Peter Tran is one of five men ordained permanent deacons Saturday, June 14, at St. Mary’s Cathedral, St. Cloud. Deacon Tran was approached about the diaconate many times before he answered the call.
Current Parish: Sts. Peter and Paul, Braham
Hobbies: Softball with my family, reading and traveling
Favorite Saints: St. Therese of Lisieux and St. John Neumann
Favorite Prayer: The Magnificat
Tell us a bit about your current family life.
I live in Braham with my wife, Kate, and six children: Michael, 17; Sarah, 15; Noah, 13; Mary, 11; Gianna, 9; and Matthew, 7.
What do you do for work?
I’m a home care physical therapist.
What drew you to the diaconate?
For years various people would ask me if I had thought about becoming a deacon. Initially, I was against the idea. But we had a Lenten mission 10 years ago and the guest speaker was a deacon I highly respected. He spoke about the diaconate and its role in the Church and ministry. Later that weekend I saw the beauty of the diaconate through his actions at the altar. The scales fell from my eyes and I was sold. God has a way of softening hearts.
What surprised you most about studying to become a deacon?
When I applied, I didn’t know what to expect. I know I was nervous. I had a young family so I was worried about how much time it would take and if it would negatively affect family life. What I discovered, however, was though formation does take time, family and formation are not mutually exclusive. In fact, I was oftentimes able to incorporate my family into the process. It’s a sacrifice, for sure, but one that has grown much fruit.
How have you grown in your faith?
Formation changes you. It allows you to see things clearer and truly forms the whole person. I am more convinced now more than ever of the love of God and his desire for souls.
Tell about some meaningful moments serving your parish.
I have been blessed to serve as an acolyte for Easter Vigil with my sons, Michael and Noah. It meant a lot serving the faith community side-by-side with them. I also have really enjoyed being a mentor couple for marriage prep with my wife, Kate. The couples we have worked with have been amazing.
What do you look most forward to as a deacon?
Whether giving spiritual direction, ministering to the homebound or training altar servers, I enjoy being the “third wheel” in the relationship between God and those we serve.
What moments of faith stand out to you from your childhood/youth/young adult days? I had a profound conversion to the faith 25 years ago when I had a severe football injury. I was stuck in bed, feeling sorry for myself and flipping through the channels. On came an old movie called “The Song of Bernadette.” It spoke to my conscience, and I started praying the rosary. I then started frequenting the sacraments and now, 25 years later, I’m being ordained a deacon. That lady in blue is persuasive!
Where did you attend Mass and participate in church life when you were growing up?
Blessed Sacrament in St. Paul.
Did you serve in your parish community during your youth?
I volunteered at a local care center as a teen, but didn’t really serve at my parish until I was a young adult. They were short on faith formation teachers so they threw me in with eighth graders. I’m not sure if the kids got anything out of it, but I certainly did. They asked great questions which forced me to do my homework. It was the beginning of a love for reading and learning.
We are currently in the process of pastoral planning for our diocese — how can lay people help clergy to create vibrant faith communities?
We need to live out and teach our children the faith. The family is where it starts. Saints don’t just fall out of the sky — they come from families like ours, families that show the love of the Father in everyday life. That love should not be hidden, but shared.
In Isaiah 43:19, Revelation 21:5, and Isaiah 65:17, God promises to make “All Things New” — the theme of our planning process. What does this mean to you and what do you think God promises for the Church?
I believe it was Bishop Fulton Sheen who said if Christ the Bridegroom dies and rises, so too must his bride, the Church. It is no secret there are struggles happening in the Church and the diocese. But God has foreseen this time from the beginning. These are the times that saints are made.
What do you most appreciate about the Diocese of St. Cloud?
One thing I love is the closeness of rural parishes. The sense of a parish family is something I had never experienced before. At Sts. Peter and Paul Parish and the Isanti Area Catholic Community, people see you as an extension of their family. Now, having been more involved within the St. Cloud Diocese, I see it is similar everywhere. I can’t say I always experienced it when growing up in a big city, and quite frankly didn’t realize I would even crave it. But I do. You just belong.
What else would you like to share?
I would encourage anyone who has ever considered the diaconate to give it more than a passing thought. It might be that God is calling you. It can be easy to dismiss it by thinking, “My kids are too young,” or “I’m too busy.” The truth of the matter is there will always be something. But when I was doing my own discernment, my spiritual director told me “push on doors, and whatever one opens may be God’s will for you.” After growing to desire it, I pushed on the diaconate door and found Christ standing on the other side, handing me an alb, a stole and a vocation. He might be doing the same for you. Just remain open.
Pictured above: Deacon Peter Tran addresses the assembly after his ordination June 14. (Dianne Towalski / The Central Minnesota Catholic)
