Viet Vu Nguyen is a native of Vietnam. He has felt the call to priesthood for many years, but was not been able to pursue this dream because of the opposition of communist authorities. In fact, he and a number of his family members were imprisoned for a period of time. Viet and his family were able to immigrate to the United States last year and so his dream of priesthood has now become a reality. He likes to play music and sing. He is a member of Epiphany of Our Lord Church, Tampa. He completed the Pre-Theology program at St. John Vianney College Seminary in May 2008 and then moved onto Theology at St. Vincent de Paul Regional Seminary. This year Viet has been assigned to St. Paul in St. Petersburg for his pastoral year.
Do your family and friends think it is a good idea that you’re becoming a priest? Surely, all my family and friends are very happy to know that I am in the seminary.
Do you ever have any fun? What do you do in your free time? I like playing ping-pong, taking walks with friends and sharing experiences with each other. I do not have much free time in seminary, but reading is one of the most things I like doing in my free time.
If you were not a priest, what do you think you would be? I do not have an answer yet. However, I certainly will not regret the time that God granted to me.
How many brothers and sisters do you have? I have 10 siblings. Two of them are nuns.
What is your favorite TV program? I like watching sports, the news, the History Channel and the Discovery Channel.
Who is your favorite singer or music group? I like to listen to the Carpenters, Abba, Lobo, but I also like to listen to Vietnamese music.
Do you ever get bored while studying to be a priest? Yes, sometimes I have difficulty in study, in communication with others who do not speak my language.
How is a seminary different than a regular school? Time, community life, staff, friends are those that are quite different from a regular school. We live in seminary not only to study, but also to be trained to be a good man. It is not a place to live for ourselves, but to live for others.
How often do you see your family? When I have a break, I see my family and besides that I talk to them on the phone.
Can you really be happy as a priest since priests don’t make much money? I am very happy when I help someone to do something. For me, to help someone to realize the meaningfulness of his life is very fulfilling. Money is just a means to do the good. If I were so focused on just making money, I do not think that I would be open to God’s call in my life.
Who helped you decide to become a priest? In family, no one other than my parents who always pray and encourage me to follow this vocation. Moreover, I have learnt that all people, situations, that I have met them in my life helped me to decide to be a priest.
When did you decide to study to be a priest? How did you know God was calling you to be a priest? I decided to study to be a priest when I was 17 years old. It is difficult to give evidence that God called me. However, from my own experience, especially in my prayer, I realize that God opened the door of vocation and invited me to come in. I do not know what I will do in the future, but I accepted his invitation.
What do you think the best thing will be about being a priest? Humility, good example, and holiness are traits that I wish to possess.
