Each year after graduation, the students eishing to enter university must take entrance examinations. They have been studying the past few weeks, and Monday, July 3, they sit and do their best. The top students are admitted to the best universities, the next best students to the next best universities, and on down, until we get to the level where a student is denied attendance at all. The examinations are held only in big cities, and the students of Phat Diem parish, in the countryside, must travel to Ha Noi, almost three hours away. It is difficult and expensive, because many do not have relatives to stay with there, do not know where to go, and do not have the money to stay and eat. So the Catholics of the diocese raise money. University students are recruited to spend time tutoring during the weeks leading up to the examination. Then these students, along with the diocese, organize the 1,500 diocesan graduates to get onto buses, take them to Ha Noi, house them, transport them to the examination, and then bring them back. It is a daunting task. Above you can see one of the young university student volunteers. We sat together the evening before and had a nice conversation. The next morning, before they all left, we took this picture together. A father of one of the high school graduates came up to me and said, "Is this your daughter?" to which she replied, "Yes, he is my father." She and I laughed so hard. It was a typical scene for any family, the parents bringing their child, feeling anxious and concerned. You could see it on their faces. We pray for all of them.
Each year after graduation, the students eishing to enter university must take entrance examinations. They have been studying the past few weeks, and Monday, July 3, they sit and do their best. The top students are admitted to the best universities, the next best students to the next best universities, and on down, until we get to the level where a student is denied attendance at all. The examinations are held only in big cities, and the students of Phat Diem parish, in the countryside, must travel to Ha Noi, almost three hours away. It is difficult and expensive, because many do not have relatives to stay with there, do not know where to go, and do not have the money to stay and eat. So the Catholics of the diocese raise money. University students are recruited to spend time tutoring during the weeks leading up to the examination. Then these students, along with the diocese, organize the 1,500 diocesan graduates to get onto buses, take them to Ha Noi, house them, transport them to the examination, and then bring them back. It is a daunting task. Above you can see one of the young university student volunteers. We sat together the evening before and had a nice conversation. The next morning, before they all left, we took this picture together. A father of one of the high school graduates came up to me and said, "Is this your daughter?" to which she replied, "Yes, he is my father." She and I laughed so hard. It was a typical scene for any family, the parents bringing their child, feeling anxious and concerned. You could see it on their faces. We pray for all of them.
