To Live as a Pastor in the Time of Pandemic

Whenever I visit my office in the church, I see a group picture hanging on the wall near the chapel. This picture was taken two years ago in September 2019. After celebrating the Korean Thanksgiving Mass, the Korean community held a sports fest with all the family members in the Church. Some of our parishioners told me that it was the golden age of the Korean Catholic community in Phnom Penh. After the erection of the Korean Church building in 2018, the Korean community began to grow in number and influence in the local church. Unfortunately, I can recognize only some of them in the picture now. I have not met many of the others in the picture when I was given this assignment last year. After the outbreak of Covid-19 last year, many Korean parishioners went back to Korea because of the vulnerable situation in Cambodia. Among the parishioners still remaining here in Phnom Penh, some of them seem reluctant to join the Mass or other gatherings in the Church during this pandemic situation.

I arrived in Phnom Penh in June last year after the first outbreak in January 2020. Fortunately, the condition in Cambodia seemed to be quite stable compared to other neighboring countries at that time. We were allowed to celebrate Mass again since last August though we could accommodate only a limited number of participants in the Church. We hoped to revive the sense of communion among us through the Sacraments and Gatherings. However, the situation got worse since February this year. The number of Covid patients began to increase rapidly and the city of Phnom Penh came under lockdown for several weeks from April till May. Mass in the Church had to be stopped again. I felt sad as I was not able to celebrate the Holy Week Liturgy with our parishioners here. 5 months have passed already since I presided at Mass in the Church. Now, it becomes more familiar to me to meet parishioners through online Mass with Zoom. Of course, some parishioners told me that they really miss The Sacrament of Holy Communion in the Church. I open the church on weekends for Adoration and Holy Communion for those who visit the Church individually.

We are not sure when we will be able to celebrate Mass in the Church again. However, I really appreciate our parishioners as they are willing to help the more vulnerable neighbors around us. Since the pandemic this year, the Korean community has donated funds to Caritas Cambodia for the local people in the places under lockeddown. One of our parishioners, who runs a chicken farm in Phnom Penh, has sent thousands of eggs regularly to Prieb So Community. Thanks to this generous sharing, we were able to distribute the eggs to the people who needed support and care in this time of crisis. Even before the time of the pandemic, the Korean Church has contributed to the local people and church with their offerings and prayers, and we continue to still the value of charity among us.

To be honest, I still feel sad whenever I think about the current situation in Cambodia. Probably, I will not have the chance to preside Mass in a chapel full of parishioners while I stay here. However, I know that God is continually speaking to us in all the historical events including these desperate and gloomy situations. Surely, it will be difficult to have a feast with many parishioners now, but I believe that I am invited to be with them while consoling and praying for those who still remain here in this land. That is why I am staying here in Cambodia now. “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep. (Jn 10,11)” I keep asking the grace from God in order that we may continually have unity of heart among us through Christ our Lord.