National seminary welcomes 14 first-year students
Fourteen men have this month started their first year of formal studies for the priesthood at Holy Cross Seminary in Auckland.
The men range in age from 19 to 33, and they are preparing for eventual ministry across five of the country's six dioceses.
Of the 14 in the first-year group, eight are from Vietnam, three are from New Zealand and the others are from Samoa, Argentina and the Philippines.
The human formator at the seminary, Fr Thanh Tran, said he is thrilled at the number of seminarians this year. Overall, there are 26 men in formation for the priesthood at Holy Cross, with two of these on pastoral placement this year.
“It is wonderful to have so many seminarians this year,” Fr Tran said.
“For me, being the human formator here, I get to see 14 first year seminarians weekly, one-on-one. It is time-consuming, but it is a wonderful problem.”
Fr Tran said the large number of seminarians has meant the liturgies at Holy Cross are even more vibrant than in past years.
And he is hopeful that there will be similar numbers in the 2026 first year intake.
In the 2025 first-year group, there are many different stories of how God has brought them to enter the seminary.
Dyester Abo-abo
Dyester Abo-abo, 33, a seminarian for Wellington Archdiocese, was first attracted to the priesthood when he was a child in the Philippines.
The qualities of the priests in his parish, and the faith and witness of his parents in their involvement with the parish, helped cultivate a sense of vocation.
“I met a lot of priests and religious, and I saw that they were happy. I thought to myself, that is probably a good thing to do, but life happened.”
Dyester went to university, gained his degree and did post-graduate studies. He lectured at the university and worked as a psychologist.
Being at a Jesuit university, there was a strong sense of discernment around, so the idea of a vocation never left him.
“It is like music that is being played so softly that it takes a certain type of listening in order to hear it,” he said.
After discussions with a former colleague who was preparing for priesthood for Wellington Archdiocese, and discussions with the vocations director, Dyester came to New Zealand in early 2024 to continue his discernment journey locally. He spent the year living in the presbytery in Island Bay.
In the seminary, Dyester is “taking it one step at a time”.
“The seminary is a house of discernment. So, I am hoping that, in every step of the way, God will lead me where he wants me to go.”
Jack Fraser-Jones
The youngest of the first-year group is 19-year-old Jack Fraser-Jones. He is studying for the Hamilton Diocese.
After finishing high school and spending a year at university doing business studies, he wasn’t sure he was on the right path.
He perceived that many of the good things in his life were gifts from God, and he loved his involvement with the Church. He said that he had sensed the joy that comes from a “life lived with Christ”.
With so many people feeling discouraged at present, Jack wants to help people get on board with something that can lead in a more positive direction.
In the seminary, Jack hopes to be able to get closer to God, and to grow spiritually, intellectually and in pastoral and human formation.
Peter Khoa
When Peter Khoa arrived in New Zealand from Vietnam in 2022, he could not speak any English.
He has spent two years learning the language before entering the seminary to prepare for ministry as a priest of the Auckland Diocese.
“The first six months were very difficult for me,” he said.
Peter, 31, grew up in a Catholic family in Vietnam, and attended a traditional parish.
“The priest there was really holy and wise and humble, and I wanted to follow a life like him.”
But when he finished school, he did not gain sufficient marks in a seminary entrance exam, so he went to university and worked as a graphic designer.
Eventually, the call came to prepare for priesthood in New Zealand.
“To be honest, the first time I did not know anything about New Zealand, but [it was] what I wanted to do, and what I was waiting for was the call from God.”
Peter believed that he had inherited a faith that came to Vietnam through missionaries from places like Portugal and France, so why shouldn’t he follow God’s call to be a priest overseas?
In the seminary, he will “try my best to follow everything God wants me to do. I don't have any ambition”.
After two weeks of living in the seminary, he is very happy.
“For me, it feels as if I am living in God's house. It is very peaceful, and around me the priests and the other brothers help me a lot. They are very friendly and everything is good.”
The other first-year seminarians, with the diocese for which they are studying, their age, country of origin, and previous occupations are:
Mateo Andrews, Auckland, 23, Argentina, trainer; Philip Malaitai, Auckland, 27, Samoa, builder; Joseph Marr, Auckland, 26, New Zealand, IT worker; Paul Nguyen, Auckland, 33, Vietnam, teaching assistant; Anthony Nguyen, Auckland, 31, Vietnam, IT worker; Tuan Nguyen, Auckland, 27, Vietnam, farmer; Hung Ha, Hamilton, 27, Vietnam, manufacturing engineer; Sam Turnbull, Hamilton, 26, New Zealand, IT worker; Sy Nguyen, Palmerston North, 23, Vietnam, teacher; Kham Nguyen, Wellington, 26, Vietnam, student; Pho Vo, Christchurch, 30, Vietnam, electrical engineer.
All the seminarians asked for prayers for themselves and their fellow seminarians in their vocational journeys.