We welcome Fr Paul Tran SDS
Fr Paul Tran has joined the Parish as our assistant Parish priest. Fr Tran was ordained in April 2020 at St Patrick’s Church in Gosford during the coronavirus lock-downs. He has been serving as the assistant parish priest in Gosford since that time. He takes up his Pymble assignment on 3 July 2022.
Fr Tran is from Bao Loc, Lam Dong province in the Central Highlands in the southern part of Vietnam about five hours north east of Ho Chi Minh City. The province is famous for its coffee crop and is host to the largest coffee plantation in Vietnam.
At an early age, Fr Tran was eager to become a parish priest so that he could provide spiritual nourishment for parishioners and support the development of parish based activities. He was attracted to the Salvatorian Order as it has an approach which allows him to become a parish priest or to work in hospitals or schools providing a diverse range of opportunities for service.
He joined the Salvatorians on 29 May 2008, and began his initial study learning English. As a member of the Salvatorians, he undertook his spiritual formation at the Salvatorian seminary in Quezon City*, Philippines. On 1 May 2014, he made his first profession at the Mother of the Saviour House, Quezon City, Philippines.
After four years of study at the seminary, he made his perpetual vows on 16 June 2019. On 19 June 2019, he was ordained to the Order of Deacons by Cubao Diocese Bishop Honesto Ongtioco at the Diocesan Shrine of Jesus the Divine Word, Quezon City, Philippines.
As a deacon, in August 2019, Fr Tran then took up an assignment in Gosford to continue his study and gain valuable parish experience. He was due to be ordained to the priesthood in Manila on 18 April 2020. However, the coronavirus restrictions prevented him from travelling to the Philippines and he was ordained to the priesthood by Broken Bay Bishop Anthony Randazzo under coronavirus lock-down conditions. The ordination Mass was presented live online allowing Fr Tran's family in Vietnam, his community in Quezon City, and the Broken Bay community to participate.
Please join us in making Fr Tran welcome in the Parish. You are also invited to join in and meet Fr Tran at our Parish Dinner after the 5:30pm Mass on Saturday, 2 July 2022.
Parish welcome dinner at Marian Hall Pymble
Fr Tran's ordination at St Patrick’s Church in Gosford
*Quezon City is part of the metropolitan area of Manila, the capital city of the Philippines.