St Joseph's Church (, ) is a prominent

Roman Catholic The Catholic Church (), also known as the Roman Catholic Church, is the largest Christian church, with 1.27 to 1.41 billion baptized Catholics worldwide as of 2025. It is among the world's oldest and largest international institut ...

church in

Phnom Penh Phnom Penh is the Capital city, capital and List of cities and towns in Cambodia, most populous city of Cambodia. It has been the national capital since 1865 and has grown to become the nation's primate city and its political, economic, industr ...

Cambodia Cambodia, officially the Kingdom of Cambodia, is a country in Southeast Asia on the Mainland Southeast Asia, Indochinese Peninsula. It is bordered by Thailand to the northwest, Laos to the north, and Vietnam to the east, and has a coastline ...

. Originally a

Catholic seminary This is a list of Catholic seminaries in the world, including those that have been closed. According to the 2012 Pontifical Yearbook, the total number of candidates for the priesthood in the world was 118,990 at the end of the year 2010. These ...

converted into a temporary place of worship following the destruction of Catholic churches by the

Khmer Rouge The Khmer Rouge is the name that was popularly given to members of the Communist Party of Kampuchea (CPK), and by extension to Democratic Kampuchea, which ruled Cambodia between 1975 and 1979. The name was coined in the 1960s by Norodom Sihano ...

in the 1970s, it served as the city's main Catholic parish until the completion of a new pro-cathedral in February 2025. The modern St Joseph's Church blends traditional Khmer architectural elements with Latin ecclesiastical design, marking a significant milestone in the revival of Catholicism in Cambodia. Located approximately three kilometers north of Phnom Penh's city center near the Tonle Sap River along National Highway 5 (N5), it remains a spiritual hub for the local Catholic community, which includes a substantial population of Vietnamese descent.

History

When the Catholic population relocated to Phnom Penh from

Oudong Oudong (; also romanized as Udong or Odong) is a former town of the post-Angkorian period (1618–1863) situated in present-day ''Phsar Daek'' Commune, Kampong Speu Province, Cambodia, near the border between Kandal Province and Kampong Chhnang Pr ...

as they followed to movement of the Royal court of Cambodia, the communion settled north of the

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in an area known as Hoa-an, where Dutch settlers from Holland had given the name to the neighborhood inhabited mostly by foreigners.Since the 16th century with the arrival of Portuguese and Spanish missionaries, as it remained a minority religion overshadowed by

Theravada Buddhism ''Theravāda'' (; 'School of the Elders'; ) is Buddhism's oldest existing school. The school's adherents, termed ''Theravādins'' ( anglicized from Pali ''theravādī''), have preserved their version of the Buddha's teaching or '' Dhamma'' in ...

, the Catholic Church did not have its own Cathedral until the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh was established and Bishop Jean-Claude Miche set up his Pro-Cathedral at the church of Saint Joseph. Phnom Penh once housed the

Roman Catholic Cathedral of Phnom Penh Christ the King Cathedral, also known as the Cathedral of Phnom Penh (; ), was a 19th-century French Gothic revival church that served as the cathedral of the Apostolic Vicariate of Phnom Penh. It was located in the Russei Keo District of the ...

, a neo-Gothic structure completed in 1955 under French colonial influence. This cathedral was sacked by the Khmer Rouge in 1975 during their campaign to eradicate religious institutions, leaving the Catholic community without a central place of worship. In the post-Khmer Rouge era, a school building was repurposed as St Joseph's Church to accommodate the growing Catholic population. Dedicated to

Saint Joseph According to the canonical Gospels, Joseph (; ) was a 1st-century Jewish man of Nazareth who was married to Mary, the mother of Jesus, and was the legal father of Jesus. Joseph is venerated as Saint Joseph in the Catholic Church, Eastern O ...

, the patron saint of workers and families, the parish became a symbol of resilience. Despite its temporary status, the site hosted large congregations, primarily celebrating Masses in the

Khmer language Khmer ( ; , Romanization of Khmer#UNGEGN, UNGEGN: ) is an Austroasiatic language spoken natively by the Khmer people. This language is an official language and national language of Cambodia. The language is also widely spoken by Khmer people i ...

as decided by the local bishop, with additional services in Vietnamese and French held in a smaller chapel. On February 15, 2025, the new St Joseph's Cathedral was completed, replacing the temporary school structure. The construction, funded by international Catholic organizations, particularly the

Paris Foreign Missions Society The Society of Foreign Missions of Paris (, , MEP) is a Catholic Missionary order, missionary organization. It is not a religious institute, but an organization of secular clergy, secular priests and Laity, lay persons dedicated to missionary wo ...

, and local donations, reflects a renewed commitment to the faith in Cambodia. The date of completion aligns with the feast of St. Joseph, enhancing its symbolic importance.

Architecture

The new St Joseph's Pro-Cathedral, completed in 2025, is a fusion of Khmer and Latin architectural traditions. Its exterior features a tiered roof reminiscent of traditional Cambodian temples, adorned with intricate carvings of lotus flowers and apsaras (celestial dancers), while the interior follows a cruciform layout typical of Western cathedrals. The façade includes a prominent rose window and a statue of St. Joseph holding the infant Jesus, crafted by local artisans. The structure uses locally sourced sandstone and teak, blending durability with cultural resonance. The church's tabernacle, influenced by Khmer aesthetics, features gilded motifs of rice fields and water buffaloes, symbolizing Cambodia's agrarian heritage. A smaller internal chapel, retained from the original school site, serves as a space for intimate services and houses relics of Cambodian Catholic martyrs from the Khmer Rouge era. File:Intérieur de l'église de Phnom Pen-2.JPG, Interior of the former transitional church, where shoes are removed before entry File:Choeur tabernacle phnom penh.JPG, Tabernacle blending Khmer and Christian iconography File:Chapelle interne Phnom penh.JPG, Exterior of the Old Seminary chapel

Community and Worship

The congregation of St Joseph's Church is diverse, with a significant portion of Vietnamese descent due to historical migration patterns following the

Vietnam War The Vietnam War (1 November 1955 – 30 April 1975) was an armed conflict in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia fought between North Vietnam (Democratic Republic of Vietnam) and South Vietnam (Republic of Vietnam) and their allies. North Vietnam w ...

. The decision to conduct primary liturgies in Khmer reflects an effort to integrate Catholicism into Cambodian culture, though Masses in Vietnamese, French, and English cater to the multicultural faithful. The parish hosts annual celebrations for St. Joseph's feast day (March 19) and supports charitable initiatives, including education programs for underprivileged children.

Significance

St Joseph's Pro-Cathedral stands as a testament to the revival of Catholicism in Cambodia after decades of suppression. It replaces the lost

until a new formal Cathedral is built. The cathedral's opening is planned for the second half of 2025.

References

External links