Born on April 20, 1956, into a family of six in Son Tra, Danang, Vietnam, Joseph inherited a deep Catholic faith and strong devotion from his parents and grandparents. In 1969, at the age of 13, he was admitted to study in the Minor Seminary of Saint Joseph in the Diocese of Phu Cuong, Binh Duong Province, Vietnam.

Shortly after the downfall of the South Vietnam regime in 1975, all forms of religious study or training were either restrained or stopped completely: Priests and seminarians were driven out of the institution. The seminary buildings were converted to a “Communist Party” training compound under the ruse of a “voluntary offer” from the diocesan authority. As a consequence, he had to come back home, resorting to farm work to earn his living in the countryside near Saigon. From that farm, he was arrested and incarcerated in “Chi Hoa” prison for no reason. About two years later, since they could not find any reason to indict and keep him in prison, he was released.

In 1986, realizing that he could not stay in Vietnam to continue with his vocation, he fled the country by boat, arriving in Pulau Bidong, Malaysia. From there, he applied for the refugee resettlement program and was admitted to the U.S. in 1987.

A few months after arriving in New York, he applied and was accepted to study at St. Joseph Seminary in Yonkers. Life in the seminary for a new arrival with limited language skills, a different culture, lifestyle, perspective, and very little financial support finally took a toll on his ability to focus. He asked for a break from the study. During that time, he worked odd jobs while going to a trade school as an HVAC technician. He mainly freelanced as a handyman, fixing anything that breaks in the house, be it a broken faucet, circuit breaker, light switch, or replacing a bathtub or toilet bowl, often working until very late at night. He was once robbed and punched in the face and lost a front tooth while riding on the subway home late at night as a result.

Despite going through a tough stretch of life, he still steadfastly kept his ultimate goal in sight: To become a priest.

With prayerful help and support of many people in the Vietnamese community and in the Archdiocese of New York, he was able to return to Saint Joseph’s Seminary a few years later, this time for good. Even though there still were a few bumps here and there on the road to priesthood, with the will, power, and grace from the Almighty God, he finally made it and was ordained to the priesthood by His Eminence Edward Cardinal Egan on May 15, 2005, in Saint Patrick’s Cathedral, New York City.

He was then sent forth to serve in the parish of St. Teresa of the Infant Jesus in Staten Island.

In 2009, with the agreement between Archdioceses of New York and Hartford, Connecticut, he moved to the latter to serve as a full-time chaplain at St. Lawrence O’Toole Church for the Vietnamese Catholic Community of St. Andrew Dung Lac.

Then in 2011, he was assigned to be the chaplain for the Sisters of Charity of Our Lady Mother of Mercy (S.C.M.M.) serving at Saint Lucian’s residence, a nursing home in New Britain, Connecticut.

In July 2023, he returned to the Archdiocese of New York, assigned to be the chaplain of Vassar Brothers Medical Center, Poughkeepsie, where he was admitted to the intensive care unit on October 25, 2025, due to a heart attack.

At 11 p.m. on October 30, 2025, the Reverend Joseph Thuan Tran entered eternal peacefully under the professional and dedicated care of the Vassar Hospital medical staff.

He is survived by three siblings:

Younger sister: Thuy T. Tran, with husband, children, and grandchildren, currently in Vietnam;

Younger brother: Thomas The Tran, with wife and children, currently living in Houston;

Younger brother: Thao The Tran, with wife and children, currently in Victoria, Australia.

RECEPTION OF THE BODY AND WAKE • LYING IN REPOSE
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 • 1-7 p.m.
Church of St. Mary
231 Church Street • Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601 • 845-452-8250

Entrusted to the care of the Timothy P. Doyle Funeral Home, Poughkeepsie

PARISH REQUIEM MASS
Wednesday, Nov. 5, 2025 • 7 p.m.
Church of St. Mary
Most Reverend Edmund J. Whalen, principal celebrant
Reverend George Sears, homilist

MASS OF CHRISTIAN BURIAL
Thursday, November 6, 2025 • 10 a.m.
Church of St. Mary
231 Church Street • Poughkeepsie, N.Y. 12601 • 845-452-8250
Most Reverend Gerardo Colacicco, principal celebrant
Reverend Jeffrey Maurer, homilist

INTERMENT
At the Convenience of the Family

+REQUIESCAT IN PACE+