Saint Cyril Of Alexandria
Roman Catholic Church
153 Penn Boulevard,
East Lansdowne, PA 19050

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Fr. Dominic Tran Minh Duc

Pastor, St. Cyril of Alexandria Parish

Father Dominic Tran Minh Duc was born in the city of Saigon in the country of Vietnam.  He was the oldest son in a family of five children – three boys and two girls.  He lived through the Vietnam War between South Vietnam and Communist North Vietnam.  In 1975 South Vietnam fell to the Communists.  Father Dominic lived under the oppressive Communist rule for awhile, but this oppression conflicted with religious freedom.  The Communists closed seminaries, and controlled the Catholic Church and schools.  Worship was government controlled.  Permission had to be granted from the government for church programs, making them in essence, government programs.

Before the fall of Saigon, Father was in the Seminary preparing to become a priest.  After this, he had no chance to continue his studies to be a priest.  He endured this oppressive rule for four years.

Father finally escaped by boat in June of 1979.  He fled his country alone and spent four days and four nights on the ocean before landing on an uninhabited island.  Father became a refugee in the United Nations Refugee Program and was resettled in the United States after 16 months in a refugee camp.  He learned English and entered St. Charles Seminary.  After eight years, he was ordained in May of 1990.

Father Dominic’s first assignment was at St. Laurence Parish in Highland Park where he was stationed for seven years.  Then, he was sent to St. Aloysius Parish in Pottstown for eight years followed by a dual assignment at St. Francis DeSales and St. Bernadette’s for three years.  He was appointed the eighth pastor of St. Cyril’s in June of 2009.

Another of Father Dominic’s brothers escaped Vietnam, also by boat and also by himself.  He ended up in England when he was rescued by an English Merchant Ship and was able to get the rest of the family out and resettled in England where they have lived since 1984.  Father Dominic’s mother died there five years ago.  However, his father, who is 81 years old, still resides in England with Father’s two brothers and one sister.  Another sister lives in California with her husband after moving here five years ago due to her husband’s business.