To search a genealogy of a family of eight children: five sons and three daughters, at Ðồng Nhân village, Kim Sơn district, Ninh Bình province of North Việt Nam, one finds the last one named Trần Bình Trọng, with a baptismal name John, born April 14, 1944.
His father died when Trọng was an infant. Thanks to his pious mother, he was taught about mores and manners and was sent to school. Back home from school he had to help with family chores. In 1954, he moved to South Vietnam with his sister’s family first, then the rest of his family moved south later. He was sent to a parochial school and selected to be an altar server. In 1957, he was introduced to Saint Paul’s high school seminary in Saigon by his parish priest. Coming home in the summer, his mother woke him up for mass at five o’ clock in the morning. When he snoozed, his mother woke him up again.
He majored in philosophy at Saint Joseph college major seminary in Sài Gòn. In 1966, he was appointed principal of a junior high school of a parish in the Diocese of Phú Cường. In 1967, he was sent to the United States for theological studies at Saint Anthony-on-Hudson Theological Seminary, Rensselaer, New York. Ordained a priest in 1971 in Albany, New York, he received a Master degree in theology in 1972 from Saint Anthony-on-Hudson in conjunction with the University of the State of New York. With limited financial conditions plus his spirit of independence in thought and action, Trọng had to struggle in some aspects of life. In 1974, Father Trọng received another Master degree in Social psychology from the Graduate Faculty of Political and Social Science of the New School for Social Research in New York City. He did further graduate studies at Columbia University’s Teachers College with expectation for a PhD in mind.
When South Vietnam fell under the communist North, he dropped out of school in 1975 in order to work for the Department of the Army as a chaplain for Vietnamese refugees at Fort Indiantown Gap, Pennsylvania for five months. He then served in several parishes: American and then Vietnamese, in the Diocese of Arlington for over thirty years as both an associate and a pastor. Preaching is one of his priorities in both English and Vietnamese. When his mother passed away in 1987, he could not go home for her funeral mass.
His writing Ministry was published in Vietnamese:
- Editor of Tài Đức with contributing articles, a periodical for Tài Đức Junoir High School, Búng, Bình Dương: 1966-1967
- Wrote articles unperiodically for Chuông Việt, a Vietnamese student monthly magazine published in the US: 1968-1971
- Editor of Cộng Đồng, a quaterly magazine for Vietnamese and Religious in America and Canada and wrote a series of
‘Semi-official news’, then ‘ Our stories’, kind of none serious news items about priests and religious men and women for this
magazine, published in the US: 1971-1975.
- Wrote articles unperiodically for Chân Trời Mới, a Vietnamese monthly magazine published in New Orleans, Louisiana, 1976.
- Wrote articles unperiodically for Dân Chúa, a Vietnamese monthly magazine published in New Orleans, Louisiana:
1977-1978.
- Wrote ‘Scriptural reflections’ on Sunday Readings for Dân Chúa, a Vietnamese monthly magazine published in New Orleans,
Louisiana, 1982.
- Publisher of Đặc San Giáng Sinh, a Christmas Special Year Book of Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish with editorials and
contributing articles. Arlington, Virginia: 1988, 1989, 1990, 1991, 1992, 1993.
- Author of Chỉ Nam Giáo Xứ, a guide book for Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish. Arlington, Virginia, 1992, 124 pages.
- Wrote articles unperiodically for Thời Điểm Công Giáo, a Vietnamese quarterly magazine. Garden Grove, California, 1990’s.
- Compiled Gia Phả Dòng tộc Họ Trần Văn Uy, his paternal genealogy, including ten generations, with much information,
published in the US, 2003, 38 pages in 8½ x 11.
- Compiled Gia Phả Dòng tộc Họ Nguyễn Văn Công, his maternal genealogy, including eight generations, with much
information, published in the US, 2003, 96 pages in 8 ½ x 11.
- Wrote weekly ‘Scriptural reflections’ on Sunday readings for the Liturgical Years A, B, C for Dân Chúa, a Vietnamese monthly
magazine published in New Orleans, Louisiana: 2002, 2003, 2004.
- Wrote ‘Scriptural contemplations’ on Sunday readings on a regular basis for Thông Tấn Xã Công Giáo Việt Nam, a
Vietcatholic Network: 2003, 2004, 2005.
- Wrote ‘Scriptural contemplations’ unperiodically on Sunday readings for Mạng Lưới Thông Tin, Giáo Phận Phú Cường, the
Diocese of Phú Cường website, 2006.
- Author of ‘Hằng tuần Chúa Nói Với Ta– Ta Đáp Trả Lời Chúa’, Năm A, a book titled ‘Every week God speaks to us– We
respond to his Word, Cycle A’, published in Vietnamese by the author in conjunction with Tin Vui Media Publication. Garden
Grove, California, 2007, 316 pages.
- Author of ‘Hằng tuần Chúa Nói Với Ta – Ta Đáp Lời Chúa’, Năm B, a book titled ‘Every week God speaks to us– We respond
to his Word, Cycle B’, published in Vietnamese by the author in conjunction with Tin Vui Media Publication. Garden Grove,
California, 2008, 352 pages.
- Author of ‘Hằng tuần Chúa Nói.. – Ta Đáp’.., Năm C, a book titled ‘Every week God speaks– We respond, Cycle C’,
published in Vietnamese by the author in conjunction with Tin Vui Media Publication. Garden Grove, California,
2009, 362 pages.
- Launched a website: www.chuanoitadap.net with books, articles and related news since 09/09/2009.
- Wrote weekly ‘Scriptural Contemplations’ on Sunday readings for the Liturgical Years A, B, C for Nguyệt San Hiệp Nhất, a
monthly magazine published in Santa Ana, California: 2010 -2013.
- Reprinted and re-published in Vietnamese in Vietnam: ‘Hằng tuần Chúa Nói – Ta Đáp’, Năm A in 2010, a book titled ‘Every
week God Speaks, We Respond’, Year A in 2010.
- Reprinted and re-published in Vietnamese in Vietnam ‘Hằng tuần Chúa Nói – Ta Đáp’, Năm B, in 2011, a book titled ‘Every
week God Speaks, We Respond, Year B in 2011.
- Reprinted and re-published in Vietnamese in Viet Nam: ‘Hằng tuần Chúa Nói – Ta Đáp’, Năm C, in 2012, a book titled ‘Every
week God Speaks, We Respond, Year C in 2012.
- Have been being published gradually in English on: www.mucvuvanbut.net since Nov. 10, 2013:
84 Scripture Reflections on Sundays, Feast Days and Special Days, Cycle C
84 Scripture Reflections on Sundays, Feast Days and Special Days, Cycle A.
84 Scripture Reflections on Sundays, Feast Days and Special Days. Cycle B.
His Special Ministry includes:
- Participated in the Cursillo Movement and the Marriage Encounter Movement.
- Founded the Eucharistic Youth Movement at Holy Martyrs of Vietnam and spiritually directed it.
- Founded the Marriage Family Enrichment Program at Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish and spiritually directed it.
- Has been involved in the Charismatic Movement for Renewal for a longer period of time. His priest friends called him a closet
charistmactic and he did not object it.
Administrator