Don Bosco Phnom Penh. The Feast of the Good Shepherd was joyfully celebrated by the Cambodian Salesian Family with the First Mass of Rev. Fr. Paul Bao Le Quoc, SDB, accompanied by the newly ordained Salesian deacon, Rev. Raymond Lawrence, at the campus of Don Bosco Phnom Penh. The Holy Mass, offered in English for the Catholic expatriate community in the capital, gathered parents, relatives, and friends of the two Salesians – Fr. Paul Bao’s family from Vietnam and Deacon Raymond’s family from India – together with members of the Salesian Family and 18 priests and brothers from Cambodia, Vietnam, India, and the Philippines.

Fr. Paul Bao had been ordained a priest the day before by Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, at the Catholic Pastoral Center. “I chose to celebrate my first Mass on April 26 because it is the feast of Jesus the Good Shepherd,” he shared in his first words as celebrant, addressing a community of Catholic expatriates, many from the Philippines, Vietnam, and Malaysia.

Both Fr. Bao and Deacon Raymond were first assigned to the Cambodian Salesian Mission during their practical training, spending time with youth in Phnom Penh, Sihanoukville, and Kep, while learning the Khmer language and preparing for priestly formation. In 2022, they continued their studies at the Salesian Theologate in Parañaque, Philippines. Now, they return to serve in the youth ministry of Don Bosco Phnom Penh, in close collaboration with the Cambodian Catholic Church.

Cambodia, heir to the ancient Angkor Empire, is predominantly Theravada Buddhist, with significant Muslim and Indigenous communities. Christianity remains a small presence, with about 25,000 Catholics alongside other Christian denominations. The Catholic Church in Cambodia is marked by martyrdom, especially during the Khmer Rouge regime (1975–1979), when many Catholics, including clergy and religious, were killed. Since the 1991 Paris Peace Agreement, the Church has accompanied the Cambodian people in their struggles, offering humanitarian aid, charity, and solidarity.

The Salesians began their mission among Cambodian refugees in Thailand between 1988 and 1991, providing technical education and child support programs. Later, they were invited into Cambodia, establishing Don Bosco Phnom Penh as their first presence. Today, the Salesian mission extends to five provinces – Phnom Penh, Banteay Meanchey, Battambang, Preah Sihanouk, and Kep – through technical centers, child support initiatives, and schools. With only a small number of Salesians, including four Cambodian confreres, the delegation continues to embody the spirit of ad gentes mission.