Fr. Long Phi Nguyen, SVD
Rancagua lies in a valley in the Andes Mountains of central Chile, about 70 
kilometers south of Santiago. There, Fr. Long Phi Nguyen, SVD, ministers to the needs and faith lives of hundreds of people who live in nearly a dozen small communities, while continuing on his own faith journey.
“Oh, they have taught me many things,” Fr. Long said of time at St. Joseph the Worker (San José Obrero) parish.
His journey has been a long one. Born in Vietnam, Fr. Long fled to a refugee camp in Thailand in 1985. After two years, he went to the Philippines for six months before entering the U.S. and a new life in Fort Worth, Texas. Early on, he discovered a sincere desire to help others.
“I started with a concept to be a missionary,” he said, “to use my talent, whatever it may be, to help others in need.”
While working at a parish in Fort Worth, a friend who had attended Divine Word College suggested he visit the college in Epworth. After a Come-and-See visit, he enrolled in 1994. He later spent a year aboard studying in Japan before graduating in 1999. Then it was on to novitiate and studies for the priesthood. Earning a degree in theology and trained as a counselor, he interned with a social services program through Loyola University of Chicago. His experience with Hispanics he counseled led him to choose Chile for his time in the Overseas Training Program (OTP). It turned out to be an influential decision.
“After my ordination, for my first assignment I was thinking about any country
that speaks Spanish.” Fr. Long said. “So, I thought, ‘Why not go back to Chile? I know the culture and I know people.’”
That took him to Rancagua, where he serves with two SVDs from Indonesia in a parish that consists of eleven communities.
“They all have their own chapels—small chapels, big chapels—depending on the community,” Fr. Long said. The three priests divide the communities into groups of three to five, and work directly with the people in each one. Over time, the three priests rotate through all the communities, so they can maintain regular contact with everyone in the parish.
“The people get to know each one of us. It’s a very personal way,” Fr. Long said.
During a typical weekday, he’ll have free time in the morning to prepare homilies and other tasks. After lunch he meets with one of the more than 150 Bible study groups found in the parish. Each group consists of six to ten people. Sometimes it is a group of people that live on a particular street or neighborhood. Sometimes families join together to form a group. They read the Bible passage of the day or week, meditate on it and discuss its meaning.
“We talk about their lives here. What does the passage speak to them? After
that, we say a prayer and commit to live the passage,” Fr. Long said. “Our job as priests is to visit them, share with them, and leave them with a blessing or words to encourage them.”
This method of Bible study has been a part of life in this SVD parish for more than 40 years.
“The people are used to this tradition and the spirituality,” he said. “The way they relate to God may be different, but their devotion to Mary, that is one of the common things that I find.”
Fr. Long’s ministry also involves charity and social work, providing for the needs of the poor through food and clothing drives. For instance, on Sundays, cards are handed out. The front carries a Gospel passage and on the back, a particular item is listed, such as a kilo of rice or a can of fruit. The next Sunday, the parishioner brings that item back and places it in a basket to be distributed among the poor.
Those who are more fortunate are relied upon to help out those with less. Of the eleven communities, three are considered to be of a higher social class.
“The rich help a lot with our poor communities. We are so fortunate to have that kind of help, but sometimes it can be a burden for them, too,” Fr. Long said. “They keep giving all the time and they are appreciated for that.”
In his second year in Rancagua, Fr. Long says his journey has been fulfilling.
“I am very pleased with my missionary life and I am so grateful for the religious vocation,” he said, “And this Chilean culture, I think I learned more than I teach.”