Rev. Nick Tran

Fr. Nick Tran transferred to the Diocese of Knoxville in July 2019 and was assigned by Bishop Stika as the first Pastor of the Vietnamese Catholic community in Chattanooga, established as the St. Faustina Public Association of the Faithful. While the Vietnamese community is in the process of building a church, Fr. Tran is in residence at the Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, celebrating Masses and offering sacramental and pastoral care to the parishioners of his Vietnamese community and our Basilica parish community.

Nicola “Nick” Tran was born in a Buddhist family. He converted to Catholicism when he was 16 years old. Then he started his priestly vocation when he graduated from high school. His family did not support his vocation at first, because they were Buddhists. His family later converted into Catholicism in 2011.

Before Fr. Tran became a priest, he studied for three years in the tourism industry and graduated from professional tourism school. He then earned his B. A. in English Linguistics and Literature at Nationa University in Can Tho City, Vietnam. In the pursuit of the holy orders, he earned a Master of Divinity at Holy Apostles College and Seminary in Cromwell, Connecticut in May 2012. Continuing his studies after becoming a priest, Fr. Tran earned his Master of Arts in Pastoral Studies from Holy Apostles Seminary and college on May 4th, 2019.

Fr. Tran was ordained to the transitional diaconate on December 3rd, 2011, in the Diocese of Hartford, Connecticut. He received the holy order of priesthood on May 12th, 2012, also in the Diocese of Hartford. His first parish assignment was Parochial Vicar at Saint Mary and Saint Robert parishes in Windsor Locks, Diocese of Connecticut. In addition to his sacramental and pastoral care of the parishioners, Fr. Tran served the residents of the four nursing homes within the parish boundaries, and he served as on-call minister for the Windsor Locks Police Department.

In June 2016, Fr. Tran was assigned as full-time Chaplain for the Little Sisters of the Poor at St. Joseph Residence in Enfield, Connecticut. A year later, in July 2017, he became part-time Chaplain at Saint Francis Hospital in Hartford, Connecticut. In July 2018, he took on the additional assignment of Chaplain of Hartford Hospital, serving both hospitals full-time.

During the years in Connecticut while serving the needs at his assigned parishes, nursing homes, hospitals, etc. Fr. Tran also served as part-time Chaplain for the Vietnamese Catholic community at Saint Lawrence O’Toole in Hartford, Connecticut from 2013 - 2018. In this assignment, he provided for the administrative needs of the Vietnamese Catholic community, as well as their sacramental and pastoral care.

Fr. Tran is experienced with serving pastoral and spiritual needs in various contexts, such as parishes, hospitals, and detention centers. He is fluent in English and Vietnamese. In his recreational time, Fr. Tran enjoys sports, such as soccer, volleyball, bowling, fitness training, and hiking.

Before moving to East Tennessee, Fr. Tran was seeking to serve the Church as a full-time parish priest in a diocese in the US that has diverse ethnicities, especially English and Vietnamese speaking populations, and preferably in warmer climates. His current assignment with the Vietnamese and Basilica parish communities in Chattanooga fits his objective very well. Fr. Nick gives gratitude for all the unique opportunities God has afforded him to serve His people at this time in history.

Read full article from the East Tennessee Catholic:  "Vietnamese Community Established in Chattanooga"