Ten children aged between 10 and 15 of St. Anthony’s Church (Prek Dach) in Leuk Dek district, Kandal province, of the Mekong river pastoral sector received First Holy Communion on 24 November 2019. The ten were born into Catholic families and had been baptized. 

Fr. Daniel Yoon, the parish priest of Prek Dach Church, said that when infants had received baptism, they had yet to know their faith. That’s why the Church had taught them catechism for three to four years. Then, they will receive Communion when they are well prepared in order for them to reflect on God and the meaning of the Eucharist.

The priest further said that this Sacrament is an important ceremony for the faithful. The children who received Communion are old enough to become Catholics. They are no longer children when later they receive the sacrament of confirmation, where they will become full Catholics.

According to Catechism of the Catholic Church, the faithful receive baptism as infants.  When they grow up to the age of 7, they must learn the process of catechism further to receive Holy Communion. Later, they must learn about the Sacrament of Confirmation to become full Catholics.

The priest added that the sacrament of Holy Communion in a Catholics’ life, is to become one family despite them having different nationalities. “That means we become one body of Christ to build the Church.”

Fr. Daniel continued by saying that on the same day, 9 other children at Kampong  Chamlorng Church had also received the Body of Christ. Fr. Daniel is the person in charge of three Churches of the Mekong river pastoral sector in Phnom Penh diocese – namely Samrong Thom, Kampong Chamlorng and PrekDach.