In memory of Fr. Vincent DIERCKX

In the day of August 4, 2008, news from friends about Father Vincent are bad. He lays in his bed with no ability to make any movement. He breathes anomaly.....

I am profoundly sad to learn this. In that night, I recall about him:
- the first time he came to our school in SITE 2 camp,

- his English class in the middle of the hot day as usual in Thai-Cambodia border,

- his support to the boarding school,

- the day I left on scholarship from Dangrek Technical school to Bangkok

- the day we spent together in Bangkok before I left for France. He exaplained us (I was with Worak, Sophal and Sakal) how to take the bus as we never took it before. We spent the afternoon together on a boat on Choa Pray River,

- his visit with his brother Fr. Charles to Grenoble to reconfort me of my beginning-destabilized-new-life in a cold country,

- his smile and happiness to see us when we visited Cambodia. He always came to pick us up at the airport except my last visit; he was sick

- My visit to Cambodia when he was sick was emotionally strong. I felt very strange that I didn't meet him at the airport as usual (even I knew that he will not come as he was sick).... I went to visit him in an afternoon with my wife, kids and Patrick & Marie-Claire (my French father & mother). When I arrived at his house (Jesuit Refugee Service), I asked to meet him. Someone told that people are cleaning up his wounds and we have to wait. Sister Denise came to bring us upstairs and had a drink. Some minutes later, we were called to meet him. Arriving in front of his room, I felt my heart beaten faster, my tears come up to my eyes... I then got into the room, took his right hand. I was unable to pronounce any words, only tears came out (he did the same). Some days later, when we came back from Battambang we went to meet him again. The nurse who took care of him the night after our first visit said that during that night he was sorry that he forgot to welcome my wife. In the reality, he did it!

- My first visit to his new life in Belgium in 2006 with kids. Even he was tired and had limited mobility, he came to pick us up at Brussels airport with Fr. Alois.

- My last visit last august 2007. I realise at this point that it was almost a year that I saw him....


On August 5, I sadly learnt that he passed away last evening.... Full of pains and sentiment of a great lost, we, Saren, Phala, Sovan, Narath and I, in the name of all friends, decided to go for his funeral on August 9...

On Friday August 8, I left from Grenoble with Saren at 16h30. We arrived in Lyon at about 18h where we took Phala. We arrived in Paris at Sovan's appartment around 1 AM. We woke up at 4AM. Narath came to pick us up at about 5h30... As strong as a Formula 1 driver, Narath brought us safely to destination in about 2h30 for a 380-km distance. JEZUIETENHUIS (Jesuit House) below is the place where he stayed once back to his country Belgium (I think he felt more at home in Cambodia than in Belgium):

On the picture above, you can see his room under the tower, at 4th level (count the windows), 2nd left of the tree.

At about 9h30, we were joined by Phalek and Vuthy (they are from Brussels). After a coffee break, we went to see Father Vincent. Unfortunately his coffin was already close since Friday evening. We paid him our respects and took some pictures with him.




We then went to visit his room.





His sister, brother Charles, family and friends arrived:

Father Charles

Father Vincent's sister with Phalek

The religious ceremony started at 11am and was simple, beautiful... We were there together to pay him our respect , our recognition, to show him our love.... I felt sad but peaceful; I felt he was with us in that church I came last time with him... When Phalek made a speech in French, it was very moved. I just could not control my tears to come out... (We unfortunately didn't understand anything during the different speeches as it was in Flemish)




Once the religious ceremony ended, we followed his coffin out of the church:




We went together to the cemetery to say the last goodbye to him. Goodbye Father! Stay in Peace forever. You can be proud of your accomplished missions on earth. You helped us without waiting for any return. You made us success in our life... that's the satisfactory in your life!
Thank you for helping me, us and Cambodia....

Goodbye Father

Stay in Peace

Back from the cemetery, we had a graciously offered lunch at JEZUIETENHUIS with friends and Father's Vincent family... Thanks the organizers. Thanks Fr. Alois for your kindness and smiles.

Above pict. Phala, Annouchka, Colette, Sovan

Above pict. in the middle Fr. Alois

After lunch, we said goodbye to Fr. Vincent's relatives and Phalek's family

Narath, Sakun, Phala, Saren, Sovan, Phalek, Phalek's son
The picture is taken by Vuthy, Phalek's husband.

We came back to Paris and stayed a night at Sovan's appartment.

Narath & wife-to-be: thanks for dinner
Sovan & wife: thanks for lunch
Worak & wife: thanks for breakfast, apetizer

Saren & I arrived back home on Sunday mid-night......