Hi, I’m John Nguyen. My vocation was ignited by my mother, a very devoted Catholic. She taught me my first prayers and told me about the wondrous stories of Eucharistic miracles. Little did I know that the sparks of my mom’s devotion would start a raging fire of love for God in my own heart. When I was nine years old, I began altar serving and the thought of becoming a priest has always been on my mind.
My parents both immigrated from Vietnam. My mother struggled to raise me in her mid-20s, in a country she was new to, overcoming the language barrier, and leaving her whole life behind just to give me a future where I could truly practice my faith freely. Without a doubt, her faith in God was so great that it instilled in me a very strong faith, believing that anything can be overcome with His help. St. Mother Teresa once said, “I know God won’t give me anything I can’t handle. I just wish he didn’t trust me so much.” Things may get rough, but with God’s strength, we can pull through.
Talking about this always gets me emotional because I am so grateful for the sacrifices my parents made for me. Even though they raised me with the Vietnamese language, since they couldn’t speak English, they worked day and night to send me to Catholic schools and private tutors. I was blessed to attend St. Therese School from K-8 and then La Salle Catholic College Preparatory.
After I graduated, I joined a religious order, the Congregation of the Most Holy Redeemer, in search of God’s will. I spent over five years discerning my vocation with the Redemptorists. I completed my bachelor’s degree in philosophy with a minor in theology at St. John’s University during my formation in the Bronx, New York. During my novitiate, a year dedicated to prayer and discernment before taking vows, I began to experience a burning zeal within my heart to become a diocesan priest. My time with the Redemptorists was indeed fruitful, and they have taught me a great deal about ministering to the poor and serving God’s people. But the Spirit who had led me to do missionary work all over the United States was now calling me back to my home diocese, back to the place that started my whole vocation journey. I heeded God’s call once more and, by the grace of God, I was accepted as a seminarian for the Archdiocese of Portland.
My journey thus far has taught me to always entrust all my worries and struggles to God and to come to our Mother Mary, both in times of happiness as well as sorrow. I will continue praying for you all. Please also pray for me and my perseverance to the priesthood. May God, through the intercession of Our Blessed Mother, bless you all.
Prayer for Our Seminarians
Lord Jesus, as you once called the first disciples to make them fishers of men, let your sweet invitation continue to resound: Come Follow Me! We thank you for the gift of these seminarians called to serve in the Archdiocese of Portland in Oregon. Inspire them to imitate You, the Eternal High Priest, in sacrificial service to Your Church. Grant perseverance to our seminarians. Give them the graces they need to one day serve You faithfully as priests. May Your light shine through them to everyone they meet. Mary, Mother of the Church, the model of every vocation, help our seminarians to continue to say “yes” to the Lord who calls us to cooperate in the divine plan of salvation. Amen