Jesuit NGO Run By Sister Denise Coughlan

Border camps, Buddhism and building a mission

Sister Denise Coughlan, director of the Jesuit-backed NGO Jesuit Services, in Cambodia is interviewed at the group's office in Tuol Kork district. More (here) and (here) on Sister Coughlan


I imagine that religious organizations run a fine line between performing charity work and proselytizing - of producing "rice Christians". How do you perceive this challenge?

I am absolutely and utterly opposed to that sort of approach. We say in our mission statement that we're here for the people of Cambodia, especially those in greatest need. We've made a definite effort to include on our staff Buddhists and Christians, women and men, refugees and nonrefugees, people with disabilities and those without.

We don't proselytize at all.

Sometimes people are attracted to [Catholicism] and I'm happy if they are, but we certainly don't have any mass baptisms.

Link (here) to the full and compelling interview/article.