About Vietnamese Martyrs · Arlington, Texas
Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church is a Vietnamese-heritage Catholic parish in Arlington, Texas, in the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth. Founded in 2000 by Bishop Joseph Delaney, it grew out of a small community of Vietnamese refugee families — many of them resettled in the DFW area after the fall of Saigon in 1975 — who first gathered at St. Matthew Catholic Church in southeast Arlington. Today it is the largest Vietnamese Catholic church in the United States, with more than 3,500 people attending its weekend Masses across four services, most celebrated in Vietnamese with one Sunday Mass in English. The parish sits on a 12-acre campus at 801 East Mayfield Road, its current building dedicated in December 2011, and it is staffed from its foundation by priests of the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix (now the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, CRM), based in Carthage, Missouri.
- Established
- 2000
- Patron
- The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs (Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc and Companions), canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988
- Rector
- Rev. John M. Tinh Trần, CRM (Pastor)
- Diocese
- Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth
Why belong here
Vietnamese Martyrs is a vibrant spiritual home where the Vietnamese Catholic community of Arlington, Grand Prairie, Mansfield, and Fort Worth gathers to celebrate the Eucharist in their mother tongue while preserving their cultural and faith heritage. With four weekend Masses — three in Vietnamese and one in English — daily Mass in Vietnamese, Eucharistic Adoration, the Divine Mercy Hour, and a Taizé-style silent prayer on Fridays, there are rich opportunities for prayer and devotion throughout the week. Faith formation is led by two Lovers of the Holy Cross sisters, Sr. Theresa Trần and Sr. Maria Chu, who minister to more than 1,600 families, and the parish is part of the broader diocesan family of the Diocese of Fort Worth. Visitors and newcomers are warmly welcomed to join in worship, fellowship, and service in the love of Christ.
Mass times at Vietnamese Martyrs
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each Mass
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Sunday: 3:00–4:00 PM (Divine Mercy Hour)
- Thursday: 9:00 AM – 5:45 PM (Silent Adoration, concluding before 6:00 PM Mass)
- Friday: 6:30–9:00 PM (Silent Adoration; TNTT 117 • Divine Mercy at 8:30 PM)
Parish History and Heritage
Vietnamese Martyrs Parish traces its roots to the wave of Vietnamese Catholic refugees who fled communist Vietnam after the fall of Saigon in April 1975. Resettled in the Arlington area by Catholic relief agencies, the original community began as a dozen families attending St. Matthew Catholic Church in southeast Arlington. By 1997 the community had grown to more than 500 families, prompting a request to the diocese for their own parish. Bishop Joseph Delaney announced the creation of the parish in May 1997, and Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Parish was formally established in 2000. The parish takes its name from the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988, whose feast is celebrated on November 24.
- Established in 2000 by Bishop Joseph Delaney, Diocese of Fort Worth
- Grew from a dozen refugee families at St. Matthew Church to 500+ families by 1997
- Named for the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs (feast day November 24)
The New Church Building (2011)
By 2008 the parish had outgrown its original worship space — a converted Food Lion supermarket — and Bishop Kevin Vann approved construction of a new church in July of that year. The new 29,000-square-foot building at 801 East Mayfield Road was dedicated and consecrated by Bishop Vann on December 10, 2011. It seats 2,000 persons, making it the largest Vietnamese Catholic church in the United States at the time of its dedication. The $6.8 million building is accented with more than 750,000 pounds of Vietnamese marble and granite, an altar of marble from Vietnam, American oak pews that were crafted in Vietnam, and ten marble statues of saints also imported from Vietnam. A distinctive bell tower visible from Interstate 20 marks the campus.
- 29,000-square-foot church seating 2,000, dedicated December 10, 2011
- Bell tower visible from Interstate 20
- 750,000+ pounds of Vietnamese marble and granite
- Altars, statues, and liturgical furnishings imported from Vietnam
Clergy and Religious Staff
The parish has been staffed since its founding by members of the Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix (now the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer, CRM), a Vietnamese order of priests based in Carthage, Missouri, whose members came to the United States as refugees in 1975. The current pastor is Rev. John M. Tinh Trần, CRM, assisted by two parochial vicars, Rev. Gabriel M. Thuận Trung Vũ, CRM, and Rev. Augustine An Hồng Phạm, CRM, together with a deacon brother, Gioan B. Nguyễn Thông Ban, and two permanent deacons, Dcn. Dominic Thi Hoang and Dcn. John Ban Nguyễn.
- Pastor: Rev. John M. Tinh Trần, CRM
- Parochial Vicars: Rev. Gabriel M. Thuận Trung Vũ, CRM and Rev. Augustine An Hồng Phạm, CRM
- Deacons: Dcn. Dominic Thi Hoang; Dcn. John Ban Nguyễn; Bro. Gioan B. Nguyễn Thông Ban
- Bookkeeper: Teresa Vũ
Religious Sisters — Lovers of the Holy Cross
Two sisters from the Lovers of the Holy Cross (LHC) religious order of women in Vietnam serve at Vietnamese Martyrs Parish. Sr. Theresa Trần is the director of religious formation and catechesis, and Sr. Maria Chu is the director of religious education. Both sisters were born in Vietnam after the communist takeover, entered religious life in Vietnam, and earned bachelor's and master's degrees in the United States before being assigned by their order to the parish in 2017. Together they minister to more than 1,600 registered families.
- Sr. Theresa Trần, LHC — Director of Religious Formation and Catechesis
- Sr. Maria Chu, LHC — Director of Religious Education
- Assigned to the parish in 2017
Faith Formation and Religious Education
Faith formation at Vietnamese Martyrs Parish is directed by two religious sisters of the Lovers of the Holy Cross (LHC) from Vietnam. Sr. Theresa Trần serves as Director of Religious Formation and Catechesis, while Sr. Maria Chu serves as Director of Religious Education. Together they minister to more than 1,600 registered families in the parish, providing catechesis for children and youth of the Vietnamese Catholic community in the Arlington area.
- Director of Religious Formation and Catechesis: Sr. Theresa Trần, LHC
- Director of Religious Education: Sr. Maria Chu, LHC
- Ministry to over 1,600 families
Youth Movement — TNTT 117
TNTT 117 is the Vietnamese Catholic youth movement associated with the parish, meeting on Friday evenings during the Silent Adoration hour. The group's name references the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs, the parish's patron saints. TNTT 117 joins the parish in the Divine Mercy devotion at 8:30 PM on Friday nights.
- Meets Friday evenings 6:30–9:00 PM
- Leads Divine Mercy devotion at 8:30 PM on Fridays
Contact Information and Location
Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church is located at 801 East Mayfield Road, Arlington, TX 76014, at the corner of Collins Street and Mayfield Road. The parish office can be reached at (817) 466-0800 or by email at [email protected]. The pastor's direct line is (817) 467-0690, and individual clergy can be reached at the numbers listed on the parish website. The church's bell tower is visible from Interstate 20, making the parish a local landmark.
- Address: 801 East Mayfield Road, Arlington, TX 76014
- Parish Office: (817) 466-0800
- Email: [email protected]
- Pastor: Rev. John M. Tinh Trần, CRM — (817) 467-0690
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Polycarp Đức Thuận, CMC (now CRM)
Pastor at the time of the December 10, 2011 dedication and consecration of the new 2,000-seat church; a member of the Congregation of Mother Co-Redemptrix who has staffed the parish since its creation.