Parish News
Fr John Corrigan PP welcomes Fr Vuong to the Western Border Parish:
We welcome Fr Vuong Nguyen CSSR, who begins a year-long pastoral placement in the Western Border Parish. His official appointment begins and ends on the feast of St Mary MacKillop, our parish patron.
Fr Vuong was ordained to the priesthood by our Bishop Emeritus, Most Rev Paul Bird CSsR, on Saturday, May 23, 2026 and celebrated his first Mass of Thanksgiving the following day, on Pentecost Sunday. We are privileged that the first year of his priestly ministry will be spent here among us.
Fr Cay and I are both delighted that Fr Vuong will be joining us in the parish. Fr Vuong brings an enthusiasm, generosity and love for the Gospel that will be a rich blessing to our parish communities. As a longtime friend of Fr Cay, he is warmly welcomed and we look forward to supporting him as he begins this new season in life.
There is a special joy in welcoming a newly ordained priest. Both Fr Cay and I spent our first year as a priest in this parish and we remain deeply grateful for the kindness, encouragement and hospitality we received. A priest never forgets his first parish and I have no doubt Fr Vuong will receive the same gracious welcome that made our own first years of ministry such a happy and formative experience.
On behalf of all parishioners: Fr Vuong, welcome to the Western Border parish. May God abundantly bless your ministry among us.
Fr John Corrigan PP
Western Border Parish Bulletin 9/8/2026
From Fr Vuong:
My name is Van Vuong Nguyen. I prefer to be called “Vuong.”
I was born in 1992, in Ha Tinh Province, located in the northern part of central Vietnam. I belong to the Loc Thuy Parish, Ha Tinh Diocese. It has a population of around 3,000 people, and around 99.9% of them are Catholic. My childhood and adolescence were closely tied to this rich religious tradition. The people in my parish were deeply devoted, and we practised our faith with great seriousness and discipline.
I come from a family of five – my parents, my younger sister, my younger brother and myself. My parents are fishermen. They own a fishing boat and go fishing every day. Above all, they are people of faith. They instilled in us the importance of prayer, encouraging us to pray the Rosary and other prayers together as a family, both in the morning and evening before bedtime. Attending morning Mass was a non-negotiable part of our childhood.
My younger sister is five years younger than me. She is married and a mother of a boy and a girl (making me an uncle.) My younger brother is ten years younger than me and is in his final year at university, pursuing a degree in Automotive Engineering Technology.
In 2010, I started studying a Marine Engineering course at the University of Transport in Ho Chi Minh City and graduated in 2014. During those years, I felt a growing call to religious life. Firstly, it began when I attended my uncle’s first religious profession as a Cistercian monk in Vietnam in 2011. I was profoundly moved as I witnessed him vow himself to God. That moment touched my heart and marked the beginning of my “search” for a deeper relationship with God. Secondly, later that year, despite doing well in university, I often felt empty and meaningless. I longed for something to fill the emptiness in my heart. Fortunately, during a gathering with a group of uni students, a friend introduced me to the Redemptorists by chance. She told me, “Redemptorist priests are friendly, active, they always have good homilies and are loved by many people.” I was deeply attracted and impressed by her words, feeling as though God was speaking to me through her. After prayerful discernment, I decided to get to know the Redemptorists in Saigon. As I continued my formation in the Redemptorist formation house:
- On May 4, 2018, I took my first profession as a Redemptorist.
- On February 22, 2025, I took my final profession.
- On August 16, 2025, I was ordained a deacon.
- On May 23, 2026, I was ordained to the Priesthood.
I am deeply grateful to all who have supported and accompanied me on this journey of faith, especially my family, parish community and the Redemptorists who nurtured my vocation. Their prayers, love and guidance have been the steady light that led me to where I am today.
As I have been assigned to the Western Border Parish for my first year of priesthood, I look forward to this new chapter with excitement and hope. I desire to live out my priestly ministry with humility, compassion and availability, especially through the celebration of the sacraments, which will provide opportunities to share God’s love and grace with those I serve. I hope to grow not only in my pastoral skills but also in my relationship with Christ the Redeemer under the guidance of Fr John Corrigan, Parish Priest, Fr Cay Trinh, Assistant Priest, and the parishioners. During this time, I hope to learn how to truly walk with God’s people by listening attentively to their stories and accompanying them through both their joys and their struggles. I trust that their witness of faith and life will enrich and deepen my own priesthood.
