A Life Entrusted to God: The Perpetual Profession of Bro. Quang Nguyen, SDB

By Bro. Al Vu, SDB

(Bellflower – California) – On the Solemnity of the Assumption of Mary, August 15, 2025, the Salesian Family of the Western Province gathered with joy at St. Dominic Savio Parish in Bellflower, California, to celebrate the perpetual profession of Bro. Quang Nguyen, SDB. In the presence of his family, confreres, parishioners, and countless friends, Bro. Quang professed his lifelong vows of poverty, chastity, and obedience in the spirit of St. John Bosco, offering his entire life to God for the service of the young.

The celebration was simple yet profoundly beautiful, with a heartfelt nod to Bro. Quang’s Vietnamese heritage is reflected through the carefully chosen songs sung in his native tongue. Many young people—students, camp participants, and youth leaders, who Bro. Quang had taught, mentored, and accompanied—were also present, a living testimony to the fruit of his vocation.

Presiding at the Mass, Fr. Mel Trinidad, SDB, Provincial, drew his homily from the Scripture readings of the day, which proclaim Mary’s trust in God’s promise and her being assumed into heaven. He reminded those gathered that trust is at the heart of vocation: “Like Mary, who surrendered her life to God’s plan, we too are invited to place our lives into God’s hands with confidence, knowing that His love never fails.”

That trust has been the cornerstone of Bro. Quang’s journey. Born in Vietnam, he first encountered Don Bosco not in a Salesian school, but through a movie. The image of the saint who dedicated his life to young people left a mark. Later, while studying in Orange County, he came across the Salesians at a diocesan vocation fair—a chance encounter that gradually grew into a calling. “It was the flame that stemmed from my family,” he recalls, “to be generous in serving others, especially in the Church, and to be open to God’s call.”

His years in the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM) further strengthened this desire. “As a kid, I always wanted to give back to the young when I grew up. I noticed that the special way I was drawn to serve was through God, by serving the young as a Salesian.”

That calling led him through each stage of Salesian formation: pre-novitiate in 2015, novitiate in 2016, first vows in 2017, and years of study and ministry at St. John Bosco High School in Bellflower. During this period, he also earned his Master’s degree in Urban Education from Loyola Marymount University, equipping him with the tools to better serve students in diverse communities. His ministry continued with practical training at Saints Peter and Paul Parish in San Francisco, and since 2023, he has been pursuing theology at the Studium Theologicum Salesianum in Jerusalem, preparing himself further for a life of consecrated service. Through all of it, his vocation has been strengthened not only by his love for young people but also by the joy of brotherhood. “The consecrated life motivates me to serve, gives me meaning, and inspires me to serve and accompany with my Salesian brothers. This is the call God gives me, and I freely respond.”

L-R: Linh-Nhi Nguyễn, Josephine Nguyễn, Riana Nguyễn, and Catherine Le

The liturgy itself spoke powerfully to those present—especially to the young. Catherine Le, a youth animator of the Salesian Youth Movement and lector at the Mass, shared how she was deeply moved during the litany of saints: “When Bro. Quang prostrated himself on the ground. I was struck by the total offering of his life to God. It was so real, so powerful.” Another youth leader and lector, Riana Nguyen, reflected on her own emotions as she watched Bro. Quang profess his vows: “I was taken by the fact that he was promising to serve young people like me for the rest of his life. It’s inspiring to know that someone would dedicate their whole life in that way.” Both remarked on how much Bro. Quang had accompanied them with joy, encouragement, and a spirit of presence.

As the Salesian Family celebrates with Bro. Quang, we entrust his “yes” to Mary, Help of Christians, whose Assumption into heaven is a sign of hope for all. May his life of consecrated service inspire many more young people to listen to God’s voice with openness and trust, echoing Don Bosco’s mission: to be signs and bearers of God’s love for the young.