Fr. Andrew Cuong Phan, C.S.Sp., has been recently assigned to the U.S. Province. Born and raised in Binh Dinh, Vietnam, he is the only son in his family, with two younger sisters who reside in Ho Chi Minh City. His family’s deep Catholic faith, along with the influence of three aunties who are nuns, shaped his vocation at a young age. One of his aunties introduced him to Frs. Patrick Palmer, C.S.Sp. from Ireland, Frederic Rossignol, C.S.Sp. from Belgium, and Fr. Trinh Le, C.S.Sp. from the U.S., who first arrived in Vietnam in 2007 to found a new community. Fr. Andrew’s journey with the Spiritans began in 2008 when he traveled at least 15 hours by bus from his hometown (Binh Dinh) to HCMC to participate in the first Spiritan Come and See held in the suburbs of the city.  

"What brought me to this trip? I can say that by the promptings of the Holy Spirit. When I reached the place, I joined other young boys in experiencing the program: three days of engaging in such communal activities: prayers, sports, meals, etc. Eventually, I was accepted to the Congregation. I, however, wanted to go to university for 4 years and promised that I would join Spiritans after my graduation,” he described. After earning a degree in Mechatronics Engineering in 2012, he fulfilled his earlier promise to join the Spiritans. His formation included English, philosophy, and a spiritual year in Vietnam, followed by a two-year pastoral mission in The Gambia, where he experienced intercultural living and ministry.

From 2019 to 2023, he pursued theological studies at Ateneo de Manila University in the Philippines and was ordained on December 12, 2023, the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. Assigned to the U.S., he arrived in Pittsburgh in September 2024 and now serves as Assistant Director of Spiritan Campus Ministry at Duquesne University.

In his position with Campus Ministry at Duquesne, Fr. Andrew is dedicated to celebrating Mass, engaging students, and serving the community through outreach programs. 

He says, “I am really touched by the Spiritan vocation which is dedicated to conveying the message of God’s love to those [who don’t know] the Gospel yet. I am so delighted to be a Spiritan to contribute my abilities and efforts to the service of the Gospel and to serve the poor unconditionally. In brief, sharing the Good News and serving the poor give me such great joy in being a Spiritan."


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