Refugee finds refuge, brotherhood among American Franciscans

It’s difficult to imagine the challenge of arriving in the United States as a legal refugee, in a land where you have no money and don’t know the language.  

It’s also inspiring to consider what faith and perseverance nurtured the discernment that carried you here despite it all. 

Br. Vincent Nguyen, OFM, knows both. Although he is the man at the narthex, smiling and shaking hands with a line of parishioners hoping to have a moment with the priest they see and trust, he once struggled even to communicate in English. 

Why, they ask, did you become a friar?  

“When I was discerning my vocation, I hadn’t heard of ‘Franciscan friars,’” he said. “In my mind, a priest is he who wears a black shirt and a white collar.” 

The way to ordination was fraught with confusion, rejected applications and near desertion of the dream. Just as easily as other orders said no, a befriended Franciscan, Br. Hoang Trinh, OFM, postulated: “Join us!” 

“That was it,” Br. Vincent said. “He hooked me on the Franciscans.” 

How did he get here? 

Br. Vincent serves at the Conventual Church of Our Lady of the Angels in Scottsdale, Arizona. The church offers all sacraments and welcomes individuals who may have felt unwelcome elsewhere. 

Significant events marked his journey from refugee to priest: a chapel visit with friars, a bus encounter with a woman and a transformational talk with a Franciscan about Jesus. 

‘Jesus, brother’ 

Br. Vincent met other Conventual friars in their chapel. They chatted. He shushed them, thinking that silent reverence was best in that setting. He pointed at the tabernacle.  

They smiled and reminded him, “Jesus is our brother.” 

“It was eye-opening,” Br. Vincent said. “I had never thought of Jesus as my brother.”  

As a friar, he has a distinctive vantage point for ministry. He calls God's children “holy people of God,” which surprises them. "I'm not holy,” they say. 

“I convince them they are loved,” he said. “People feel good when they are greeted this way. They can see that God is love. They can see they are loved. 

“Franciscans are good at that.” 

On the bus 

A gesture to him on a bus, after wrestling with language barriers, exemplified Christ's love. Br. Vincent boarded in Orange County, California. He asked a Hispanic woman how much the fare was. His limited Spanish and hand gestures were unsuccessful in conveying that. 

The woman opened her purse and handed him money. Her compassion in a moment of confusion touched him. 

“It spoke to my mind,” he said. “It could have been a funny story, but it was also a very painful story.” 

Br. Vincent frequently faced negative perceptions as a poor refugee who couldn't speak English. Such dialogue did not anger him; rather, he considered others who similarly suffered in unfamiliar worlds. 

The resurrected Christ 

Br. Vincent studied iconography, a subject unfamiliar to him, in formation, at the order’s suggestion. His family could not afford classes or supplies in Vietnam. With talent and training, he created art that captured the reverence and divinity of saints. 

Br. Franklin Fong, OFM, who was the vocations director, asked to see his art. Br. Vincent proudly shared images of holy figures. “Where is the resurrected Christ?” Br. Franklin asked. “I see only the suffering Christ.” 

His art depicted Christ's agony on Good Friday, the suffering in his final hours. 

"Certain cultures portray Jesus as full of blood, beaten up, and that resonates with them,” Br. Vincent said. “It was ingrained in my mind that Jesus was only that.” 

Br. Franklin invited Br. Vincent to merge his childhood image of Christ with the concept of the risen savior. 

“I needed to see Jesus as both suffering and resurrected,” he said. “It was a valuable lesson. I took it, and it helped me so much to do my artwork.” 

'Those who hunger for love’ 

Br. Vincent participated in the regional synodal assembly in Scottsdale and the national Franciscan Synod in Kansas City, offering insights on poverty that aligned with a major focus of the discernment process. 

“When we think of the poor, we sometimes think only of the homeless, of those waiting in line for food,” he said. “Poverty can be those who hunger for love and spiritual aid. They might look fancy, beautiful and wealthy, but they are poor.  

“If we focus on only one group, how can the others be ministered to by friars?” 

'They raised me up’ 

It's noteworthy that this cheerful priest overcame significant hardships. Joining the friars profoundly altered his life. 

“Franciscans are a little bit of everything,” Br. Vincent said. “We live a monastic life wearing habits, praying together, but we are still active outside, with people.” 

His self-assessment is honest; his judgment is notable. 

“I was like trash,” he said. “I can say that. Since I joined the friars, they raised me up and strengthened my dignity. They didn’t look at me as badly because I didn’t speak English. They tried to help me. They challenge me on the one hand and help me on the other. 

“All the pieces that formed me came from the friars.”