Holy Martyrs Parish Is Extended Family

By Stephanie Tracy
HERALD Staff Writer
(From the issue of 7/11/02)

There is never a shortage of activity in a large family. There are school lunches to pack, soccer games to attend, family vacations to the beach, science fair projects and weekend chores. And, of course, there are the regular family meals where generations gather together to pass on heritage, culture and love.

Parish families can be very similar to their member families. Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish in Arlington is just that — a family.

"We don’t just come to church to worship," said Dominican Father Anthony Tien Minh Dinh, pastor. "We come for the community."

Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish has grown significantly since its early beginnings as a community in 1975. Today, the parish includes 1,380 families, and through all its growth, the community has made sure that everyone is included.

"It is a true home for us, a home away from home," said Bui Huu Thu, a longtime parishioner. "We try to get to know everyone; we don’t like to see people come to church and stand along the walls."

A Eucharistic youth group brings children ages six to 15 together for prayer, Scripture study, outdoor activities and leadership development. The young adults group gathers young people ranging in age from 16 to those preparing for marriage for Scripture study, lessons in moral theology and small discussion groups. Other groups exist for mothers, fathers and seniors in the parish that also offer opportunities for catechesis and Scripture study. The senior group meets weekly for fellowship and discussion.

"We really work to educate all members of the family," Father Tien Minh Dinh said. "But we pay special attention to the children."

In addition to the two youth groups, a special Children’s Mass is celebrated each Wednesday at 7:30 p.m.

"They do everything in the Mass — the readings, music, serving at the altar," Father Tien Minh Dinh said. During the Mass, one reading is read in English, and one in Vietnamese.

"During the homily I ask them a catechism question," Father Tien Minh Dinh said. "There are times when I can’t tell who raised his hand first."

A similar Mass is offered for the young adults of the parish on Friday nights.

"They really get excited about it," Father Tien Minh Dinh said. "And when the children get excited about the Faith, the parents have to follow."

Father Tien Minh Dinh credits all the different groups in the parish for the success of parish activities. One of the most recent was a Mother’s Day banquet organized by the young adults group.

"They really did a very nice job," Father Anthony said. "Everyone was crying. The children put together a slide show, a play and dances. It was an opportunity for them to thank their mothers, as well as raise funds for the group."

The parish family comes together for other big celebrations, most importantly the corporate feast of the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam on Nov. 24. Each year the feast day is marked with a special play performed by various members of the parish community. The drama focuses on the story of one of the 118 martyrs each year; last year’s play told the story of the only female martyr, Inès Thanh Thi Le.

Other large celebrations that bring the entire community together are the Chinese New Year and Children’s New Year. Different groups in the parish organize plays, comedy skits, dances and other acts for a big party held in the big community room in the church basement.

"First and foremost, we come together to thank God," Father Tien Minh Dinh said of the New Year’s celebrations. "Then we pray for our ancestors, and for the New Year."

A community centered on the Eucharist, the parish also holds a special devotion to the Blessed Mother under the title of Our Lady of La Vang. According to the story, Our Lady appeared to faithful in the Quang Tri province of Vietnam in the late 18th century. At the time, Christians were under fierce persecution by King Canh Thinh. The Blessed Mother, holding the Christ Child in her arms, appeared to a group of faithful who were praying under a banian tree and informed them of the medicinal qualities of the leaves of that tree. A church was built on the site of the apparition in 1885. It was destroyed during the Vietnam War but has since been rebuilt.

The Vietnamese Catholic Community in Arlington, as Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish was known in its early days, celebrated its first Mass on July 20, 1975, at the Cathedral of St. Thomas More. Subsequent Masses were celebrated on a rotating basis among the parishes of St. Ann, St. Agnes, St. Charles Borromeo and Blessed Sacrament until July 1976 when the bishop assigned the community to St. James Parish. The community borrowed facilities of other parishes for group meetings, and used the auditorium at St. James for three years.

In August 1979, Blessed Vietnamese Martyrs Parish became the first new Vietnamese parish in the United States with the purchase of their first church building on Annandale Road. Father Tran Duy Nhatt, who had served the community as its chaplain since the beginning, became the first pastor.

In 1985, the parish community moved into their current residence in Arlington, 915 S. Wakefield St., in the old Barcroft Bible Church. The first Mass in the new church was celebrated on March 15, 1986. In October 1987, Blessed Vietnamese Martyrs established the first Vietnamese Knights of Columbus Council (No. 9655) in the world. Numerous parish organizations saw their beginnings during this time, too.

Holy Martyrs opened its Child Enrichment Day Care Center for children ages two-and-one-half to five in May 1986.

One of the highpoints in the history of the parish was the canonization of the 118 Vietnamese martyrs whom the parish had adopted as its namesakes. On June 19, 1988, Pope John Paul II canonized the Vietnamese who were martyred during the 19th century persecution of Christians in Vietnam. Blessed Vietnamese Martyrs Parish became Holy Martyrs of Vietnam in early 1989.

The 1990s saw further expansion of groups in the parish, including the Blue Army and both youth groups. The parish also purchased the three-story building adjacent to the property for religious education classes taught by the Adorers of the Holy Cross Sisters.

In August 2000, the parish was handed over to the care of the Dominican Order based in Calgary, Canada.

In all of the cultural and liturgical activities throughout the year, Father Tien Minh Dinh noted the importance of cultivating a relationship with God.

"The most important thing is to lead people to God, and to use everything we can to do that," he said. "In our society, we have to educate all members of the family and stick together. The relationship with God is the first thing; everything else comes second."

At a Glance:

Holy Martyrs of Vietnam

915 S. Wakefield St.

Arlington, VA 22204

703/553-0370 or 703/553-4326

Pastor: Fr. Anthony Tien Minh Dinh, O.P.

Parochial Vicar: Fr. John Baptist Vuong Duc Nguyen, O.P.

Deacon: Michael Kien Minh Pham

Parish founded: established as community, 1975; established as parish, 1979

Parishioners: 5,000-6,000

Mass Schedule:

Saturday 6 p.m.

Sunday 8 a.m., 10 a.m., Noon, 5 p.m.

Weekdays 7:30 p.m.

Holy Days 6 p.m., 7:30 p.m.

Confessions Weekdays: before and after Mass

Saturday: 4:30 p.m.-5:45 p.m.

School: Special Program: Child Enrichment Day Care Center

915 S. Wakefield St.

Arlington, VA 22204

703/920-1049

Principal: Tamila Mostamandi

Ages: 2 ½ to 5 years

Students: 24

Religious Education:  DRE: Deacon Michael Kien Minh Pham

703/471-0137

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