In “Boat of No Smiles,” the first video of a four-part series on getting to know Bishop-elect Peter Dai Bui, the bishop-elect shares his family’s personal story of fleeing Vietnam in 1975 in his father’s fishing boat. After Vietnam was divided in 1957, there was a significant refugee movement of nearly 1 million people due to the communist rule and fear of political and religious persecution.
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Escaping in the middle of the night amid darkness, the family — Bishop-elect Bui, his parents and his nine siblings at the time — took a five-day boat trip to Bangkok where they stayed in a refugee camp before eventually flying to Houston, Texas, and finally landing in New Orleans where they made their home. Bishop-elect Bui was 5 years old. The boat journey included an encounter with pirates and the birth of a child on the boat.
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Famous Associated Press photographer, Eddie Adams, captured images of the family during their escape entitled “Boat of No Smiles.” A series of additional images of the unrest in Vietnam were published in his book, “Eddie Adams: Vietnam.”
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The second episode of Getting to know Bishop-elect Peter Dai Bui — “From Atari to the altar” — will premiere on Sunday, Feb. 1 at 11 a.m. on the Diocese of Phoenix YouTube channel.
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Bishop-elect Bui was appointed as the second auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Phoenix on Dec. 19 by Pope Leo XIV and will be ordained a bishop on Tuesday, Feb. 17, at 10 a.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Parish in Avondale, Ariz. Due to limited seating capacity, the Ordination Mass is by invitation only. The Ordination Mass will be broadcast live on More! Arizona, local channel 7 dot 2, Cox Cable 115 and livestreamed on the Diocese of Phoenix YouTube and Facebook platforms, with programing beginning at 9:30 a.m.
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The ordination and the surrounding celebrations are made possible through the generous support of Clint and Jennifer Hickman; Dr. Kenneth and Angeline Osorio; The Diane and Bruce Halle Foundation; Catholic Cemeteries and Funeral Homes; Catholic Education Arizona; Notre Dame Federal Credit Union; AllThrive365; Catholic Charities Community Services; The Society of St. Vincent de Paul; and Catholic Community Foundation. With grateful hearts, we thank these benefactors for their faithful generosity and partnership in supporting the life and mission of the Church.
