Joy Forged in Fire: This Catholic Activist’s Resolve Defied His Torturers — and Put Him On a Path to the Priesthood

April 28, 2025 by Kateri

L to R: Father Thong Nguyen celebrates his first Mass at Our Lady of Vietnam parish in Silver Spring, Maryland, on June 16, 2024. Father Thong Nguyen is ordained June 15, 2024, by Cardinal Wilton Gregory at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception.

Father Joseph Thong Nguyen’s joyful personality belies a steely determination that was tested when he was arrested and beaten in Communist Vietnam.

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