By Gia Myers • Posted March 28, 2025

Cardinal O’Hara High School senior David Trinh fondly remembers a favorite pastime when he was around 7 years old, which he lovingly refers to as “pretend Mass.”

Trinh remembers playing the role of priest, which included giving homilies to his family members and imitating Holy Communion using potato chips and ginger ale to represent the sacramental bread and wine.

His father An, a computer programmer, and younger brother Daniel even joined in, serving in the roles of altar servers and lectors.

Today, Trinh is not only the salutatorian of his Cardinal O’Hara graduating class this June, but he’s also the first seminarian to be accepted to St. Charles Borromeo Seminary directly from O’Hara in 20 years.

“He’s a special boy,” said his mom, Trang Vu, a medical lab technician. She remembers when her young son even asked that his parents find him a chalice to make his priestly role seem more authentic.

His father remembers feeling concerned back then that perhaps his son’s beloved pastime could be considered sinful. Yet taking the matter to the sacrament of reconciliation, the priest in the confessional told him not to worry.

Trinh says the priestly role play of his childhood was inspired by frequent Mass attendance with his family, and it eventually grew into his deep desire   to devote his life in service as a Catholic priest.

“Having that frequent exposure to Mass and seeing the priest and what he did on the altar really started that zeal in my heart to become a priest,” he said.

Trinh is not the first in his family tree to pursue a religious vocation. He has two uncles and a cousin who are priests and an aunt who’s a religious sister.

“We were always deep in our faith,” Trinh said of his family.

The Trinh family, including David’s parents and a brother, are parishioners of St. Pius X Parish in Broomall, Delaware County, where David serves at the altar and as sacristan. He’s also a member of a Vietnamese Catholic choir at St. Alice Church in Upper Darby.

As a Cardinal O’Hara student, Trinh says his favorite subjects are calculus and theology. He serves as vice president of the National Honor Society and he’s involved in school ministry activities including the Rosary Club.

These days, Trinh’s pastimes include playing video games, soccer, chess, ping pong and spending time with family and friends.

Trinh eagerly speaks of his many priestly role models, including his two uncles, Msgr. Joseph T. Trinh, pastor of St. Helena Parish in Northeast Philadelphia, and Father Peter Quan Trinh of Divine Mercy Parish in Southwest Philadelphia.

Trinh refers to M. Trinh as a great unifier among his parishioners, and from Father Trinh, the younger Trinh says he learned “that even though priests have struggles and sacrifices, you can still remain joyful.”

Trinh also mentions the three priests at his home parish as being “very influential” in his discernment of the priesthood.

They include Mr. William C. Kaufman, pastor of St. Pius X Parish in Broomall, along with resident priests, Msgr. John J. Jagodzinski and Father August A. Taglianetti, who serves as Cardinal O’Hara’s director of campus ministry.

Father Taglianetti is a model of a priest “being there for other people and being in the person of Christ to other people,” Trinh said.

The priest and the soon-to-be seminarian have known one another since Trinh was a grade school student at St. Pius X School. Father Taglianetti said that “very early on, it was known that David wanted to be a priest.”

He describes Trinh as an “incredibly gifted young man who very sincerely has pursued his vocation and has received a lot of support from his teachers (and) from his peers, which has made the whole thing all the more very exciting” for the whole O’Hara community.

Anticipating his first seminary year, which begins in August, Trinh said he looks forward to having his “priorities straight on God,” and refers to the seminary’s “no phones” policy, which limits seminarians’ digital exposures to Saturdays and during breaks in the school year.

He welcomes “having that opportunity to not have my phone and grow closer to Christ and to use my time more wisely, not waste my time on video games,” he said.

Trinh also looks forward to being the youngest seminarian in his class. “It’ll allow me to mature a lot and realize that I have older brothers looking after me,” he said.

His parents, who fondly remember their young son playing “pretend Mass,” now support him in prayer as he discerns the call to the priesthood.

“The road he’s going on is rough and narrow,” said father An. “I miss him already.”

“I am supporting whatever he wants,” said mother Trang Vu of her son David. “And thank God, he got the calling.”