Khmer priest who lived in Canada glad to be serving in Cambodia

Published: 2003-11-07

BANGKOK, Thailand (CNS) -- A Cambodian priest said he returned to his country from a "wonderful life" in Canada in response to his calling to serve Cambodians. Father Song Un is one of only a handful of Khmer priests in Cambodia, reported UCA News, an Asian church news agency based in Thailand. On a recent trip to Bangkok, Father Song Un, 42, spoke to UCA News about his life journey, Cambodian society and his ministry to marginalized people. Based in Phnom Penh, Father Song Un works with AIDS patients in a center staffed by three priests. "I work with boys with HIV and teach them to understand and meditate on the Bible," he said. He said young people are thrown out of their family home if found infected with AIDS, and his role is to help care for them by ensuring they receive medical attention. He said one of the special challenges of serving in Cambodia is confronting gender stereotypes, in which women are expected to marry young and forgo an education.

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