About Vietnamese Martyrs · Biloxi, Mississippi
Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church (Giáo Xứ Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam) is a personal Vietnamese-language parish located at 171 Oak Street in Biloxi, Mississippi, within the Diocese of Biloxi on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. Established to serve the Vietnamese Catholic community that grew after the fall of Saigon in 1975, it is the only all-Vietnamese Catholic parish in the state of Mississippi. The parish is also home to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang, a Vietnamese Marian devotion tied to the 1798 apparition in Quảng Trị. Since 2000, the parish has been ministered by priests of the Vietnamese Dominican Order from Calgary, Canada.
- Established
- 2000
- Patron
- The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs (canonized 1988)
- Rector
- Rev. Thang John Pham, O.P.
- Diocese
- Diocese of Biloxi
Why belong here
Vietnamese Martyrs is the only all-Vietnamese Catholic parish in Mississippi, a place where culture, language, family and faith come together under one roof. Weekly Mass is offered in both Vietnamese and English, the parish maintains a flourishing religious education program with Vietnamese-language instruction, and it houses the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang — a unique Marian devotion for the Vietnamese diaspora. After Hurricane Katrina the community rebuilt together and continues to anchor the Coast's Vietnamese-American Catholic life.
Mass times at Vietnamese Martyrs
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 30 minutes before each weekend Mass (Saturday Vigil and Sunday Masses)
- By appointment (call the parish office)
Adoration times
- Friday — Eucharistic Reparation Adoration of the Sacred Heart / Divine Mercy, 4:15 PM before Mass (Chầu Thánh Thể Đền Tạ Thánh Tâm Chúa Giêsu – Kính Lòng Thương Xót)
About Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church
Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church (Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam) is a Vietnamese-heritage Catholic parish located at 171 Oak Street in Biloxi, Mississippi. It belongs to the Diocese of Biloxi and continues to serve both the Catholic and broader Vietnamese-American community on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The parish is dedicated to the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs canonized in 1988 by Pope John Paul II, and is the only all-Vietnamese Catholic parish in the state.
History of the Parish
Founded in December 2000 after decades of fundraising by local Vietnamese Catholics, the parish grew out of a refugee community that began arriving in the Biloxi area after the fall of Saigon in 1975. Many of the earliest families had ties to the seafood industry. Before getting their own church, the community worshipped at St. Michael Catholic Church in Biloxi, holding Tết festivals and other cultural events to raise funds. In August 2005, Hurricane Katrina devastated the Gulf Coast. Although floodwaters rose nearly 10 feet inside the sanctuary, the building and its stained glass windows survived. Mass was held outdoors almost immediately, and the church served as a relief hub alongside the nearby Chua Van Duc Buddhist temple. The community rebuilt together and, in November 2020, marked the parish's 20th anniversary with Bishop Louis F. Kihneman III of Biloxi presiding.
- Parish dedicated: December 2000
- Hurricane Katrina flooding: August 2005
- 20th Anniversary Mass: November 22, 2020
- Patronal feast: November 24 (Vietnamese Martyrs)
Our Lady of La Vang Shrine
The parish is home to the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang, built in 2005 and dedicated to the Marian apparition that took place in 1798 in the Cây Lá Vằng forest in Quảng Trị province, Vietnam. A statue of the Virgin Mary and Child, dressed in traditional Vietnamese clothing, stands on a stone-and-concrete sculpture representing the copse of trees of the apparition. The shrine is a center of Vietnamese Catholic Marian devotion for the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
- Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang (2005)
- Statue of Our Lady in traditional Vietnamese dress
- Stone grotto with materials from Italy and Vietnam
Sacraments
The parish celebrates all seven Catholic sacraments. Couples preparing for marriage, families seeking baptism, the sick needing anointing, and adults preparing for full initiation through RCIA are encouraged to contact the parish office. Confession is available 30 minutes before each weekend Mass or by appointment.
- Baptism
- Reconciliation (Confession)
- Eucharist / First Communion
- Confirmation
- Marriage — contact office
- Anointing of the Sick — contact office
- RCIA (Catechumenate)
- Funeral Liturgies
Religious Education & Faith Formation
The parish operates a religious education program with Vietnamese-language instruction, serving children and youth of the Vietnamese-American community. Sacramental preparation for First Communion and Confirmation, as well as the RCIA process for adults, are offered through this ministry.
- Children's religious education
- Vietnamese-language catechesis
- Sacramental preparation
- RCIA for adults
Community Life & Outreach
Beyond Mass and sacraments, the parish is a hub of Vietnamese-American cultural and community life on the Mississippi Gulf Coast. The Hope Restaurant (Nhà Hàng Hy Vọng) — adjacent to the church — sells authentic homemade Vietnamese food after Sunday Masses, with different parish groups taking turns cooking each weekend as a fundraiser. The parish has also been a center for disaster relief, most notably in the long rebuilding effort following Hurricane Katrina.
- Nhà Hàng Hy Vọng (Hope Restaurant) — Sunday food sales fundraiser
- Parish Council
- Tết (Lunar New Year) and other cultural celebrations
- Hurricane Katrina relief and recovery
Clergy & Staff
Since its founding in 2000, the parish has been served by priests of the Vietnamese Dominican Order (Order of Preachers) from Calgary, Canada. The current pastor is Rev. Thang John Pham, O.P., with Rev. Dominic Vu Xuan Pham, O.P. also assigned to the parish.
- Rev. Thang John Pham, O.P. — Pastor
- Rev. Dominic Vu Xuan Pham, O.P.
Visit & Contact
The parish is located at 171 Oak Street in Biloxi, Mississippi. Telephone: (228) 374-1116. A new parking lot has been built to accommodate the Sunday crowds. The parish maintains an active Facebook page at facebook.com/CTTDVNBILOXI/.
- Address: 171 Oak Street, Biloxi, MS 39530
- Phone: (228) 374-1116
- Website: vietnamesemartyrscatholicchurch.org
- Facebook: /CTTDVNBILOXI/
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Rev. Thang John Pham, O.P.2000–present
Vietnamese Dominican priest from the Calgary community; has led the parish since it was dedicated in December 2000. Personally donated $60,000 toward land purchase for a new parking lot, and led rebuilding after Hurricane Katrina.