Rite of Candidacy celebrated for seminarian Vinh Nguyen

Seminarian Vinh Nguyen resolved to complete his preparation for holy orders during the Rite of Candidacy celebrated by Bishop Robert Deeley on Thursday, December 22, in the chapel of the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception in Portland.

The rite marks a milestone in Nguyen’s preparation for the priesthood.

“We come together to mark a particular moment in the vocation journey of Vinh Nguyen who, in this ceremony, expresses his intention to receive the sacrament of holy orders. He has been industrious in his preparation for this sacrament. This has taken place in the many ways in which he has embraced the formation program,” the bishop said. “Vinh has taken on the responsibility of formation to priesthood because he believes that God is calling him to this mission.”

Nguyen is from Vietnam but was accepted as a seminarian for the Diocese of Portland and has been studying in this country for six years. He currently attends Mount St. Mary’s Seminary in Emmitsburg, Maryland.

“I believe the priesthood of Jesus Christ is a gift from God,” said Nguyen. “Pope Benedict XVI said: ‘The priest is a gift from the heart of Christ, a gift for the Church and for the world. From the heart of the Son of God, overflowing with love, all the goods of the Church spring forth.’ When I become a priest, I will receive the special grace of the Holy Spirit so that I may serve as Christ's instrument for his Church” (CCC 1581).

Nguyen said he was inspired to follow God’s calling to the priesthood by his great uncle, Huan Nguyen, who was the first diocesan priest in his parish in the Diocese of Vinh, located in central Vietnam.

“Throughout his life, Fr. Huan motivated young people in his parishes, helping them to discern vocations to the priesthood and religious life,” Nguyen said. “Now, because of Fr. Huan's positive influence, many in my family are priests and religious.”

Nguyen said being a priest will give him an opportunity to serve both the living and the dead.

“For the living, I celebrate the sacraments and the Mass, the spiritual food for the faithful. I can also advise those in need about the spiritual life. For the dead, I offer Masses for souls in purgatory so that the souls can go to heaven faster. For myself, I can live closer to God. In short, the priesthood is an honorable way to follow and serve God and his people,” he said.

During the rite of candidacy, Nguyen stood before the bishop and resolved to complete his preparation so that, through holy orders, he will be ready to assume ministry within the Church. He also resolved to prepare himself in mind and spirit to give faithful ministry to Christ and his Church.

In response, the bishop said accepted Nguyen's resolve on behalf of the Church, saying, "May God who has begun the good work in you bring it to fulfillment.”

“We are thankful to Vinh for responding so generously to this call, and we promise to continue to journey with him to its fullness,” the bishop said in his homily. “This evening marks a step along the way, an important one, but a step, not the end of the journey.”

Attending the Rite of Candidacy to show their support for Vinh Nguyen were eight other of the diocese’s 11 seminarians.