In 2008, SCJs partnered in ministry with the diocesan parish of St. Paul near Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam. The parish has much in common with Fr. Leo John Dehon’s first parish assignment in Saint-Quentin. The population that surrounds St. Paul is made up primarily of factory workers and young migrant families. Many have come from the poorest areas of the country, seeking jobs and a better life near the city.
Often families coming for work bring their children with them but cannot afford to send them to school. Books, uniforms and other necessities of a typical Vietnamese school are out of reach to these migrant families.
In 2000, St. Paul’s rented a small parcel of land and put up four classrooms. Migrant parents were invited to send their children to the makeshift school. Through the generosity of volunteer teachers –– Catholics from the area –– these children, who otherwise spent their days on the street, were able to follow the same educational plan as students in government-operated schools.
Huong Tam operates at its capacity of approximately 200 students, grades 1-5, at a total cost of $13,350 a year.
In 2010, the U.S. Province committed to funding the school for three years. The following is a thank-you note and update on the school from Fr. Joseph Tran Quang, SCJ:
Greetings and Thanks!
Dear Benefactors and Fellow SCJs,
I, Fr. Joseph Tran Quang, SCJ, would like to send you my warmest greetings. On behalf of the teachers and the pupils of Huong Tam Charity School, I would like to express my deep gratitude to you for your love, care and financial support of Huong Tam Charity School. I also would like to report about the school’s activities in the year 2011.
Since the beginning of 2011, Fr. Paul Pham Trung Dong, the Founder of Huong Tam Charity School, gave the Vietnamese SCJ community the authority to run this school. Therefore, the community assigned me, Br. Ngoc, SCJ and Br. Phu, SCJ, to the school. In the educational spirit of Fr. Dehon, we promised to do our best to improve the quality of the school. We now have eight teachers for our 212 children from kindergarten to grade five. There are 34 children in the kindergarten (five years old); 60 pupils in grade one (two classes); 36 pupils in grade two, 36 pupils in grade three, 31 pupils in grade four and 15 pupils in grade five.
During the summer holidays, from June to August, we held an English class for those interested in learning the language. The new school year started on September 5, 2011. We celebrated the opening of the new school year together with the Moon Cake Festival which was a very beautiful and joyful moment for the children. We gave them gifts such as school bags, books, notebooks and moon cakes, and played games.
As it is tradition in Vietnam, November 20 is Teachers’ Day. The school had activities to express gratitude to the teachers. On that day we had some competitive games for the pupils such as dancing, singing, cooking, decorating flowers, drawing and doing a school newspaper.
On November 17, we rented some buses to take all our pupils to the Saigon Diocesan Pastoral Center to join in the Christmas Day activities for “less fortunate children” which is organized by the Faith and Culture Group.
After Christmas, we gave the pupils three days off for Solar New Year and 20 days for Lunar New Year (the Vietnamese Traditional New Year – Tet). I am including some pictures of our charming students so that you will remember us and keep us in your prayers.
May God shower blessings upon you and repay you for all what you are doing for Huong Tam Charity School. I hope that you will continue to support us in this project. Thank you for your love and your generosity.
May you always be filled with God’s abundant Love!
Kind Wishes,
Fr. Joseph Tran Quang, SCJ
