Rev. Mendie Nguyen (full name: Joseph Mendie Nguyen). was born in Saigon, Vietnam, the third of five siblings. After the Vietnam War ended in 1975, fleeing persecution and seeking freedom and brighter opportunity, he tried to escape the country by boat twice between 1980 and 1987 but failed to reach American soil.

His father Mai Ba Nguyen was sent to a reeducation camp after the war because of his work as a chaplain's assistant in the South Vietnamese Army. In 1989 the U.S. government granted Mr. Nguyen and his family refugee status, enabling them to come to America. By this time, Fr. Mendie had already worked a number of different jobs, including electronic assembly, food production, and machine operation.

Fr. Mendie entered the seminary at the age of 36, first joining the Divine Word Missionaries and then later, the Diocese of San Jose. He completed his studies for the priesthood at St. Patrick Seminary and University in Menlo Park, CA, earning the degrees of B.A. in philosophy, Master of Divinity (M.Div.), and Bachelor of Sacred Theology (S.T.B.).

Following his ordination on June 1, 2013, Father Mendie was assigned to St. Simon Parish in Los Altos, where he served for six years as parochial vicar. St. Joseph of Cupertino is his second assignment as a priest. His motto is taken from the book of Micah in the Old Testament (6:8): "Do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly."