DIOCESE OF ORANGE TO ORDAIN NEW PRIESTS
Orange, CA - The Most Rev. Tod D. Brown, Bishop of Orange ordained four Catholic priests at St. Columban Church in Garden Grove, Saturday, June 9. “These new priests are a blessing from God and a gift to our Diocese. Their ministry will be vital to serving the growing Catholic population in Orange County,” said Bishop Brown.
All four are of Vietnamese descent. The Priesthood Ordination for Benjamin ?i?p Ng?c Hoàng, Thành Tai Nguyên, Joseph Ng? Tr??ng, and Paul Hòa V? reflects the changing face of the priesthood, where Asian-Americans are now ordained at a higher rate than any other ethnic group. Orange County has the highest concentration of Vietnamese descendants outside of Vietnam.
About the Diocese of Orange Priest Ordination Class of 2012:
Joseph Ngu Truong was born in Vietnam into a large family devoted to the Catholic faith. His brother is a diocesan priest serving Da Nang Diocese, Vietnam. In 1993 at the age of 21, Joseph came to the United States with his mother and sisters, settling in Santa Ana, CA.
After graduating from California State University of Pomona with B.S in Electrical Engineering, Joseph was inspired by a scripture reading in which Jesus asked Peter, “Peter, do you love me more than the others” (John 21:15).
He says that he heard Jesus asking him at that moment, “Joseph, do you love me more than what you are searching now.” Joseph recalls that he cried at that moment and His question remained with him to discern his priestly vocation. Joseph attended Mt. Angel Seminary (St. Benedict, OR) and St. John’s Seminary (Camarillo, CA).
Joseph Ngu Truong
---
Thanh-Tai Nguyen was born in Buonmathuot, Daklak, Vietnam. In 1996, at the age of 16, he came to Garden Grove, CA. While teaching Vietnamese classes at St. Columban Church, he felt a calling to the priesthood. Thanh-Tai joined the Society of Divine Word Missionaries / Societas Verbi Divini (S.V.D) in Iowa 2000 and completed his B.A in philosophy. He attended novitiate in Chicago (2006-2007), and later Tai made the decision to become a diocesan priest. In 2012, he completed his M. Div program as well as a M.A degree in Spirituality at St. John’s Seminary (Camarillo, CA).
Thanh-Tai Nguyen
Benjamin Diep Hoang was born and educated in Vietnam. In 2001, Benjamin came to the US and joined Mount Angel Abbey and Seminary (St. Benedict, OR). He joined the Diocese of Orange in 2008, where he had various assignments including CPE (Clinical Pastoral Education) at St. Joseph hospital in Orange. Benjamin attended St. John’s Seminary (Camarillo, CA) to fulfill his life-long ambition to become a priest. “I have had a strong feeling of being called to follow Jesus the Good Shepherd of souls and to contribute to making the image of Christ the Good Shepherd more alive among the people of God, in our world today.”
Benjamin Diep Hoang
Paul Vu was born in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam and immigrated to the US with his family at the age of seven. He was educated in the Garden Grove, CA public school system. Paul became actively involved with St. Columban Church, which led him to Mt. Angel Seminary (St. Benedict, OR) and also the Pontifical North American College (Rome, Italy). He also notes the pastoral year at Immaculate Heart of Mary Church (Santa Ana, CA) helped to solidify his vocation to ordained ministry.
Paul Vu