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Name: Peter Tu Hong Nguyen
Date of birth: September 10, 1979
Hobbies and interests: praying, reading, travel, computers, soccer
Favorite saint: Saint Peter and Saint Maria Faustina Kowalska
After working for the Vietnam Tourist Company I applied to the Haiphong Diocese as a pre-seminarian in 2003. I served at Haiphong Cathedral. My daily jobs at the cathedral were to ring the bells, clean the church, and prepare for Mass. My life was very simple, quiet, and peaceful until I passed the exam to enter Saint Joseph Seminary in Hanoi in 2004. Passing this exam would have been a joyful moment for me as many other pre-seminarians, but instead it became a great struggle. At this time I recognized that I had nothing within me indicating that I had a calling or a vocation to the priesthood.
As my heart was filled with questions concerning this life, I spent a lot of time before the Blessed Sacrament, especially in the night with only this one simple prayer. I would like to share it: “Oh my Jesus, I believe that you are here. You know me and you love me. And I also believe that I have a little love for you. But I don't know why I cannot recognize the love that we have for each other? I can't feel anything within my heart! If this is not what you have called me to do, then let me go home and get married and have children. If this is your will Lord, then I can at least love you through my family.”
As time went by God began to change my heart and my mind. About two years later in 2006 I moved to a small parish in the rural area outside of Haiphong City. While I was there I worked with young people. They shared with me their stories and their needs and asked me for help in their spiritual life. This touched my heart and in the journey with these young people I recognized that my call was to become a priest. Youth ministry encouraged me to show God’s love through my life and my witness and helped me to be able to offer deeply my life to God and to answer his call. God showed me His love especially through the young people whom I served.
Now I love my vocation. I pray to God to help and keep me in His Son’s way. I give thanks to Jesus who is in me and called me to this life and commitment. Responding to His call, I am a now seminarian at Mount Angel Seminary in Oregon.