Independence Day: Resurgence

Oh, yes, we did. I mentioned last week that we should take the students to see a movie in the big city of Ninh Binh. He's said yes, so I played the trailers of the two movies showing at the theater: Finding Dory or Independence Day. You can imagine what 20 guys wanted to see. Three of the sisters decided they wanted to go, also. So off we went in a buss, the thirty miles to something so special.  

Everyone was so excited to be in the lobby. You see, only two had ever been to a movie theater before and. One had been to a 3D movie. They were crazy with excitement. Here are Vinh, me, Binh, and Bruce surrounded by happy people.  

Here are some random shots of us all waiting. Hao was especially excited because his major in college was programming. He loved all the computer stuff he saw.

Just 11 minutes until the rollercoaster ride.  

It was exciting to watch the movie with this crowd. They laughed, cheered, and gasped loudly. I was worried about how the sisters would take all the violence, but they all told me they loved it. The adrenaline was flowing for hours after. Oh, and they loved wearing the 3D glasses.  

Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul

The Feast of Sts. Peter and Paul is a special day for the Diocese of Phat Diem. All of the priests, deacons, and parish council members along with everyone who can come make a morning of festivities. Here are three of our seminarians who helped with parking the many buses, cars, and motorbikes.

The grounds of the cathedral have been opened up to allow for the vast number of pilgrims who come every year. Buses needed the room to turn around but there was a desire for lots of green, also, so this was a compromise.  

Here is the side of the cathedral of Phat Diem. You can see many other photos of it elsewhere on the blog. What I love is the warmth and beauty of the wood and stone. It seems to come from the earth so solide then taper off quietly to the sky.  

A view from the back of the cathedral showing the new monitors. Because of the size of the columns (each is one tree!), many parishioners could not see the altar. The monitors make a huge difference, especially for the elderly.  

After the mass, I took a picture outside the cathedral again, this time with a part of the seven stone chapels on the grounds. The sky started to look ominous, but I didn't notice.  

I got a chance to see the Eucharistic Youth concluding their morning's attendance at the mass with singing. There is nothing for the young people to do during the summer, so the parishes have summer activities for them. These are representatives from all of the parishes.  

After the mass, all of the parish council members and the priests and sisters have a huge lunch hosted by the sisters. Here are the Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross who work at the cathedral. I love seeing them every year. After lunch we all sat down and talked for a long time.  

Bruce, a retired Presbyterian minister, is visiting the seminary and Fr Thiem was taking taking a picture of the two us us while Bruce decided to take a picture of Fr. Thiem.  

After all the elders and priests had left we were sitting around with the sisters and seminarians and it started pouring...and I mean pouring. We quickly unplugged the big fans and brought them under the tent. I couldn't return to the seminary for almost an hour, but it made for more time to talk, something I love to do.

Cleaning the Cistern

Tuesday evening it rained hard, and that means the cistern they collects the rainwater must be check for any dirt that may enter it. Sure enough there was a small amount, so the guys wnt right to work. While the hoses were getting rounded up, the bailing began.  

The only way to make sure all the the dirt is gone is to check visually, so two went in. The cistern is about 7 feet high and 10 feet by 10 feet.mthey checked it all to make sure the place was clean.  

A good storm that night filled the cistern nicely. Here the guys wanted to lose for a onto op the next morning on the top of the cistern.

Bingh, Vinh, and Nam Vu

Every year I not only stay with Bonh and Vinh Nguyen in Hanoi, but they also come to Phat Diem and help me teach. Binh is the master teacher and she immediately brought both classes together for a pep talk.

 

She lectured them about how even though learning another language might be difficult, it is rewarding. Binh told stories about how others struggled to learn English and how it changed their lives. She had everyone enthralled.  

The rest of the day was spent on vocabulary. She first had the. Crest vocabulary word flash cards of words of their choosing from their books, the English on one side and Vietnamese on the other.  

Finally, they played cards, with the person guessing the most vocabulary word winning chocolate cars. I have to say they worked hard for a little bit of chocolate.  

Things got hot and heavy, especially in this class, the advanced class. Smack downs were the order of the day. At the end of the afternoon class, everyone was exhausted. Each class memorized over 70 words perfectly. 

Spaghetti!

Fr. Vong decided that for the dinner for all of the sisters on retreat here and the students we should have spaghetti with dinner. I slaved in the kitchen all afternoon. OK, the sisters did most of the work, but I "supervised." Here, the tomatoes are getting ready to be puréed.  

Because we are in Vietnam, even the Italian bead is French. Each table got a half a loaf.

Getting the spaghetti plated was a lot of work. I didn't get to the kitchen in time, so the sisters cooked the spaghetti for 10 minutes an hour before dinner. It was almost a huge sticky mess, but I mixed in half of the sauce with the pasta, so the day was saved.  

 The spaghetti was a hit. You can see all the sisters and seminarians having a great time. Here, some of the students are toasting Fr. thief who is soon to go to America to study English.

Fr. Hoa

Today I had lunch with Fr. Hoa, a member of my first English class in Phat Diem. It was the day of the feast of John the Baptist, are. Hoa's patron saint. So as is the custom, there was food and drink. Here he is (in the blue shirt) being lauded by friends.  

The room was filled with the men for whom he is spiritual director. They range from high school students to seminarians to deacons and priests.  Fr. Hoa is easy to like, relaxed and easy going, but firm when he needs to be. He is an excellent role model for young men.  

With Fr. Hoa in the right, you can get a better idea of the food. All is very simple and bland, but the spices are in the table, sauces and the like, that you can add to make the taste your own. This really helps an American. Oh, and the bread is Out of courtesy to me...they know I love it.  

Here I am with Fr. Hoa. He is pastor of Khiet Ky parish along with overseeing a growing mission parish nearby. All told, he has 2,900 Catholics between the two. Luckily, there are many men in the pipeline to the priesthood. At the present moment, Bishop Joseph figures that all the parishes will be full staffed with priest within ten years. That's far different from our situation in the U.S.  

Here are the priests and seminarians I am good friends with.

Confirmation at Tin Thuan

Yesterday I went with Bishop Joseoh to confirmation at Tin Thian parish, about eight miles from Phat Diem. As always before an important ceremony, there was a procession here you can see the boys who are to be confirmed the girls are on the other side of the boys.  

The elder women always walk last in the procession showing the importance in village life. The wear the ao dai (ao zai), the traditional formal dress of Vietnam. Umbrellas are a must in the hot summer sun. Even though it was 9:30 a.m., the temperature was already 90 degrees and humid.  

In the front of the procession is the traditional complement of drums. These go first to ward off the evil spirits. They are loud and I can tell you the musicians take this job seriously. The sound ranges from the very deep large drum to ear-shattering cymbals.  

Tin Thuan church was built by the people and beautiful inside. The Gifts of the Faithful were placed at the entrance of the church to be taken up later by two of the confirmed. Everything was simple and prepared with care.  

Here is a view of the interior of the church. The large book you see contains the words and rhythms for the song being sung for the choir. Traditionally, there had been little money for sing books, so this was the work around. The calligraphy is beautiful.  

After lunch, the local priests and elders had a small lunch with us while the families went to thir homes for celebrations. These are the times I get to see my old friends from all over and laugh, some I have known for ten years. It's always a good time with Fr. Phong as our host at Tin Thuan parish.

Going to the Philippines

This afternoon I was weeding the bonsai when Huy (left) and Khoa (right) came up to say goodbye. I had no idea they were off for a year to study English in the Philippines. They are fine students, and after the time abroad they will begin their studies at the major seminary in Hanoi. I have known then for years now and I'm very proud.

Rain for Sue

Each year I visit I put up a video for Sue where it is raining. You see, that's her favorite weather to relax in side, read a book, and take it easy. So, here it is, a downpour that came during lunch today.

Afternoons

So, after lunch and a good siesta, it's time for work around the grounds. Here, Truong is cleaning the large bird cage. While Fr. An has small bird cage, this large one holds three birds, including two doves. It needs to be washed and restocked with food and water, not a very pleasant job.but it's better than digging up trees.

This new small building will be the home for the retired bishop of Phat Diem. To provide some shade, trees from the back of the house are being replanted to block the afternoon sun. It's dirty work in 95 degree heat. They'd much rather be cleaning the bird cage.

The soccer field is getting a much needed leveling. Heavy equipment was brought in. I don't know the operator, but he wanted his picture taken. I have to say he was expert at moving the dirt.

Yes, that's Fr. Vong, the rector of the seminary, up in the mango tree. He wanted to get a bird's eye view of the grading of the field and decided this was the next best thing to going up in the press box.

As always, soccer is #1. The field is being torn up so there is no alternative. Some scraping of knees and a little blood, but it's soccer, so no excuses.

The afternoon is the time for the sisters to make dinner, and I always volunteer to help. This time they made the mistake of saying yes. I was assigned to beat the eggs for the omelette. As usual, it was done with style and panache.

As always, Hien and Han manage to take time out from soccer to mug for the camera. I'd get mad, but they are two of my best students.

Quy is the right hand man here at the seminary. He is the student who can fix anything and willing to do whatever it takes to get things done. We rely on his expertise to keep everything running smoothly.

The New and the Old

Yesterday, I went with Hien, a seminarian to visit an old church, his fa,ily, and a brand new church. First, we went to the first parish ever in Vietnam. Hao Nho parish was founded in ???? This church on the parish grounds was not built then , but later, and in the style of the cathedral in Phat Diem.  

The bell tower and statues of both St. Peter and St. Paul flank the front of the church. The buildings could not be refurbished for many years by order of the government. Now, things have changed and the parish has build a new youth center (far left in the picture) and rectory (in the middle of the picture in the back). Soon to be built are a new home for the sisters and renovation for the church.  

Next we went to visit Hien's family just a few blocks away. His father (left) recently completed the house and it is beautiful. It has not been painted yet because that will cost a lot, but it will be done soon. On the right is his brother-in-law.  

We then visit mission St. Joseph where Hien's brother-in-law is caretaker.  It is small, but magnificent. Mass is held once a week here. The gold on red paint is magnificent and the inlaid ceiling something to behold it is a gem.  

As we toured the mission, a group of local people formed. As it turns out, I am the first foreigner they had ever seen. We had so much fun laughing and talking. Everyone wanted to pose for a picture, well everyone except for some shy teenage girls. But they, too, were very welcoming.  

We went back to Hien's house and I mentioned that I liked some baskets I saw on the floor. It came as a surprise when I found out his mother makes them by hand. She showed how she does it. Baskets come like Russian dolls, three nested inside each other, each with a lid. They sell at the market for $2. Pretty inexpensive for something so lovingly made.