Thinh Xuan Nguyen

The Most Reverend

Thinh Xuan Nguyen
Auxiliary Bishop of Melbourne
Native name
Gioakim Nguyễn Xuân Thinh
ChurchCatholic
ArchdioceseMelbourne
ProvinceMelbourne
Appointed8 November 2024
Other postTitular Bishop of Madaurus
Orders
Ordination16 September 2006
by Denis Hart
Consecration1 February 2025
by Peter Comensoli
Personal details
Born (1973-01-03) 3 January 1973
Saigon, South Vietnam
DenominationCatholic
Motto
  • Confide, vocat te
  • (Take courage, He is calling you)
  • (Hãy can đảm, Người gọi con)
Styles
Reference styleHis Lordship
The Most Reverend
Spoken styleMy Lord
Religious styleBishop

Joachim Thinh Xuan Nguyen (born 3 January 1973) is an Australian Catholic prelate serving as an auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Melbourne since 2025.

Early life

Nguyễn Xuân Thinh was born on 3 January 1973 in Saigon, then part of South Vietnam.[1] He is the eleventh of nine brothers and four sisters born to Nguyễn Xuân Hạng and Nguyễn Thị Côi (née Phạm).[2] One of his older brothers is also a priest, Joachim Nguyễn Xuân Tiến, SSC, who serves in Japan.[3]

After finishing his primary education at Kết Đoàn Primary School,[2][1] at the age of thirteen, he and his family arrived in Australia and settled in Melbourne after fleeing Vietnam by boat.[3] He was later enrolled in secondary school at Redden Catholic College, Preston. He obtained a Bachelor of Building Engineering degree from Victoria University and worked for an engineering firm before entering Corpus Christi College Regional Seminary, Carlton, in 1999.[2]

Presbyteral ministry

Nguyen was ordained a deacon on 8 October 2005.[4] He was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Melbourne on 16 September 2006 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Patrick, by Archbishop Denis Hart.[2] He served in the parish of Deer Park as a curate before being appointed parish priest of Fitzroy. He became a formator at Corpus Christi College Regional Seminary in 2013. He then served as chaplain at the University of Melbourne from 2018[5] and as assistant vocation director of the archdiocese.[6] In 2020 he became parish priest in Bennettswood.[5]

He holds a master's degree in theological studies and a Master of Arts in spirituality. In 2022, he was appointed coordinator of Clergy, Life and Ministry in the archdiocese.[6]

Episcopal ministry

On 8 November 2024, Pope Francis announced his appointment of Nguyen and Rene Ramirez RCJ as auxiliary bishops of Melbourne.[5] Nguyen expressed his surprise upon receiving the news of his appointment. He commented that he felt overwhelmed by the "responsibility and the weight of the task ahead," but remembered a line from the Gospel of Matthew, which encouraged him to accept this role, "Take heart! It is I! Do not be afraid!"[a][2] The sentiment behind this line was later seen in his episcopal motto, in which he took a similar verse, "Take courage. He’s calling you."[b][7]

The pair were consecrated as bishops on 1 February 2025 at the Cathedral Basilica of Saint Patrick.[2] The principal consecrator was Archbishop Peter Comensoli while Bishop Gregory Bennet of Sale and Bishop Shane Mackinlay of Sandhurst were co-consecrators.[8] Nguyen serves as auxiliary bishop for the eastern region of the archdiocese.[6]

References

  1. 1 2 J.B. Đặng Minh. "Đức Thánh Cha bổ nhiệm một linh mục Việt Nam làm Giám Mục Phụ Tá của Melbourne, Úc". VietCatholic News. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  2. 1 2 3 4 5 6 "Two new Auxiliary Bishops appointed for Melbourne". Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  3. 1 2 Ban Điều Hành CĐCGVN TGP Melbourne. "Bổ Nhiệm Giám Mục Tân Cử Gioakim Nguyễn Xuân Thinh". Cộng Đồng Công Giáo Việt Nam Tổng Giáo Phận Melbourne. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  4. ↑ "Bishop Thinh Xuan Nguyen". catholic-hierarchy.org. Catholic Hierarchy. Retrieved 27 February 2025.
  5. 1 2 3 "Resignations and Appointments, 08.11.2024". Vatican.va. The Holy See Press Office. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  6. 1 2 3 "Auxiliary Bishops". melbournecatholic.org. Archdiocese of Melbourne. Retrieved 26 February 2025.
  7. ↑ "'Take courage. He's calling you': Bishop Thinh Nguyen on the gift of priesthood". CatholicOutlook. Melbourne Catholic. Retrieved 13 April 2026.
  8. ↑ "Joy overflows at Consecration of Melbourne's newest bishops". Melbourne Catholic. Archdiocese of Melbourne. 1 February 2025. Retrieved 26 February 2025.

Notes

  1. ↑ From Matthew 14:27, "Take heart, it is I; do not be afraid."
  2. ↑ From Mark 10:49, “Take heart; get up, he is calling you.”
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