About Our Lady of Vietnam · Silver Spring, Maryland
Our Lady of Vietnam (Giáo Xứ Mẹ Việt Nam) is a Roman Catholic parish in Silver Spring, Maryland, canonically established in 1990 to serve the Vietnamese Catholic faithful of the Washington, D.C., area. It is a personal ethnic parish within the Archdiocese of Washington and the first Vietnamese Catholic church built from the ground up by Vietnamese Catholics in the Washington region. The parish is best known for its striking pagoda-style architecture — a white building with a red-tile roof topped by a cross — and for keeping the Vietnamese language, Catholic devotions, and refugee-era traditions alive for roughly 600+ families.
- Established
- 1990
- Patron
- Our Lady of Vietnam (Mẹ Việt Nam / Đức Mẹ Việt Nam)
- Rector
- Rev. Tam X. Tran
- Diocese
- Archdiocese of Washington
Why belong here
Our Lady of Vietnam is the spiritual home of Washington's Vietnamese Catholic community, where every Mass is celebrated in Vietnamese and the faith, language, and customs brought from the homeland are kept alive across generations. Daily Mass in Vietnamese, regular Eucharistic Adoration, Divine Mercy Chaplet, Rosary, and a thriving youth and family-formation program (Giáo Lý & Việt Ngữ) give parishioners deep liturgical and pastoral roots. It is a place where roughly 600 families — many descended from the refugees who fled after the fall of Saigon — find friendship, sacraments, Vietnamese-language classes for their children, and the sacraments of First Communion and Confirmation celebrated in their mother tongue.
Mass times at Our Lady of Vietnam
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Monday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Tuesday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Wednesday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Thursday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Friday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
- Saturday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM
Adoration times
- Monday–Saturday 6:30 PM – 7:00 PM (before each daily Mass)
- First Friday 8:30 AM – 6:30 PM (extended Adoration)
History & Founding of Our Lady of Vietnam
Our Lady of Vietnam grew out of the post-1975 Vietnamese Catholic refugee community in the Washington, D.C., region. In September 1979 the Archdiocese of Washington formally created a Vietnamese Catholic mission under the name Nữ Vương Việt Nam / Our Lady of Vietnam, with Fr. Peter Long T. Nguyen as its first chaplain. For years, the community worshipped in the small ranch house at 11812 New Hampshire Avenue that served as both rectory and chapel. In 1990 Cardinal James Hickey canonically established the mission as a full parish. A new church — the first Vietnamese Catholic church built from the ground up by Vietnamese in the Washington area — was festively blessed on August 28, 1993, and a second floor was added in 2000. By its 25th anniversary, the parish numbered more than 600 families.
- 1979: Mission established at 11812 New Hampshire Ave.
- Circa late 1980s: ~350 families, Mass in living room with 8 pews
- 1990: Canonically established as a parish
- August 28, 1993: Blessing of the new pagoda-style church by Cardinal Hickey
- 2000: Second floor completed
- April 12, 2015: 25th anniversary Mass celebrated by Cardinal Donald Wuerl
- Today: Over 600 families / ~2,000 parishioners
Architecture & Sacred Heritage
The church was deliberately designed to evoke a Vietnamese pagoda, so that a people who fled their homeland in 1975 would have a spiritual home that visually remembers where they came from. The most distinctive feature is the cross at the highest peak, signaling at once the Catholic faith and the Vietnamese cultural setting of the worshipping community. Above the front entrance hang three gifts sent to the founding pastor, Msgr. Peter Long, from three different Vietnamese dioceses — a drum from Saigon, a bell from Hanoi, and a gong from Hue — making the building itself a memorial to the country the parishioners left.
- White building with red-tile roof in a pagoda-inspired style
- Cross topping the highest peak
- Drum from Saigon, bell from Hanoi, gong from Hue at the entrance
Clergy & Parish Staff
Our Lady of Vietnam is staffed by a Vietnamese-speaking pastor, a deacon, a parish secretary, and a coordinator of religious education. The current pastor is Rev. Tam X. Tran. Deacon Nguyen T. Nguyen assists, and Thuy-Anh Hoang serves as secretary and Coordinator of Religious Education.
- Pastor: Rev. Tam X. Tran
- Deacon: Deacon Nguyen T. Nguyen
- Secretary: Thuy-Anh Hoang
- Coordinator of Religious Education: Thuy-Anh Hoang
- Founding pastor (deceased): Msgr. Peter Long T. Nguyen
Faith Formation & Vietnamese Language
Under the heading Giáo Lý & Việt Ngữ (Catechesis & Vietnamese Language), the parish runs a combined faith-formation and Vietnamese-language school for children, meeting on Sundays on the parish grounds. Students in Religious Education must be present before 1:25 PM; students attending only the Vietnamese language class must be present before 2:55 PM. Dismissal times are 2:50 PM (catechesis) and 4:20 PM (Vietnamese language). The parish publishes an annual calendar, registration forms, and a parents' handbook; parents are asked to communicate directly with their child's teacher rather than the parish office or pastor for routine absences.
- Giáo Lý (Catechesis) and Việt Ngữ (Vietnamese language) classes
- Sunday school year 2025–2026 calendar published on the parish site
- Grade 2: First Reconciliation & First Holy Communion preparation
- Parents' handbook, school calendar, and registration forms posted online
- Coordinator: Thuy-Anh Hoang (parish office 301-622-4895 ext. 4)
Sacraments for Children & Youth
Children of the parish receive First Reconciliation and First Holy Communion in a Grade-2 year of preparation, anchored by a retreat day and a First Communion Mass at the parish. Confirmation is a two-year program: Year 1 and Year 2 sessions run throughout the school year, with a culminating Confirmation Mass celebrated by an Auxiliary Bishop of Washington.
- First Reconciliation Retreat: Saturday May 30, 2026
- First Holy Communion: Saturday June 6, 2026, 6 PM (Vigil Mass of Corpus Christi)
- Confirmation Year 2 Session 10 (Feb 8): Church-Community Service
- Confirmation Year 2 Session 11 (Feb 15): Youth Mass + Catechesis 4 'Why Wait? 6th & 9th Commandments'
- Confirmation Year 2 Session 12 (Feb 22): Prayer 2 — Rosary and Catholic Devotions
- Confirmation conferred by Most Rev. Juan Esposito, Auxiliary Bishop of Washington, on Friday May 29, 2026 at 6 PM
Youth Ministry & Eucharistic Youth Movement
Our Lady of Vietnam runs an active Giới Trẻ (Youth Group) program under a Youth Ministry Coordinator, with a monthly Youth Mass at the parish and regular catechetical and service activities for teenagers. Children also participate in Đoàn Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể Anrê Dũng Lạc, the local chapter of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (TNTT), which resumes activities each September after summer break and welcomes new members via registration after Sunday Masses in August and September.
- Giới Trẻ (parish Youth Group) with Youth Ministry Coordinator Mr. Trần Minh Hiếu ([email protected] / 240-515-8061)
- Monthly Youth Mass on Sundays at 11 AM
- Đoàn Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể Anrê Dũng Lạc (TNTT chapter)
- Annual registration in August–September; contact Đoàn Trưởng Mandy at (443) 917-1294
Child Protection & Safe Environment
In line with Archdiocese of Washington policy, Our Lady of Vietnam operates a Child Protection (Bảo Vệ Trẻ Em) program that includes a published training schedule, a program overview, a Child Protection policy, a Parents' Guide, Top Safety Tips for Parents, Internet Safety/Cyber-Bullying/Sexting guidance, and a Healthy Teen Relationship and Kid's Guide to Bullying resource. Parents with questions are invited to contact the pastor directly.
- Training schedule and program overview published
- Child Protection Policy (Chính Sách Bảo Vệ Trẻ Em)
- Parents' Guide, Top Safety Tips, Internet/Cyberbullying resources
- Healthy Teen Relationship & Kid's Guide to Bullying materials
Parish Life & Community
Beyond Mass and devotions, Our Lady of Vietnam is a tight-knit community that organizes traditional Vietnamese-Catholic celebrations, fundraising fairs, and intergenerational activities. The parish basil- and ground-floor spaces host faith-formation classes, youth gatherings, and service activities. Many of the parish's several hundred families are descendants of the refugees who arrived after 1975, and preserving Vietnamese — through Sunday language classes, devotions, and culture — is a stated goal of the community alongside proclaiming the Catholic faith.
- Combined faith-formation and Vietnamese-language classes for children
- Friday evening and Saturday afternoon devotions (Adoration, Rosary, Divine Mercy Chaplet)
- Tet (Lunar New Year) fair and parish hall events
- Two-year Confirmation program culminating in a Mass with the Auxiliary Bishop
Office, Address & Visiting
The parish office (Văn Phòng Giáo Xứ) is reached at 301-622-4895 and by email at [email protected]. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, and Friday from 10:00 AM to 3:00 PM, closed on Wednesdays, and open Sunday from 10:00 AM to 1:00 PM. The church and parish complex at 11812 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20904-2861, is wheelchair accessible. The parish is part of the Archdiocese of Washington.
- Address: 11812 New Hampshire Avenue, Silver Spring, MD 20904-2861
- Phone: 301-622-4895
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Mon/Tue/Thu/Fri 10 AM–3 PM; Sun 10 AM–1 PM; closed Wed
- Wheelchair accessible
- Part of the Archdiocese of Washington
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Peter Long T. Nguyen (later Msgr. Peter Long)1979 – circa early 2000s
Founding chaplain/pastor of the Vietnamese mission, then of the 1990 parish. Built the first Vietnamese Catholic church in the Washington area from the ground up, raising funds nationwide; celebrated the new church's blessing by Cardinal James Hickey on August 28, 1993. Received a drum from Saigon, a bell from Hanoi, and a gong from Hue. Now deceased.
- Fr. An Vumid-2000s (reported as 'pastor for the past year' in NCR profile)
Vietnamese-born priest of the generation that fled Vietnam after 1975; came to OLVN after serving as associate and pastor of a mostly African-American parish. Featured in the National Catholic Reporter.
- Rev. Tam X. Tranpresent (listed on ADW parish page)
Current pastor per the Archdiocese of Washington parish page.