Pilgrims visit Angkor Wat temple, Cambodia.
Full of Grace: Transform the World with God’s Love
The Marist Youth Ministry Immersion to Cambodia in December, 2025 was an encounter rich in cultural discovery, education, and lived faith. Immersed in the realities of Cambodia, pilgrims were invited to open their hearts to God’s grace, and to allow it to reshape how they see the world, themselves, and others. The experience was overwhelmingly positive, with many describing it as truly life-changing.
Pilgrims spoke honestly of being confronted by inequality and their own privilege. Their many encounters required humility, courage, and openness to grace. Rather than rushing to solutions, pilgrims learned to remain present, allowing discomfort to become a place of growth and deeper compassion.
“One of the most challenging parts of the immersion in Cambodia was confronting the reality of inequality and recognising my own privilege. It was difficult to witness hardship while knowing I could leave, which challenged me emotionally and forced me to sit with discomfort rather than try to fix it.”
Time spent at La Valla School emerged as the heart of the immersion. In relationships formed with students, pilgrims experienced God’s grace at work in simple, powerful ways. What began as a desire to teach quickly became a space of mutual learning, humility, and transformation.
“I truly thought I would’ve been the one teaching the kids, but somehow I’ve learnt more from the students than I could have ever taught them. Every day, I could feel myself being changed by them.”
“The lessons of love, friendship, compassion and resilience were primarily learnt here, and all the other experiences were amplified because of the school… it really highlighted a love of work.”
An encounter with Sister Denise Coghlan RSM at the Jesuit Refugee Service in Siem Reap was equally profound. Through her faith-filled witness, clarity of purpose, and tireless commitment to peace, dignity, and justice, particularly in ending the use of landmines and cluster bombs, our pilgrims encountered the transformative power of God’s love in action.
Sr Denise Goglhan and Seth with the group at Jesuit Refugee Service, showing Noble Peace Prize.
“The talk with Sister and the visit around the place allowed me a new way of expressing my faith. One of the sculptures depicting Jesus alongside a person in a wheelchair deeply moved me - I couldn’t stop thinking about it.”
“I always live by ‘everything happens for a reason’, but Cambodia really solidified that for me. Reading at Mass at St John’s and meeting the Sisters truly opened my heart.”
Cultural experiences further enriched the pilgrimage. Visits to Angkor Wat and surrounding temples revealed Cambodia’s ancient beauty and spiritual depth, inviting pilgrims into a sense of sacred presence across generations. In contrast, visits to the Genocide Museum and Killing Fields offered sobering moments of remembrance, truth, and reflection, grounding the journey in compassion and justice.
“The beautiful architecture of Angkor Wat and its long-standing history gave me a sense of presence through the ages. The statues, paintings, and sheer size were incredibly moving.”
“Although confronting, visiting the Killing Fields and museum truly helped me understand Cambodia and how the country and its people have become who they are.”
A visit to the Kulen Elephant Sanctuary offered a gentle encounter with creation, highlighting care for the earth as an expression of God’s grace. Environmental sustainability was intentionally embedded throughout the immersion. Pilgrims modelled responsible stewardship by using reusable water bottles, coffee cups, and shopping bags, and by choosing social enterprises for accommodation and meals, we supported local communities while minimising environmental impact.
“The elephant sanctuary was also a highlight - something you don’t do every day.”
Throughout the immersion, pilgrims reported a renewed awareness of global inequality, a deeper gratitude for their own lives, and a growing understanding of faith lived through presence, relationship, and service. Shared meals, prayer, reflection, and community life strengthened bonds and nurtured spiritual growth.
“It’s hard to explain how life-changing and grounding this experience was. I feel whole and peaceful, like I’m being changed in a positive way and want to share that with others.”
While emotionally and physically demanding at times, the immersion invited pilgrims to encounter the world, and God, with open hearts. Grounded in grace, they came to understand faith not simply as belief, but as love made visible through everyday actions.
“The immersion in Cambodia changed my faith by grounding it in everyday actions rather than ideas. It helped me understand faith as something expressed through presence, empathy, and shared humanity.”
The Cambodia Immersion 2025 truly embodied the 2026 Marist theme, Full of Grace: Transform the World with God’s Love, shaping pilgrims who are more attentive, compassionate, and ready to carry God’s love into the world beyond the journey.
Jeni Miller
Regional Coordinator
Marist Youth Ministry NSW/ACT
Paul Harris
Team Member
Mission and Life Formation