About Our Lady of Lourdes · Houston, Texas
Our Lady of Lourdes (Giáo xứ Đức Mẹ Lộ Đức) is a Roman Catholic parish in northwest Houston, Texas, serving one of the largest Vietnamese Catholic communities in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. Dedicated in 1994 and celebrating its first Mass in 1996, the parish is best known by its Vietnamese name "Lo Duc" and its landmark Romanesque-style church crowned by three copper-shingled spires, which was dedicated in 2011 by Cardinal Joseph Fiorenza on a 20-acre campus just off US-290. A replica of the Lourdes grotto with Stations of the Cross and a sizable parish school of religion ("Trung Tâm Giáo Dục Thánh Giuse") round out a community that gathers primarily in Vietnamese, with a Sunday Mass in English for the wider neighborhood.
- Established
- 1994
- Patron
- Our Lady of Lourdes
- Rector
- Rev. Vincent Thao Ngoc Dinh, O.P.
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
Why belong here
Our Lady of Lourdes offers one of the most active Vietnamese Catholic communities in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, with daily and weekend Masses almost entirely in Vietnamese alongside a Sunday 4:00 PM English Mass that welcomes neighbors of every background. The parish combines a landmark Romanesque church, a Lourdes grotto replica with Stations of the Cross, and a robust parish school of religion offering RCIA, First Communion, two-year Confirmation, Bible study, and youth ministry — making it both a spiritual home for Houston-area Vietnamese Catholics and an inviting destination for visitors who want to experience Marian devotion and a vibrant immigrant Catholic community.
Mass times at Our Lady of Lourdes
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Weekdays: 8:30 AM – 8:50 AM (before Mass)
- Wednesday: 7:00 PM – 7:15 PM (after the 6:30 PM Mass)
- Saturday: 5:30 PM – 6:00 PM (before Vigil Mass)
- First Friday: after the 6:30 PM Mass
Adoration times
- First week of the month during CCE class time: Adoration before Mass (per school schedule)
Parish History & Community
Our Lady of Lourdes was founded in 1994 to serve the growing number of Vietnamese Catholics in Houston and dedicated its first church that same year, beginning regular Masses in 1996. The Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston commissioned a larger Romanesque-style sanctuary in 2010; it was dedicated in 2011 by Cardinal Joseph Fiorenza on a 20-acre campus off US-290. The parish's Vietnamese name, Giáo xứ Đức Mẹ Lộ Đức, reflects a deep devotion to Our Lady of Lourdes rooted in the long historical ties between France and Vietnam.
- Founded: 1994 (original church dedicated); first Masses: 1996
- New church dedicated: 2011 by Cardinal Joseph Fiorenza
- Part of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston
- One of four predominantly Vietnamese Catholic parishes in the archdiocese (with Our Lady of Lavang, Vietnamese Martyrs, and Christ the Incarnate Word)
Church Architecture & Campus
Designed by Houston-based Jackson & Ryan Architects and built by Turner Construction, the 18,000-square-foot sanctuary seats 1,200 worshipers with room for over 300 more in overflow. The exterior is king-sized brick with cast stone trim and three copper-shingled spires at the entry towers that have become a recognizable landmark adjacent to US-290. The interior features vaulted ceilings with acoustical soundproofing, glass-fiber-reinforced gypsum columns, marble stone, and stained red-oak wood trim — earning the project two 2011 Golden Trowel Awards from the Texas Masonry Council.
- Architect: Jackson & Ryan Architects (Houston)
- General Contractor: Turner Construction
- Capacity: 1,200 seats + 300+ overflow
- 2011 Golden Trowel Award – Institutional Excellence (Texas Masonry Council)
- 2011 Golden Trowel Award – Honorable Mention, Outstanding Masonry
The Lourdes Grotto Replica
On the parish grounds just off US-290, the community has built a detailed replica of the grotto at Lourdes, France — the site where St. Bernadette Soubirous reported apparitions of the Blessed Virgin Mary in 1858. The shrine includes a small chapel, a tranquil pond, a walking path, and sculptures narrating the crucifixion of Jesus through the Stations of the Cross. Built so that Houston-area faithful who cannot travel to the original site can still pray there, the grotto is one of the parish's most distinctive devotional features.
- Replica of the Lourdes grotto, France
- Walking path with Stations of the Cross sculptures
- Small chapel on site
- Open to the parish and visiting pilgrims
Faith Formation & Religious Education (Trung Tâm Giáo Dục Thánh Giuse)
The parish runs a robust school of religion called "Trung Tâm Giáo Dục Thánh Giuse" (St. Joseph Education Center), meeting on Sundays after Vietnamese-language classes. The program includes CCE (Confraternity of Christian Doctrine) classes for grades 1–5/6, a two-year Confirmation formation (CFM1 and CFM2) with retreats, First Communion preparation, and an RCIA process for adults. Catechists use the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston's curriculum and the "Be My Disciples" and "Flourish" platforms, and all teachers must complete VIRTUS training every five years.
- RCIA: Sundays 8:30 AM – 12:00 PM
- First Communion & First Reconciliation classes
- Confirmation Year 1 (CFM1) and Year 2 (CFM2) with retreats
- Vietnamese-language classes integrated into Sunday schedule
- First Communion Mass typically in May; Confirmation Mass presided by a visiting priest (e.g., Rev. Clark Sample, 2026)
Marriage Preparation (Lo Duc DBHN)
Engaged couples preparing for marriage at Our Lady of Lourdes participate in the parish's Lo Duc DBHN marriage-prep program, which addresses all the topics required by the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston and pairs each couple with a Mentor couple. The program also gives couples space to discuss issues unique to their relationship. Registration forms are downloaded from the parish website and submitted to the parish office along with a retreat fee.
- Program name: Lo Duc DBHN (Marriage Prep Program)
- Aligned with Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston marriage-prep guidelines
- Includes Mentor couples and retreat
- Registration available on www.loduc.org
Parish Ministries & Outreach
Outside of the Mass schedule, the parish supports more than a dozen active ministries spanning prayer, formation, and service. The Legion of Mary coordinates prayer and volunteering; Bible Study and adult/young-adult religious education feed ongoing formation; and parish groups regularly volunteer with Houston-area partners including the Houston Food Bank and The Beacon homeless center. The parish also brings the Eucharist to the homebound and hospitalized.
- Legion of Mary
- Bible Study
- Adult and Young Adult Religious Education
- Youth Ministry
- Eucharist to the Home/Hospital ministry
- Volunteer at Houston Food Bank
- Volunteer at The Beacon Homeless Center
Clergy & Parish Leadership
The parish is currently served by Rev. Vincent Thao Ngoc Dinh, O.P., a Dominican priest, as Pastor. A Vicar and a Deacon have been named on community profiles, and visiting clergy — including Rev. Clark Sample — periodically preside at major sacramental celebrations such as Confirmation. The Service Council and Financial Council, along with parish staff, handle day-to-day operations of the campus.
- Pastor: Rev. Vincent Thao Ngoc Dinh, O.P.
- Vicar: Rev. Joseph Maria Do Cao Nhan (per Historypin profile)
- Deacon: Joseph Do Nguyen Chuong (per Historypin profile)
- Visiting clergy include Rev. Clark Sample (e.g., 2026 Confirmation Mass)
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Vincent Thao Ngoc Dinh, O.P.
Listed as Pastor on multiple parish directories (Dominican priest, O.P.)