Thé Hoang, 24
Diocese of Winona
Third-year Theology
MEET YOUR SEMINARIANS
One Year Is Now Seven
I
grew up in a devout Catholic family where
faith in God was something very important
to us. My parents, father Thieu Hoang and
mother Mai Nguyen, were immigrants from
Vietnam and they had fled to the United States
during the Vietnam War. Their beloved country
was ravaged by war and religious liberty was
suppressed. America was the Promised Land
where I could grow up and be free to practice
my faith.
I am forever grateful for the sacrifices my parents have made for me.
These experiences have really shaped me into the man I am today.
My vocation story began when I was young. I remember how
my parents always took me to church on Sundays and I was always
curious of what the priest was doing at Mass. I would often ask
my mom, “Who is that person?” or “What is he doing?” She was
patient with me and began to teach me about the Mass and the
priest’s role in it. I was too young to understand that this was the
beginning of my call to the priesthood.
16
Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Fall 2016
As I grew older, I found myself being involved with my parish,
St. Joseph in Owatonna, Minnesota, since my parents were active
in their own faith. I loved being there and the people were so kind.
However, the thought of priesthood and even church soon was on
the backburner when I started high school. I was interested in so
many things such as music, literature, and foreign languages.
These interests soon became my idols, and I put a lot of time and
effort into them. I wanted to become a teacher and work with kids,
so I started to work with the youth at the local Catholic school and
with kids in a religious organization. Amidst all of these activities, I
was restless and wasn’t happy. I remember praying to God one day in
adoration and telling him of my frustration and confusion.
I told him that I have been doing everything that I love such as
helping kids, yet I wasn’t feeling fulfilled or even happy. God simply
asked me one question, “Do you trust me?” I replied with a desperate,
“Yes.” He responded with, “Trust in me. Go deeper with me and
allow me to become your teacher.”
When I heard these words, I felt a great sense of peace. I knew that
I had to give of myself to God and to really do something meaningful.
I just didn’t know what. I soon learned that God wanted to teach me
how to truly be happy by surrendering to his will. So I started to let go
and really tried to listen to what God wants.
One thing led to another, and I was soon talking to my parish
priest who helped me apply to seminary. I promised him one year
and that one year has turned to seven years. Each year