• PHOTO: Fr Thao outside Our Lady of Perpetual Succour Church in Coonamble which has become a construction site while repairs and renovation work are undertaken.
“I couldn’t believe my first task as the priest in Coonamble was to close the church for three months,” Fr Thao Nguyen told the Coonamble Times.
As well as settling into the community and his duties as the new Priest in Charge, Fr Thao is now responsible for overseeing a major renovation project that got underway on Monday 13 February just days after he arrived in town.
In 2021 a storm caused roof damage that saw leaks in a number of places in the 84 year old building, resulting in some internal damage.
While the roof was repaired at a cost of $130,000, around 700 square metres of ceiling and the entire carpet is now being replaced.
“I had to move all the gear to the school hall,” said Fr Thau.
“My first Mass was in the church and after that in the hall.”
Fr Thao says that having to find their way to the hall is a little challenging for parishioners attending Mass.
“It’s a bit further and a bit harder to get to, especially for the elderly, but they’re doing well,” he said.
“They can’t wait for it to be finished and are looking forward to being back in the church.”
The project is expected to cost in the vicinity of $300,000, with insurance covering the majority.
However, some contribution to the carpeting is likely to have to come from the coffers of the local Parish, in order to ensure that the whole interior receives new floor coverings.
With the church unfortunately unavailable, Fr Thao is having to undertake special events in a range of venues and says he is grateful for the community’s understanding.
This week he will be conducting a graveside funeral and another at the Coonamble Racecourse, while a Baptism on 25 March will be in the St Brigids School hall.
“The contractors are going well,” he said. “It should all be finished and ready to go in the three months.”
Introducing Fr Thao
Closed church aside, Fr Thao is excited to begin his work in Coonamble.
He is the second of five children, from a village in central Vietnam called ‘Ru Dat’ with a population around the size of Coonamble.
“My father works as a building contractor and helps my mother to look after our rice farm,” he said.
Fr Thao says that Catholics in Vietnam have had a tough road to follow and his own Great Grandfather was murdered for his faith.
“During the French Colony in Vietnam, Catholics were persecuted as they were perceived as enemies of the State and loyal to the French Missionaries,” Fr Thao said.
“One day, soldiers came to our village and chose the five village leaders, including my Great Grandfather.
“The soldiers placed a crucifix on the ground and told the men that their lives would be spared if they walked over it.
“But my Great Grandfather and the other four men could not renounce their faith, so they were beheaded in front of the villagers,” he said.
Thao’s family and the rest of the community continued to tend their graves and today, they still honour them.
“Learning from my Great Grandfather’s example, my parents brought us up in the faith,” said Fr Thao.
“Every day, they woke us at four o’clock to go to Mass. They taught us the Catechism and how to pray because there are no Catholic schools in Vietnam.”
Still, he says his parents were amazed when he told them he was called to become a priest.
“They always thought I was more likely to be married than to be a priest,” he laughs.
“In fact, my mum said that she had already told my father to put a piece of land in my name so that I would have something to start married life.”
Coming to Australia
After meeting Bishop Michael McKenna when he was visiting Vietnam, Thao was invited to study in the Diocese of Bathurst.
“When I arrived in Australia, I was sent to Whoop Whoop (that is, Gilgandra) to stay with Fr Martin O’Mahony – an Irish priest, to improve my English and learn about the Australian way of life,” he said.
“My new friends in Gilgandra taught me real Australian slang, like “G’day mate, ‘ow ya goin’?” They even taught me how to play touch footy which is an essential game for any new Australian. I scored twice during my first game!”
After five months in Gilgandra, Thao set off to the “big smoke” to continue his studies at the seminary of the Good Shepherd.
“It wasn’t easy for me as I had lots of difficulties with my English and academic studies. I found myself tempted to give up many times. However, through my prayers, I realised that God has been calling me to work hard to be formed well for priestly service.”
Thao finished seven years of seminary training and was sent to Lithgow to stay with “an old Coonamble boy, Fr Garry McKeown who trained me to be a social butterfly.”
“I was introduced to wide experiences of pastoral life in Lithgow,” he said. “Thanks be to God, I was ordained a priest on 28 January 2022.”
His first appointment was to Mudgee where he was to assist the parish priest Fr Owen Gibbons.
“I thought I could have a honeymoon there but when I arrived in Mudgee, Fr Owen was unwell and was out of action most of the time, so I had to look after three parishes (Mudgee, Gulgong and Kandos) and two big schools for nearly a year,” Fr Thao said. “I was flat out like a lizard drinking trying to keep everything under control.”
Finding his feet
“A few years ago, I was sent to Dubbo to learn about pastoral life in a parish. While I was there, I was as busy as a blow-fly. I got involved in sports and a lot of parish activities.”
Fr Thao tried many sports, including swimming and soccer, but his soccer career was cut short after he was knocked over by a Year One student and had to have both knees reconstructed.
“I am now learning tennis and golf,” he says. “If anyone wants to have a game, please let me know but be prepared to lose because I can’t stand losing.”
Fr Thao is a long way from his Vietnamese home, and was sad not to be present at his grandfather’s funeral in 2018.
“It was a really tough time because my only sister, Mary was being treated for cancer in Melbourne,” he said. “Sadly, she died in October 2019.”
He has taken inspiration and strength from her unwavering faith, and is looking forward to his time as Coonamble’s Priest.
“I chose to live in Coonamble full time because I like to be with people and walk with them,” he said. “If I lived in Coonabarabran or somewhere else it would be more difficult.
“I aim to get connection with the local people, get to know them and build the community a bit. I would like to help bring them together.”
To get to know his churchgoers Fr Thao plans to invite them to his new home at the presbytery after Mass to enjoy some of his home-cooked spring rolls.
But he says his ministry “is not just for Catholics but for the whole community.”
“I will be visiting the aged care and the hospital, I will be teaching scripture at the primary school and I am responsible for youth programs in the northern area so will be visiting high schools in Coonamble, Coonabarabran, Glgandra and Baradine to get to know people.”
“Anyone in the community who needs a listening ear or is feeling lonely can call me,” he said. “I hope to catch up with both locals and newcomers.”