(ANS – Phnom Penh)– Every 19th of the month the EAO region remembers all Salesians of the Cambodia (THA) delegation – both missionaries ad gentes and local vocations. Here is the vocational story of the first Khmer Salesian, the post-novice Somony Kong.

I’m Br. Mony, a third year philosophy student in the Major Seminary of Thailand. I was born in Cambodia, Pursat province, in 1985. My family were all Buddhist and later on, starting from me, three became Catholics.

My Salesian vocation began when I was a boarding student in Don Bosco Technical School Phnom Penh (2002). I had three friends, not yet baptized but members of the Catholic Church. They invited me to join the Mass with them. I just wanted to know what they were doing so I followed them.

After some time I started to attend Mass very often by myself, even if my friends did not come with me. After three months I asked to join the catechism class every Sunday afternoon with some of my friends, and I helped in some Oratory activities wavery Sunday morning. I didn’t think much about that. All I thought at that time is to do something good which made me feel happy.

Before my graduation Fr. Gerard Ravasco invited me and a friend to go with him to Don Bosco Poipet to be teachers there. We agreed to his request and after graduation we went there.  In Poipet we received Baptism together, from our Rector, Fr. John Visser, in 2005. We needed to ask permission from our parents first. But my parents only asked me: “Is that good for you or not?” and let me choose by myself.

I was happy to be a Catholic but I never thought I would be a Salesian. A few months later, my Rector sent me to study for 6 months technical skills in Don Bosco Bangkok, Thailand. He asked me to prepare myself for this foreign trip, but I didn’t pay attention. So when we arrived there, it was a strong shock because we could not communicate at all. I didn’t speak Thai or even English, hence no one understood me. I didn’t know what to do in this situation. I was not able to sleep for three nights. I asked myself many questions especially about the meaning of my life.

I start to think deeply about God and His existence and I tested him many times: I asked God to help me understand my doubts. And I promised Him if my prayer came true I would offer my life to serve Him as a priest or in any other duty that I could offer. As time passed little by little I got to understand something and began to have peace in my heart. I felt as if I had been born again, that referred to the meaning of my baptism.

After my return to Cambodia I continued to work as a teacher in Don Bosco Poipet for four more years and then in 2009 I became a Salesian Aspirant in 2009. During these four years of searching, my Rector, Fr. John Visser and Fr. Brigolin, Fr. Gabriel Kang and other Salesians supported and guided me in my vocation journey. When Fr. Valter Brigolin was Rector, he didn’t push me to choose the Salesian vocation, but he gave me the freedom to choose by myself. He sent me to join the vocation camp with the diocesans and other religious congregations very often for two years. In this way I got to know different kinds of vocations but I decided to choose the Salesian Way because I felt closer and more comfortable than in any other vocation.

Published 19/1/2016