Chinh (Chris) Nguyen, SJ, was born in Saigon, Vietnam. In 1980, At the age of 6, he and his parents, brother and extended family left Vietnam on a fishing boat, and after spending almost two years in refugee camps in Malaysia and the Philippines, they arrived in Sunnyvale, California. Chinh earned a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry and cell biology from the University of California, San Diego, in 1998 and a master’s degree in information systems from Santa Clara University in 2011. Before joining the Society of Jesus, Chinh worked as an IT professional and served as a catechist for youth and young adults for 19 years.
Chinh entered the Society of Jesus in Culver City, California, on August 20, 2017, and pronounced his first vows on August 10, 2019. For first studies, he attended Loyola University Chicago from 2019 to 2021, earning a master’s degree in social philosophy. For regency, he served as a campus minister at the Newman Center at the University of California, San Diego, and as minister of the Casa Miguel Pro Jesuit Community. He then earned his Master of Divinity at the Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University in Berkeley, California. During his time in theology studies, Chinh accompanied the youth ministry at Our Lady of La Vang Parish and Most Holy Trinity Parish in San Jose, California. He also served as a deacon at St. Mary Magdalen Parish in Berkeley. After ordination, Chinh will return to serve at the Newman Center at UC San Diego and will also explore how the Jesuits West Province can better serve youth, young adults and young families.
