Some orphanages in Vietnam 1967-1975

Operated by Sisters of St. Paul de Chartres:

Phu My (home for 1500 homeless, including orphans, abandoned children and orphans with polio) 2 miles from Saigon center.

Viet Hoa in Cholon

St. Paul’s Orphanage in Bien Hoa

Orphanage in My Tho

St. Paul’s Orphanage in Vinh Long

St. Enfance Orphanage in Vinh Binh

St. Paul’s Orphanage in Qui Nhon

Sacred Heart/Sacre Coeur in Danang

Orphanage in Hoi An

Kim Long Orphanage in Hue
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Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul:

Caritas Nutritional Center (nevertheless had abandoned babies) on Tu Xuong St., Saigon

Regina Pacis also on Tu Xuong in Saigon; large vocational school, boarding school and day school, polio unit, and sometimes children from there had no known parents.
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Sisters of Divine Providence: (orphanages in the delta area)

Orphanage at Can Tho (still exists, has been recently completely taken over by government, although Sr. Danielle, present there in 1975, is in a nearby convent. (Sr. Eugenie was responsible, Sr. Eugenie now in retirement center at Culaogieng; Sr. Anicet was also a nurse, then went to assist Montanyards in 1971)

Orphanage in Soc Trang (Soc Trang is also called Khanh Hung) now boarding school for hill tribe children, building still intact, Sr. Marie Marthe and Sr. Sylvie are there, were there from 1967-1975. (Ba Xuyen province)

Orphanage at Sadec (orphanage register is intact at Sadec today)

Orphanage at Rach Gia

Orphanage at Culaogieng, province of An Giang

Orphanage at Bac Lieu

Orphanage at Ba Xuyen
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Good Shepherd Sisters

Orphanage in Vinh Long, and home for unwed mothers (is now a police station, you can see the orphanage from the gate)
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Redemptorist Orphanage aka Dong Chua Cuu The aka Pere Olivier’s Orphanage aka Truong Minh Giang (located on an alley near Truong Minh Giang St. not far from Truong Minh Giang Market)
Pere Olivier died some years ago. There are still Redemptorist Priests there, and the church near the orphanage buildings, now otherwise occupied. Baptismal records are here and could be helpful. Ask for Fr Peter Thuam.

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Dominican Sisters:

The Orphanage of Tan Mai (still in operation, Dominican Sisters still there)
Co nhi Vien Tan Mai just outside of Bien Hoa

St. Rose of Lima in Hoc Mon (orphanage buildings still there, Sisters are very welcoming of adoptees)

Tan Binh Orphange in Cam Ranh; Sr. Mary Lieu (I don’t know the order she belonged to.)

Sao Mai Orphanage, Cam Ranh (also don’t know who ran this orphanage, was Catholic Orphanage, run by Sisters)
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Sancta Maria Orphanage, in Gia Dinh Province near Saigon
Operated by Andre Nguyen Van Vung, Andre’s sister Caroline is married to an Australian man, Bela Venzel and they are now in Australia. Peter Hill is best contact now for Sancta Maria orphanage.
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Hoi Duc Anh Orphanage

Located at the corner of Cong Quynh and Vo Tanh (old street names) in Saigon.
Still exists, looks the same with some additions to kitchen area. Now a boarding school for the Blind. Adoptees are welcome to see the buildings.
Look up Phu Lam Joe Rokus on the web, an army unit helped out a good deal at Hoi Duc Anh and would love to hear from anyone from this orphanage.
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An Lac Orphanage in Saigon
Mme. Ngai was the director, Betty Tisdale, long time supporter of this orphanage. You can find her easily on the web.
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Xom Chieu Orphanage, Saigon
Located at Khanh Ha, Saigon 4. Parish priest in 60’s-70’s was Fr. Joseph Pham van Dau
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China Beach Orphanage, Danang
This was a large Protestant orphanage operated by a group of missionaries.
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Vung Tau Christian Home
Located at Vung Tau, small orphanage run by Mr. and Mrs. Warren
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Sisters of the Congregation Lovers of the Cross

Go Vap Orphanage, (still in operation, no records available)
Was largest orphanage in Vietnam, located in the Go Vap District, of Gia Dinh Province, about 8 miles from central Saigon. Sr. Lucy was director of this orphanage. Some annexes of this orphanage were in Thu Duc, also Gia DInh Province.
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Operated by Catholic Sisters, unknown communities.

Phan Thiet, provincial orphanage, adoptions mainly in France, arranged by direct contact with families or French adoption Organizations or through Mere Ange in Danang. Children would transit in one of our nurseries in Saigon (Hy Vong, New Haven, To Am or Allambie or at Phu My until documents in order.

Thuy Hoa Orphange, children also brought from here in transit and stayed at one of our four nurseries.
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Tu Du , Saigon’s largest Maternity on the corner of Cong Quynh and Hong Thap Tu. Had numbers of babies abandoned each month. A Sister of St. Vincent de Paul would often contact us directly (Rosemary Taylor’s group which became known as FCVN for a few months in 1973, then FFAC, Friends for All Children, also in 1973). Rosemary worked in Vietnam since 1967, the Department of Social Welfare decided we needed a name, especially since we were caring for such large numbers of children.
Sr. Vincent, who was at Tu Du in the 70’s has also been at Tu Du in the past few years, as we have visited her there. I am not certain if she is still there.
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City of Thu Duc in Thu Duc Province.
Benedictine Sisters had a monastery there, have a monastery there today.
Children with no known parents, who were at the Maternity in Thu Duc or left in the area, were taken to the Benedictine Sisters, who had no facility for caring for children. They either took the babies themselves or there were a group of French women who assisted them to take children to Tan Mai in Bien Hoa, St. Paul’s in Bien Hoa, to Caritas, or to us (Hy Vong, New Haven, Allambie, To Am—FFAC)
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Friends For All Children—Rosemary Taylor
Dedicated to children with no known families (98% of children had no known families)
These nurseries had a total of 400+ children at any one time.
Hy Vong—Intensive Care Nursery, Saigon
New Haven—also Intensive Care as well as nursery for babies once they got well
To Am—nursery for sick and well 3 month old infants-toddlers
Allambie—home for some babies, toddlers and mainly children 3-7 years.
Other agencies in Saigon included Holt, Catholic Relief Services (Sister Kateri Kovermann), Pearl Buck Foundation, Okendon Venture (England), International Social Services, Friends of Children of Vietnam (1973-1975). I am sure there were others.

I have information about some of these orphanages, photos of some of the orphanages, additional contact information for some. You can contact me susanmcdo@aol.com. Sr. Susan Carol McDonald