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
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10 comments:
I was wondering if you might have known my Father as he was a Physician who volunteered at the Orphanage in My Tho.His name was Ralph Leighty and was from Swissvale. If so and you want to contact me you I am at kentleighty@gmail.com.
Thanks
Greetings,
Thank you for taking care of us during the war. I left Vietnam for Canada in February 1974. I've been blessed ever since and will forever be grateful for wonderful people like you. I am thinking of returning to Vietnam to see where I was born and if there is a need, do some volunteer work. I was at the Providence Orphanage in Khanh Hung before I left. I was wondering if you could please help me by giving me any information so I can prepare my trip and places where they would welcome volunteer work. I hope to go next November. Thank you and best regards, Evangeline
Hi,
Thank you for posting this.
I was born in 1965 and adopted in 1966 from Cholon Saigon and am not sure which orphanage I am from. Sister Robert took care of me during the time I was an infant but I have no memories whatsoever but I do have some photographs.
Any chance might know Sister Robert? I would love to know anything about my biological background and of the sister who took care of me. I am assuming that she is passed away and understand the orphanage burned down.
Sincerely,
Laurie Puglia
laura.puglia@att.net is my preferred email address. Thank you again.
Dear Sr. Susan Carol McDonald,
My husband was in Vietnam, Saigon on the air force in 1971-2. He was a Pilot that flew Hueys. He (John Machino) and his gunman (Bill Illingsworth) helped and gave most of their paycheck to a catholic orphanage on the out skirts of Saigon. He said when they first stayed helping this orphanage she only had about 20 kids but when he left she had over 100.
She was about 35ish with dark hair. She stayed dress in nun robes most of time. She only spoke french. She was a really sweet girl. He called her Frankie but he thinks her name was french that started with F. Any help you can give me would be wonderful
Dear Sr. Susan Carol McDonald,
my husband was an orphan in Hoi Duc Anh, he was adopted in 1968. Do you know which congregation was running the orphanage then?
I have pictures taken by a fellow Vietnam veteran in late 1967 and early 1968 of girls at the Sacred Heart orphanage in Danang during his many visits. We have pictures of a girl, about 8-10 years old, whom he wanted to adopt, and she wanted him to adopt her. Sadly, the Tet offensive of 1968 separated them, he was unable to get paperwork started, and then my friend was sent back to the U.S. He has had a hole in his heart for 50 years.
The girl's "nickname" was "Little Pineapple", and we don't know her exact Vietnamese name, though it sounded like "tum" or "toom". We have the list of 1600 orphans, but we have no way to cross reference from the Vietnamese names.
If you were a girl at the orphanage, please contact me, and I will send you pictures of the soldier and the girl. Perhaps you will recognize her and be ab le to help us.
God bless and be with the nuns of the Sacred Heart orphanage and all the children who were there.
Charles Leicht 50 years ago U554828569
PLeasant Prairie, WI 53158 USA
We adopted a girl in 1974, ( born March 1/73, Huynh the Ngoc Chau ) who was abandoned at birth and taken in by Providence Orphanage, Khanh Hung (Ba-Xuyen). Prior to her coming to America, we understand she was last at To Am Nursery, in then called Saigon City.
It was Sister Sylvie Giang-Thi-Huong who signed the adoption release papers and Rosemary J. Taylor notarized the "Release Certificate." Her birth certificate says she was born at Khanh Hung (Ba Xuyen)
I expect to travel to Vietnam in the next several weeks and wish to visit the city of her birth and the Providence Orphanage (if still there). This, as we plan a trip for next spring with our daughter and her husband. I would be pleased to receive any information on current status, etc., on both the Providence Orphanage in Khanh Hung and To Am Nursery in Ho Chi Minh City.
Henry J Wiebe, hank.ripon@gmail.com
I was adopted in 1968 in the Viet Hoa Village. I was named after my mother, Pham Thi Gai, who had me at the famous Tu Du Maternity Hospital. She gave me up in 1966. I was hoping to attach a picture of my adoption papers, but I can't. I remember my father talking about Sr. Robert and everything that people have been posting to their blog about her. I am hoping that my birth mother is still alive and wish to find her. I know its a long shot, but I'm willing to try. You may e-mail me at lcrum30396@aol.com,instead of the lcrum6@gmail.com and I will attach my picture and adoption papers. Thanks for your help. Respectfully, Lien Crum
Hello my name is Noah Douglass. I was adopted in 1974. There is no record of my birth. I was taken care of by a Sister Gene Marie according to my adoption paper work. The Vietnamese government gave me the name Tran Van Hung Phuc on my passport. At age 47 I am finally prepared to learn more about where I am from. My passport state I am from Go Vap Gia S. Vietnam??? I am very interested in finding out if this school is still around? I am planning a trip for the 50th anniversary of the end of the Vietnam war. Is there any way that records might be available that at the time were not?? Any advice and/or direction would be greatly appreciated
I was involved in the blog on this site dated March 16, 2019. I have a few suggestions, but I don't know what you wish to accomplish on your trip. You may contact me at
knobdealer@wi.rr.com
If all you wish to accomplish is to see the orphanage from which you were adopted, it's at the beginning of the home page for this blog. Scroll down and you'll find go vap orphanage in the Saigon district of Gia.
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