/02 News from the Jesuit Social Apostolate)
Phnom Penh Jesuits Host JCAP Meeting in their New Home
Last 25-28 January, the Jesuit Community in Phnom Penh hosted the JCAP meeting of Major Superiors. This was a chance for the community to welcome participants of the meeting to their new home, Prieb So (The White Dove) in Phnom Penh Thmey.
Weaving History in Battambang
10th Meeting of the Prefecture of Battambang
Siem Reap, October 20-22, 2009
Our life is full of experiences that spin and interweave, making up realities of life completely unsuspected, exceeding many times our dreams and expectations. The strength of life and the faithfulness of God in his love with his people is manifested with extreme clarity. This is our experience in Cambodia.
Channy, Phirum and Chivoan
Last week I had the great luck of being able to go to the villages in the region of Banon with Phally, Theara and Javivhín. They are three members of the team of the Arrupe Center that work in remote villages helping disabled people.
Floods in Siem Reap
On 04 October, Fr Heribertus Pardjijo Bratasudarma (IDO) wrote, “In Siem Reap the floods started on Wednesday morning, but it came to the church only on Wednesday evening. The Siem Reap River that divides Siem Reap town was overflowing. Over half of Siem Reap town was flooded. Most parts of Old Market were flooded. The 
church was flooded from the water from the river and from the water that kept flowing from the back of the church from villages.
Jesuits in Cambodia gather for days of reflection, sharing and celebration
14 priests, 3 scholastics, 2 brothers and a Monsignor – all the Jesuits in Cambodia – came together last July 31 at the Banteay Prieb to celebrate St. Ignatius’s feast day and also in thanksgiving for the 19 years of service of Sr. Denise Coughlan, outgoing Director of the Jesuit Service here.
All but Msgr Kike Figaredo (CAS), Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, were already in Banteay Prieb beginning on the 28th for some days of prayer, reflection and sharing before the actual feast day. This Jesuit meeting was a good chance for the younger members of the Jesuit Mission to get to know the community better and to learn from the wisdom of the community’s “elders.” It was also a good time to welcome the returning members Fr Rajat Purti (RAN) and Fr Kang In-gun (KOR), who is finishing his Phd in London. Both arrived a day or two before the gathering.
Church irrigation work brings ‘a drop of hope’
TAHEN, Cambodia (UCAN) — The Church here is the driving force behind an irrigation project aimed at giving villagers access to water all year round, improving agricultural productivity and giving better access to drinking water.
The project, called "A Drop of Hope," is being coordinated by Pablo Figaredo, a Spaniard and the nephew of Jesuit Monsignor Enrique Figaredo, the apostolic prefect of Battambang. Read more. . .
First Jesuit ordination in Cambodia
At 9:30 in the morning of May 24, the first ordination of a Jesuit in Cambodia took place. Fr. Joseph Phongphand Phokthavi (KAM), more fondly known as “Jub”, was ordained by Msgr Emile Descombe, MEP, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, at the Church of the Assumption in Battambang, Cambodia.
It was a marvellous community event with both Fr Gabriel Je (KOR), Delegate for the Korean Provincial, and Msgr Kike Figaredo (CAS), Prefect Apostolic of Battambang, as joyful and generous hosts. It was a celebration of the 25 years Jub has spent in Jesuit apostolates since joining JRS in 1985. Refugee friends, co-workers and Jesuit companions from all those years were present, along with Jub’s mother and many brothers and sisters.
Personnel updates and movement
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In Manila
Fr Lester Maramara (PHI) joins the staff at Arrupe International Residence replacing Fr Manuel (PHI). Fr Pham Van Ai (ASL) turns over his responsibilities as Director of Juniorate to Fr Jeff Chang (MAR), who arrived last June 2. Fr Ai will leave on June 14, visiting Malaysia and Singapore before going teach theology in Vietnam. Also leaving Arrupe Residence is Fr Jim Meehan (PHI), but he continues to generously serve the Conference with his new assignment at the East Asian Pastoral Institute.