Fr. Ky Nguyen Ordained a Priest,
Bro. Branden Gordon Ordained a Deacon
By Fr. Mike Mendl, SDB, and Julia St. Clair
On Saturday, May 28, Fr. Ky Nguyen was ordained to the presbyterate and Bro. Branden Gordon was ordained to the diaconate at Our Lady of the Valley Church in Orange, N.J. Both men belong to the Salesian province of St. Philip the Apostle, which covers the Eastern USA and all of Canada.
Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Nguyen of Toronto was the ordaining prelate and preached. 34 priests, mostly Salesians, concelebrated.
The Vietnamese choir from St. Cecilia Church in Rockaway, N.J., and a schola organized by Bro. John Castonguay, SDB, provided an abundance of beautiful sacred music in English, Vietnamese, and Latin.
Another dozen SDBs, 3 FMAs, several Cooperators, students from Salesian High School (New Rochelle) and Don Bosco Prep (Ramsey), youths from St. Benedict Church (Etobicoke, Ont.), numerous members of the Nguyen and Gordon families, and parishioners from Our Lady of the Valley, Our Lady of Czestochowa in South Plainfield, N.J., and St. Cecilia also participated enthusiastically in the sacred rites. Many others tuned in via the livestream from Our Lady of the Valley Church’s Facebook, which was also shared to Salesians of Don Bosco, Canada and Eastern USA’s Facebook.
To serve
the People of God
Bishop Nguyen
(no relation to Fr. Ky) began his homily (which he delivered once in English and
once in Vietnamese) by thanking the families and formators who had shaped the vocations
of the two ordinands and asking for continued prayers for them. He then encouraged Deacon Ky and Bro. Branden
to continue in their service to the Lord and their trust in him, living out the
Psalm response, “Lord, I have come to do your will.”
The bishop told the ordinands that God has chosen them and now is raising them up, transforming them for the benefit of his people. He went on to summarize the diaconal and presbyteral responsibilities they’re undertaking, basing his words on the Rite of Ordination.
The bishop reminded
both Deacon Ky and Bro. Branden that they’re being charged to proclaim God’s Word,
not their own, and to proclaim that Word by their manner of life. They are to follow the example of Christ, the
Supreme Priest, in his example of service and of giving his life as a ransom (cf.
Matt 20:28, from the day’s gospel)—an example for both orders, presbyterate and
diaconate.
He further reminded
them of what Pope Francis teaches in Evangelium Gaudium, that ordination
is for the service of God’s people. The ordained
are not exalted over others but are given priestly powers to administer the sacraments,
serve God’s people, and lead them to God the Father. Having done so, on the Last Day they will be welcomed
into the joy of the Lord.
Following the ordination Mass of more than two hours, dozens of
photos were taken of newly ordained Fr. Ky and Deacon Branden and their families,
the Salesians, and others. Fr. Ky spent about
an hour blessing everyone who approached him, beginning with Bp. Nguyen and Fr.
Tim Zak, provincial, and he continued giving blessings at the reception.
Our Lady of the Valley provided a magnificent reception in the
parish youth center with a varied buffet, refreshments, and desserts.
Fr. Paul Ky Nguyen
Fr. Ky was born in 1986 at Dakmil,
Vietnam. He is the son of the late Peter Minh Xuan Nguyen and Mary Hoang Dang. He
got his early education in Vietnam, up to a B.A. in material science from the University
of Natural Science in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon). He recently graduated with a Master
of Divinity in Pastoral Ministry and a Master of Arts of Theology from Immaculate
Conception Seminary, attached to Seton Hall University, in South Orange, N.J.
As the
son of a past pupil, Fr. Ky knew the Salesians early in life. He entered the Congregation
as a candidate in 2004 and made his novitiate in 2010-2011 in Ho Chi Minh City,
making his first profession on August 14, 2011. As Bro. Ky he completed his practical
training in the Salesian boarding school at Bao Loc, Vietnam, where he taught computer
science and provided general assistance to the students.
After immigrating to the US in
2016 to rejoin his family, who had already immigrated, he made his perpetual profession
on August 17, 2019, at Haverstraw, N.Y. From 2017-2018, he served as a campus minister
at Salesian High School in New Rochelle, N.Y. During
his time as a student of theology at Immaculate Conception Seminary, he resided
in the Salesian community of Orange, N.J., and
continued youth ministry activities there.
Fr. Ky wrote that “vocation is a journey of faith.” He cited the example of our Blessed Mother and has intended to say “Yes” to God as Mary had, as well as “rely on God’s help through the intercessions of Mary, of St. John Bosco, of St. John Vianney, of Padre Pio, and of all faithful people who have been praying supporting me on my vocation.”
Fr. Ky will
return to Vietnam to celebrate a thanksgiving Mass in his hometown. On July 1 he’ll
join the Salesian community of Marrero, La., to serve as community treasurer
and teach religion at Archbishop Shaw High School.
Deacon Branden Gordon
Deacon
Gordon was born in Toronto in 1987. He is the elder
of Ronald Gordon and Rita Pipito’s two sons.
Deacon Branden met the Salesians while in high school. A conversation with Fr. Frank
Kelly of St. Benedict Parish in Etobicoke, Ont., led Branden to further spiritual
seeking and an eventual return to religious practice. Fr. Frank’s “unflagging cheerfulness
and personal warmth” was backed up by the example of other Salesians in the parish,
particularly Fr. Mike Pace, Fr. John Puntino, and Bro. Bernie Dubé. He got involved
in the parish’s youth ministry and developed a relationship with God.
After
high school and university, Branden worked for Toronto Parks and Recreation for
nearly ten years, then became a teacher. His parents had already inspired in him
a concern for young people. This, together with an interest in religious life, induced
him to consider becoming a Salesian.
Branden
became a Salesian candidate in the Etobicoke community in April 2013, where he was
guided by Fr. Puntino, the director. As they studied Don Bosco’s Memoirs
of the Oratory together, Fr. Puntino convinced him “that
there was something special about the Salesian charism.” At the beginning of 2014,
he began prenovitiate at Holy Rosary Parish in Port Chester, N.Y.; he was a novice
in Rosemead, Calif., in 2014-2015 and made his first profession as a Salesian on
August 16, 2015, in Port Chester.
During
two further years of formation in Orange, N.J., he was influenced by Bro. Tom Dion
as a formator and spiritual director. He did his practical training at Salesian
High in New Rochelle from 2017 to 2019, teaching religion to freshmen. In 2019,
he returned to the Orange community and began theology studies at Immaculate Conception
Seminary in South Orange. He has spent his summers back in Canada brushing up on
his French, which he admits has been a challenge for him. Last summer, he assisted
with the Bosco Bicycle program conducted by Seminaire Salesien in Sherbrooke, Que.
His apostolic work in Orange has included helping with RCIA and other catechetical programs as well as some dramatic presentations at Our Lady of the Valley Church.
Deacon
Branden wrote that, as he enters his tenth year of formation to the priesthood,
he “trusts that … the good Lord will continue to be with [him] on this journey towards
the priesthood and that He will help [him] to persevere in fidelity” for the rest
of his days.
Deacon Branden will spend this summer in the Salesian community of Port Chester, where he will gain practical pastoral experience as a deacon under the guidance of Fr. Pat Angelucci, the pastor, and the rest of the parish clergy and staff.
One more ordination coming
A third
Salesian, Bro. Joshua Sciullo of Jacksonville, Fla., will be ordained to the diaconate
on Saturday, June 12, in Jerusalem.
More photos: https://link.shutterfly.com/
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