Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish

About Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish

Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish (Giáo Xứ Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam) is a Vietnamese-American Catholic community in St. Petersburg, Florida, within the Diocese of Saint Petersburg. It is one of two parishes in the diocese that serve the Vietnamese faithful (alongside St. Joseph Vietnamese Parish in Tampa), and it ministers to more than 450 active families in South Pinellas County. The parish is named for the 117 martyrs of Vietnam canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988, and it celebrates its patron feast on November 24 each year.

History of the Parish

The community began on February 15, 1991 when the Diocese of St. Petersburg established the Pastoral Mission of the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam in Largo for about 15 Vietnamese Catholic families. The Diocese formally approved the mission on July 16, 1998, the cornerstone was laid on January 24, 2004, and the first Mass was celebrated April 24, 2005. Bishop Robert N. Lynch consecrated the mission church on December 3, 2005. As the community outgrew the Largo facility, Bishop Gregory Parkes merged it with Transfiguration Parish effective October 21, 2019, creating Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish at 4000 43rd Street N., St. Petersburg, and naming Fr. Nguyen Vu Viet as pastor. A five-month sanctuary renovation began in October 2021 and culminated on March 12, 2022 when Bishop Parkes dedicated a new white-marble altar, ambo, and baptismal font.

• February 15, 1991 — Diocese establishes the Pastoral Mission
• July 16, 1998 — Land granted for a new church in Largo
• January 24, 2004 — Cornerstone laid
• April 24, 2005 — First Mass celebrated
• December 3, 2005 — Mission church consecrated
• October 21, 2019 — Merged with Transfiguration Parish and elevated to parish status
• October 2021 — Sanctuary renovation begins
• March 12, 2022 — Bishop Parkes dedicates the new altar

Clergy

The parish is led by its founding pastor, Rev. Viet Nguyen (Reverend Nguyễn Vũ Việt), appointed by Bishop Gregory Parkes effective October 21, 2019. He is assisted by Deacon John Tran, who serves the parish on a seasonal basis. Father Viet was a political prisoner in Vietnam before migrating to the United States.

• Rev. Viet Nguyen — Pastor
• Deacon John Tran — Seasonal

Parish Organizations (Đoàn Thể)

The parish webpage lists several lay councils and organizations under the heading 'Đoàn Thể'. The Hội Đồng Mục Vụ (Pastoral Council) and Ban Tài Chánh (Finance Council) guide parish life, while the Gia Đình Liên Minh Thánh Tâm brings families together in devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

• Hội Đồng Mục Vụ (Parish Pastoral Council)
• Ban Tài Chánh (Finance Council)
• Ban Thường Vụ (Executive Board)
• Gia Đình Liên Minh Thánh Tâm (Sacred Heart Alliance Family)

Parish Commissions (Ban Ngành Khác)

The parish encourages all members to share their professional gifts in support of parish ministry. The 'Ban Ngành Khác' page lists the operational commissions that keep Sunday Mass and parish events running.

• Ban Liên Lạc (Communications)
• Ban Giúp Lễ (Altar Servers)
• Ban Ẩm Thực (Food / Hospitality)
• Ban Tiếp Tân (Ushers / Greeters)
• Ban Kỹ Thuật (Technical / IT / Live-streaming)
• Ban Âm Thanh (Church Sound System)

Congress to Honor the Vietnamese Martyrs (Đại Hội)

Each November, near the November 24 feast of the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, the parish hosts the annual 'Đại Hội Tôn Vinh Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam' — a multi-day congress with workshops, performances, processions, Eucharistic Adoration, and the veneration of martyrs' relics. In 2025 the congress marked '50 Years of Gratitude and Hope,' celebrating the 1975–2025 journey of Vietnamese Catholics in the United States, with opening Mass celebrated by Bishop Gregory Parkes and keynote speaker Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen of Orange, California.

• Three days of Mass, procession, adoration, and cultural programs
• Veneration of relics of the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam
• Candlelit Marian procession
• Youth program and dramatic reenactments

The New Altar and Sanctuary Renovation

After a five-month renovation that began in October 2021, Bishop Gregory Parkes dedicated the parish's new altar on March 12, 2022. The design intentionally emphasizes Vietnamese Catholic culture: the altar, ambo, and baptismal font are carved from white marble imported from Vietnam. The altar houses relics of St. Rose of Lima and the Vietnamese Martyr St. Dominic Tuoc Vu; beneath the tabernacle is a vessel with first-class relics of 22 of the 117 Holy Martyrs of Vietnam.

• White marble altar, ambo, and baptismal font — all imported from Vietnam
• Relics of St. Rose of Lima and St. Dominic Tuoc Vu in the altar
• First-class relics of 22 Vietnamese Martyrs beneath the tabernacle

Patron and Feast: The 117 Holy Martyrs of Vietnam

The parish takes its name from the 117 Holy Martyrs of Vietnam — 8 bishops, 50 priests, 16 catechists, 1 seminarian, 41 laymen, and 1 laywoman — who gave their lives for the faith between 1745 and 1862. Pope John Paul II canonized them in St. Peter's Square on June 19, 1988, and their memorial is celebrated throughout the universal Church each year on November 24 under the title 'St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc, priest and martyr, and Companions.'

• 117 martyrs canonized June 19, 1988
• Feast day: November 24
• Led by St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc, diocesan priest martyred in Hanoi in 1839

Visiting & Contact

The parish welcomes visitors at 4000 43rd Street N., St. Petersburg, FL 33714. The main office line is (727) 397-7906 (fax 727-397-7913) and the office email is [email protected]. Daily Mass, Vietnamese and bilingual, is offered every day of the week, and confessions are heard before each Mass.

• Address: 4000 43rd Street N, St. Petersburg, FL 33714
• Phone: (727) 397-7906
• Fax: (727) 397-7913
• Email: [email protected]
• Website: cttdvnfl.org