DOUGLAS, Mass. – When Peter Bui first walked into the COVID-19 ward of Holy Cross Hospital in Silver Springs, Maryland, back in February, the 29-year-old seminarian from the Diocese of Worcester saw beds of sedated patients with tubes protruding from their tracheas. These conduits, about the size in diameter of a penny, filled their lungs with life sustaining oxygen pumped from ventilation machines.

“There was one particular man with a ventilator attached to his throat who could not speak or move,” Bui said, who was assigned to serve as the hospital’s chaplain. “When I came in to greet him, I could see there was no response, but I knew he could hear me.”

Bui sat at his bedside. “I began to describe to him the symbolism of rain water on Easter Lilies and how it represents Christ’s resurrection.” This symbol of rebirth and hope in the Christian faith helped provide the man comfort.

“I knew he was a Baptist,” Bui said. “I asked him if he would like to hear me read some scripture. He nodded slightly. He could hear me, and so I read to him until he fell asleep.”

Inside the office of the Saint Denis Catholic Church rectory in Douglas, Bui reflects on his experience.

“I was the only person allowed to visit these people,” he said. “It was an absolute privilege to be able to visit patients suffering from COVID. Many of them were appreciative to have someone see them. Because of the virus and the severity of their conditions, they were not allowed to have any family members or friends visit. They needed someone to help bear their suffering. I was happy to bring them comfort by bringing God to them, and [have] them share God with me.”

Just five years ago, this fourth-year seminary student lived a very different life. In 2016, Bui worked as a data analyst at Mercer, a consulting insurance company in Norwood, where he was a member of the human resources outsourcing department. The role of a data analyst is to collect, process and perform statistical analysis of data. In other words, Bui would translate the numbers into simple language to help the company make better business decisions.

“I loved data analysis,” Bui said, who is a graduate of Leicester High School and has a psychology degree from Assumption College. “I thought it was fun to problem solve, and I was good at it. My team at Mercer was great. When I first started, everyone was supportive, and they are all great people. I still pray for them now because I want them all to be very successful.”

However, Bui described an emptiness of being stuck behind the synthetic light of a computer screen every day. “It took me a while to realize what was pulling on me,” he said.

The idea of becoming a priest was suggested by friends and family growing up, but Bui always rejected the notion. “I hated the idea of becoming a priest in middle school and high school. I remember kids at school would say, ‘you have this way about you. You should be a priest.’” A broad, toothy grin splashed across Bui’s face as he sat back in his swivel chair. Glancing up to the ceiling, he closed his eyes and shook his head. “Every time I’d hear that I’d say ‘oh my goodness, stop!”

Bui’s first ambition was to be financially successful. “I had my own goals,” he said. “I was determined to be successful in the business world. I wanted to make a lot of money. It’s the human condition to always want more.”

At Mercer, Bui said he felt himself becoming detached. Staring at the computer screen made him feel isolated from the world. This feeling led him to have spiritual conversations with coworkers during lunch breaks. “It got me thinking about possibly becoming a priest.”

Bui comes from a supportive Vietnamese family of devout Catholics. Born in Worcester, he was baptized and received his first Communion at St. John’s Parish, then confirmed by Bishop McManus at Our Lady of Vilna. His parents are immigrants and involved in the Vietnamese community, which worshipped at St. John’s before moving to Our Lady of Vilna in Worcester.

Bui continued to stare at the numbers on his computer screen while grappling with his feelings of detachment. He even described it as “spiritual immaturity.” Next, he spoke to a nun. That talk helped him truly identify his mental and emotional isolation and how the journey to priesthood seemed inevitable. He needed to cleanse his spirit.  

Finally, the innocent act of filling out Christmas cards at work led him to a moment of clarity. “I remember I was writing Christmas cards to retired local veterans during a break at work. I don’t remember what I wrote, but my friend and coworker lit up when she read it. She said it was absolutely beautiful. Looking back, all these little moments were signs from God. I realized these were signs of my true calling. I realized that God was guiding me to where he wanted me to be. God was calling me to follow. I wanted to be a priest because that’s the best way for me to love other people.”

Deciding to pursue the priesthood came with complications. It wasn’t easy to leave a well-paying job.

“After I made the decision, during my annual review at Mercer, my boss was pleased and gave me a five-out-of-five performance score rating. I unfortunately had to tell him I was on my way out.”

To complicate things further, Bui spoke about his dreams of marriage and fatherhood. Not only was he ending that dream, but he also had to break the news to — and heart of — his girlfriend, with whom he had a committed, two-year relationship with.

“Initially, it was a very difficult thing for me to do for sure,” Bui said as the glowing smile faded. As time went by, his girlfriend, who was also a devout Catholic, grew to be a stable source of support. “She encouraged me to follow God and we stayed good friends.”

Coincidentally, his ex-girlfriend followed a similar path.

“The funny thing is that she became a religious sister,” he said with a sense of relief. He said a religious sister, much like Catholic nuns, take vows dedicating themselves to apostolic works. The only difference is that nuns live a cloistered monastic life dedicated to prayer while religious sisters live in the community. Both use the term “sister” as a form of address. “Maybe it was meant to be,” he said.

Bui currently attends seminary at Theological College in Washington, D.C. and was assigned by the Diocese of Worcester to serve Saint Denis Catholic Church this summer. As he walked to the church’s food pantry in the rectory’s basement, he pointed to a fenced square patch of dirt.

“That’s the parishioners’ vegetable garden,” he said proudly. “They did it all themselves.” Then, he turned to a newly built stone walkway leading to the food pantry. “We want people needing food to feel dignified. We’re helping human beings and that’s how they should feel, dignified,” he said. 

Bui then headed for the church and was excited to show off the section of the building where Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) classes take place. Then behind a curtain, stacks of books lined the front of a stage. “These were meant for a book drive that never happened due to COVID, and they have been sitting here for about a year. With COVID winding down, we hope to have the book drive again.”

The Saint Denis Church community has felt the positive impact of Bui’s passion for helping people.

“When I met Peter,” said Father Juan Escudero, the pastor at Saint Denis Church, “[I knew] he was a man of joy. It doesn’t take a minute for everyone to have that realization when they meet Peter. He is also a man of prayer. He loves God and desires to live for Him.”

Escudero said Bui is also a man of service to his fellow man. “From day one, he has been willing to help in any project we have at the parish.”

Bui has two more years of seminary work before he can officially become a priest. “I’m just a seminary,” Bui said modestly. 

As he walked down the center aisle of Saint Denis Church between the rows of pews toward the altar, he took in the silence of the space.

“Many times, I’ll sit alone in the church,” he said. “I’m alone with God and I pray. The silence is a very familiar feeling. It is a feeling I never felt behind that computer screen. I look at this beautiful church and the people in it and I feel a tremendous sense of responsibility to continue to take care of it.”