Priest born in Vietnam and ordained in Vancouver humbly accepts new role
The right-hand man of the Archbishop of Vancouver is about to shepherd a diocese of his own.
Father Joseph Phuong Nguyen, 59, has been appointed bishop of Kamloops.
“I was really taken by surprise since I have never thought I would be a bishop,” said Father Nguyen, the vicar general and moderator for the curia in the Archdiocese of Vancouver.
“I did not know what to say to the nuncio. After a long pause, I told him that I needed at least three days to think about it and pray over it.”
Father Nguyen then told Apostolic Nuncio Luigi Bonazzi, the Pope’s representative in Canada, that he would accept the new role.
He will take the place of Bishop David Monroe of Kamloops, who has served there as bishop since 2002 and is retiring after reaching the age of 75.
“I was so humbled by the call,” said Father Nguyen.
The bishop-to-be was born in Vietnam in 1957, the eldest of 10 children. He entered minor seminary there at age 11, then studied philosophy and theology, hoping to become a priest.
His plans for an ordination in Vietnam were foiled when the Communist government took over all Catholic hospitals, schools, and seminaries. After being repeatedly imprisoned for instructing catechists, he boarded a boat that would secretly convey him and other passengers out of the country.
A storm forced the boat back ashore and he and others were arrested, imprisoned, and tortured. He later made a second attempt to flee Vietnam by boat; this time a German tanker found them and took them to the Philippines.
He lived in a refugee camp in the island nation while he waited to be sponsored to move to Canada. A serious car accident left him hospitalized for several months. After he got the green light, he began learning English and entered the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, B.C.
Father Nguyen was finally ordained a priest in Holy Rosary Cathedral in Vancouver May 30, 1992.
The Archdiocese of Vancouver “welcomed and received me when I arrived in Vancouver as a refugee in 1987,” Father Nguyen reflected.
“Through this archdiocese I was called, and for this archdiocese I was ordained, and with this archdiocese I have been blessed on my journey of faith and priestly life.”
Father Nguyen’s first assignment was as assistant pastor at St. Jude’s Parish in Vancouver. He has also served at Immaculate Conception (Delta), Corpus Christi, Our Lady of Mercy, and St. Andrew’s Parishes.
He has served in several positions in the archdiocese, including vocations director (2010-2015) and vicar general (2013-present). He’s taken on new assignments with profound humility.
“I believe that I am appointed not because I am more worthy or capable than others. It is not about my qualities; it is about God’s mercy,” he said.
He hopes to visit all the parishes and missions in the Diocese of Kamloops, which covers nearly 120,000 square kilometres of B.C., and looks forward to celebrating confirmations and working with Catholic teachers, students, clergy, religious, and laity.
“His dedication to the priesthood is abundantly apparent,” said Archbishop J. Michael Miller, CSB, of Vancouver in a press release.
“Kamloops will benefit from this hard-working, compassionate, and prayerful priest. As someone who has suffered real persecution for his faith, Father Joseph is an inspiring example of courageous Christian witness in our world.”
Father Nguyen has a message for his soon-to-be flock: “As St. Augustine said, ‘for you I am bishop, but with you I am a fellow Christian.’”
“For the Church in the diocese of Kamloops, we are a family. Please pray for me as I pray for you, and I am looking forward to serving you and working with you.”
UPDATE: His ordination as Bishop of Kamloops will be Thursday, Aug. 25. The Archdiocese of Vancouver will hold a farewell celebration on Sunday, July 31.
