From the Pastor’s Desk: A Warm Welcome to Fr. Phong Pham

Please welcome Father Phong Pham, who will celebrate the Masses this weekend at our Parish. Fr. Pham is with us on behalf of Cross Catholic Outreach. This organization was founded to create a meaningful link between parishes in America and the priests and religious men and women working in the Church overseas in the Caribbean, Africa, Asia, Central America, and South America. Brochures on the mission and ministries of Cross Catholic Outreach will be provided; I urge you to prayerful consider your support of this ministry.

By way of introduction, Fr. Phong Pham was born in the city of Da-Nang, Vietnam. When the whole country of Vietnam fell under Communism, Fr. Pham escaped by boat to Hong Kong and migrated from there to Port Arthur, TX as a political refugee. At the age of 16, he left the hot climate of the South and entered the St. Joseph High School Seminary of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, MI, and was ordained a priest in 1991. Spurred by a profound desire to the serve the poor and in particular those of his native land, Fr. Pham was later incardinated to the Diocese Thanh-Hoa. (This is the same Vietnamese Diocese that both Fr. Paul Ngyuen and Fr. Joseph Tran come to us from.)

Fr. Pham now resides in Lakeview, a little town in Michigan and serves as the Episcopal Vicar of the Diocese of Thanh-Hoa and General Coordinator of the people of Thanh-Hoa living in North America. In 2006, Cross Catholic Outreach welcomed Fr. Pham to carry on his passionate commitment to God and to the poor, which is exhibited most clearly in his simple life and, in particular, his preaching. Please generously welcome Fr. Phong Pham to our Parish this weekend!

May the Lord generously reward you for your goodness,

Fr. Wilke