Sister Phuong Thuy Vu, OP made a perpetual profession of vows with the Dominican Sisters of Peace on Jan. 28 at the congregation’s Columbus Motherhouse.
The ceremony included a Mass celebrated by Father Anthony Quyet Nguyen and rite of religious profession. During the rite, Sister Patricia Twohill, OP, the congregation’s prioress, received Sister Phuong’s perpetual vows.
The Mass and ceremony included readings and songs in Vietnamese and English and a liturgical dance.
“A highlight of the day was when I heard the congregation praying for me,” Sister Phuong said. “I felt their love and acceptance. It was extremely moving to become part of this community and experience everyone’s support as I walked forward as Sister Phuong Thuy Vu, OP.”
Sister Phuong, who is originally from Vietnam, currently ministers at the Springs Learning Center, a literacy center for adults, in New Haven, Connecticut. She previously served at St. Mary Dominican High School in New Orleans.
She spent her candidacy at the New Haven House of Welcome and attended the Collaborative Dominican Novitiate in St. Louis. She entered the Dominican Sisters of Peace as a candidate in 2016.
“I have remained peaceful and calm about my decision to dedicate my life to God as part of the Dominican Sisters of Peace,” she said. “I have been preparing to take my final vows for the last eight years. I believe in the Dominican spirit and have been living the vows of poverty, chastity and obedience. The rite of perpetual vows made my commitment a public occasion in front of God, family, friends and community.”
Sister Phuong received a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering from the Illinois Institute of Technology. She is also versed in catechesis and accounting.
“Sister Phuong is a woman of quiet and abiding faith with a deep love of Dominican life and mission,” Sister Patricia said. “She has been a blessing to God’s people through her various ministries, and I am eager to watch her grow as she continues her vowed life.”
The Dominican Sisters of Peace, members of the Order of Preachers, are vowed Catholic women striving to live the Gospel of Christ through service and peacemaking. They are present in 22 states, Nigeria and Peru, and they serve in education, healthcare, spirituality, pastoral care, prison ministry and the arts.