MISSIONER NEWSLETTER – Summer 2025

Hang Tran, Cambodia

Religious leaders from across traditions and nations gather in Phnom Penh for the 8th Buddhist-Christian Colloquium, fostering dialogue on peace and reconciliation.

CAMBODIA—The 8th Buddhist-Christian Colloquium brought together representatives from the Buddhist, Christian, Muslim, and Bahai religions, as well as from the Cambodian government and the Vatican, and other participants from 17 countries to Phnom Penh, Cambodia on May 27-29, 2025. The topic was “Buddhists and Christians Working Together for Peace through Reconciliation and Resilience.” (A summary of this event can be found on press.vatican.va.) Here are a couple of encounters that I found most meaningful.

The first was with His Eminence Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue at the Vatican. It was delightful to meet him and tell him about Maryknoll Lay Missioners, the countries where we serve, and my work with the Missionaries of Charity Home of Hope. By providence, I asked if he would like to meet our differently abled residents, and he said “YES.”

Home of Hope got into high gear tidying up the house and preparing the foods to welcome him the following day. Everyone was excited, including the elderly and the kids, that a special guest was coming to see them. This was the first time a cardinal from the Vatican had visited us.

Cardinal George is gentle, kind, and down to earth, which helped folks to be at ease quickly. The youth led him by the hand around the house for a tour. Over lunch, the Missionaries of Charity described their history in Cambodia. Cardinal George conveyed Pope Leo XIV’s greetings of peace to everyone, as he had talked with the pope before the trip to Cambodia. He shared his vocation story and his diplomatic service in Algeria, South Korea, Iran, Costa Rica, and Venezuela. We had a wonderful time together, and he blessed us before departing.

Maryknoll lay missioner Hang Tran shares a moment of friendship and interfaith exchange with Venerable Thích Tịnh Nguyệt, a Buddhist bhikkhuni from Hà Nội, Việt Nam.

The second encounter was with Venerable Thích Tịnh Nguyệt, a Buddhist bhikkhuni (ordained female Buddhist monastic) at Bồ Đề Pagoda in Hà Nội, Việt Nam. I noticed a Buddhist religious in her brown color robe at the Eucharistic celebration, and came to say hello. We exchanged stories of our faith journeys, the moments of darkness and the light. She let me share this story, as it might benefit someone.

About 20 years ago, as a young novice, she took on the responsibility for a newborn girl among abandoned children fostered by the pagoda. The girl was brought up in the Buddhist tradition, graduated from high school, and went on to college.

While the pagoda was her family home, the girl was attracted to the nearby Catholic church. She was allowed to attend Mass and participate in church activities, then… she embarked on the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults. Now, she is a third-year university student majoring in English, and newly baptized into the Catholic faith.

“How generous! How understanding! How did you cope with all that?” I asked.

“I loved my foster daughter since her infancy. There were heartaches and sacrifices, as I was studying to become an ordained monastic. Raising her helped me to cultivate compassion for others, rather than being occupied by my own problems. I had to grow up with her. Prohibiting her to join the Catholic faith would have only caused suffering. She needed to decide for herself. I asked her to be certain that it’s not a whim, but a genuine commitment,” replied Venerable Nguyệt.

Is there a better example of “Buddhists and Christians Working Together for Peace through Reconciliation and Resilience” than this? Both foster parent and child were courageous in navigating identity, attachment, insecurity, etc. on the raft of faith. The wisdom and support of the pagoda leadership were momentous. What a gift they all are to one another and to the society at large!

After the Buddhist-Christian Colloquium, one word resonates for me: openness. Openness seems to enhance loving kindness, compassion, joy, and equanimity for practitioners. It reminds me of the saying: “Religions are like fingers pointing to the moon. If one focused too much on the fingers, one missed the moon.”

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