My name is Rev. Peter G. Vu, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Grand Rapids, Michigan for twenty years. I was born in Saigon City (currently Ho Chi Minh City), Viet Nam. I was a young boy when the Viet Nam War ended. I witnessed the War & the end of it with great horror and deep appreciation for peace. I had to grow up with the Communist government system and endured lots of hardship with them for over a decade. What had helped me and many of my countrymen tremendously during those dark days was our Faith and Prayers. Hence, my love for Prayers and Meditations was able to blossom. Also, I was able to learn and exchange new ideas of Prayers and Mediations with many of my Buddhist friends. We got along quite well in spite of our different Faith Traditions. After High School, I snuck out by boat and came to the United States of America to begin my Seminary Training. I attended one year of High School here in the USA (Union High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan) to learn the language & new culture. I attended Aquinas College in Grand Rapids, Michigan for two years while staying at Christopher House Seminary. Then, the Seminary sent me out of the State to attend my last two years of college at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota. I graduated with double major: Mathematics and Philosophy. I then attended my graduate school at the University of St. Mary of the Lake and Mundelein Seminary in Chicago, Illinois for five years. I graduated and was ordained with the Master Degree of Divinity (MDiv) and the Sacred Theology Baccalaureate (STB). I was a student of Most Reverend Bishop Robert Barron, who is the prolific writer & international speaker. I took all of his classes in the seminary and get all A’s. Bishop Barron used me as “the grading curve” for his classes, but my grades were always between 98 and 100. My classmates hated me for it.
I have been ministering to People of God at six different churches over the last twenty-six years. Most of them have Schools. I have done lots of work with children, especially at School Masses. Hence, I have had to lead them in prayer and see their desperate need for it. I was also trained in Clinical Pastoral Care in the Hospital and Nursing Home setting and practiced it at a General Hospital in Oxnard, California. I have been a Chaplain at Grand Rapids Home for Veterans for about twelve years. I love and enjoy my Pastoral Care work. Taking care of the Sick, the Dying, the Broken, the Lost, and our Veterans is something I cherish and look forward to each day. My tools and supplies for that type of work are God’s Love and Prayers. Without God’s Love and Faith, our world would turn dark and become hopeless.
I appreciate the following people who have helped me survive through many ordeals and grow a lot in my life:
•My loving and faithful God and God’s Son Jesus, who has always been by my side to protect, support, comfort, and show me the way.
•My Family and Ancestors: Great Grandparents, Grandparents, Parents, Uncles, and Aunts who have never wavered in their support of me and have continued to protect and cheer for me beyond this life.
•My Friends and Benefactors: These kind and generous people are like my Guardian Angels whom God has sent to me throughout my life to give me a helping hand in times of need.