A Vietnamese Catholic Home in Arlington, Virginia
On a quiet residential block in Arlington, Virginia, just across the Potomac from Washington, D.C., Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Church has been the spiritual home of the Vietnamese-American Catholic community of the national capital region for nearly half a century. The parish was erected on August 19, 1979 by Bishop Thomas J. Welsh as "Blessed Vietnamese Martyrs," the first Vietnamese Catholic parish in the United States. Its English name was formally changed to "Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish" on January 24, 1989, after the canonization of the 117 Vietnamese martyrs by Pope John Paul II in Rome, an event the founding pastor and a delegation of parishioners had attended the previous summer.
The community grew out of the wave of refugees that arrived in the Diocese of Arlington in the months following April 30, 1975. Vietnamese-language Masses were first celebrated for the newcomers at St. Thomas More Cathedral on July 20, 1975, with Father Trần Duy Nhất serving as chaplain. After years of celebrating at various area churches, the community settled into a former Methodist building in Annandale in the summer of 1979 and, a few weeks later, received its own parish. The name pays tribute to the 117 Vietnamese martyrs who gave their lives for the faith between the 17th and 19th centuries and were canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988.
Since August 1, 2000 the parish has been entrusted to the Vietnamese Dominican Fathers (Order of Preachers, O.P.), continuing a ministry that combines the spiritual depth of Catholic tradition with the warmth of Vietnamese parish life. Today the parish is served by three Dominican priests and a lay staff, supported by a broad network of religious organizations, choirs, sodalities, and a religious education program that includes both catechesis and a fully developed Vietnamese language school.
Mass, Confession and Eucharistic Adoration
The Mass schedule reflects a community that prays throughout the week. On Mondays through Fridays Mass is offered at 8:00 AM and 7:00 PM. Saturday brings the weekday Mass at 8:00 AM followed by the Sunday Vigil Mass at 6:00 PM. Sunday Masses are celebrated at 8:00 AM, 10:00 AM, 12:00 PM, and 7:00 PM. All Masses are primarily in Vietnamese, with English worship aids provided. The morning Masses are livestreamed on the parish's YouTube channel and Facebook page: the 8:00 AM weekday Mass, the Saturday 8:00 AM Mass, and the Sunday 8:00 AM and 10:00 AM Masses, allowing absent members and extended family across the country and overseas to participate. All times are listed in Eastern Standard Time.
Confessions are heard thirty minutes before and after every Mass, and by appointment with the priests. Eucharistic Adoration is offered on Saturdays at 5:00 PM, on the first Thursday of each month at 8:30 AM, on the first Friday of each month at 7:30 PM, and on the first Saturday of each month at 1:00 PM by the Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (TNTT). A printed bilingual prayer aid, the Act of Spiritual Communion, is available online for those who are unable to be present in person.
The Dominican Clergy
The parish is led by three members of the Order of Preachers, all professed Dominicans:
- Rev. Thomas Aquinas Hoang Anh Nguyen, O.P.: Pastor (Chánh Xứ)
- Rev. John the Baptist Vuong Duc Nguyen, O.P.: Parochial Vicar (Cha Phó)
- Rev. Peter Phu Minh Trinh, O.P.: Parochial Vicar (Cha Phó)
The priests are supported by the Parish Office, headed by Theresa Mai Tran, which can be reached at (703) 553-0370 or office@cttdva.com. The Religious Education Office, directed by Rev. Peter Dinh Phuong Nguyen, O.P., handles inquiries about CCD classes, the Vietnamese language program, First Communion, Confirmation, and RCIA; it is reached at (703) 982-7515 or vpgd@cttdva.com. Youth ministry is coordinated by Quynh Mai Pham at mai.pham@cttdva.com.
From Refugees to a Permanent Home
The parish's first permanent church was purchased in October 1985 from a Bible church in Arlington for $730,000. The new building seated about 800 and included a hall, commercial kitchen, classrooms, offices, a library, choir room, and restrooms. Volunteers handled most of the renovation work. The first Mass in the new building was celebrated on March 15, 1986. Around the same time the parish also opened a day-care center, Child Enrichment Day Care Center, in May 1986, and established its first Boy Scout unit (Pack 904 and Troop 904, sponsored under the name Liên Đoàn Thăng Long) by the end of 1987.
By the early 1990s the community was ready to expand its facilities. A three-story building adjacent to the church was acquired from the diocese on October 26, 1993 for $200,000, and after a $507,477 renovation completed in October 1995 it became the Educational Building, housing twelve religious education classrooms, the religious education office, and the director's office on its first and second floors, with a parish rectory on the top floor. An additional building was purchased on June 2, 1998 for $175,000 to allow further growth.
The bell tower, a beloved landmark, was constructed in 2000 and 2001 with the help of the parish's fundraising campaign; the La Vang Marian shrine and statue were dedicated on November 24, 2001. A section of 1,021 burial plots in Fairfax Memorial Park was set aside as the Garden of the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam on September 28, 2001, giving parishioners a consecrated place of rest.
By the mid-2000s it became clear that the church itself needed to grow. A capital campaign called "Rooted in Faith and Moving Forward in Hope" (Đâm Rễ Trong Đức Tin và Tiến Tới Trong Hy Vọng), launched by Bishop Loverde, raised more than $690,000 for the parish, well over its goal. Construction on a major expansion began in 2009. The completed church, consecrated by Bishop Paul S. Loverde on June 20, 2010, retains the intimate feel of the original sanctuary while adding room for about a thousand more worshippers, a redesigned sanctuary with a Vietnamese-style curved red-tile roof, two large entrance gates on the north and west sides, a new altar, ambo, presider and deacon chairs, fourteen new stations of the cross, a new sound and lighting system, new seating, an expanded lower level with a commercial-grade kitchen and a large stage for parish gatherings, three priests' offices with a secretary's office, an elevator, and a fire-sprinkler system throughout.
The parish has been shaped by a succession of pastors. Father Trần Đình Nhi led the community from 1980 to 1988 and acquired the larger church building. Father Trần Bình Trọng served from 1988 to 2000 and built many of the lay structures that still organize the parish today. Father Đinh Minh Tiên, O.P., the first Dominican pastor, and Father Nguyễn Đức Vượng, O.P., his parochial vicar, took charge on August 12, 2000. Father Vượng became pastor in 2003, and during his nine-year tenure he was also elected Prior Provincial of the Vietnamese Dominican Province for the 2016-2020 term. Father Hoàng Văn Thiên, O.P., followed, with Father Phạm Hương, O.P., assuming pastoral duties in 2014. The current pastor, Father Thomas Aquinas Nguyễn Hoàng Anh, O.P., was installed in the most recent transition. In February 2026 the parish mourned the death of Father Phêrô Nguyễn Đình Phương, O.P., a former member of the parish staff.
Programs and Sacraments
The sacraments of initiation and marriage are prepared in the parish's traditional Catholic manner. Parents expecting a baptism download a bilingual baptism brochure and registration form and submit the completed paperwork to the parish office; baptisms are celebrated in the parish's customary Vietnamese liturgical style.
Adults preparing for full communion with the Catholic Church enter the Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults (RCIA). Classes in Vietnamese typically meet on Sundays from 11:30 AM to 1:30 PM during the formation year, and culminate in the reception of the sacraments at the Easter Vigil.
Catechesis for children takes place on Saturday afternoons during the school year and follows the standard diocesan CCD curriculum, with two years of preparation each for First Holy Communion and Confirmation. First Communion and Confirmation registration forms, sponsor certificates, and a school-year calendar are published each year.
Couples preparing for marriage complete a Marriage Preparation class series at the parish and meet with one of the priests for the canonical paperwork; brochures and forms in both English and Vietnamese are posted online. A parish Marriage Enrichment program (Thăng Tiến Hôn Nhân, TTHN) supports couples after the wedding.
The School of Religious Education and Vietnamese Language
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam operates one of the most established Vietnamese language programs in the region, the School of Religious Education and Vietnamese Language (Trường Giáo Lý và Việt Ngữ), sometimes called CCD and Vietnamese Language. The program was founded in September 2003 when Father Vượng asked parishioner Bùi Hữu Thư to organize a parish-run Vietnamese school in the Educational Building, and its first year enrolled 250 students in fourteen classes taught by twenty-two teachers. The school was integrated into the parish Religious Education Office, directed by Father Phạm Minh Kiên and later by other Dominican fathers.
Today the program runs on Saturday afternoons during the academic year and offers classes from kindergarten through twelfth grade in both religious education and Vietnamese language and culture, including bilingual adult classes and a culture class for those already fluent. Registration forms, an academic calendar, and student rules in both Vietnamese and English are posted each summer; on-call Mass schedules are published alongside the calendar so families can plan around parish celebrations. The program prepares students for First Communion, Confirmation, and continuing faith formation, and the parish's bilingual announcement sheets (Bản Tin Hiệp Nhất, or United Bulletin) carry weekly readings, announcements, and Mass schedules that integrate the school with parish worship.
Organizations and Lay Movements
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam is sustained by an unusually broad network of lay organizations. The Vietnamese Eucharistic Youth Movement (Phong Trào Thiếu Nhi Thánh Thể Việt Nam) operates through its local Đoàn Thánh Tâm chapter, founded on June 17, 1990; it offers faith formation, scouting-style activities, retreats, and the leadership of monthly Adoration. The Dominican Laity (Huynh Đoàn Giáo Dân Đaminh), established March 24, 2004 under the patronage of the Dominican martyr Saint Dominic Phạm Trọng Khảm, was the first Vietnamese Dominican lay chapter on the East Coast of the United States.
Other groups meet regularly at the parish:
- The League of the Sacred Heart (Liên Minh Thánh Tâm), a men's society that gathers on Saturdays for formation, prayer, and service.
- Knights of Columbus Council 9655 (Hiệp Sĩ Đoàn 9655), established October 24, 1987 and the second-oldest Vietnamese Knights council in the country, which supports the parish through charitable projects.
- Catholic Mothers Association (Các Bà Mẹ Công Giáo), a women's fellowship.
- Marriage Enrichment (Thăng Tiến Hôn Nhân), supporting married couples.
- Fatima Apostles (Tông Đồ Fatima), devoted to the rosary and Marian devotion.
- Little Souls Army (Đạo Binh Hồn Nhỏ), a children's prayer group.
- Apostles of the Merciful Lord (Tông Đồ Chúa Tình Thương), a Eucharistic and reconciliation movement.
- A full set of liturgical ministries: Sacristan (Ban Phòng Thánh), Altar Servers (Ban Lễ Sinh), Extraordinary Ministers of Holy Communion (Ban Thừa Tác Viên Thánh Thể), Lectors (Ban Thừa Tác Viên Công Bố Lời Chúa), Sound and Technical Crew (Ban Kỹ Thuật / Âm Thanh), and Order (Ban Trật Tự).
Music is woven into nearly every parish event. Eight choirs under the Liên Ca Đoàn sing at Masses and feast days: Ca đoàn Thánh Tâm (the children's choir), Ave Maria, Cecilia, Giuse, Seraphine, Thánh Gia, Phanxicô, and John Paul II. Together they lead the congregation at Sunday Masses, the annual Christmas Carol Festival, and the great Vietnamese feasts of the year.
Parish Life and the Liturgical Year
Liturgical seasons shape the rhythm of parish life. During Lent, the parish gathers for a three-night retreat in early March with Mass, a preached reflection, and the sacrament of reconciliation each evening. The feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs in late November is celebrated with a triduum of preaching, a saint-play (kịch thánh) dramatizing the lives of the martyrs, a Marian procession, and the Solemn Mass, with hospitality hosted by parish organizations in the Tran Duy Nhat Hall (Hội Trường Trần Duy Nhất). Holy Week includes the blessing of palms, the Easter Vigil at which new Catholics are received into the Church, and an outdoor Easter egg hunt for children.
The parish calendar also follows the rhythm of Vietnamese Catholic heritage and Vietnamese civic life. The annual Tết Festival (Hội Chợ Tết) in January or February fills the parish grounds with food stalls, music, and traditional games, organized by the Pastoral Council and a host of lay organizations; parishioners prepare thousands of bánh chưng and traditional pickled dishes for the occasion. The parish also sends delegations to the Asian and Pacific Islanders Marian Pilgrimage each spring at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and to the Đại Hội Thánh Mẫu in Carthage, Missouri, while the parish's own youth host Trung Thu (Mid-Autumn) celebrations for children and a summer picnic at a local park.
Other recurring gatherings include the annual Mass for high school and college graduates each June; parish pilgrimages each September to the National Shrine Grotto of Our Lady of Lourdes in Emmitsburg, Maryland; the celebration of First Communion in May; the Sacrament of Confirmation for adults each Pentecost weekend; a January observance of the March for Life in Washington with Mass and procession; and a December Christmas pageant (Hoạt Cảnh Giáng Sinh) staged by the youth. Advent and Lent bring days of recollection preached by visiting Dominican and diocesan clergy.
Stewardship, Communications and Outreach
Parish support is organized around both traditional and modern channels. Weekly giving is facilitated through FaithDirect, which allows automatic contributions from a checking account or credit card under the parish code VA682. Major capital projects and seasonal fundraisers, including raffles, concerts, and the parish bazaar, are organized by the Finance Committee (Ủy Ban Tài Chánh), the Pastoral Council (Hội Đồng Mục Vụ), and the various lay organizations.
The parish maintains an active communications presence. The bilingual Bản Tin Hiệp Nhất bulletin is published each week and is available with a rolling archive of past bulletins. Daily Mass readings in both Vietnamese and English are available, along with Vatican News in both languages, resources from the Diocese of Arlington, and news from the related mission community of Our Lady of La Vang in Chantilly. Livestreamed Masses and parish videos are posted on the parish's YouTube channel and Facebook page, with photos collected on Flickr. Visitors and parishioners are encouraged to register with the parish office; bilingual registration forms are available for download.
The parish has historically welcomed newcomers and offered practical help. In 2005 a free English-as-a-Second-Language program for adults was launched in collaboration with the diocesan Migration and Refugee Office, taught by volunteer instructors and meeting on Sunday afternoons in the Educational Building. Parish organizations have organized charitable drives for victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, Hurricane Katrina in 2005, the 2016 Vietnamese central coast environmental disaster, and other emergencies.
Visiting the Parish
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam sits at 915 South Wakefield Street in Arlington, Virginia, 22204. The parish office can be reached at (703) 553-0370 during weekday hours, with the Religious Education Office at (703) 982-7515. Confessions are heard thirty minutes before and after every Mass, and a Vietnamese-speaking priest is generally available by appointment through the parish office for additional pastoral needs.
The church is easily reached from the Washington, D.C. area by car or public transit, with parking available on site and at the adjacent lot. After Mass, many parishioners gather in the parish hall for coffee, conversation, and homemade Vietnamese sweets, a continuation of the tradition of community hospitality that has been a hallmark of the parish since its founding more than forty-five years ago.