Vietnamese Sister Makes Perpetual Vows with Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament in Cambodia

The Sisters of the Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament welcomed a new member into their congregation during a solemn profession ceremony at the Church of the Queen of Peace in Areykasat, Cambodia, on September 13.

Sr. Maria Nguyen Thi Kim Hue, 41, made her perpetual vows before Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, in the presence of her congregation’s superior and more than 400 faithful who gathered from different communities to witness the occasion.

In his homily, Bishop Olivier expressed gratitude to God for Sr. Maria’s final profession and for the community of sisters who serve with faith and love. He also invited young women to be attentive to God’s call to religious life.

“In the Vicariate of Phnom Penh, as in the Church of Cambodia, today we have very few young ladies who open their eyes and ears to hear God’s Word and respond,” he said, urging the faithful to adopt Samuel’s prayerful attitude: “Speak, Lord, for your servant is listening.”

The bishop reminded the assembly that in a world filled with noise, true listening to God requires silence. “We must allow God’s Word to take first place in our lives,” he said.

Highlighting the mission of the Adorers, Bishop Olivier explained that the sisters serve society by supporting children and women in difficult circumstances. “In the sisters’ house, people can find a warm, welcoming, loving place where they can rebuild their lives, where children can have a future, and mothers can regain the strength to continue their journey with their children,” he said.

He noted that their apostolate flows from their adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, the source of strength and love that sustains their mission of rebuilding lives and fostering peace.

During the rite of perpetual profession, Sr. Maria signed the register of her religious family, promising to live in chastity, poverty, and obedience for life. Bishop Olivier then gave her a ring as a sign of her consecration to Christ, her spouse forever.

Born in 1984 in Buon Me Thuoc, Vietnam, Sr. Maria is the fourth of 11 children. Her vocation journey began when her brother asked her, “Do you want to become a sister?” She later discerned her calling with the Adorers and made her first vows on November 21, 2018. Assigned to Cambodia, she has been serving the community of sisters in Boeung Tumpun.

Speaking at the celebration, Sr. Pilar Casas Navarro, superior of the Phnom Penh community of the Adorers in Cambodia, described the occasion as a gift for the congregation and the wider Church. “Today we are very happy because we have received another sister into our family, and it is an opportunity to share this joy with the faithful, the bishop, and the priests. This is a special gift God has given us,” she said.

She added, “Now we are one big family in Asia,” noting that the congregation is present in five Asian countries, Japan, the Philippines, Vietnam, India, and Cambodia.

Founded in Spain in 1856 by St. Maria Micaela Desmaisières and St. López de Dicastillo, the Sisters of the Adorers of the Blessed Sacrament and of Charity are now present in 23 countries worldwide. Their mission centers on Eucharistic adoration and serving women in crisis, especially those trafficked, exploited, or facing violence.

“In Cambodia since 2003, the congregation has communities in Siem Reap, Phnom Penh, and Poipet (Banteay Meanchey Province), with five members serving the mission,” Sr. Pilar explained. “We also want to work with other NGOs and with the Church because our mission only makes sense within the Church. Without the Church, we are nothing.”