Bishop-elect Thanh Thai Nguyen was appointed by Pope Francis on October 6, 2017 to serve as the second Auxiliary Bishop for America’s fastest growing Diocese of 1.3 million faithful.

What: Bishop-elect Thanh Thai Nguyen will be ordained in historic and solemn ceremony officiated by the Most Rev. Kevin Vann, Bishop of Orange, and attended by Cardinals, Bishops and interfaith leaders from throughout the United States. The rite of Episcopal Ordination is among the most sacred within the Roman Catholic Church and continues the apostolic succession of Church leadership, representing a line of succession back to Christ’s holy apostles. This sacred rite ordains a Bishop to shepherd the Church, in this case, to assist Bishop Vann, the Diocesan Bishop, with his responsibilities and leadership.

When: December 19, 2017 from 2 – 5 p.m.

Where: St. Columban Church

10801 Stanford Ave.

Garden Grove, CA 92840

Cultural Center

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About Bishop-elect Nguyen

Bishop-elect Nguyen was born in Nha Trang, Vietnam in 1953 and is the second oldest of eight boys and three girls. He spent most of his elementary education in Catholic schools and in 1966 he entered St. Joseph Seminary, a small diocesan institute in Vietnam. His seminary formation was interrupted when the communist government took over the Country in 1975. Bishop-elect Nguyen and other seminarians were forced into hard labor in the rice fields to be allowed to continue their studies.

In 1979 after suffering religious persecution, Bishop-elect Nguyen along with 26 members of his extended family boarded a small motorboat and slipped out of Cam Ranh Bay – headed for the Philippines and safety. The family was soon engulfed by a tropical storm and spent 18 days at sea, several with no food or water. The family prayed the Rosary together each morning and evening. All 26 of them, through the Grace of God, arrived safely in the Philippines. After 10 months in a refugee camp the family left Manila in June of 1980 for their new life in Beaumont, Texas.

Upon arriving in the United States, Bishop-Elect Nguyen’s vocational calling continued to draw him toward God. He worked at Catholic Charities in Hartford, Connecticut before returning to his academics at Merrimack College in N. Andover, where he earned a Bachelor’s of Arts degree. After two years of study he graduated Cum Laude and immediately began his novitiate year in Washington D.C. and took his first vows with the La Salette Order in 1987. Bishop-Elect Nguyen graduated from the Weston Jesuit School of Theology, Cambridge, Massachusetts in May 1990 and was ordained on May 11, 1991.

Bishop-Elect Nguyen was later incardinated into the Diocese of St. Augustine, Florida where he served at St. Joseph parish from 2013 until his appointment as Auxiliary Bishop of Orange. Bishop-elect Nguyen is well known by parishioners for his love of music and skill in playing the guitar. He is also an avid tennis player.

About the Diocese of Orange

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange is the growing Catholic community in Orange County, California on a journey of faith together. We are one of the most diverse Catholic communities in history, but we are united through our salvation in Christ, serving across languages and cultures, politics and lifestyles, to live out the Gospel and share the love of our Lord. Officially established in 1976, the Diocese of Orange’s history dates back to 1776 with the founding of Mission San Juan Capistrano, our diocese’s Historic Mother Church. Today, as it is home to more than 1.3 million faithful believers, the Diocese of Orange is the 12th largest and one of the fastest growing in the nation.

The Diocese is organized into 62 parishes and centers led both spiritually and organizationally by its fourth Bishop, Kevin Vann, and served by the men and women who staff the Pastoral Center. As the symbolic center of Catholicism in Orange County, Christ Cathedral is a beacon of faith within and beyond our diocese, a gathering place for all on their journeys of faith. Together, our community is growing closer to God and closer to one another as we explore, experience, and share the mystery of Christ and the love our Lord.

Pastoral Center: Communications Department

13280 Chapman Avenue, Garden Grove, CA 92840

office: 714-282-3075         fax: 714-282-302