My upbringing was quite unique; I was born in South Vietnam and at age two, my mother died. I was subsequently raised by my paternal grandparents while my father fulfilled his civil duties. I was heavily influenced by my grandfather who was a pious churchwarden for his parish. These early years of regular churchgoing and good habits of prayer, taught by my grandparents, and later in my youth by my father, instilled in me a deep desire to pursue a religious vocation.
Following the Fall of Saigon in 1975, my family immigrated to America. We arrived in Sanford, North Carolina on August 31, 1976, and resided there for three short months. We soon moved to the Westbank of New Orleans, Louisiana, living there until 1980, and in 1981, we finally settled in New Orleans East.
I continued to nourish and embrace the idea of religious life with a passion to be a missionary. While discerning, I earned a degree in Religious Studies from Loyola University, New Orleans. In 2015, after many years of additional discernment, I finally followed my heart and began life as a member of the Franciscan Missionaries of Our Lady North American Region in Baton Rouge.
As a Franciscan, I had the opportunity to join my international Sisters from Portugal and Ethiopia, at a mission in Macau, China. The five years I worked at the mission were mainly educating students in various school settings. In addition, I provided services such as bringing communion to patients in the hospital, nursing homes and to those who were home bound. I also instructed children and adults in catechism in preparation for sacraments, etc. During my ministry, I was exposed to many languages. I found that I have strengths in this area which enrich my work immensely.
My experience has been inspirational, motivational and joy filled. I am grateful to God and my fraternity for entrusting me with challenging tasks. I feel blessed, privileged and at my best when I act as God’s little servant to others. I look forward to being flexible and available in responding to the needs of my Congregation and I hope to continue missionary work — all for the great glory of God.
