About Holy Vietnamese Martyrs · Austin, Texas
Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church (Giáo Xứ Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam) is a Vietnamese-American Roman Catholic parish located at 1107 E. Yager Lane in northeast Austin, Texas, within the Diocese of Austin. It is the only Vietnamese Catholic parish in the diocese, growing from a small refugee community of about 130 families into a thriving congregation of thousands. Most Masses are celebrated in Vietnamese, with one Sunday Mass offered in English, and the parish operates extensive bilingual religious education, Vietnamese-language classes, youth programs, and a vocation ministry.
- Established
- 1990
- Patron
- The Vietnamese Martyrs (Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam) — the canonized Vietnamese martyrs of the Catholic faith
- Rector
- Rev. Joseph Phạm Lê-Minh (Linh Mục Chánh Xứ Giuse Phạm Lê-Minh)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Austin
Why belong here
HVMCC is the spiritual home of Austin's Vietnamese Catholic community and the only Vietnamese parish in the Diocese of Austin. It offers daily and Sunday Mass in Vietnamese alongside a Sunday English Mass, an unusually rich Eucharistic Adoration schedule (community adoration, silent adoration, and prayers for vocations every Friday), a vibrant Young Adult Ministry for ages 18–35, the TNTT Don Bosco Austin youth movement, Cursillo in Christianity, bilingual religious education, Vietnamese-language and ESL classes, and a parish-wide vocation ministry. For Vietnamese Catholics in central Texas — and for anyone drawn to its bicultural and bilingual worship — HVMCC is a place to keep Vietnamese Catholic tradition, language, and community alive within the American Church.
Mass times at Holy Vietnamese Martyrs
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday – Saturday: 6:00 PM – 6:45 PM
- Or by appointment
Adoration times
- Every Friday in the Chapel — Community Adoration: 9:00 AM – 10:00 AM
- Every Friday in the Chapel — Silent Adoration: 10:00 AM – 5:15 PM (or 5:45 PM per bulletin)
- Every Friday — Prayer for Vocations: 5:15 PM – 6:00 PM (or 5:45 PM – 6:15 PM per bulletin)
- First Friday of the Month in the Church — Community Adoration: 7:45 PM
- First Saturday of the Month — Community Adoration: 7:45 PM
History of Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Parish
Vietnamese Catholic ministry in Austin began on September 2, 1975, when Father Joseph Van Anh Nguyen was assigned to Sacred Heart Parish to care for refugees from central and southern Vietnam. In 1987 he moved with the community to St. Joseph Church in Manor, where he served roughly 120 families. On June 13, 1990, Bishop John McCarthy authorized the community to purchase an unfinished 3-acre commercial property on E. Yager Lane for $175,000; the existing structures were gradually repurposed into the current church complex. Bishop McCarthy formally elevated the community to parish status on May 14, 1993 — making HVMCC the only Vietnamese parish in the Diocese of Austin. Its founding pastor, Msgr. Joseph Nguyễn Anh Văn, retired on October 25, 2015, after Bishop Joe Vásquez issued the appointment letter transferring leadership to Father Giuse Phạm Lê-Minh.
- 1975 — Father Joseph Van Anh Nguyen assigned to Sacred Heart Parish, Austin, for Vietnamese refugee ministry
- 1987 — community relocates to St. Joseph Church in Manor with ~120 families
- June 13, 1990 — Bishop John McCarthy approves the community as a parish; 3-acre E. Yager Lane property purchased for $175,000
- May 14, 1993 — Bishop McCarthy formally elevates the community to parish status
- October 25, 2015 — Founding pastor Msgr. Nguyễn Anh Văn retires; Father Giuse Phạm Lê-Minh succeeds him
Parish Staff and Clergy
The pastoral team includes the pastor, an emeritus monsignor, three deacons, a religious sister, and lay staff handling religious education and parish administration. Sister Ane Monica Nguyễn, CSC, serves the parish, and Anna Mai Kim Châu is the Religious Education assistant, with Lucie Lý Hoàn Kim as parish secretary.
- Pastor: Rev. Joseph Phạm Lê-Minh — (512) 834-8483
- Pastor Emeritus: Rev. Msgr. Joseph Nguyễn Anh Văn
- Deacon Joseph Mai Thế Hòa — (512) 785-4488
- Deacon Joseph Nguyễn Duy Giáo — (512) 659-5962
- Deacon Đôminicô Hoàng Bình Hải — (512) 773-9658
- Sister Ane Monica Nguyễn, CSC — (512) 736-7463
- Anna Mai Kim Châu — DRE Assistant
- Lucie Lý Hoàn Kim — Parish Secretary
- Đôminicô Hoàng Bình Hải — Office Assistant
Faith Formation and Religious Education
The Bilingual Religious Education program (Chương Trình Giáo Lý) follows Diocese of Austin guidelines and serves the parish's children and youth. It aims to deepen Catholic Christian identity through religious instruction, conscience formation, prayer, worship, and Christian service — modeling its work on Jesus and embracing both Vietnamese and American cultures. The program is led by Nguyễn Lan as Trưởng Ban (director) with a parish coreteam.
- Religious Education / Giáo Lý (CCD, bilingual, per Diocese of Austin guidelines)
- First Communion and Confirmation preparation
- Program director: Nguyễn Lan
Education and Language Programs
Alongside religious education, HVMCC runs a robust set of community education programs in Vietnamese and English. Vietnamese Language Classes meet Saturdays 9:00 AM to 12:00 PM for ages 6–18, ESL classes meet on Sundays, and a U.S. Citizenship Class is offered for Vietnamese-speaking adults. These programs run from late August through the third week of May each year.
- Vietnamese Language Classes — Saturdays 9:00 AM – 12:00 PM, ages 6–18
- ESL (English as a Second Language) — Sundays, adults
- U.S. Citizenship Class for Vietnamese speakers — Sundays
- Program year: late August through third week of May
Ministries and Organizations
HVMCC's ministries serve every age and stage of life. Cursillo in Christianity operates a Vietnamese sector within the Diocese of Austin, structured around the three-legged stool of Piety, Study, and Action, with separate men's and women's groups, a spiritual advisor (Father Bernard Nguyễn Thế Hùng), and a lay secretariat. The Young Adult Ministry (YAM), for ages 18–35, gathers for shared meals, formation, and fellowship. TNTT Don Bosco Austin has led youth to Jesus in the Eucharist at the parish since 1993 and currently includes 80+ leaders and 350+ youth members. The parish Vocation Ministry promotes vocations to the priesthood and religious life, including promoting the diocesan Project Andrew discernment day.
- Cursillo in Christianity (Vietnamese sector, Diocese of Austin)
- Young Adult Ministry (YAM), ages 18–35 — [email protected]
- TNTT Don Bosco Austin — youth movement since 1993
- Vocation Ministry — [email protected]
- Choir and liturgical music ministry
- Parish hospitality and ushers
Sacraments
The parish prepares and celebrates all seven sacraments. Baptisms are normally celebrated the third Sunday of the month after the 12:30 PM Mass. Couples preparing for marriage are asked to contact the office at least six months in advance and to attend the parish's annual Marriage Preparation class (in 2026, a weekend class running June 12 at 6:30 PM through June 14 at 2:00 PM). Reconciliation is offered Monday–Saturday before evening Mass, and the sick may request Anointing of the Sick through the parish office.
- Baptism — third Sunday of the month after the 12:30 PM Mass
- First Communion and Confirmation via Religious Education
- Marriage — 6-month notice; annual Marriage Prep class required
- Reconciliation — Mon–Sat 6:00–6:45 PM or by appointment
- Anointing of the Sick — by appointment
Community and Cultural Life
HVMCC blends Catholic worship with Vietnamese cultural traditions. The parish is well known for its annual Lunar New Year (Tết) celebration, which Bishop Joe Vásquez has attended and which features the traditional khan dong, music, food, and gift-giving to elders. The parish activity center hosts the celebration, with parishioners like Hai Hoang helping to coordinate the band, food, and decorations. The community's identity is rooted in faith and in keeping Vietnamese Catholic culture alive for new generations.
- Annual Tết (Vietnamese Lunar New Year) celebration with the Bishop
- Traditional khan dong attire and cultural performances
- Parish activity center used for large community gatherings
Visiting and Contacting the Parish
The parish offices are open Monday–Thursday from 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Fridays from 12:00 PM to 2:00 PM. Visitors can reach the office at (512) 834-8483, and the parish livestreams its daily Mass on its YouTube channel. The E. Yager Lane campus includes the church, a chapel, a parish hall (used as the former commercial structure converted in 1990), classrooms, a grotto of Our Lady, the rectory, and parking.
- Parish Office: 1107 E. Yager Lane, Austin, TX 78753
- Phone: (512) 834-8483
- Office hours: Mon–Thu 10:00 AM – 5:00 PM; Fri 12:00 PM – 2:00 PM
- Daily Mass livestreamed via the parish YouTube channel
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Msgr. Joseph Nguyễn Anh Văn1990 – October 25, 2015 (founding pastor; shepherded the community since 1975)
Established the parish in 1990 and oversaw its growth from about 130 families to thousands of parishioners; retired after receiving a letter of appointment from Bishop Joe Vásquez on October 26, 2015.
- Rev. Joseph Phạm Lê-Minh (Giuse Phạm Lê-Minh)2015 – present
Came to HVMCC after 17 years as pastor of St. Margaret Mary Parish in Cedar Creek, Texas. Emigrated to the U.S. from Vietnam as an 11-year-old boy.