There was an opportunity to experience a little bit of Cambodia on Friday 9th May at a Cambodia-Style Mass at the Church of St John of the Cross, Aylsham. Nearly 60 people, including visitors from Ely, Ipswich, Bury St Edmunds and Great Yarmouth, joined Father David as he celebrated our link with Cambodia and especially our twinning with Svay Sisophon. Fathers Philip & Tony Shyrane and Deacon Ron O’Toole concelebrated with him and it was a special pleasure to welcome Rattana Som from Siem Reap who is presently in the UK for a six week visit. It was wonderful to have a ‘real’ Khmer speaker to lead parts of the Mass and also to hear her sing a Khmer version of the Magnificat. The offering of gifts was beautifully led by seven young people from the parish and we even had the ritual blessing with rose petals at the Consecration! Khmer music, exotic flowers and the traditional offering of incense for the faithful departed [remembering especially Father Heri, Bishop Tep Im and Charles Cornish] made us feel, even for a short while, truly ‘united in spirit and in friendship’ with the Cambodian communities we support. We had the pleasure of Rattana’s company in the parish for the whole weekend and she was able to visit our parish communities at North Walsham and Hoveton as well as Aylsham and attend the blessing of the newly restored Memorial Cross at St Helen’s on Saturday 10th
