About Holy Martyrs of Vietnam · Arlington, Virginia
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam is a Vietnamese Catholic personal parish in Arlington, Virginia, in the Diocese of Arlington. Established in 1979, it was the first Vietnamese Catholic parish in the United States, founded to serve the wave of Vietnamese Catholic refugees who resettled in Northern Virginia after 1975. Today the parish is served by Dominican Fathers (Order of Preachers) and worships primarily in Vietnamese, with a weekend Mass schedule of seven Masses across Saturday and Sunday. The parish is also the mother community of the Mission of Our Lady of La Vang in Chantilly/Herndon, founded under its care in 2017.
- Established
- 1979
- Patron
- The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs (canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988)
- Rector
- Rev. Thomas Aquinas Anh Hoang Nguyen, O.P.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Arlington
Why belong here
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam offers one of the largest and most active Vietnamese Catholic communities on the East Coast, with seven weekend Masses, perpetual adoration, and a thriving bilingual religious education and Vietnamese language school serving roughly 500–700 K–12 students each year. Families can put down roots in nine parish choirs, the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (about 400 youth), the Knights of Columbus, the League of the Sacred Heart, the Catholic Women's League, and Our Lady of Fatima prayer groups, while passing on faith and Vietnamese heritage through annual Tết and Mid-Autumn Moon Festival celebrations.
Mass times at Holy Martyrs of Vietnam
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before and after every Mass
- By appointment
Adoration times
- Saturday 5:00–5:30 PM
- First Thursday of the month, 8:30 AM
- First Friday of the month, 7:30 PM
- First Saturday of the month (TNTT), 1:00 PM
Parish History
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam was founded in 1979 as the first Vietnamese Catholic parish in the United States, growing out of the post-1975 refugee community in Northern Virginia. It was originally established as Blessed Martyrs of Vietnam, then renamed in 1989 after Pope John Paul II's canonization of the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs. The parish moved to its current Wakefield Street site in 1985, was dedicated in 1986, and underwent a major renovation completed in 2010. It has been served by Dominican Fathers since 2000.
- Founded August 19, 1979 by Bishop Thomas J. Welsh
- Founding pastor: Rev. Dominic Tran Duy Nhat
- Moved to 915 S. Wakefield St. in 1985; church dedicated 1986
- Renamed Holy Martyrs of Vietnam on January 24, 1989
- Dominican Order assigned to the parish in August 2000
- Major renovation dedicated by Bishop Loverde on June 20, 2010
- 40th anniversary Mass celebrated September 15, 2019
Clergy and Staff
The parish is staffed by Dominican Fathers of the Vietnamese Dominican community, with a pastor, three parochial vicars, and additional Dominican priests in residence. Day-to-day operations are supported by a small lay staff and a large corps of volunteers.
- Pastor: Rev. Thomas Aquinas Anh Hoang Nguyen, O.P.
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. Vincent Thao Ngoc Dinh, O.P.
- Parochical Vicar: Rev. Joseph Tien Minh Vu, O.P.
- Parochial Vicar: Rev. John Baptist Vuong Duc Nguyen, O.P.
- Religious Education / Vietnamese Office: Rev. Peter Dinh Phuong Nguyen, O.P. (703-982-7515, [email protected])
- Parish Secretary: Theresa Mai Tran ([email protected], 703-553-0370)
- Director of Youth Ministry: Quynh-Mai (Mai) Pham ([email protected], 571-275-1102)
Faith Formation & CCD
The parish operates a bilingual Confraternity of Christian Doctrine (CCD) program and Vietnamese language school serving kindergarten through 12th grade, with about 500–700 students enrolled each year and roughly 90 volunteer catechists and aides. CCD classes meet on Saturdays during the school year and are preceded by Vietnamese language classes and followed by a vigil Mass known affectionately as the 'youth Mass.'
- Saturday CCD and Vietnamese language classes, K–12
- Two-year First Communion program (≈50–60 students annually)
- Two-year Confirmation program (≈50–60 students annually)
- Religious Education Office: 703-982-7515, [email protected]
Youth Ministry
Youth ministry at Holy Martyrs of Vietnam is centered on the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM), Sacred Heart Chapter, established at the parish in 1990. VEYM is part of the Apostleship of Prayer (Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network) and seeks to form youth ages 7–17 in Christian life and service.
- VEYM Sacred Heart Chapter (est. 1990) — about 400 youth members
- Approximately 50 youth servant leaders
- Director of Youth Ministry: Quynh-Mai (Mai) Pham
- Includes a Youth Choir
Music & Liturgy
Music is a major part of parish life: the parish counts nine choirs serving various Masses and language groups, including a dedicated youth choir that sings at the Saturday 'youth Mass' following CCD.
- Nine parish choirs in active rotation
- Youth Choir linked to Youth Ministry and CCD
Parish Organizations & Apostolates
The parish supports a wide range of lay organizations and apostolates that bring together different age groups and vocations, including the world's first Vietnamese Knights of Columbus council.
- Knights of Columbus — first Vietnamese council in the world (est. Oct. 27, 1987)
- League of the Sacred Heart
- Catholic Women's League
- Our Lady of Fatima Apostolic Prayer Group
- FaithDirect online giving
Vietnamese Cultural Life
Preserving Vietnamese Catholic culture for new generations is central to the parish's identity. The community gathers twice a year for the Vietnamese Lunar New Year (Tết Nguyên Đán) in February and the Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (Tết Trung Thu) in the fall, with traditional music, food, children's activities, and cultural performances drawing visitors from across the Washington, D.C. area.
- Annual Tết Nguyên Đán (Lunar New Year) festival
- Annual Mid-Autumn Moon Festival (Tết Trung Thu)
- Vietnamese language classes for parishioners' and non-parishioners' children
Mission of Our Lady of La Vang
Our Lady of La Vang is a mission community of Holy Martyrs of Vietnam serving Vietnamese Catholics in western Fairfax and Loudoun Counties. It began as a Vietnamese Mass at St. Thomas à Becket in Reston in 2006, moved to St. Veronica in Chantilly in 2011, and was formally erected as a mission of Holy Martyrs of Vietnam by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge on September 3, 2017, with 422 registered families. In December 2022 the diocese gifted a 33-acre site in Herndon for a permanent church.
- Vietnamese Mass at St. Thomas à Becket, Reston, from 2006
- Moved to St. Veronica, Chantilly, in 2011
- Formally erected as a mission Sept. 3, 2017
- 33-acre Herndon site gifted December 2022 for permanent church
Contact & Visit
Parishioners and visitors can reach the parish office by phone, email, or in person. The parish maintains both English and Vietnamese versions of its website, and live-streams Masses for those unable to attend in person.
- Parish Office: 915 S. Wakefield St., Arlington, VA 22204
- Phone: (703) 553-0370
- Email: [email protected]
- Religious Education / Vietnamese Office: (703) 982-7515, [email protected]
- Youth Ministry: [email protected]
- Rectory: 828 S. Utah St., Lot 1, Arlington, VA
- Website: https://cttdva.org (English and Vietnamese)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Dominic Tran Duy Nhat1979–
Founding pastor; originally arrived as chaplain for the Vietnamese Catholic refugee community.
- Rev. Dominic Tran Dinh Nhi
Second pastor.
- Rev. John B. Tran Binh Trong
Pastored during the 1989 renaming to Holy Martyrs of Vietnam.
- Rev. Anthony Dinh Minh Tien, O.P.
Early Dominican pastor after the Order took over ministry.
- Rev. John B. Nguyen Duc Vuong, O.P.
Dominican pastor.
- Rev. Peter Pham Van Huong, O.P.
Dominican pastor.
- Rev. Peter Hoang Van Thien, O.P.
Dominican pastor.
- Rev. Joseph Tran Trung Liem, O.P.
Dominican pastor.
- Rev. Joseph (An Quoc) Dang, O.P.Installed Sept. 15, 2019
Identified by the Catholic Herald (Dec 2023) as the ninth pastor; installed by Bishop Michael F. Burbidge at the parish's 40th anniversary Mass.