Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, has called on Cambodian Catholics to emulate the faith and virtues of Blessed Carlo Acutis during the celebration of the 60th anniversary of St. Michael’s Parish in Sihanoukville early this month.
The event marked the solemn blessing of a new altar in which a relic of Blessed Acutis was enshrined, underscoring his devotion to the Eucharist and serving as a symbol of spiritual renewal for the local Church.
According to the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, the celebration drew a large gathering of faithful who were reminded of the centrality of the Eucharist in Christian life.
“The Eucharist is the source and summit of our lives,” Bishop Schmitthaeusler said in his homily, as he invited the faithful to reflect on the life of the young Italian who died in 2006 and was beatified in 2020. The bishop outlined five virtues from Acutis’ life that he said every Catholic should strive to live by.
On daily devotion to the Eucharist, he said Acutis received Holy Communion each day and spent time in Eucharistic Adoration. “He always said the Eucharist is like the highway to heaven,” the bishop noted. “I am always united with Jesus,” Acutis would say, even while battling leukemia.
On living for others, the bishop emphasized that holiness is possible at any age. “Even children and youth, when united with God, can walk the path of holiness,” he said.
On transformation through the Eucharist, Bishop Schmitthaeusler reminded the faithful that “receiving Jesus in the Eucharist transforms lives and draws us closer to Him, who is our life and inheritance.”
On mercy, he pointed to Acutis’ acts of compassion, saying, “When we receive Jesus daily, our capacity to love others grows immensely.” From an early age, Acutis raised money to help the poor and sick.
On devotion to Mary, the bishop said the young blessed “had a deep love for the Blessed Virgin Mary. Through her intercession, he remained strong in his journey with Jesus.” He urged Catholics to turn to Mary “for strength and guidance.”
Bishop Schmitthaeusler also encouraged young people to use the internet for evangelization. “Acutis did not use it merely for entertainment or games. He used it to spread the Good News and promote Eucharistic miracles,” he said.
“Today, through Saint Michael the Archangel and Our Lady, we walk toward Jesus, who gave His life so that we may live,” the bishop said in closing.
St. Michael’s Church, built in 1965 by a priest of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (MEP), was designed by prominent Cambodian architect Vann Molyvann. The parish is currently led by Fr. Gustavo Adrián Benítez.
After the Khmer Rouge regime ended in 1979, only a few Catholic churches remained in the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh, including St. Joseph’s Chapel in Phnom Penh, the church on Bokor Mountain, and St. Michael’s in Sihanoukville.
As the local Church observes its Jubilee Year of Mercy, the bishop’s message served as a reminder to live each day rooted in the love of Christ—“receiving Him, loving Him, and loving His Body, sacrificed for all.”
