Missionary Testimony of Father Juan Bautista Prak Bunhong
Bunong Catholic Priest honoring his ancestral traditions in Cambodia

Service d'Animation Missionnaire

This article narrates the moving testimony of Father Juan Bautista Prak Bunhong, a missionary priest of Bunong origin who has managed to find a balance between his faith and his attachment to the ancestral traditions of his people in Mondulkiri, Cambodia.


My name is John Baptist Prak Bunhong, and I've been serving as a priest for the last two wonderful years. I am an indigenous person from the Bour Norng indigenous group and I am originally from Pechrea-da district, Mondulkiri province.


My life as a priest is a real privilege and a sacrifice, as I get to serve God and all of you by conducting masses and proclaiming the gospel. I was the first person from my indigenous people in Cambodia to become a priest, which made me really happy! 


My indigenous people Bour Norng have a beautiful, original religion. They worship and believe in the spirits of the forest, and they worship and offer animals to all those spirits. They also have this belief that certain individuals possess the magic to treat your problems. Unfortunately, those individuals also have the ‘power’ to threaten you while you are unwell. They can order you to slaughter animals and serve them as much wine as they like. It's sad that people will follow their directions and orders merely to be cured of their condition. Even if they don't have it, they believe they owe them the opportunity to be healed and spared from the disease.


I am passionate about spreading the good news about God (Jesus and the Heavenly Father). He is the one true God, the light in the darkness.


However, I am faced with a challenge. When people are sick, they ask me to pray and lay my hands on them, but despite this, the patient does not recover. This leads to the conclusion from the people that Catholicism is not effective (holy) at all...


What lessons can we learn from the testimony of Father Juan Bautista Prak Bunhong about the importance of cultural preservation and respect for the natural environment?


How can we support and promote the work of Father Bunhong and other missionary priests who value and respect indigenous traditions around the world?

The Bunong, also known as Pnong, are an indigenous people who primarily reside in Mondulkiri province, in northeastern Cambodia. They are known for their rich cultural heritage, deep connection with the natural environment, and unique traditions. The Bunong people have a vibrant culture that is closely intertwined with their natural surroundings. Their language, Bunong, although related to Khmer, is a distinct language.

The Bunong are predominantly animist and believe in spirit gods who inhabit the forests, mountains, and rivers that surround them. These spirits play a crucial role in their daily lives, and they interact with them through various rituals. Hence their deep respect and reverence for the rivers, trees, and animals around them. For them, everything is interconnected and has its own life, deserving of admiration.

In recent years, the Bunong people have faced numerous challenges, such as land dispossession, deforestation, and cultural assimilation. Economic development and natural resource extraction threaten to disconnect them from their ancestral lands and traditions.

The Bunong are recognized as "forest caretakers," with a deep respect for the forest environment and extensive knowledge of its flora and fauna.