When I was a young altar boy, I had a strong desire to become a priest. I was born and grew up in a traditional Catholic family in Vietnam, and I am the only child. I was very close to my grandmother and I am grateful to God for the example she set for me. My parents frequently traveled for work; therefore, I spent most of my childhood with my grandmother. I remember every time she heard the church bell, she paused and asked me to pray with her. My grandmother taught me to be faithful and to love God above all things. My parents taught me to be strong and work hard for what I want in life.
Life changed when I came to the United States. The idea of becoming a priest following Christ did not reoccur to me. In high school, besides studying I was busy chasing girls and pursued many other hobbies. After high school, I went to college and graduated with a bachelor degree in engineering from Northeastern University located in Boston, MA. Like many other college students, I liked partying, dating, and being involved with many other typical college student activities. During college and a few years after college, I was not actively practicing my Catholic faith. I stopped going to confession for a few years. I was in a relationship with a non-Catholic girlfriend for about five years. In the year of 2003, I got laid off after six years of working in the engineering field, so I went to Vietnam for a long vacation. My aunt encouraged me to go to confession and attend daily Mass. I thank God for her encouragement. I went to confession. I had not been for a few years. I went to Mass every day during my vacation in Vietnam. EverydayI stayed after Mass and prayed to the Blessed Virgin Mother, asked her for direction of my future and about the relationship with my non-Catholic girlfriend. When I came back to the States, the desire to follow Christ as priest, strongly reoccurred to me, so I ended the relationship with my girlfriend.
“I think the greatest privilege a man can have is to love God and serve Him through His people.”
I was confused about the call, and I did not know how to respond to it. Then a friend of mine introduced me to the Vietnamese Christian Life Community (Dong Hahn) in Massachusetts, a lay Christian community formed from living the Spiritual Exercise of Saint Ignatius of Loyala. I became actively involved in the community’s activities: organized charitable programs, attended retreats, shared the gospel and served one of the local parishes. With the help, prayers and encouragements of my Vietnamese CLC brothers and sisters I decided to try out religious community; but I was not sure which community was suitable for me. There were a few local communities I wanted to visit. But then one day a friend of mine let me borrow a Vietnamese religious magazine (Immaculate Heart Magazine) and I came across The Oratory’s advertisement. So I called to set up a date for my first visit.
I was very pleased and felt at home on my first visit. The members of The Oratory are very kind and pleasant. They have a great sense of humor, the opposite of what I thought of priests and brothers. The first week of my visit ended, and I went home, prayed about it and felt the urge to come back. I wrote to the vocation director and asked to come back for a 30-day visit. During that next visit, I learned many great things about St. Philip Neri and the members of The Oratory.
The spirit of St. Philip Neri and the lifestyle of The Oratory perfectly fit my personality. I was extremely happy and pleased with the community. When the 30 days came to an end, I went home and prayed aggressively to Jesus before the Blessed Sacrament and to the Blessed Virgin Mother to help me select the right community. After a few months of praying, I had no desire to either visit or try out any other community. I decided to apply and got accepted to enter for a year of novitiate at The Oratory beginning in June 2006.
Coming to South Carolina especially its summer heat, its tropical plants like bamboo, and the humidity reminds me of my native country and its people, which I love dearly. The Vietnamese community in Rock Hill is very supportive Their support, words of encouragement, prayer and their love make me very proud of my native country, the country that produces many martyrs, vocations and endless contributions to the universal Church.
I was delighted when I saw bamboo for the first time outside of Vietnam, and it brought to me my childhood memories of living in a small village surrounded by bamboo in the countryside of Vietnam after the war. One day I told Brother David Boone that I like bamboo very much and I would like to use them for decoration. Jokingly, he said if you try to grow bamboos at The Oratory you will be a dead man …. it spreads very fast and is very difficult to control, but for decoration, it is no problem. He found me some bamboo and I have made a few things out of it. Some of the members told me jokingly, please don’t turn The Oratory into a Buddhist Temple. I like to exercise and do gardening. Working with plants is one of the ways for me to meditate on God’s creation.
I have gained great experiences, wisdom and knowledge about the Catholic Church and Oratorian life by having studied The Oratory’s constitution, particular statutes and the life of St. Philip Neri. I have learned so much about St. Philip Neri and his spirituality. I have used quiet times to reflect and re-affirm my call to be a priest. I have improved my spiritual life by time spent in prayers and engaged in spiritual conversations with Father Joseph Wahl, Father Joe Pearce and Father Edward McDevitt and other members.
I have been involved with some of the ministries and workshops at The Oratory. Working in the Soup Kitchen with Brother David Boone gives me the opportunity to learn from a man full of wisdom and compassion toward the needy, and just by watching him interact with people teaches me what is the true unconditional love of Christ.
I have great respect for Brother David. He is a true servant of God, one of the most loving and caring persons I have ever met in my life. He never gives up hope on anyone; even if he knows the person’s lifestyle is defective. If one asks me how I would describe Brother David, I would say he is like Mother Teresa of Calcutta, but I would call him “Brother David of Rock Hill.” The sacrificial love and good examples of Brother David and other members of The Oratory teach me to be Christ-like in the midst of our imperfect world.
I think the greatest privilege a man can have is to love God and serve Him through his people. I want to love God and serve His people as a priest. I know The Oratory will effectively help me to be a good priest.
