In Memoriam

Fr. The Joseph Pham, C.Ss.R., Vietnam native, dies at 60

He escaped to the U.S. in 1979 following the fall of Saigon

Born on February 2, 1951; Professed on July 12, 1987; and
Ordained on January 17, 1998.

Fr. The Joseph Pham, C.Ss.R. died suddenly in Vietnam while working with his beloved leper community. He was 60 years old.

Born in Vietnam on February 2, 1951, The Pham served in the South Vietnamese army as a photographer and communications operator. After the fall of Saigon, The Pham was sent to "re-education camps" run by the Communists. Desperate for freedom, The Pham, with the encouragement of his family, escaped the country on a fishing boat in June of 1979. He spent four long days on the open seas until arriving in Hong Kong.

After spending a year in a refugee camp there, The Pham found his way to Portland, Oregon where he was able to find work as a machinist. He eventually met and was befriended by Father Vincent Minh, a Redemptorist priest working in the Southeast Asian Center. Father Vince recruited The Pham to lead his bible study class and teach Vietnamese.

Father The Pham was ordained a Redemptorist priest at the age of 47 in January of 1998.

He served as a parish priest, assistant pastor and local superior at Redemptorist parishes in Minneapolis, MN; Seattle, WA; Biloxi, MS; and St. Louis, MO.

Vigil and Funeral:

At the request of the family of Fr. Pham the vigil, funeral, and burial will take place in Vietnam.
His final resting place will be in the family plot in Da Nang along with his ancestors.

The body will be laid out for viewing at the Redemptorist Center in Ho Chi Minh City (Saigon).
The vigil and funeral Mass will be celebrated there.

Please pray for the repose of the soul of Fr. Pham, his family, and the Redemptorist communities. May he rest peacefully with our Redeemer for all eternity.

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If you would like to make a donation in Fr. Pham's memory
to support the work of the Redemptorists, you may donate online or by mail:

Redemptorists of the Denver Province
Mission Advancement Office
1230 South Parker Road
Denver, CO 80231

Please make your check payable to Redemptorists of the Denver Province
and note "Father Pham" in the memo line.