Fr Tuan Le Vocation Story

I was born on August 18,1967, in Saigon, Vietnam. When I was a child, I went to Mass every day.  I became an altar server when I was about thirteen years old.  One day I was preparing for Mass, when I suddenly had a desire to wear the vestments that the priest wore to celebrate Mass. I pictured myself as a future priest. At seventeen I heard God call me to study to become a priest, but I could not do so because the government did not allow me. This was because my Dad lived in the United States at the time. That meant we were against the government, so I could not study to become a priest. My Dad and his older brother had escaped Vietnam 1981.  After ten years, in 1991, my Dad was able to sponsor my mother, myself, three younger brothers and two sisters to come to the United States. After a few months of living in the US, I began to work in order to help my parents take care of my younger brothers and sisters. Finally, when my brothers were able to go to work and my sisters were going to school I quit my job to continue my studies.

In 1993, I felt the calling to serve as a priest and applied to the Diocese of Dallas. I was accepted, and began attending Holy Trinity Seminary where I studied English for three years. After this, I was sent to Saint Joseph Seminary College in Louisiana, and there I spent four years working on my undergraduate studies.

From September 2003 through May 2004, I was assigned to St. Gabriel the Archangel Catholic Church in McKinney to complete my pastoral year with then Father Greg Kelly, now is Auxiliary Bishop Greg Kelly, as my pastoral supervisor.  After my Ordination to the Priesthood, I was assigned to St. Gabriel and celebrated my first Mass before family, friends and Parishioners on June 3rd, 2006. It was a very happy day in my life.  Now, I was ready to serve God and the wonderful people of St. Gabriel’s.

“Fr. Tuan has been a good friend of mine for many years,” related Fr. Don Zeiler, Pastor.  “We both entered Holy Trinity Seminary in the fall of 1994.  Our paths of study eventually led us in different directions, but we always shared a common bond: our desire to serve God.  In his immense goodness, God brought us together again at St. Gabriel’s and allowed us to work side by side as priests.  Fr. Tuan was such a blessing for this community.  His sense of humor and his love for people are an unbeatable combination.”

For enjoyment, I love to play golf and organized the first St. Gabriel Golf Outing.   I find golf relaxing, but often it is an extension of my ministry.  Almost every week I would play the Dye course at Stonebridge with different players.  Most were not Catholic but all were respectful when they learned that I was a Catholic priest.  On one occasion I played in a group with a Catholic who had not been to Mass for some time.  I invited him to come back and he did.  Now he is a regular attendee at St. Gabriel Sunday Mass. What a joy!
 
After my time at St. Gabriel’s I had the pleasure of serving at St. Patrick’s in Dallas for five years.  I am now at St. Elizabeth Ann Seton in Plano. 

My gratitude to all of you for your prayers and support have meant a lot to me. Of course, I cannot forget about the many wonderful people of St. Gabriel’s whom I was serving.  I am truly grateful to God for my vocation to the priesthood.  I thank Bishop Kelly, Fr. Don Zeiler, Staff and all of you at St. Gabriel’s for walking with me on my journey to serve God and His people.  Please keep me in your prayers and I will keep all of you in mine as well!
May God always keep you and your families safe and healthy!