Editor’s note: in the weeks leading up to ordination, Mississippi Catholic asked each ordinand to fill out a personality profile so the faithful could have some insight into their new priests.

Home Parish: Saint Michael Parish in Forest
Favorite Saints: Blessed Virgin Mary, Saint Joseph, and Saint Louis de Montfort
(he is my baptismal name).
Favorite Scripture: “He loved them to the end” (Jn. 13:1)

Favorite prayer or devotion and why?
My favorite devotional prayer is the rosary because my mother, first of all, is the first person who taught me how to pray this wonderful prayer. In addition, I always believe that my spiritual life as a deacon or a priest will not be pleasing to God unless it includes devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. Moreover a seminarian, a deacon or a priest needs the help and protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary more than anyone else. So, mindful of the important role of our Blessed Virgin Mary, I always ask for her help through saying this awesome prayer every day.

Who will “vest” you at your ordination and why?
Archbishop Alfred Hughes, Archbishop Emeritus of Archdiocese of New Orleans will vest me at my priestly ordination. The reason why I choose him because he is my spiritual Director during the time I have studied at Notre Dame Seminary, New Orleans. He has been my closest person to my priestly vocation since 2009. He always gives me spiritual support and shares with me a lot of wonderful guidance and insight for my spiritual journey toward the priesthood. He has been teaching me how to become a good and holy priest by passing his great and valuable spiritual experience on me.

Do you have any family attending the ordination?  If so, who?
My Aunt, Sister Mary Martin Tran Thi Tue, O.P., from Vietnam. She is my mother’s sister. My brother and sister from Texas and California will come as well.

What are you most looking forward to as a priest?
I am looking forwarding to SERVING everybody in the diocese of Jackson as a priest

Hobbies:
Collecting Stamps (Vietnamese and Vatican Stamps); Reading theological books.

Something about you that people may not know:
I have  black belt of Taekwondo.

Do you have any advice for those discerning
a vocation?
From my experience as a seminarian, I would say that keeping faithful to daily prayer is very important point for those discerning a vocation. I think that a vocation to the priesthood or to a religious life can only survive with our personal relationship with God through our daily prayers.

Parishes where you served as a deacon/seminarian:
Jackson St. Therese; Meridian Saint Patrick and Saint Joseph; Forest Saint Michael; Newuton Saint Anne; Paulding Saint Michael.