Deacon Vincent Vu

My life before the seminary:

I am the second child of four in Vietnam. My family migrated to the US in 2008. After High School, I started to work at my Aunt’s Nails Salon as a Nails technician for one year before fully committed myself to full time studying at Anne Arundel Community College. I soon joined the Order of the Brother of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, as known as, Carmelite Order and graduated from Seton Hall University. After a long period of prayers, discernment and spiritual direction, I was convinced that God has called me to be in the Seminary for Archdiocese of Washington. I left the Carmelite Order and went back to Vietnam to serve at a parish for six months before applied to join the seminary.
What convinced me to enter the seminary:

God has planted my vocation during my baptism and reminded me of that vocation to the priesthood when I was serving at mass a few weeks after my first holy communion. It was just a thought in my mind but it stayed with me the whole time. I was convinced God called me the religious priesthood after watching a movie about Saint Francis of Assisi. The vow of poverty attracted me so much that I started to wrestle with God between religious life and diocesan priesthood. The idea of religious life has engulfed me ever since and I left no room for the Holy Spirit to guide me to diocesan priesthood. But I truly believe in God’s providence. A seed of vocation had been sown in the Vineyard of Carmel where it germinated after a long winter and nurtured by a caring Gardener and then He uprooted it to plant where He sees fit. During my retreat, I fell before God and accepted that I lost. I felt a burst of Joy and Peace. My heart started pounding and my tears began to fall. By surrendering to the Holy Spirit, I was able to say Fiat to God one more time and allowed Him to enter into my soul and direct me where He wants me to be.

Other interests include: 

I love music, especially Liturgical Hymns. I watched so many Saint movies that I lost track of how many I have watched.