Canada's first Asian Catholic bishop ordained

TORONTO - Rev. Vincent Nguyen became Canada's first Roman Catholic bishop of Asian descent on Wednesday, as well as its youngest bishop.

The ordination took place before 1,100 people at Toronto's St. Michael's Cathedral.

Nguyen, 43, was named an auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of Toronto with responsibility for the areas of Scarborough and Durham just 12 years after becoming a priest.

Several members of his family arrived from Saigon on Monday night so they could be on hand for the ceremony - the first full family reunion in 30 years.

Also present was a former Toronto high school teacher who once taught Nguyen English.

Nguyen fled Vietnam with 19 family members in 1983.

"I don't think at any point in my life I was thinking about the day I'd be ordained bishop," he told CTV.

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  Archbishop of Toronto Thomas Collins, left, applauds after ordaining Auxiliary Bishop Vincent Nguyen at St. Michael's Cathedral in Toronto, on Wednesday, Jan. 13, 2010. (Frank Gunn / THE CANADIAN PRESS)