Fr. Long Phi Nguyen, SVD

Fr. Long Phi Nguyen, SVD, was born on September 16, 1971, in Kien Giang Province,
Vietnam. The youngest of ten children, he grew up in the small Catholic town of Tan Hiep, where his parents were rice farmers. He left Vietnam with his brothers in 1987 and eventually settled in Dallas, Texas. In 1993, Fr. Long Phi enrolled as an ESL student at Divine Word College, graduating in 1999. After taking his first vows in 2000, he completed theology studies and two years of CTP (cross-cultural training) in Chile. Ordained as a Divine Word Missionary priest on May 26, 2007, Fr. Long Phi is assigned to San Jose Obrero parish in Rancagua city, in Chile.

“I first felt a call to be a missionary after my escape from Vietnam, when I was in the refugee camp in Thailand,” says Fr. Long Phi. “I saw many missionaries working with the refugees. They inspired me with their lives, commitment and pastoral work.”

But it would be six years before Fr. Long Phi finally began his journey to become a missionary. “Like all young refugees,” he says, “I struggled to find my own cultural identity in a new mainstream society of freedom and opportunity. Being a missionary was no longer a priority for me.”

Looking back, Fr. Long Phi reflects on the mysterious way that God restored his zeal for missionary life. One day he picked up a magazine for Vietnamese Catholics and read an article about Divine Word Missionaries. “I was impressed by the order’s diversity and the work of their missionaries worldwide,” he says. “I picked up the phone to call the vocation director, Fr. Thang Tran, SVD. He just happened to be in Dallas visiting a candidate. Twenty minutes later, he was at my door.” At that same time, Fr. Long Phi also had a friend who was a student at Divine Word College in Epworth, Iowa. “He shared his seminary experiences with me. With Fr. Thang’s help, I arranged to participate in a “Come and See” weekend at DWC.” One year later, in 1993, Fr. Long Phi became an ESL student, officially beginning his path to vocational discernment.

When asked what he might say to a prospective missionary student, Fr. Long Phi doesn’t hesitate. “God’s call is mysterious and comes to us in unique ways. Though we may not realize it, He chooses us. But we need to develop our own way of listening.” He believes that prayer, spiritual direction and formation help to put things into perspective. “And God puts people in our lives to help us find our way – to help us find our passion in life – and to follow it.”

“DWC was the beginning of my vocation journey,” says Fr. Long Phi. “It means family to me even

more than college. It gave me opportunities for academics and pastoral ministries. DWC helped me live in a multicultural environment, teaching me sensitivity, adaptability and respect for the richness and value of each culture.” He feels his years at Divine Word College engendered in him a basic foundation and understanding of what it means to be a missionary.

Today, Fr. Long Phi is living his passion. “I am blessed to return to the parish where I’ve known the people and place well and where they have known me.” Coming back as a missionary priest to San Jose Obrero, in Rancagua city in Chile, he has a host of memories from his days working there during his CTP. “I had the impression that the people are proud and happy to receive me back,” he says, “not just as another missionary, but as a member of the community.”

He works with two SVD priests from Indonesia and a CTP seminarian from the Congo. Together, they minister to a parish that consists of 11 communities. “Because some communities are far apart, we are literally running from place to place,” says Fr. Long Phi. “I take care of three of the communities – celebrating Mass, visiting the sick, attending meetings and ministering in many pastoral activities.” Once a month he visits the area prison, hearing confessions and celebrating Mass for 300 inmates. “It is an enriching experience to serve them,” he adds.

Though Chile is largely Catholic, challenges for Fr. Long Phi include kindling interest in church involvement and attendance among the youth, doing whatever he can “to articulate their faith and interest.” He has formed a youth choir, teaches guitar and has organized youth activities during Christmas and Holy Week. “There are many social problems. It can be the greatest challenge for us to work side by side with the rich and the poor of our various communities.” Bible study is a strong force among his parishioners. “There are more than 150 bible sharing groups,” Fr. Long Phi explains. “I learn so much from them – not only their faith and desire for the Word of God but also their daily experiences – inspiring me for my weekly homily.”

Fr. Long Phi feels that SVD formation has been significant in his preparation for life as a missionary. “I chose the scripture passage from the book of Exodus, 3:5, for my mission model: ‘“remove the sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy ground.”’ As an SVD missionary, I need to be open, sensitive and respectful to those whom I serve, because wherever I am working is truly holy ground.”