About Vietnamese Martyrs · Phoenix, Arizona
Giáo Xứ Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam (Vietnamese Martyrs Catholic Church) is a Roman Catholic parish in west Phoenix, Arizona, belonging to the Diocese of Phoenix and entrusted to the Dominican Order (Order of Preachers). All Masses, sacraments, and ministries are celebrated in Vietnamese, making it the spiritual home of the Vietnamese Catholic community across the Phoenix metro area. The parish is named after the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs — bishops, priests, religious, and lay faithful — canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988, whose universal memorial is celebrated on November 24. The parish community separated from Holy Trinity Parish in 2001, was established as a mission by Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted on March 23, 2004, formally erected as a parish on July 1, 2004, and moved into its own church on West Northern Avenue in November 2009.
- Established
- 2004
- Patron
- The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs (Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam)
- Rector
- Fr. Gioan Hoàng Thanh Sơn, O.P. (Dominican)
- Diocese
- Diocese of Phoenix
Why belong here
This is the Vietnamese Catholic heart of Phoenix — the only Dominican-staffed Vietnamese parish in the Diocese of Phoenix, where every Mass, confession, rosary, and ministry is offered in the language and devotional rhythm of Vietnamese Catholic tradition. Parishioners can pray the daily Rosary at 6:30 PM and Mass at 7:00 PM Monday through Friday, send children to the long-running Trường Giáo Lý & Việt Ngữ Thánh Don Bosco for faith formation and Vietnamese-language classes every Sunday from August through May, and join one of more than a dozen active organizations — four parish choirs, the Dominican Laity fraternity (Huynh Đoàn Đa Minh), the InLumine youth group, the Dominic Savio scout-style youth group (Đoàn TNTT), the Martha Sisters, the Humble Brothers (Anh Em Hèn Mọn), the Marriage & Family enrichment group, the Catholic Mothers Association, and parish liturgical, kitchen, and security councils. With weekday adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and a 20-year history of the community building its own church from the ground up, it is a tight-knit parish where faith, family, language, and Vietnamese heritage are lived together.
Mass times at Vietnamese Martyrs
Weekly Mass schedule
Confession times
- 15 minutes before every Mass (approx. 6:45 PM Mon–Fri, 7:45 AM Sat, 6:45 PM Sat, 7:45 AM Sun, 9:45 AM Sun)
Adoration times
- Chầu Thánh Thể (Eucharistic Adoration) — schedule published on the parish home page
Parish History & Founding
The Vietnamese Catholic community in Phoenix first gathered as a mission within Holy Trinity Parish before petitioning Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien on November 16, 2001 to be set apart. After two years of organizing under diocesan delegate Fr. Michael L. Diskin, the community purchased land in February 2004 and Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted established the Vietnamese Martyrs Mission on March 23, 2004, then formally erected it as a parish on July 1, 2004. Dominican Fr. Giuse Nguyễn Văn Thuận, O.P. was appointed the founding pastor on November 21, 2004.
- Nov 16, 2001 — community petitions to separate from Holy Trinity Parish
- Dec 14, 2001 — Bishop O'Brien agrees to assist through Fr. Diskin
- Mar 19, 2003 — community proposes the name 'Các Thánh Tử Đạo Việt Nam'
- Feb 20, 2004 — land purchased from ABS School Service, L.L.C.
- Mar 22, 2004 — Dominican Province of St. Vincent Liêm agrees to staff the mission
- Mar 23, 2004 — Bishop Olmsted establishes the mission
- Jul 1, 2004 — Bishop Olmsted formally erects the parish
- Nov 21, 2004 — Fr. Giuse Nguyễn Văn Thuận, O.P. appointed founding pastor
- Nov 16–17, 2024 — 20th anniversary celebration with fundraising for a community plaza
Building the Church
Construction of the church at 2915 W Northern Ave moved from groundbreaking to dedication in roughly four years, a project led by the founding pastor and the entire community.
- Oct 14, 2006 — Cornerstone ceremony celebrated by Bishop Olmsted
- Mar 15, 2007 — City of Phoenix building permit issued
- May 14, 2007 — Groundbreaking Mass by Fr. Nguyễn Văn Thuận, O.P.
- Oct 30, 2009 — City of Phoenix certificate of occupancy issued
- Nov 22, 2009 — First Thanksgiving Mass in the new church
- Apr 18, 2010 — Formal dedication of the church
Patron: The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs
The parish takes its name from the 117 Vietnamese Martyrs canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988 — a representative sample of the estimated 130,000–300,000 Catholics killed for the faith in Vietnam between 1745 and 1862. The group includes 96 Vietnamese faithful, 11 Spanish Dominican missionaries, and 10 French members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Étrangères de Paris), reflecting the deep Dominican missionary heritage that continues in the parish today. The universal memorial, formally titled 'Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc and Companions,' is celebrated on November 24 in the General Roman Calendar. Many of the 117 also have secondary memorials on local Vietnamese calendars, and from 1925 to 1990 the Vietnamese Church locally commemorated the feast on the first Sunday of September.
- 117 saints canonized June 19, 1988 by Pope John Paul II in St. Peter's Square
- Universal feast day: November 24 (Saint Andrew Dũng-Lạc and Companions)
- Includes 11 Spanish Dominican missionaries and 10 MEP members — linking the parish to its Dominican identity
- Martyrs include bishops, priests, religious, and laypeople of every station
Clergy & Pastoral Staff
The parish is entrusted to the Dominican Order and is led by Vietnamese Dominican priests. The current pastor is Fr. Gioan Hoàng Thanh Sơn, O.P., who is also identified by the Dominican Province of Vietnam Abroad as 'Ts. Gioan Hoàng Thanh Sơn, O.P.' (Doctor of Theology / professor). He is assisted by parochial vicar Fr. Phaolô Nguyễn Hải Đăng, O.P. (also listed as 'Ts. Phaolô Nguyễn Hải Đăng, O.P.'). The parish office can be reached through the parish phone line or email below.
- Fr. Gioan Hoàng Thanh Sơn, O.P. — Chánh Xứ (Pastor); office (602) 395-0421, cell (346) 812-7106
- Fr. Phaolô Nguyễn Hải Đăng, O.P. — Phó Xứ (Parochial Vicar); cell (714) 805-3804
- Parish office email: [email protected]
Trường Giáo Lý & Việt Ngữ Thánh Don Bosco (Faith Formation & Vietnamese School)
Founded in 1998 — two years before the parish itself — the Don Bosco Catechetical & Vietnamese Language School has been running for more than 27 years and is one of the parish's signature programs. It meets every Sunday from mid-August through mid-May, beginning with the 10:00 AM Mass, followed by lunch, then Catechism classes from 12:00 PM to 1:30 PM and Vietnamese language classes from 1:45 PM to 3:00 PM. The school is divided into a Catechism (Giáo Lý) track and a Vietnamese Language (Việt Ngữ) track.
- Catechism track: Chuẩn Bị Xưng Tội, Xưng Tội, Rước Lễ, Thêm Sức, and Bao Đồng levels 1–4
- Vietnamese Language track: Mẫu Giáo, Lớp 1–5
- Cultural activities include Tết Trung Thu, Tết Nguyên Đán, spelling bees, performing arts, and reading the Scriptures at the Vietnamese Mass
- Principal: Cô Thiên Hương
- Catechism Lead: Cô Thơ
- Vietnamese Language Lead: Cô Diệp Thuý
Parish Organizations & Ministries (Đoàn Thể)
The parish supports a wide and active list of organizations spanning youth, family, vocations, liturgical service, music, and community life — all working in the Vietnamese language and tradition.
- Ca Đoàn La Vang — led by Kiều Duy Liêm
- Ca Đoàn Kitô Vua — led by Lương Ánh Linh
- Ca Đoàn Hạt Cải — led by Phạm Châu Khoa
- Ca Đoàn Thánh Tâm — led by Hồ Kim Loan
- Ban Lễ Sinh (Altar Servers)
- Ban Phụng Vụ (Liturgy Committee) — led by Phạm Liêm
- Ban Nhà Bếp (Kitchen Committee)
- Ban An Ninh (Security Committee) — led by Nguyễn Nam Mỹ
- Giới Trẻ InLumine (Youth Group) — led by Nguyễn Cẩm Tú
- Đoàn TNTT Đôminicô Saviô — led by Tr. Nguyễn Trinh
- Gia Đình Trẻ (Young Families) — led by Nguyễn Toàn
- Thăng Tiến Hôn Nhân Gia Đình (Marriage & Family Enrichment) — led by AC Sơn Hạnh
- Hội Các Bà Mẹ Công Giáo (Catholic Mothers Association)
- Huynh Đoàn Đa Minh (Dominican Laity Fraternity) — led by Lâm Ashley Hà
- Chị Em Martha (Martha Sisters) — led by Vũ Thúy
- Anh Em Hèn Mọn (Humble Brothers) — led by Bùi Đoạn
- Hội Nuôi Dưỡng Ơn Gọi (Vocations Support Society)
Events & Parish Life
The parish calendar is filled with patron saint feast days (bổn mạng) for each organization, family celebrations, retreats, and the annual school year cycle. Major recurring events include the In Lumine Advent retreat, the marriage anniversary Mass, the Father's Day Mass, the Holy Trinity of St. Dominic feast, Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival), and the school's Lễ Khai Giảng (Opening Mass). The parish also hosts occasional youth conferences such as the Đại Hội Các Thánh Tử Đạo youth day.
- Lễ Khai Giảng Năm Học Mới (Opening of the new school year)
- Tết Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn Festival for children)
- Lễ Thánh Tổ Phụ Đa Minh (Feast of St. Dominic)
- Thánh Lễ Father's Day
- Khai Giảng GL Dự Tòng (Rite of Election / RCIA opening)
- In Lumine Advent retreat / Tĩnh Tâm Mùa Vọng
- Lễ Thánh Gia Thất — Marriage Anniversary Mass & Thăng Tiến Hôn Nhân Gia Đình patron feast
- Trại Hè GX (Parish summer camp) — e.g. 'Hiệp Nhất I'
- Bổn mạng feasts for each organization (Ca Đoàn La Vang, Martha Sisters, Catholic Mothers, TNTT Dominic Savio, etc.)
- 20th Anniversary celebration — November 16–17, 2024
Visit, Contact & Location
The parish is located on West Northern Avenue in the west Phoenix neighborhood (ZIP 85051), with on-site parking at the church. The community is welcoming to Vietnamese Catholics across the Phoenix metro as well as visitors interested in Vietnamese Catholic liturgy and culture.
- Address: 2915 W Northern Ave, Phoenix, AZ 85051
- Phone: (602) 395-0421
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: cttdvnphx.org
- Diocese: Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix
- Pastoral care: Order of Preachers (Dominicans), Phụ Tỉnh Thánh Vincent Liêm
Pastors & rectors through the years
- Fr. Giuse Nguyễn Văn Thuận, O.P.2004 –
Founding pastor appointed by Bishop Olmsted on November 21, 2004; led construction of the current church and celebrated the groundbreaking Mass on May 14, 2007.