“I want to be a Dehonian, an SCJ, because I want to spread the Love of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to all those I have met and will meet”
-Frater Jonathan Tu Nguyen-Vuong, SCJ
Hi everyone! My name is Frater Jonathan Tu Nguyen-Vuong, SCJ. I am 23 years old, which makes me the youngest member of the community. I was born in Riverside, CA. My family moved to Louisiana in 2004. I lived in Broussard, LA, for 15 years and I still have family there. I have been a temporarily professed frater with the Priests of the Sacred Heart (SCJs) for two years now, currently living in St. Michael’s Community in Nesbit, MS. I am a junior at the University of Memphis, majoring in Philosophy, while assisting on the weekend with the six parishes of northwest Mississippi that our pastoral team serves in the Diocese of Jackson.
I learned about the Dehonians through Fr. Quang Nguyen, SCJ, vocation director, who came all the way from Milwaukee, WI, to celebrate Mass with the Vietnamese community in my hometown parish called St. Jules Catholic Church in Lafayette, LA. Fr. Quang is good friends with the pastor of the Vietnamese community there. After that Mass, he and I chatted a bit. He asked a question that inspired me to pursue my vocation with the Priests of the Sacred Heart: “Would you like to work in a group or by yourself?” I replied: “In a group.”
I had never heard of religious congregations until Fr. Quang told me about the SCJs. I only knew the diocesan way of life, but now that I have begun living and studying with the SCJs I have a sense of calm. I understand the difference between diocesan and religious orders. During my Come and See Weekend (on my birthday!) I was inspired by the vows that the SCJs profess, the charism and spirituality of the founder, Fr. Leo John Dehon, and the devotion to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus. My call to be a Dehonian continues to increase and change within me in a positive and healthy way ever since I was a candidate in formation.
I want to be a Dehonian, an SCJ, because I want to spread the Love of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus to all those I have met and will meet. I am inspired by the writings, spirituality, and charism of Venerable Fr. Leo John Dehon and the will of God in achieving “Sint Unum” in my life, the lives of others, and for the world in complete oblation and reparation to God and the Church throughout the world.
My favorite prayers are all of the prayers found in the This Day of God, our SCJ Prayer Book.
A ministry that I hope to pursue after formation would be pastoral counseling, serving others, people like me who are unique and created in “the image and likeness of God,” treating them with love.
One of my favorite parts of being an SCJ is the ministerial pillar of formation that can be fulfilled through any ministry that resonates with the alleviation of social injustice found in society today. I enjoy serving with our employees, volunteers and others who work together in service.
My advice for someone discerning a vocation to priesthood and religious life: Pray to the Holy Spirit for the guidance needed in following the will of God for your life now and in the future. Thank God for helping you to follow your call, and thank yourself for accepting that invitation!
