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December 12, 2001
Priests perish in fishing accident By Blake M. Petit Two local priests were killed Thursday after an apparent fishing accident. Monsignor John Nguyen Phuc of St. Charles Borromeo in Destrehan and Father Benedict Joseph Quang of St. Gertrude in Des Allemands went fishing Thursday morning and did not return home in time for an afternoon mass. Police began searching the area, finally finding their bodies Friday afternoon. They believe one of the priests may have fallen into the water while attempting to repair the boat and the other may have jumped in after him. Reportedly, neither of the men knew how to swim. Phuc was ordained to the priesthood on May 14, 1983, and has served as pastor of St. Charles Borromeo since 1990. In November of last year he was named dean of the St. John-St. Charles Deanery. A native of Saigon, Phuc earned a bachelor of arts in Vietnamese literature at Saigon University in 1975. That year he emigrated to the United States and, in 1979, completed a bachelor of arts in psychology at St. Joseph’s seminary college. He graduated from Notre Dame with a Master of Divinity in 1983. Phuc served as associate pastor of Our Lady of Prompt Succor in Westwego from 1983 to 1986 and associate pastor at St. Louise de Marillac in Arabi from 1986 to 1988, when he was named administrator. On Feb. 10, 1990, he was made pastor of St. Charles Borromeo and was named a monsignor by Pope John Paul II in September 1999. He was 43 years old. Quang, also a Vietnam native, was born in Saigon, the seventh of 10 children. He escaped Vietnam with the help of his family and arrived in a refugee camp in Thailand, finally travelling to the United States in 1980. There he graduated from Warren Easton High School and went on to St. Joseph Seminary College where he completed a bachelor of arts in philosophy and took temporary vows as a Benedictine brother. After a period of discernment he decided to affiliate with the Archdiocese of New Orleans, eventually attending Notre Dame Seminary. He served as a pastoral intern at St. Louise de Marillac under Father Lawrence Hecker before graduating with a Master of Divinity and being ordained to the priesthood on June 1, 1991. He served as associate pastor at St. Mark in Chalmette until 1995, spent a year at Resurrection of Our Lord in New Orleans and two years at St. Cletus in Gretna before coming to St. Charles Borromeo in 1998. On Jan. 15 of last year he was named pastor at St. Gertrude. He was 37 years old. Quang’s funeral Mass will be held at 11 a.m. tomorrow at St. Gertrude, with a two-hour viewing beginning at 9 a.m. Puch’s funeral will be Friday at 11 a.m. at St. Charles Borromeo, following a two-hour viewing. A wake for both men will be held tonight at Mary Queen of Vietnam Church in New Orleans. Blake M. Petit can be reached at BlakeP@heraldguide.com or at 758-2795, ext. 215. |
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