Father Tat Thang T. Hoang, CSsR

Fr. Tat was born in 1972 in Saigon, Vietnam. He is the second oldest of 6 children, most of whom reside in New Orleans, Louisiana. He joined the Redemptorists in 1998, professed as a Redemptorist Missionary in 2002, and was ordained to the priesthood in 2006 at Blessed Seelos National Shrine in New Orleans. He served as an associate priest at Holy Ghost Catholic Church in Houston, TX before becoming a co-director of vocation ministry for the Redemptorists of Denver Province from 2008 to 2015. He published a book, Hearing God’s Call: 30 Days of Vocation Discernment. 

From 2015 to 2018, Fr. Tat worked with Life Directions, a nonprofit organization in the West Side and South Side of Chicago to promote and build a strong community of hope, social justice and peace. He helped teenagers at Bowen High School to improve social, emotional, and leadership skills and to help reduce violence in society. 

Since July 1, 2019, Fr. Tat has served as pastor at St. Gerard Majella church and Redemptorist St. Gerard School in Baton Rouge, LA. He remembered that he learned American culture and English thirty years ago as a salesperson when he just arrived in New Orleans, LA from Vietnam. What a privilege to be here and serve my brothers and sisters in the Diocese of Baton Rouge. He preaches vibrantly and creatively a message of hope, peace and mercy of God.  He writes and gives spiritual direction. Gratefulness is the key to his true happiness.

His spiritual direction style is listening, integrating and holistic. He would like to ask clients to share his or her stories and life first. Then he will try to help his clients to connect the dots of life. Ultimately, Fr. Tat will help to answer three big questions: Who am I? Who are my people? And who is my God? For him, those who are wise would like to seek for spiritual direction. For him, spiritual direction is a discernment to fulfill one’s vocation in life. God has purpose for everyone. Each person needs to learn to discern and do according to the Will of God. Hence, mind, body and soul become healthy, happy and holy.