In Remembrance: Fr. Gan Nguyen, C.Ss.R.
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April 19, 2024Fr. Gan Nguyen, a joyful and energetic Redemptorist missionary, died unexpectedly on April 14 at the rectory of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Church in Kansas City. Fr. Gan sprinkled conversations with humor, and dubbed himself “Gone with the Wind.” He seemingly never met a stranger, welcoming one and all with an inclusive, loving spirit.
Mary Thi Nho Nguyen and Peter Van Ui Nguyen welcomed Gan on August 7, 1964 in Ben-Da, Vietnam. He was the eighth of 14 children – 11 boys and three girls. Three of his older brothers were killed during the Vietnam War, and when he was 11 years old his family fled the country and immigrated to the United States. They settled in Biloxi, MS, where Gan became involved in the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM) in grade school. He graduated from Biloxi High School in 1982 and earned a degree in electronic engineering technology, but the VEYM had nourished a call to the priesthood. He remained involved in that organization and was devoted to youth ministry for his entire life.
Gan began Redemptorist formation with the Extra Patriam Vice Province in California and professed first vows on July 31, 1993. He eventually transferred to the former Vice Province of New Orleans, and professed perpetual vows on September 7, 1997. During his years in formation, he gained practical experience serving in parish and youth ministry at Blessed Sacrament Parish in Chicago and St. Gerard Majella Parish in Baton Rouge.
He was ordained to the priesthood by Bishop Alfred C. Hughes, STD at St. Gerard Majella Parish on February 14, 1998. He immediately joined the staff as a parish priest, and took on the additional responsibility of teaching religion class to fifth graders. A year later he was appointed at Holy Ghost Parish in Houston, where he also served as community bursar.
Fr. Gan joined the Redemptorist Mission Team at St. Michael’s in Chicago in 2008. He enjoyed traveling across the country to preach parish missions, always allowing time to personally visit family members and friends living throughout the United States. He was appointed at Liguori Mission House in Liguori in 2010.
Although he remained attached to the community, he served five of the next six years as a military chaplain at White Sands Missile Range in Las Cruces, NM.
Fr. Gan returned to Houston in 2016 as parochial vicar of Holy Ghost Church. Three years later, he was appointed local superior of the St. Clement Redemptorist Mission Community in Liguori. He is remembered for welcoming one and all to St. Clement’s, and hosting large gatherings at every opportunity. He instituted an All Souls Day Mass at the Redemptorist Cemetery, which has become an important annual tradition for the local community.
Fr. Gan was appointed associate pastor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Parish in Kansas City last year. He quickly became involved in the community, and served the parish until his unexpected death. He recently summed up his life as, “I’m a fisherman by trade; an electrical engineer by profession; and a Redemptorist priest by choice.”
Confreres, family members and friends will gather at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Redemptorist Church in Kansas City for a funeral service on Friday, April 26. Visitation is scheduled at 6:00-7:30 pm, followed by a Memorial Mass. A Mass of Resurrection is scheduled at 12:00 noon on Sunday, April 27, at Church of the Holy Martyrs in Kansas City. Services at St. Clement’s Chapel in Liguori include a wake at 7:00 pm on Monday, April 29, and a Mass at 10:00 am on Tuesday, April 30, followed by burial at the Redemptorist Cemetery.
Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and may perpetual light shine upon him. May he rest in peace.
