During a night of prayer for vocations for the 83rd time at St. Francis Xavier’s church ( Wat Champa ) in the pastoral sector of the Mekong River, Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler of the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, requested that additional prayers be held for religious life in the service of the local Church. He said: “We need the clergy to serve all brothers and sisters going into renewed life.”

During his homily, Bishop Olivier stressed that today the Church has still fallen short of priests and nuns. The bishop therefore called on Catholic youth to volunteer to serve the Church, who are the People of God.

The bishop said that priestly functions have extreme importance for the Church “Sacraments make Catholics enter into renewed life receiving salvation.”

He has also urged all Catholics to encourage their children to become religious and educate them to pray, love Jesus and the Blessed Virgin Mary and attend church services every Sunday to connect with Jesus, respect the elderly and the clergy. He advised youth to think of their future and also of the Church.

This prayer service was held on 2nd May 2019 in Kien Svay district’s Champa village in Kandal province, with a large number of the Catholics in attendance. Once a month, the Catholic Diocese of Phnom Penh holds a night of prayer for vocations at various pastoral sectors.