Fr. Tim Tran
Fr. Tim Tran has been the Parochial Vicar (Associate Pastor) of St. Stephen’s Catholic Community since July 2022. After his ordination to the priesthood on May 30th, 2020 for the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis by Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda and prior to this assignment Fr. Tim served as the associate at St. Odilia’s Catholic Community in Shoreview for two years.
This in fact is Fr. Tim’s third time at St. Stephen's. As a seminarian, he was here for the month of January in 2014 with the previous pastor Fr. Jack Long, and for two months during his deacon summer in 2019 with our current pastor Fr. Bennet Tran (no relation). As they say, “Third time is a charm.” Fr. Tim is grateful to be able to serve both the English and Spanish-speaking communities of St. Stephen's.
Fr. Tim is the youngest of three children in his family and was born in Saigon, Vietnam. Although an immigrant, he is a Minnesotan through and through having arrived to the United States in December of 1993 to a blanket of white snow. Prior to entering seminary in 2012 Fr. Tim received a Bachelor of Science in Chemistry at the University of Minnesota with plans of entering medical school. The Good Lord had other plans.
In his free time Fr. Tim enjoys reading (theology, spirituality, and the lives of the saints as well as a good historical fiction novel) and hiking/taking nature walks. He loves spending time with his family and especially with his two nieces. Taking an annual road trip pilgrimage to a shrine or significant spiritual place in the States has been his tradition since 2015. It’s a constant reminder to him that we are all pilgrims on the journey toward Heaven.