Bishop John N. Tran

Every so often, someone asks me what I enjoy most about serving as a bishop. I usually answer: the privilege of administering the sacrament of confirmation in parishes and on college campuses. This April alone, I have the joy of celebrating 11 confirmation Masses. Before each one, I meet with the candidates to thank them for that privilege. 

As you may recall, confirmation—together with baptism and the Eucharist—constitutes the “sacraments of Christian initiation” and completes baptismal grace. Through confirmation, we are more perfectly bound to the Church and strengthened by the Holy Spirit, enabling us to be true witnesses of Jesus Christ in our families, schools, workplaces and the world. 

In this issue of The Georgia Bulletin, we read how the Nashville Dominicans who teach at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic School in Kennesaw, are living out Christ’s command to be his witnesses to our children and the wider community. Their example brings to mind two people I have known personally who embody that same missionary spirit: my aunt and Msgr. Francis Phuong Pham. 

My aunt left Vietnam as a teenager to serve as a missionary in Laos, where she spent more than 70 years in religious life. I met her only twice. The first was shortly before the fall of Saigon in 1975, when our family urged her to remain in Vietnam as we prepared to flee. Instead, she returned to Laos. The second was during her visit to the United States in 1993. Once again, she was encouraged to stay. Once again, she chose to return to Laos, honoring her promise to her Mother Superior. She died in November 2024, and, sadly, no family members were able to attend her funeral. 

I believe my aunt truly took Christ’s command to be his witness to heart, living it with quiet fidelity in her final years and unwavering commitment throughout her life. 

Msgr. Francis Phuong Pham, a beloved retired priest, now lives across the street from Our Lady of Vietnam Church in Riverdale. I first heard of him from fellow priests while I was in New Orleans, but I did not meet him until my move to Atlanta in 2023. 

I later learned that he came to the United States before the fall of Saigon in 1975. His bishop, Joseph An Le of the Diocese of Xuan Loc in Vietnam, had sent him to study education with the intention that he would return to serve as superintendent of schools. However, after earning a Master’s in Education, the fall of Saigon made it impossible for him to continue his studies or return home. 

In God’s providence, while serving as a hospital chaplain, Msgr. Francis met Father Richard Morrow, pastor of St. John the Evangelist in Hapeville. Through this connection, he was introduced to Archbishop Thomas Donnellan, who in 1976 appointed him parochial vicar with Father Morrow and entrusted him with leading the Vietnamese apostolate in the archdiocese. 

From its beginnings in 1976 until 2016, Msgr. Francis labored tirelessly to preserve the faith, culture and identity of Vietnamese Catholics in the Archdiocese of Atlanta. By surrendering his own plans and trusting in God’s will, he ultimately found himself exactly where he was most needed—servingthe Church and the Vietnamese Catholic community in Atlanta. Msgr. Francis continues to embody the generous missionary spirit that has defined his life and ministry.  

On April 29, he celebrated the 60th anniversary of his priestly ordination. To mark this milestone, Bishop John Ngan Do, ordinary of the Diocese of Xuan Loc, Vietnam, will be present, and I will have the privilege of representing Archbishop Hartmayer, Bishop Konzen and Bishop Shlesinger at the Mass at Our Lady of Vietnam. 

My hope is that, as you read these three accounts of missionary discipleship, you will be encouraged to reexamine Christ’s call for you to be a true witness—a reexamination not only for the newly confirmed, but for each of us. May we be filled with the courage to proclaim the Good News to all people, especially the wounded and forgotten, everywhere and at all times.