The Our Lady of La Vang Catholic community was established as a
mission of Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Church in Arlington by Bishop Michael F.
Burbidge at a Mass at St. Veronica Church in Chantilly Sept. 3.
After greeting the community, Bishop Burbidge read the official
decree, which was met with thunderous applause.
The decree reads in part, “Therefore, I, Michael Francis
Burbidge, Bishop of Arlington, after careful reflection and prayer, in accord
with the appropriate precepts of the Code of Canon Law, do hereby establish and
erect the Mission Church of Our Lady of La Vang within the personal parish of
Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Church, in the Diocese of Arlington.”
The Bishop spoke about the new mission at the beginning of his
homily.
“That sounds great to say (Our Lady of La Vang Mission),” said
Bishop Burbidge. “I know that this day has been a long time coming and you’ve
showed great patience and perseverance, trust and dedication, and I am so very
grateful for the gift that you are to our church.”
The joy of the news was heard
throughout the church and echoed in several comments.
“This is the greatest thing that has ever happened to our
community,” said Thinh Dinh. “We have been pushing and pushing and finally the
last two years we made a giant leap. I think that is what makes this a great
day for us.”
Lan Nguyen, who represents the community for the diocesan
multicultural council, said it is a joy for her community. “We hope that we
don’t disappoint (Bishop Burbidge),” she said. “We feel very blessed and are
going to do our best to have a great community in God.”
“We have been working so hard to make it a mission and everyone
is very pleased with the hard work they have done,” said Chau Tran, one of the
youths in the community.
For years, families in the Chantilly area and beyond had to drive
as much as 90 minutes to Arlington to attend a Vietnamese Mass. In 2006, they
were able to attend a Vietnamese Mass at St. Thomas à Becket Church in Reston. Father
Thomas P. Ferguson, vicar general and pastor of Good Shepherd Church in
Alexandria, was pastor of the Reston parish in those days.
He said it is a highlight of the history of the diocese that
former Arlington Bishop Thomas J. Welsh had welcomed Vietnamese refugees in the
1970s and worked to meet their spiritual needs.
When the original congregation of 30 families from the Chantilly
area outgrew St. Thomas à Becket, they moved to their current location at St.
Veronica Church in 2011.
Now, with the establishment of the mission as a Vietnamese Catholic
community, it will serve the needs of the people more effectively, said Father
Ferguson.
The establishment of the mission is a transitional period in the
life of the community and an intermediate stage in the process of perhaps
becoming a new parish, he said.
Dominican Father Luan Pho will remain parochial vicar of Holy
Martyrs of Vietnam Church in Arlington with special care of the new mission.
“We are happy it is happening,” Father Pho said. “There is still
a lot of work to do to minister to the people. We want to create a lot of
programs for the young people. I want to be there more for the people in
Chantilly.” Father Pho drives from Arlington to Chantilly every time there is
an event.
Our Lady of La Vang, with 422 registered families, has religious
education classes, a monthly holy hour, three choirs, a Catholic Mothers
Association, a Knights of Columbus council, Cursillo, a Eucharistic Youth
Movement, and Vietnamese school.
Corinne Monogue, diocesan director of Multicultural Ministries, said
becoming a mission is possible with the strong foundation of those Catholic
families and the support of the parishioners at Holy Martyrs of Vietnam who
started this community.
“They have grown so quickly and they are a model to show how
through faith, prayer and patience you can grow from 30 families to an official
diocesan mission as a cultural Catholic community,” she said.
“It is a testament to their strong faith and dedication to the
teachings of Christ.”
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