Sr. Khuyen

Saturday morning, Sr. Khuyen joined us for breakfast. She is a Sister of St. Paul of Chartres. She works in central Viet Nam with the lepers in 20 different villages. These are all Montagnards, the mountain people, who were allies of the Americans during the war. Sr. Khuyen is now 76 but as spry as a novice. In 1950, she took her vows and moved to Ha Noi, but in 1954, with the takeover of the Communists in the north, she moved with her community to Sai Gon. She is here in Phat Diem for a few days meeting with girls who are interested in joining her in her work. If anyone can make a difference in people's lives, she can.

Mr. Duc's House

After mass, it was a short ride to Mr. Duc's house. His family also runs a general store in the front of the house. It is three stories tall, very colorful and open. I cannot believe the workmanship that goes into these newer homes. Every seam is perfect, all the tiles align, and the woodwork is exquisite. Nothing like we get back in America. Here is a picture of his family, the view from the second floor, and the street below.

Giao Xu Ung Luat Parish

Saturday afternoon, I went with Fr. Minh to Giao Xu Parish, a small rural parish. It is very poor, and many of the young are going to the cities after high school. There were not many people at mass, but that is also because it is harvest time and the rice needs to be harvested no matter what. It is two weeks of intense work. The first picture is of me with two of the elders of the parish. On the right is Mr. Duc who is a high school teacher like me. In the next post we'll visit his house. The second picture is of Fr. Minh going in to the sacristy. Below that are pictures of the church itself, which is about 10 years older than Phat Diem cathedral, which makes it about 115 years old. The video at the bottom is of the interior. You can see the red and gold at the front of the church symbolizing heaven.

Feast of the Sacred Heart, Part Hai

Here are some pictures of us on the way: Fr. Lich, Fr. Minh, and Fr. Hoa (students of mine), two Sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross, lots of sisters, and the kids of the parish before mass.

Feast of the Sacred Heart

Yes, those are my feet. I'm really getting better, actually. Not that many pictures of the lens cap anymore. Below you can also see Bishop Joseph talking to the priests before the procession to the church, the church itself (which is actually older than Phat Diem cathedral, and a wonder to look at, and then some of the motorbikes the priests ride. Cars are expensive, so two wheels are the mode of transportation for most people.

Hanging with the Neighbors, Part Hai (two in Vietnamese)

I rode with Lich to his house. Lich has been my student and was ordained last fall, so he is, in the vernacular, a "baby priest." Here is a picture of him and his family.

What happened after that is kind of a blur. You see, we then took the motorbike to Minh's house and walked to where the party was. There was a tremendous amount of food, lots of talking and laughing, and something called Kuou, which is known as Vietnamese wine. Well, it's more than just wine. I think it's pure alcohol. Everyone was toasting everyone else, and pretty soon I was worried I would fall off the motorbike on the way home, so I had to stop. I can't remember when I enjoyed myself more...or is it that I can't remember? Well, it was a great time, and I'm not posting any pictures of it to protect the innocent.

Hanging with the Neighbors

Thursday night, Lich and Minh asked me to go with them to see their parents (I visit them every year) and then have dinner with neighbors in their village. Of course, yes was the only answer. The first video is leaving the village of Phat Diem. On the left is the river, and on the right are shops. Each shop is owned by one family. If they are poor, then their one room home is behind the shop. If they have some money, then they build a second floor. Three or more floors means you have lots of money and your in-laws live with you.

In this second clip, we are now out in the countryside, with lots of room everywhere. The canal is on the right, and you can notice the stems from the rice that has been harvested. There are two uses for these after the harvest: they can be used to thatch roofs or they are burned. Many people burn, so in the early evening there is smoke in the air.