When seminarian, Peter Tran first heard the calling to travel to Sydney from his homeland of Vietnam, to join the seminary in Sydney, his parents said, “No.”
“They stopped talking to me. They were in such shock. They wanted me to stay local, so I could visit on weekends. It was easier for them and for me,” said Peter.
With his brothers and sisters getting married, the financial responsibility for his parents lay with him and he dutifully obliged.
A degree in Office Management at University soon followed and Peter started working for a good firm. The boss was so impressed with him, he invited Peter to be a suitor for his daughter.
It seemed that Peter’s life was turning away from his initial discernment.
But God had other plans. “I had everything there: money, prestige, but my heart was elsewhere, I was not satisfied. I had to follow my heart,” he recalls.
One day, during confession with a priest, Peter had an experience that set him back on course.
“I felt the mercy of God fall upon me for the first time, and I said: ‘I want to become a priest,” he remembers.
Peter brought it up again with his parents and together they prayerfully accepted that God was calling him to serve and train for the priesthood.
His parents said: “Follow your vocation, we’ll be ok.”
A chance encounter with Bishop Danny Meagher, then Fr Danny, saw him accept an invitation to Sydney to join the Seminary of the Good Shepherd in 2017.
But arriving in a new country, where he couldn’t understand the language or culture, Peter encountered many challenges. It was only through the support of his seminarian brothers and the generosity of donors, that he was able to fulfil his calling to the priesthood.
Today, Peter, is helping build the church here in Sydney, having joined Good Shepherd in 2017. As a future leader of the faith, he is now helping to welcome 14 young men who are entering the Seminary in 2025.
“A wholehearted thank you to our supporters. I couldn’t be here today without your support and your prayers,” said Peter.
“I want to express my gratitude to each and every one of you. I ask you to continue to pray for us and support us so we can become men of God and serve people in the future,” he said.
This year, the archdiocese is calling on Sydney faithful to do just that and its hoped stories of Peter’s sacrifice and service will inspire generous support to raise up the priests of tomorrow, today.
The Catholic Development and Fundraising Office are once again raising money for seminarians like Peter and his seminarian brothers.
“The seminary is fully funded by donations, if the funds aren’t coming through, then the future of our faith is in jeopardy. The church is ageing, and we need new priests to come through the doors, to bring to ignite the faith in people,” said Tania Penny from the Fundraising Office.
“Please donate today. Our seminaries are the future of the church tomorrow. Without your support we can’t produce the priests the church needs,” she said.
Peter is looking forward to welcoming 14 new priests through the seminary doors this year.
“We have exciting times ahead for our church. We are accepting the challenge to not only bring God to people but to ignite the fire already in them because faith was already given to them at baptism,” he said.
To donate, follow the link here.