In the year 1555, Fr. Gaspar Da Cruz, a Portuguese Priest, started proclaiming the gospel of Christ to the people of Cambodia. Cambodia had suffered a lot due to invasions from Siam (Thailand) and Nam Viet (North Vietnam) and Champa (South Vietnam).

Around the year 1664 the MEP Missionaries began their work of evangelization in Siam, Combodia, Champa and Cochin China. Ayutthaya in Siam was the Mission Headquarters. In 1679, Msgr. Lambert De La Motte, one of the founders of the MEP, was the Apostolic Vicar of the Apostolic Vicariate of Siam, which consisted of Siam, Cambodia, Champa and Cochin China.

Due to political conditions the growth of the church in Cambodia was very slow. In 1957 the first Cambodian priest was ordained. In 1963 the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh was erected with Bishop Yves Ramousse, MEP as the first Apostolic Vicar. In 1968 the Apostolic Prefectures of Battamabang and Kompong Cham were bifurcated from Phnom Penh.

In 1970 there were about 70,000 Catholics in Cambodia. But some anti Vietnamese programmes caused hatred between the Khmers (Cambodians) and the Vietnamese. In 1970-71 a big number of Vietnamese Catholics went to back Vietnam, their country of origin.

On 14th April 1975, Msgr. Joseph Chhmar Salas, a Cambodian, was consecrated as Co-adjutor Bishop of Bishop Yves Ramousse, MEP. But on 17th April 1975 the Khmer Rouge army captured Phnom Penh city.

The Khmer Rouges destroyed all the churches. People were deported and kept as prisoners. Foreigners were forced to leave the country. The Khmer Rouges cruelly tortured and mercilessly killed about 2 millions of Khmer people and some foreigners also. Bishop Salas died in 1977 due to exhaustion in a remote village.

On 7th January 1979 the Vietnamese army liberated the Khmer people from the Khmer Rouge army. In 1989 Buddhism was declared as the official religion of the country. Christianity and Islam were allowed. The Missionaries could come back to Cambodia in 1990.

By the end of the Khmer Rouge rule the Catholics were about 3000. In 2010 the Catholics in Cambodia are about 20,000 in all the three ecclesiastical circumscriptions. There are 57 priests in the whole country. Cambodian local priests are only 5. There are 12 MEP Missionaries.

From 20th June to 1st July 2010 I visited various parishes, mission centers etc. in Cambodia. Fr. V. Arokiadoss, MEP of our Archdiocese is in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh. There are about 14000 Catholics and 40 churches. Phnom Penh is the capital of the country. The king of Cambodia is reigning and the Cambodian People’s Party is ruling the country. In 1955 Cambodia got political independence from France.

I visited the Royal Palace, the National Museum, Genocide Museum, Genocide Centre (Killing Fields – where thousands of Cambodians were brutally killed and thrown into deep pits). The
bells of the Cathedral (destroyed in 1975) are kept in the National Museum. I celebrated mass in three parishes; visited Sishu Bhavan of M.C. Sisters, Don Bosco Institute etc. From the beginning till the end of the mass, people are seated on the floor. The priest celebrants sit and celebrate the mass. Cambodian is the language of liturgy. (The Vietnamese Catholics request that Vietnamese language be also used for the liturgy.)

Msgr. S. Antonysamy, MEP (of Salem Diocese) is the Apostolic Prefect, Kampong Champ. I stayed with him three days visiting parishes and other mission centers. He has 12 priests (from 9
countries) and about 3000 Catholics. His biggest parish has 130 families. He has some kinder garden, primary schools, Hostels for boys and girls.

I stayed two days in the Apostolic Prefecture of the Battambang which has about 3000 Catholics. The Angkor - Wat temples in Siem Reap are very famous.

In the cities there are some industries. In the countryside agriculture is the main occupation of the people. Plenty of rice is cultivated. The church, through various services and programmes,
works for the development of the people. The priests lead a simple life and do humble services. There are 5 Major seminarians for the whole country. The religious congregation started some 300 years ago (Sisters Lovers of the Cross) has only one novice. The schools start at 7.00 am and end at 11.00 am. The Mekong River flowing through the country is a big blessing for the whole country for fishing, transport etc. People are loving, humble, poor, simple, polite and respectful. It is a great challenge to be a missionary in Cambodia.