austraLasia #2761
We do not know each other ... but we know Don Bosco
PHNOM PENH: 3 December 2010 -- The Cambodian Minister for Education, Sport and Youth, Im Sothy, visited the Don Bosco Technical School compound in the capital district of Phnom Penh Thmey (New Phnom Penh) on the morning of 3 December, and emphasised the role of the Don Bosco schools in the recovery of Cambodia after the war. He gave his address in the presence of the Casket which had arrived on 1 December (at midnight). Minister Sothy said that the Khmer Rouge Regime (1975 - 1979) caused a great humanitarian disaster in the country. After it, many organizations came to support orphan children and youth in particular and among them was 'Don Bosco'.
During the war, Cambodia itself was terribly divided, the Minister, who was welcomed solemnly by students, teachers and members of the DBFC, said. He continued saying that when 'Don Bosco' came to Cambodia, division and violence were still part of the country. The government tried to find a place for Don Bosco around Phnom Penh. Then they decided on this place [Phnom Penh Thmey], but it was so far from Phnom Penh City at the time (1991) and it was a real jungle, with ponds and rice fields. The site needed to be refilled with sand in order to construct the school buildings and workshops.
The Catholic Bishop of the Vicariate of Phnom Penh, Oliviere Schmitthaeusler, who will preside at a religious ceremony on 4 December on campus, was also present.
The Minister, who spoke for some 20 minutes in front of the Don Bosco Casket and to an audience of two thousand, told students and past pupils:
'We do not know each other... but we know Don Bosco'
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On 1st December evening, more than one thousand students and teachers from schools in Tekla, Tuol Kok and Phnom Penh Thmey were waiting. ‘We were singing on campus since 9 pm, waiting for Don Bosco to come,’ said a young student from Kompong Thom, who is also a boarder in the technical school.
The Salesian Sisters' students were also part of the long wait, plus a few other people able to sleep over- night from December 1st to 2nd. The school band was lined up for the entry of the relic. Fr. John Visser, the DBFC’s country representative, Fr. Roel Soto, Rector of Don Bosco Phnom Penh and Fr Eugene Xalxo from Don Bosco Sihanoukville, carried the Casket to the place where the educational community had gathered to pay honour.
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AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
We do not know each other ... but we know Don Bosco
PHNOM PENH: 3 December 2010 -- The Cambodian Minister for Education, Sport and Youth, Im Sothy, visited the Don Bosco Technical School compound in the capital district of Phnom Penh Thmey (New Phnom Penh) on the morning of 3 December, and emphasised the role of the Don Bosco schools in the recovery of Cambodia after the war. He gave his address in the presence of the Casket which had arrived on 1 December (at midnight). Minister Sothy said that the Khmer Rouge Regime (1975 - 1979) caused a great humanitarian disaster in the country. After it, many organizations came to support orphan children and youth in particular and among them was 'Don Bosco'.
During the war, Cambodia itself was terribly divided, the Minister, who was welcomed solemnly by students, teachers and members of the DBFC, said. He continued saying that when 'Don Bosco' came to Cambodia, division and violence were still part of the country. The government tried to find a place for Don Bosco around Phnom Penh. Then they decided on this place [Phnom Penh Thmey], but it was so far from Phnom Penh City at the time (1991) and it was a real jungle, with ponds and rice fields. The site needed to be refilled with sand in order to construct the school buildings and workshops.
The Catholic Bishop of the Vicariate of Phnom Penh, Oliviere Schmitthaeusler, who will preside at a religious ceremony on 4 December on campus, was also present.
The Minister, who spoke for some 20 minutes in front of the Don Bosco Casket and to an audience of two thousand, told students and past pupils:
'We do not know each other... but we know Don Bosco'
--------
On 1st December evening, more than one thousand students and teachers from schools in Tekla, Tuol Kok and Phnom Penh Thmey were waiting. ‘We were singing on campus since 9 pm, waiting for Don Bosco to come,’ said a young student from Kompong Thom, who is also a boarder in the technical school.
The Salesian Sisters' students were also part of the long wait, plus a few other people able to sleep over- night from December 1st to 2nd. The school band was lined up for the entry of the relic. Fr. John Visser, the DBFC’s country representative, Fr. Roel Soto, Rector of Don Bosco Phnom Penh and Fr Eugene Xalxo from Don Bosco Sihanoukville, carried the Casket to the place where the educational community had gathered to pay honour.
_________________
AustraLasia is an email service for the Salesian Family of Asia Pacific. It also functions as an agency for ANS based in Rome. For queries please contact admin@bosconet.aust.com . Use Bosconet-wiki to be interactive. RSS feeds - just go to Bosconet, click on austraLasia 2010 in the sidebar. You will see the RSS orange icon in your browser address bar - add it from there. Or be interactive with the EAO blog Cetera Tolle. Avail yourself of the Salesian Digital Library at http://sdl.sdb.org
