- Albin Hennequin
- Athanase Gonelli
- Bernard Cunningham
- Denis Ward
- Edward Harrop
- Gerard O'Brien
- Henry Paul
- James Cronly
- John Cooper
- John Spiteri
- Julian Messina
- Lam Vu
- Leonard Busuttil
- Luciano Rocchi
- Paul Hanbridge
- Paul Winter
- Peter Hand
- Robert Stewart
- Romano Franchini
- Stanislaus Dawidowicz
- Tung Nguyen

ANTHONY TUNG NGUYEN, OFM Cap

I was born in Da-Lat, beautiful mountain country of South Viet-Nam on May 15th 1968; I am the youngest of nine children. I came to Australia in 1982 at the age of 14 as a "boat person". I escaped from Viet-Nam by boat with my brother and sister. It took me five nights and four days from Viet-Nam to Indonesia. I stayed in "Ga-Lang Island" for over five months before the Australian government accepted us to come here.

My childhood was full of "Romantics". Living in the mountain country of Da-Lat was a big advantage for there was plenty of things to do and play. One of my vivid memories was that nearly every afternoon my brother and I waited patiently for the return of our father and if he had a "function" in Saigon we would still wait for him and count the days until he got back.

This peaceful scene was ended in 1975 when the communists took over the whole country and brought many sufferings to innocent people. A month before the fall of South Viet-Nam my father took the whole family to Nha-Trang (the sea-side in the middle of Viet-Nam). About March 1975 we caught the boat to Vung-Tau (south sea-side of Viet-Nam). We were so lucky that the people in Da-Lat made a rumour that our boat from Nha-Trang to Vung-Tau had been shot by the communists at sea, so the people of Da-Lat prayed and told one another how unlucky we were. My father used that excuse to "move" the whole family to Saigon where he tried to hide himself from the new government. If they caught him he would be put in a "re-education camp". That's the lovely name for a concentration camp where the basic rights of the human person are not respected. Thanks God they (the communists) never caught him. But basically they kept him under house arrest.

I was under the communist government for five years before my parents decided to send us away from Viet-Nam, because we were not free to practice Religion. All the schools in Viet-Nam were run by the communist government they had all the control so they taught every thing based on the doctrine of communism that: "We have no family; no country; religion is opium"

I came to Australia with little knowledge of English. I really struggled with the new language, homesickness, and a new way of living. I remember my first day at school; I hardly understood the teachers and the poor teacher did not understand me either, thanks God I survived though High School.

How did I discover my vocation?

When I was young I never thought of becoming a religious or Priest. I used to think that it was wonderful that some-body else became religious or Priest no, no, no not me, but God worked in mysterious way. When I was 19 years old Jesus came into my life even though I was not searching for Him! Ten years have already passed since Jesus entered my life and transformed everything.

Since my childhood, I received religious instruction but without any personal conviction. With the persecution the Church in Viet-Nam and the escape by boat, all the suffering I had experienced made my view of God and the Church become more and more adverse. I wanted to get the most out of life, a life without God. But I sensed within myself a great emptiness, because all the world could offer would never make me happy. I was seeking only fleeting life without any suffering, any persecution. I thought that life without God would prevent giving myself any trouble or persecution. In that I was wrong because I excluded myself from the Church and from the love of God.

It was while I held these views that Christ came to meet me. A Pallotine priest I used to go to for confession and a bit of advice had noticed my spiritual state. He suggested that I join in a group of young men (some of them are not very young) for prayer and searching for vocation ... The Lord was waiting for me there! I discovered brotherly love, sharing, and above all, prayer. Jesus made himself known through his Mother, the Virgin Mary and I learnt again (since childhood) to say the Rosary. I received the grace of profound peace and joy. The Eucharist became the living presence of Jesus. My eyes and my heart slowly opened to the mystery of faith. There was also the Sacrament of Reconciliation, which reconciled me with God and with those close to me. Jesus became my strength and my support in the world. I asked the Lord to guide all my deeds and words. Jesus made himself known to me in service to my brothers and sisters - particularly in the people who are poor, persecuted in the right.

Jesus wanted me for himself alone. He made me realise this during meditating on Sacred Scripture. The words of Mary at the Annunciation: "I am the servant of the Lord" confirmed me in this choice. Jesus filled me with great joy - I became sure that he was calling me to become a religious, so I asked him to direct me to the Order or Congregation that he wanted.

One of my friends (he died 13 days before my first profession) had the book "Life of Saint Francis" in Vietnamese, he lent it to me and I read it from front to back in one whole night, the words and simple life of Saint Francis struck me. Then I began to ask information about the Franciscan Order.

How did I meet the Capuchins?

I answered the advertisement in " the Advocate" in Melbourne. Then on 11th of August 1988 Father Patrick wrote me a letter with his response, but we did not made any appointment until November due to other commitments Father Patrick had. Also, deep within me there was a certain fear, but that disappeared after an interview and a visit to the community of Hawthorn.

I became a Postulant in 1989 and I was ordained to the priesthood on 13 December 1997. I had not always understood what Jesus wanted from me, but I know now that all he asks of me is confidence and abandonment.