Very nice story from the Kalamazoo diocese about a priest who has overcome much:

Being a parish priest in America is a dream come true for Tran.

The second of six children, Tran was baptized Gioan Baotixita Tran-Kim-Tuyen at Duc Huy Catholic Church in Dong Nai, South Vietnam.

Life was hard for Tran, who grew up on a family farm while civil war raged in his country. His father served as a South Vietnamese Army captain.

"It was so bad, how can I describe?" he said. "There was fear. Always the fear."

From childhood, he dreamed of living in the United States, "because here there is a lot of freedom — freedom of religion and a good economy."

After serving as an altar boy, Tran knew God was calling him to be a parish priest.

But things grew worse in Dong Nai when the communists took over in 1975, Tran said. The economy went down; people lived in poverty. His father was captured and sent to an "education camp," or prison, for five years.

The church was forced to close, and all priests and nuns were sent to jail, Tran said.

"And not just Catholics, not just Christians," he said, "but they persecuted every kind of religion."

But Tran’s passion to become a priest grew. His journey took 19 years