Bishop Mark Hagemoen leads applause for Fr. Luke Tran after his ordination as a priest for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon Oct. 18. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
By Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News
With great joy and thanksgiving, hundreds gathered from across the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon, Western Canada, and beyond, for the priestly ordination of Fr. Luke Tran Van Tam on Oct. 18, the Feast of his patron saint, Saint Luke the Evangelist.
Before the Ordination Mass began at the Cathedral of the Holy Family, children and youth from Our Lady of La Vang Vietnamese Catholic Community of Saskatoon brought forward an offering of flowers as a Marian devotion.
Youth from the Our Lady of La Vang Vietnamese Catholic community of Saskatoon brought forward an Offertory of Flowers in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary as a prelude to the ordination Mass. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
The Diocesan Choir – directed by Shaun Bzdel, with Wendy Dale on piano and Ken Neitz on organ – was joined in music ministry by the Vietnamese Catholic Choir of Surrey, B.C., where Fr. Luke would often visit while studying at the nearby Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, B.C.
Special guests at the ordination Mass included Fr. Luke Tran Van Tam’s parents, who travelled from Việt Nam for the celebration, along with other family members.
Seminarians, deacons, and priests from a number of dioceses across Western Canada also attended the ordination Mass, including priests from the dioceses of Vancouver; Edmonton; Calgary; St. Paul, AB; St. Boniface, MB; Mackenzie-Fort Smith, NT; Prince Albert, SK; and Regina.
During the entrance procession, Saskatoon Bishop Mark Hagemoen stopped to greet the parents of Fr. Luke Tran Van Tam, who travelled from Vietnam to attend the celebration of his ordination Oct. 18. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
MCs for the ordination were Fr. Geoffrey Young, diocesan Liturgy Director, and Fr. Daniel Yasinski, diocesan Vocation Director.
Deacon Nicholas Blom of Saint Mary Parish in Saskatoon called forward the candidate during the Rite of Ordination: St. Mary Parish was where Tran completed his pastoral internship as a seminarian and served as a transitional deacon.
Vocation Director Fr. Colin Roy presented the candidate for ordination to Bishop Mark Hagemoen, who responded, saying: “Relying on the help of the Lord God and of our Saviour Jesus Christ, we choose this our brother for the Order of the Priesthood.”
All those assembled assented, saying “Thanks be to God,” followed by joyful applause.
In the homily that followed, Bishop Mark Hagemoen reflected on the role of the ministerial ordained priesthood in “word, sacrifice, and witness,” and “leadership through radical service” in following the example of Jesus Christ, and living as a man of prayer.
“By word – you are called to be one of His teachers and prophets: by your life, witness, and preaching and teaching – you will point to Christ, His good news; and the proclamation of His kingdom – a kingdom that is in this world, but not of this world. By your life and witness, you will proclaim Jesus Christ, the Word made flesh, who is visible, real, present,” said Hagemoen.
“By sacrifice – you will be His priest: by your important and crucial participation in the life of the Church you will have the privilege and duty to administer the life-giving Sacraments of Christ and His Church for the People of God,” the bishop continued.
“Finally, by witness, you are called as disciple and servant of God’s people. This includes the areas of administration and governance- aspects of pastoral service and oversight,” Hagemoen said, stressing that this must never be about power, but rather about humble service and faithfulness in all things.
The bishop stressed: “Luke, you are here today, because God called you.”
He added: “In order to be a man of God, you must be a man of prayer, of meditation on God’s word, of contemplation before God’s wonderful deeds and his presence in the Mystery of the Eucharist, always keeping your eyes on Jesus. We do all for him and in memory of him.”
In the homily for the Ordination Mass, Bishop Mark Hagemoen reflected on the meaning and the call to the ministerial priesthood. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
“Luke, we never have to pretend that we are perfect, that we have all the answers, or that we have it all under control. We are fellow sinners with God’s people. We are journeying with them in faith. We need their prayers as they need ours. We need their faith as they need ours,” said Hagemoen.
Bishop Mark Hagemoen concluded his homily by citing the 10 simple rules of life from Vietnamese Cardinal Francis Xavier Nguyễn Văn Thuận (1928-2002), who was declared Venerable by Pope Francis in 2017:
“I will live the present moment to the fullest. I will discern between God and God’s works. I will hold firmly to one secret: prayer. I will see in the Holy Eucharist my only power. I will have only one wisdom: the science of the Cross. I will remain faithful to my mission in the Church and for the Church as a witness of Jesus Christ. I will seek the peace the world cannot give. I will carry out a true revolution: by renewal in the Holy Spirit. I will speak one language and wear one uniform: charity through mercy. I will have one very special love: the Blessed Virgin Mary and her children.”
The ordination celebration continued with the Litany of the Saints prayed in song, as Fr. Luke lay prostrate upon the ground as a sign of surrender to God.
Deacon Luke Tran Van Tam lies prostrate, as the bishop and all those assembled prayed during the Litany of the Saints, as part of the Ordination Rite. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Ordination was then conferred by the bishop during the laying on of hands and prayer of ordination, with all the priests present also laying their hands upon Fr. Luke’s head in prayer.
With the laying on of hands and the prayer of ordination, Bishop Mark Hagemoen ordains Fr. Luke Tran Oct. 18, 2024 at the Cathedral of the Holy Family in Saskatoon. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
Fr. Anthony Tien Tran, Pastor of St. Matthew Parish, Surrey, B.C. in the Archdiocese of Vancouver assisted the newly-ordained priest during the Investiture with the Stole and Chausible.
Fr. Luke then knelt before the bishop, who anointed his hands with sacred chrism.
The offertory gifts were brought up by members of Fr. Luke’s family. Presenting the newly-ordained priest with a chalice and paten, the bishop said: “Understand what you will do, imitate what you will hold, and conform your life to the mystery of the Lord’s Cross.”
The bishop and all the priests then embraced the newly-ordained priest during the “Kiss of Peace.”
The celebration continued with the Liturgy of the Eucharist and communion. It concluded with words of thanks from Fr. Luke, and a message from Bishop Mark Hagemoen to the parents of the newly-ordained priest, which was translated into Vietnamese by Fr. Anthony Tien Tran of Surrey, B.C.
“My dear brothers and sisters, God’s mercy to me is great, and this ordination is a manifestation of his grace,” said Fr. Luke, expressing his gratitude to the crowd that filled the cathedral worship space, and to those viewing the live-stream video online, both in English and in Vietnamese.
“Special thanks to Bishop Mark for ordaining me, and for your constant support throughout my journey,” he said, before noting the support of those at Christ the King Seminary and in the diocese and beyond, and all those who have accompanied him on his faith journey. “Your prayers and support have been a source of strength for me…. Words will never be able to express how deeply your kindness has touched my heart.”
At the conclusion of the ordination Mass, Fr. Luke Tran extended thanks to God and to those who have supported him in his faith, his discernment, and his vocational journey. (Photo by Kiply Lukan Yaworski, Catholic Saskatoon News)
“Finally, and most importantly, I would like to offer my deepest gratitude to God for calling and anointing me to be His priest: Thank you Lord, for your constant presence in my life, for patiently leading me along this path, even when I didn’t fully understand it,” said Fr. Luke. “You, in Your wisdom, took me far from my home, into a new country, a new culture, and among new people. Through it all You showed me that I was never alone, and that your grace and mercy have always been with me.”
Addressing Fr. Luke’s parents, the bishop said: “I want to thank you both very much for the generous gift of your son to the priesthood. It must be difficult to see a son leave your country, probably mixed blessings but also challenges, and I know you miss him very much.”
The bishop continued: “He is a very faithful man, he is very hard working and he is very determined…. very grateful for the gift of your son; he learned his faith from you, foremost… thank you, thank you, thank you. Your gift is great and we will always remember you in our prayers.”
During the recessional hymn, the bishop knelt to receive a blessing from the newly-ordained priest. Blessings continued at the reception that followed the Mass, as those in attendance also lined up to receive a blessing.
Fr. Luke Tran Van Tam was born April 30, 1987 in Việt Nam and came to Canada on July 19, 2017 in order to discern the vocation of priesthood for the diocese of Saskatoon. He was accepted as a diocesan seminarian of Saskatoon in July 2018, and studied at the Seminary of Christ the King in Mission, B.C. until his pastoral year at St. Mary Parish in Saskatoon, which began in the summer of 2023.
Gallery of photos:
Live-stream video of Ordination Mass:
-30-
Kiply Lukan Yaworski is the communications coordinator for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Saskatoon – rcdos.ca. Vocations, the education of future priests, communications, and Catholic Saskatoon News are all supported by gifts to the Bishop’s Annual Appeal: dscf.ca.