About St. Paul the Apostle · Springfield, Massachusetts
St. Paul the Apostle is a Roman Catholic parish in Springfield, Massachusetts, belonging to the Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts. It was established in 1963 from a split of Holy Name Parish (with additional families from St. Michael's in East Longmeadow) and has served a multicultural community for more than 60 years. After nearly closing in the early 2000s, the parish was revitalized beginning in 2006 when the Vietnamese Catholic community from Holy Name moved in with their pastor, Rev. Quynh Dinh Tran, and today it is known as one of the most vibrant, youth-filled parishes in the diocese. Mass is celebrated in both English and Vietnamese, and the parish is recognized as a center for Vietnamese-American Catholic life in western Massachusetts.
- Established
- 1963
- Patron
- St. Paul the Apostle
- Rector
- Rev. Peter Ha Dinh-Dang (Father Ha)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Why belong here
St. Paul the Apostle is one of the most vibrant, youth-filled parishes in the Diocese of Springfield, with more than 100 young people active in its youth ministry spanning kindergarten through 12th grade. Its bilingual English-and-Vietnamese community welcomes both longtime English-speaking parishioners from the original Forest Park neighborhood and Vietnamese-American families who found a home here since 2006. The parish offers daily Mass, a Saturday Vigil and Sunday schedule in two languages, an active youth group, a large parish hall (St. Joseph Hall) for social and faith-formation events, and regular opportunities for sacraments, devotions, and community gatherings like the annual parish picnic.
Mass times at St. Paul the Apostle
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- Saturday: 4:00 PM – 4:20 PM (or by appointment)
- Sunday: 10:00 AM – 10:45 AM (or by appointment)
Parish History — From 1963 Founding to a Multicultural Revival
St. Paul the Apostle was carved out of Holy Name Parish in Springfield in 1960 and held its first Mass on September 8, 1963. The new church on Dwight Road was officially dedicated September 8, 1968. After decades of steady life, the parish was on the verge of being closed by the diocese in 2005, with only about 125 registered families. Its rescue began in 2003 when the Diocese yoked St. Joseph Mission Church in East Longmeadow with St. Paul's (St. Joseph's later closed), and was completed in 2006 when Father Quynh Dinh Tran was assigned to St. Paul's, bringing more than 100 Vietnamese-American Catholic families with him. By 2007 the Southeast Asian Apostolate had moved from Holy Name to St. Paul's, and today the parish is one of the most vibrant in the diocese.
- 1960 — Monsignor Connor of Holy Name announces formation of a new parish from Holy Name and St. Michael's of East Longmeadow.
- September 8, 1963 — First Mass celebrated at St. Paul's.
- 2003 — St. Joseph Mission in East Longmeadow is yoked with St. Paul the Apostle and later closes.
- 2005 — Diocese announces a preliminary decision to close St. Paul's; parish has ~125 families.
- 2006 — Father Quynh Dinh Tran arrives from Holy Name with 100+ Vietnamese families.
- 2007 — Southeast Asian Apostolate relocates fully to St. Paul's.
- 2008 — Father Tran steps down; Father Peter Ha Dinh-Dang named administrator in September 2013.
- May 10, 2014 — Bishop McDonnell dedicates St. Joseph Hall (7,500 sq ft).
- May 12, 2018 — Bishop Rozanski ordains three seminarians to the transitional diaconate at St. Paul's.
- June 30, 2024 — Bishop Byrne confirms 12 teens and blesses a new statue of the Blessed Mother.
- November 23, 2025 — Parish youth participate in Jubilee Year Mass for the Vietnamese community at St. Michael's Cathedral.
A Bilingual English-and-Vietnamese Parish
St. Paul the Apostle is one of the few parishes in the Diocese of Springfield that regularly celebrates Mass in both English and Vietnamese. Many of the Vietnamese-American parishioners are refugees or descendants of refugees who fled Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in 1975. The community was welcomed to St. Paul's in 2006 and quickly became the heart of the parish's renewed life. Parish leaders and Father Ha have emphasized 'one faith, one family' — integrating Vietnamese and English cultures through combined liturgies, religious education, social events, and shared youth ministry. The parish was specifically highlighted by Bishop William D. Byrne as 'filled with young people, young families, children' and 'a very vibrant community that spans all the generations' when he celebrated the Jubilee Year Mass for the Vietnamese community in November 2025.
- Vietnamese Saturday morning Mass at 8:00 AM
- Vietnamese Sunday Mass at 11:00 AM
- Combined Vietnamese-English liturgical celebrations
- Traditional Vietnamese liturgical dance performed by youth
Youth Ministry and VEYM (Đoàn Đôminicô Saviô)
St. Paul the Apostle is recognized across the diocese for its unusually large and active youth ministry, which serves more than 100 young people from kindergarten through 12th grade. The parish hosts a chapter of the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (VEYM) called Đoàn Đôminicô Saviô, which traces its origins to a 2000 founding at the Queen of Vietnamese Martyrs community and now operates from 235 Dwight Road. The youth group is regularly featured at diocesan events — they performed a traditional liturgical dance at the Jubilee Year Mass for the Vietnamese community at St. Michael's Cathedral in November 2025 and have been cited by the diocesan vocations office as a model of vibrant young-adult faith life.
- Youth Ministry K–12 with 100+ participants
- Đoàn Đôminicô Saviô — VEYM chapter based at St. Paul's
- Diocesan Youth Days and Catholic Youth Conference participation
- Leadership by youth and junior youth leaders
Faith Formation and Sacraments
The parish offers preparation for the sacraments in both English and Vietnamese, including baptism preparation, first Communion, confirmation, marriage, and anointing of the sick. Confirmation classes have been a particular focus: Bishop Byrne confirmed 12 teens at the 11 AM Mass on June 30, 2024, and Father Ha continues to emphasize bringing young parishioners into full communion with the Church. Religious education is integrated across Vietnamese and English cultures.
- Confirmation program
- Baptism preparation
- First Communion preparation
- Marriage preparation
- Religious Education classes
St. Joseph Hall and Parish Facilities
On May 10, 2014, Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell celebrated a 4 PM confirmation Mass and blessed the parish's new 7,500-square-foot social center, named St. Joseph Hall in honor of the former parishioners of St. Joseph Mission Church in East Longmeadow. The hall provides space for parish meetings, religious education, social events, and the annual parish picnic, which was revived in September 2025 after a pandemic hiatus.
- St. Joseph Hall — 7,500 sq ft social center, dedicated May 10, 2014
- Named for former parishioners of St. Joseph Mission, East Longmeadow
- Hosts faith-formation classes, parish meetings, and social events
Parish Life and Community Events
Beyond liturgy, St. Paul's is a community gathering place. The annual parish picnic — featuring authentic Vietnamese food, straw games, bingo, and baked goods — was held Sunday, September 7, 2025 from 12–5 PM, the first since the COVID-19 pandemic. The parish regularly hosts combined cultural celebrations and welcomes visitors to its social center on Dwight Road.
- Annual parish picnic (resumed September 7, 2025)
- Authentic Vietnamese foods alongside traditional American parish activities
- Youth-led social and fundraising events
- Combined liturgical celebrations
Getting in Touch
Parishioners and visitors can reach St. Paul the Apostle by phone, email, or in person during office hours. The parish office is open Monday through Friday, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM.
- Address: 235 Dwight Road, Springfield, MA 01108
- Phone: (413) 737-4422
- Email: [email protected]
- Office Hours: Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 2:00 PM
- Diocese: Diocese of Springfield in Massachusetts
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Quynh Dinh Tran2006–2013 (leave of absence)
Bilingual pastor who arrived from Holy Name Parish with more than 100 Vietnamese-American families and revitalized the parish.
- Rev. Peter Ha Dinh-Dang (Father Ha)2013–present
Named administrator in September 2013; became pastor. Concelebrated the Jubilee Year Mass for the Vietnamese community in November 2025.