Cambodia INAUGURATION OF THE CHURCH IN PREIK SBAW

Posted: 3rd August 2006

New Church for the Catholic Preik Sbaw village

Kompong Tom -- On June 11, 2006 took place the inauguration of a new Church for the Catholic Community of Preik Sbaw village, Kompong Tom Province of the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang. This stony and woody-made church was possible due to the efforts of several donnors such as His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI, some Japanesse Christians and the local people Preik Sbaw village, both Catholics and Buddhists. The total budget needed for the construction of this church was of US$ 13,303 dollars. The inauguration was presided by Msgr. Kike Figared, Bishop of of the Apostolic Prefecture of Battambang to which the Church of Kompong Thom belongs to. A great number of Christians and Buddhists from the villages around attended the ceremony. Father Ngat Viney, a Cambodian priest serving the Church in Kompong Thom, and responsible of the Community of Preik Sbaw, said to The Messenger newspaper: "As a matter of fact, I didn't want we to have a big Church here because next to this village we already had the big Church of Kompong Roteh. However, the Catholic- Christians of Preik Sbaw didn't agree and showed evidences that after the regime that caused the national devastation, the first Catholilc Community to be created was the one of Preak Sbaw, therefore this community diserved to have their own Church. Since many of the local Christians didn't agree to go permanently to the neighbor's Church, we all decided to build a new Church here”, said father Viney. Father Viney continued explaining that "from three years ago, Christians and Buddhists living in Preik Sbaw village started to collect some money from each family: 5,000 to 10,000 Riels, and some of them even 20,000 Riels according to each family's resources. Moreover, they contributed with their strength and ideas such as to dump the land for building the Church's front and also clean and wash the roofing title.

Article Source: Catholic Social Communications, Cambodia