Reverend Vien Nguyen

Reverend Vien Nguyen, a hero during the wake of a hurricane and ex-pastor of Mary Queen of Vietnam Church guided his community throughout the many disasters New Orleans has faced over the past decade. According to this article, Nguyen opened a two story rectory and schools which were safe from flooding during Hurricane Katrina in order to house the poor and elderly as well as organized boat recue operations for those trapped in their homes.

Reverend Vien Nguyen. Picture obtained from this site.

Following Katrina, he travelled throughout Texas, Louisiana, and Arkansas to meet with Vietnamese evacuees to ensure that they would have the necessary resources to return to New Orleans. Even more, the reverend helped rebuild the Versailles community and made significant improvements to local schools and medical clinics.

In 2010, Archbishop Gregory Aymond asked Nguyen to work for the church tribunal claiming that it "desperately needs more staff." Nguyen continues to serve as an example of true leadership in the wake  of natural disaster and an inspiration to the Vietnamese-American community in New Orleans.