An Nguyen

The year spent at the SVD Novitiate at Techny is about discovery. It is a place where novices like An Nguyen find the freedom to discover God’s call in their lives—even if it is not the call to be a Divine Word Missionary.

“When I came here, I was told that it would be OK if, after this program, I went out and got married or if I became a diocesan priest or if I decided to continue with the religious life of the SVD,” he said. “The SVD wants me to see what God’s will is in my life, and to know my challenges and my gifts —to see myself clearer.”

Growing up in Saigon, Vietnam, An and his family came to the U.S. in 2010, settling in Sacramento, California. He attended a community college, studying biochemistry with the goal to be a pharmacist. He got to know an SVD in Sacramento, who noticed that he went to Mass daily and was active in the parish. After attending a Come-And-See at Divine Word College in the fall of 2012, An enrolled the following January.

The novitiate allows An time to continue his observations about the SVD. His daily routine includes structured time for prayer, meetings, and classes as well as unstructured time when he can reflect on God’s call in his life while finding out what is important to him personally. For instance, novices are encouraged to pursue hobbies or interests that they may not have attempted before.

But in the end, the novitiate year is about self discovery and the struggle to find out God’s call in each young man’s life, whatever it may be.

“Right now, I am struggling very much in making the decision, yes,” An said. “But I am happy that I am struggling because struggling is actually a sign that I’m really working on it.”