Vincent Long Van Nguyen was born on 3 December 1961 in Gia-Kiem, Vietnam, the fourth in a family of five sons and two daughters. In 1972, he joined the diocese of Xuan-Loo's minor seminary, Long-Khanh, later disbanded by the communist government. He escaped from Vietnam as a boat person in 1980, finally arriving in Australia in December 1981.

As a result of the fall of Saigon his family is scattered around the world: he has three brothers in Holland, one sister in Vietnam, and his parents, a brother and a sister in Melbourne.

In 1983 he became a Conventual Franciscan friar and commenced his studies for the priesthood in Melbourne in 1984. He was conferred with a Bachelor of Theology at Yarra Theological College, Box Hill in 1988.

Three years after his priestly ordination on 30 December 1989 he was sent to Rome for further studies and in 1994 was awarded a licentiate in Christology and Spirituality from the Pontifical Faculty of St Bonaventure.

Returning to Australia, he was assigned as a formator in his Order and as an assistant priest at Kellyville, NSW from 1995-1998. He was appointed parish priest of Kellyville for four years and then served as parish priest of Springvale, Victoria from 2002-2008.

He was elected superior of his Order in Australia in 2005 and president of the Federation of Conventuals in Asia-Oceania in 2006. In 2008 he was called to Rome to serve as Assistant General of the Order.

On 20 May 2011, His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI appointed Fr Vincent as Auxiliary Bishop for the Archdiocese of Melbourne assigning him the Episcopal see of Tala.

Bishop Vincent Long's Episcopal ordination took place at St Patrick's Cathedral Melbourne on 23 June 2011.

Bishop Long is auxiliary bishop to the Western Region.