Twenty-six years ago, Vincent Nguyen was a boy dreaming of freedom and a chance to become a priest when he and 19 relatives piled into a wooden fishing boat and prayed they would evade Vietnam's coastal patrol and slip out to sea.
So began
The Globe and Mail’s fascinating account of the rise of Auxiliary Bishop-elect Vincent Nguyen, who will be ordained Wednesday in Toronto’s St. Michael’s Cathedral. (This will be the second episcopal ordination for the archdiocese in as many days, as the celebration for new-Bishop William McGrattan concluded moments ago.)
Raised in the lineage of a martyr, then inspired to enter the priesthood by the late, persecuted Cardinal Nguyen Van Thuan, Fr. Nguyen highlights a local church that has resisted every Communist effort to stifle the Faith. The bishop-elect’s elevation, however, is equally a Canadian story, as our episcopacy evolves into the image of Canada’s multicultural reality. The 43-year old will become the nation's first Asian-Canadian (and youngest) bishop.
Despite the Toronto cold, the archdiocese is preparing for the prospect of busloads of Catholics from the Vietnamese-Canadian community. Most, though, will have to make do with the speakers outside the front doors, as the Cathedral is expected to be full to overflowing.
For a warmer viewing, one can watch it online, streaming live at
ordinations.saltandlighttv.org. Our exclusive
ordination webcast kicks off at 2:50 pm (ET), starting with the above interview with Bishop-elect Nguyen. The long procession—30 bishops and 200 priests strong—then starts making its way to the altar at 3:00 pm. The Mass will then be televised this Sunday at 8:30 pm with encore presentations on Monday, January 18th at 1:00 am & 7:30 am (all times ET).
Learn more about the country's youngest and first Asian-Canadian--bishop on the archdiocese’s new
new ordination website.