An article on the growing number of Vietnamese American priests.

This changing face of the priesthood was on display recently when the Diocese of Orange, in Southern California, ordained two Vietnamese American seminarians — and a third clergyman — at a Mass celebrated in Vietnamese, Spanish and English.

There now are 50 Asian priests, predominantly Vietnamese, in Orange County — or 15 percent of 331 total priests, according to the diocese. Last year, four of the seven priests ordained in Orange County were of Vietnamese descent.

“This shows the strong faith of the Vietnamese community here,” said Nichol Weber, 34, of Orange, who fled Vietnam with her family when she was 10 and worships at La Purisima Catholic Church with her husband, Tony, 37, and twin boys, Gregory and Evan, 3.

The Webers were among 1,500 people who jammed St. Columban Church in Garden Grove in the heart of Little Saigon to welcome Brendan Manson, Benjamin Tran and Bich Vu into the priesthood.

Bishop of Orange Tod D. Brown, joined by former Bishop Norman McFarland, other Catholic leaders and dozens of priests in flowing white robes, officiated at the ordination — a welcome annual celebration for a church recently beset by abuse scandals.