Nonviolence Prevention in Cambodia’s Deaf Community
Julie Lawler shares how naming the realities in Cambodia helped her recognize additional prevention techniques to support nonviolent living in her deaf ministry.
The Echoes of Suffering
As the Cambodian government cracks down on ‘forced scamming’ operations, traumatized victims of human trafficking are left wandering the streets. TT Hoang tells the story of 10 Indonesians she helped return to their home country.
Matter of Life and Death
Hang Tran, reflects on Jesus’ friendship with Lazarus, and his sister’s response to his death.
Learning to see possibility
At the Home of Hope in Cambodia, small, patient acts of accompaniment help young people with developmental challenges discover new confidence, connection, and joy.
Stories of hope by the sea
On a radiant Mission Sunday in Cambodia, a lay missioner pauses by the water to reflect on faith, privilege, and purpose. Between sips of coffee and conversations with two young fruit vendors, she finds that the truest stories of hope often begin in the simplest exchanges—by the sea, beneath the sun, and within the human heart.
Farewell to Fr. Charlie: A legacy of 25 years in Cambodia
For a quarter century, Fr. Charles Dittmeier has been a steady presence in Cambodia—walking alongside the deaf community, celebrating Eucharist with international parishioners, and sharing life with Maryknoll missioners and friends. At his side for part of this journey has been missioner Julie Lawler, who joined in interpreting, celebrating, and honoring his life of service. As Fr. Charlie retires and returns home to Kentucky, three heartfelt celebrations in Phnom Penh marked his profound impact, his wisdom, and the countless relationships he nurtured.
Amid tension, signs of hope in Cambodia
As border clashes between Cambodia and Thailand give rise to displacement, missioner Hang Tran witnesses hardship and resilience. From children coloring their way toward calm in crowded camps to a historic episcopal ordination drawing 3,500 faithful, the country holds both sorrow and joy in the same breath, and Hang finds glimpses of grace that point toward Micah’s vision of swords turned into plowshares.
‘Guided by God’: One woman’s journey from refugee to a life of giving
Thu Tam Hoang went from being a refugee herself to helping refugees and becoming a Maryknoll Lay Missioner in Cambodia. She was profiled by Union of Catholic Asian News.
A cardinal’s blessing, a bhikkhuni’s wisdom
During the 8th Buddhist-Christian Colloquium in Phnom Penh, Maryknoll lay missioner Hang Tran experienced powerful encounters of interfaith compassion and connection—from a Vatican cardinal’s visit to a home for the differently abled to a Vietnamese Buddhist monastic’s loving support for her foster daughter’s conversion to Catholicism.
Taco-Cat, teasing, and togetherness
At Cambodia’s Deaf Development Programme, Maryknoll lay missioner Julie Lawler helps lead an afterschool program where games, crafts, mentorship, and laughter create a vibrant space for deaf young adults to connect, grow, and be themselves.
A heart bowed in faith
At the Home of Hope in Cambodia, where missioner Hang Tran serves, children with diverse abilities navigate daily challenges with resilience and joy, among them, Simon—a spirited young boy with Down syndrome. Though his struggles with hygiene are well-known, his spontaneous moments of devotion reveal a deeper truth: a longing for the divine, a thirst for something greater. Through his simple yet profound gestures of worship, Simon teaches us all about the cycles of cleansing and renewal, both physical and spiritual.
