Obituary for Ftr. Thomas Vu Minh Thai
Fr. Thomas Vu Minh Thai, 98, a leader of the Vietnamese Catholic Community that immigrated to the United States in the mid-1970s and beyond, died Tuesday, December 20, 2022, in Cincinnati, Ohio. He served in Kentucky for many years, beginning in 1975 in the Diocese of Covington, then in the newly-created Diocese of Lexington through 2007. He was pastor at St. William Church in Lancaster, Our Lady of Mt. Vernon, St. Peter in Lexington, the Church of the Annunciation in Paris, and Our Lady of Guadalupe in Carlisle.
He was born on November 15, 1924, to Vincent Vu van An and Mary Do thi Thien at Le-Xa, Hung-Yen, North Vietnam. After seminary studies in Hanoi, he was ordained to the priesthood in Saigon on December 3, 1954. After ordination, he served four years as secretary to the bishop in charge of refugees in Saigon. Then he came to the United States for further studies at Creighton, New York University, Columbia, and at Fordham where he completed his Ph.D.
He returned to Vietnam in 1970 and stayed until the end of the war in 1975, joining the many immigrants on their way to the US.
“He was able to return to the US as the key person while people were transitioning to life in the US,” said Fr. Linh Nguyen. “With his education and experience in the US, it was Providential that God had prepared him for that. He gathered the Vietnamese people in faith. He was a primary Vietnamese translator for the USCCB and established so much in education and formation.”
In addition to his pastoral ministry, Fr. Thai taught in Vietnam in the early 1970s at Dalat University and the University of Saigon, then at Thomas More College in Kentucky beginning in 1975. In 2007 he retired from full-time ministry in the Diocese of Lexington and moved to Cincinnati, where he served as a parish administrator at Our Lady of La Vang, provided sacramental ministry to Vietnamese parishes, and devoted time to his writing.
In a document he called ‘Profession of Faith,’ Fr. Thai thanked God for the many blessings in his life, especially his priesthood: “I have been trying very hard to live up to this grace-filled gift, despite the many times I still fail…”
“That’s him,” said Fr. Nguyen. “He was a man of great humility, true faith, and he responded generously to the call that God asked.”
Visitation for Fr. Thai will be from 3-6pm Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at St. Peter Catholic Church, Lexington. The Rosary will be recited at 6pm, followed by a prayer service. The funeral Mass will be 11am on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at St. Peter with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery.
The PROFESSION OF THE FAITH
“Super Omnia Caritas” (Col. 3:14)
I, Thomas Vu Minh Thai, a servant and priest of Jesus Christ, born on November 15, 1928 at
Le-Xa, Hung Yen, Vietnam, do profess that I believe in God, our Father; in Jesus, His only Son and our Redeemer, and in the Holy Spirit; in our Catholic Church and its teachings!
I thank you, my loving God, for having called me out of darkness into this world, and for choosing me to be one of your priests serving the people in your church. I adore you in your divine goodness. What a great privilege for me to be an ordained priest in your church. Though unworthy servant that I have been, you have chosen me because you love me! Oh yes, You LOVE me! You LOVE me for eternity!
Ever since that day, the THIRD DAY OF DECEMBER 1954, the day I was ordained a Roman Catholic priest of Jesus by the grace of the Holy spirit and by the imposition of hands conferred on me by the late Most Reverend Peter Maria Pham Ngoc Chi at the beautiful church of Huyen-Sy, Saigon, Vietnam, I have been trying very hard to live up to this grace-filled gift, despite many a time I still fail, doubt and/or sin against your Love in profound depth of my sincere heart, I truly and humbly beg your forgiveness for all the times I offended you, your good people, and all of my friends… In your mercy, forgive me, and have mercy on me, your sinner!
As I am in your hands, I am willing to accept my death whenever and/or wherever you come, and in whatever circumstance of life. Only I ask to be always faithful and to be ready! Daily, I pray that I am always ready to say YES to you! Mary! Mother of Jesus, and mother of all the priests! Accept me as one of your sons; guide me, keep me under your mantle; protect me and walk me close to your Son so that when He comes I may be ready to share with Him in everlasting life prepared for me! Saint Joseph, the Foster-father of Jesus and Patron of the dying, pray for me! Saint Thomas, my dear patron saint, and all our Vietnamese Martyrs, pray for me!
I thank God also for giving me good parents. To them I am very grateful for all they have done to bring me up in the world, and to encourage me in the pursuit of the priesthood. I am grateful to my grandmother Mary, who taught me how to respond to God’s call. I thank God for my sister and brothers and their families for their support and prayers. To so many people throughout who have touched my life one way or the other: those who have educated me, those who have faithfully helped me and taught me how to be a priest of Jesus Christ. I would like to thank them all, those still living, and those who have gone before me, for their prayers, for their good examples and their generous help to me a priest as I am today!
Finally, to all, men and women, who have touched my life in many different ways I am ever grateful for their friendships and generous support tome in my being a priest. I do always treasure them all! And, last and not least, I ask each and everyone to forgive me for whatever I knowingly or unintentionally have offended you, whether in words or in deeds. May you all be blessed as ever! And keep me in your prayers! Your humble brother in Christ and Mary!
He was born on November 15, 1924, to Vincent Vu van An and Mary Do thi Thien at Le-Xa, Hung-Yen, North Vietnam. After seminary studies in Hanoi, he was ordained to the priesthood in Saigon on December 3, 1954. After ordination, he served four years as secretary to the bishop in charge of refugees in Saigon. Then he came to the United States for further studies at Creighton, New York University, Columbia, and at Fordham where he completed his Ph.D.
He returned to Vietnam in 1970 and stayed until the end of the war in 1975, joining the many immigrants on their way to the US.
“He was able to return to the US as the key person while people were transitioning to life in the US,” said Fr. Linh Nguyen. “With his education and experience in the US, it was Providential that God had prepared him for that. He gathered the Vietnamese people in faith. He was a primary Vietnamese translator for the USCCB and established so much in education and formation.”
In addition to his pastoral ministry, Fr. Thai taught in Vietnam in the early 1970s at Dalat University and the University of Saigon, then at Thomas More College in Kentucky beginning in 1975. In 2007 he retired from full-time ministry in the Diocese of Lexington and moved to Cincinnati, where he served as a parish administrator at Our Lady of La Vang, provided sacramental ministry to Vietnamese parishes, and devoted time to his writing.
In a document he called ‘Profession of Faith,’ Fr. Thai thanked God for the many blessings in his life, especially his priesthood: “I have been trying very hard to live up to this grace-filled gift, despite the many times I still fail…”
“That’s him,” said Fr. Nguyen. “He was a man of great humility, true faith, and he responded generously to the call that God asked.”
Visitation for Fr. Thai will be from 3-6pm Wednesday, December 28, 2022, at St. Peter Catholic Church, Lexington. The Rosary will be recited at 6pm, followed by a prayer service. The funeral Mass will be 11am on Thursday, December 29, 2022, at St. Peter with burial to follow at Calvary Cemetery.
The PROFESSION OF THE FAITH
“Super Omnia Caritas” (Col. 3:14)
I, Thomas Vu Minh Thai, a servant and priest of Jesus Christ, born on November 15, 1928 at
Le-Xa, Hung Yen, Vietnam, do profess that I believe in God, our Father; in Jesus, His only Son and our Redeemer, and in the Holy Spirit; in our Catholic Church and its teachings!
I thank you, my loving God, for having called me out of darkness into this world, and for choosing me to be one of your priests serving the people in your church. I adore you in your divine goodness. What a great privilege for me to be an ordained priest in your church. Though unworthy servant that I have been, you have chosen me because you love me! Oh yes, You LOVE me! You LOVE me for eternity!
Ever since that day, the THIRD DAY OF DECEMBER 1954, the day I was ordained a Roman Catholic priest of Jesus by the grace of the Holy spirit and by the imposition of hands conferred on me by the late Most Reverend Peter Maria Pham Ngoc Chi at the beautiful church of Huyen-Sy, Saigon, Vietnam, I have been trying very hard to live up to this grace-filled gift, despite many a time I still fail, doubt and/or sin against your Love in profound depth of my sincere heart, I truly and humbly beg your forgiveness for all the times I offended you, your good people, and all of my friends… In your mercy, forgive me, and have mercy on me, your sinner!
As I am in your hands, I am willing to accept my death whenever and/or wherever you come, and in whatever circumstance of life. Only I ask to be always faithful and to be ready! Daily, I pray that I am always ready to say YES to you! Mary! Mother of Jesus, and mother of all the priests! Accept me as one of your sons; guide me, keep me under your mantle; protect me and walk me close to your Son so that when He comes I may be ready to share with Him in everlasting life prepared for me! Saint Joseph, the Foster-father of Jesus and Patron of the dying, pray for me! Saint Thomas, my dear patron saint, and all our Vietnamese Martyrs, pray for me!
I thank God also for giving me good parents. To them I am very grateful for all they have done to bring me up in the world, and to encourage me in the pursuit of the priesthood. I am grateful to my grandmother Mary, who taught me how to respond to God’s call. I thank God for my sister and brothers and their families for their support and prayers. To so many people throughout who have touched my life one way or the other: those who have educated me, those who have faithfully helped me and taught me how to be a priest of Jesus Christ. I would like to thank them all, those still living, and those who have gone before me, for their prayers, for their good examples and their generous help to me a priest as I am today!
Finally, to all, men and women, who have touched my life in many different ways I am ever grateful for their friendships and generous support tome in my being a priest. I do always treasure them all! And, last and not least, I ask each and everyone to forgive me for whatever I knowingly or unintentionally have offended you, whether in words or in deeds. May you all be blessed as ever! And keep me in your prayers! Your humble brother in Christ and Mary!