NORCROSS—Friends, family, clergy and parishioners rejoiced inside Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church on June 1 as five paths merged and became united in the mission to serve God and his people. 

Tears of joy filled the church as guests saw Archbishop Gregory J. Hartmayer, OFM Conv.; Bishop Bernard E. Shlesinger III, Bishop Joel M. Konzen, SM; Bishop John N. Tran and brothers of the priesthood lay hands on the newly ordained priests of the Archdiocese of Atlanta.  

As the five priests saw themselves in chasubles for the first time, they shared spontaneous hugs. Family members couldn’t help but applause at the sheer beauty of the moment.  

The men ordained were Father Jared Kleinwaechter, Father David DesPres, Father Colin Patrick, Father Joseph Anh Tuan Nguyen and Father Arturo Merriman.  

“Five very different personalities with distinctive characteristics and particular gifts,” is how Archbishop Hartmayer described the newly ordained. With varying cultural backgrounds and journeys to the priesthood, the five men bring diversity to the archdiocese.  

“In all your variety, today you receive a new shared identity as servants on whom the priesthood is bestowed,” Archbishop Hartmayer said in his homily.  

 A young boy’s dream  

Father Nguyen grew up in Bien Hoa City, Vietnam, surrounded by a supportive Catholic family. With two older sisters and a twin brother, Father Nguyen consistently prayed with his siblings and parents. His upbringing was rooted in spirituality and faith.  

Father Joseph Nguyen blesses the faithful following the Mass of ordination to the priesthood at Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church. Photo by Johnathon Kelso

Priesthood was a childhood dream. At a young age, Father Nguyen loved going to Mass and confession, and admired the chasubles worn by his pastor. Now with his spiritual gifts, he is most excited to celebrate Mass and administer the sacraments to the people of God.  

“I cannot imagine a more fulfilling or meaningful way to spend my life,” Father Nguyen said. “I am excited to embrace the joys, challenges and graces that come with this sacred calling, and I pray that God will use me as his instrument to bring hope, healing and salvation to all those I encounter.” 

Father Nguyen received his bachelor’s degree in philosophy from the Dominican Center in Vietnam, and a master’s degree in divinity from Notre Dame seminary in New Orleans. 

His vesting priest and godfather Father Francis Tuan Tran, pastor of Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church, and Father Eric Hill, pastor of Transfiguration Church in Marietta, have both been constant sources of wisdom and guidance in his journey to the priesthood.  

“They have demonstrated what it means to be a faithful, compassionate and wise priest, and their example inspires me to strive for the same in my own ministry,” he said.  

 Saying ‘yes’ to the call 

Father Kleinwaechter never thought about becoming a priest until he was a student at Georgia Institute of Technology. He involved himself at the school’s Catholic Center and developed a consistent prayer life, all while studying chemical and bimolecular engineering.  

With the help of Georgia Tech’s FOCUS missionary, a program dedicated to spreading the faith and guiding others on their spiritual path, Father Kleinwaechter’s relationship with Jesus deepened and he pondered the possibility of a vocation to the priesthood.  

After a year of thinking about his future, deciding between his educational and spiritual gifts, he attended a retreat for Catholic college students where he had a powerful experience during eucharistic adoration.  

“The Lord broke through my hesitancy and showed me his love for me in a very tangible way through the Eucharist, which gave me the peace and freedom to trust him and say ‘yes’ to the call to the priesthood.” 

Father Kleinwaechter declined a full-time engineering job to pursue his calling at the Mundelein Seminary in Illinois.  

Serving as an instrument of the faith  

Fellow Yellow Jacket Father DesPres described that his vocational journey started after a discernment retreat his freshman year at Georgia Tech.  

Like his brother priest, Father DesPres found himself at a FOCUS conference and encountered a priest who brought his discernment to light.  

The following years of his college experience required him to “build up a prayer life to accept the call, and seminary challenged me to grow in my trust in God in order to persevere in the call,” he said.  

The faithful watch the ordination Mass in the narthex of Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church as the candidates lay prostrate during the litany of supplication. Photo by Johnathon Kelso

He entered the Notre Dame Seminary, Graduate School of Theology, in New Orleans after completing an engineering internship following his graduation.  

Father DesPres wishes to serve as an instrument for someone to encounter Jesus in a new or deeper way, he said, either through the sacraments or spiritual direction. In his clinical pastoral education at Children’s Hospital of Atlanta, he learned the importance of being a vessel of faith. 

“I learned how to sit with both adults and children experiencing real suffering, and I tried to bring Christ into that moment in whatever way possible,” he said.  

 A life conformed to Jesus  

For Father Patrick, his vocational calling was built over time and nurtured through the spiritual love instilled through his family. He describes the journey as “a gentle, yet persistent invitation from Jesus Christ to give me life completely over to him.”  

His persistent need for pursuing service led him to be a student at the United States Military Academy in New York and an active member of the Army. He then attended seminary at Mundelein, where he studied Philosophy and Divinity.  

His pastoral year at the University of Georgia Catholic Center reinvigorated his call to serve Jesus and his people, he said.  

Father Patrick learned from his vesting priest, Msgr. Richard Lopez, that priesthood is more than a job and a profession. It is a beautiful life conformed to the heart of Jesus Christ, he said.  

“Firmly believe in the existence of Heaven,” he says to men who are considering the vocation. “This call makes no sense by worldly standards of measure.”  

 Cultivating community, loving your neighbors  

Father Merriman is a Pinecrest Academy graduate and grew up surrounded by friendly neighbors and a steadfast community of those strong in the Catholic faith.  

“I was blessed with a very rich soil in the faith growing up from my parents, parish, school and Catholic friends,” he told the Office of Vocations for the Archdiocese of Atlanta. “I had razor sharp examples of what it is to be a man giving his life for his family or giving his life for the Church.” 

As a student at St. Vincent de Paul Seminary in Florida, Father Merriman admired the formation and structure of support among his brothers. He saw that “everyone is rowing in the same direction, and everyone is supporting everyone,” he said.  

He emphasized that “cultivating community in love in such a way that the term neighbor is sacred and bears the weight of the term family,” is what he looks most forward to about priesthood.  

 Never alone in the Holy journey 

“David, Jared, Arturo, Colin and Joseph, as you step into the sacred calling of priesthood, always remember that you are not alone on this holy journey,” Archbishop Hartmayer told them. “The saints stand as intercessors and role models, guiding and inspiring you in your ministry. You are also surrounded by your fellow clergy, your companions on this journey, and by the loving embrace of your families, friends and parish communities.” 

Deacon Jared Kleinwaechter kneels during the Mass of ordination to the priesthood at Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Church. Photo by Johnathon Kelso

Members of the clergy from several parishes throughout the archdiocese joined the celebration to embrace the new priests. Family and friends packed the pews to show their continued dedication to the faith and support for their brother, friend or son.  

Christina Brinson, a friend of the ordained priests, found herself crying as she saw them step into this new path of life. She found the ordination to be so remarkable, that she “wished every Catholic could see what she was witnessing.”  

“The beauty of brotherhood is so incredible, and I am so proud of my friends today,” she said. “I feel so lucky as a Christian to be here today and watch them devote their lives to our faith.”  

Archbishop Hartmayer ended his homily with parting wisdom about compassion and devotion.  

“Remembering that Mary is the Mother of Priests, I pray with all my heart that through her intercession and unfailing help, you will be always kind and gentle servant priests of Christ’s compassion and love, and that throughout your lives as priests you will know that authentic and lasting joy which comes from a deep friendship with Christ in the Eucharist, through perseverance in prayer and in the faithful loving service of God’s holy people,” he said.