This is Fr. Hien getting ready to way goodbye to us as we head on out to Thanh Hoa for the final vows of seven Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross and three sisters who are celebrating their 50th year as a sister.
It takes a lot to pack everything, and we have to especially careful that we have not only what the bishop needs to say mass, but all the food for breakfast on the way. It is, after all, 5:45 a.m. and no one has eaten!
After an hour and a half of good highway and bad dirt road potholes, we arrive in the city of Thanh Hoa. This is the bishop's house there. In it are offices and meeting rooms. Just like at Phat Diem, there are many buildings on the campus.
I was given a room on the second floor to rest and relax for a bit before the mass. Across the way is the cathedral and a huge hotel. The weather was mild and there was a slight breeze, almost like Hawai'i.
As you can imagine, anniversaries are just as important here in Vietnam as they are in the States. As it was Bishop Joseph's 23rd annive...
Within a few hours from Phat Diem is Cu Phuong National Park. It was formed in 1962 by Ho Chi Minh. Consisting of two whole mountain ranges,...
At 4:00 later on Sunday, another mass was celebrated at the cathedral. We went and relaxed outside because at the end there was a huge pro...