Since 1975, Vietnamese have been passing their faith to the new generations. Currently over 300 Vietnamese Catholic communities exist in the U.S., of which there are 70 national/personal parishes. In his address to the Vietnamese priests attending the Eighth Emmaus Convocation in Orange, California on October 19, 2019, His Eminence Christophe Cardinal Pierre, Apostolic Nuncio to the United States said:
“Vietnamese American Catholics contribute to evangelization through their personal witness and experience as a people... Vietnamese American Catholics know the experience of enduring persecution, fleeing as refugees, and suffering the loneliness that comes from being separated from family, homeland, and culture. They know well the struggles of being immigrants and of linguistic difficulties, and yet they persevere... This experience can enrich the Church in the United States, because among Vietnamese Catholics, they understand faith not merely as a set of teachings or view it as something to be taken for granted. Faith is not lived as something purely formal or abstract; it is a lived reality.”
Besides music, what other gifts do the Vietnamese Catholics bring to the U.S. church?
1: Our Lady of La Vang
Like many other cultures, the Vietnamese have a fervent devotion to Mary. They especially honor the 1798 appearance of Mary in central Vietnam during a time of imperial persecution of the Church. OCP provides a bilingual edition of “Me María / As Lovely As The Dawn,” a popular Marian hymn by Fr. Kim Long. Have a listen here.
2: Martyrs of Vietnam
The older generation of Vietnamese in the U.S. know what their families suffered during the brutal years of war, and the sacrifices of those who left their homeland in search of freedom, to be found in the overseas countries that welcomed them. This Catholic community has a rich heritage of over 130,000 faithful witnesses who were martyred for their faith in Vietnam. Selected from a period of four centuries and from those who died under persecution of various dynasties, 117 martyrs were canonized in 1988, including St. Andrew Dũng Lạc. Parish veneration and processions usually take place in the U.S. around November 24, the feast day of these martyrs who continually inspire all with their courage and steadfastness.
3: Confucian Respect for Elders
In addition to honoring the martyrs, their ancestors of faith, Vietnamese also have a strong respect for elders. Based on Confucian principles, this value of honoring grandparents and parents is also found in China, Japan, Korea. Every Vietnamese hymnal includes a section, “In Honor of Parents”, and a song is often included for celebrations (wedding, funerals, family gatherings, Lunar New Year) in which children recognize the generosity of their elders. Listen here to an available bilingual title from OCP, “Cầu Cho Cha Mẹ 2/Prayer for Parents 2”
4: Religious Vocations
Besides the numerous spiritual associations, youth activities, and vibrant involvement of Vietnamese Catholic in their parish life, the gift of vocations to the U.S. Church these past 50 years has been impressive. Currently, the U.S. has three Vietnamese American Bishops, 1,100 priests, 180 permanent deacons, 650 religious women and 250 religious men and seminarians. “Vietnamese currently make up 12 percent of seminarians in the United States. This is remarkable considering Vietnamese American Catholics constitute less than one percent to the American Church. Moreover, individuals of Vietnamese background made up 4 percent of the 2024 ordinands to the priesthood in this country.”[1]
For many of these ordinations and profession of religious vows, liturgy planners have been turning to OCP resources to bring together the Vietnamese and English-speaking assemblies. While the three Vietnamese bishops have been serving as auxiliaries for their respective diocese, on July 17, 2025, the Most Reverend Michael M. Pham was installed as the seventh Bishop of the San Diego Diocese. He is the first Vietnamese bishop to have this position. Listen to the well-known Vietnamese song that Bishop Pham requested to be included in that liturgy: “Tâm Tình Hiến Dâng / A Gift of Love / Don de Amor” here.
November 24 is the Feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs. Perhaps you might be invited to attend a parish or diocesan celebration for that day, which is often moved to the weekend before or after. OCP published a bilingual prayer and music resource, intended for second generation Vietnamese who have occasional bilingual liturgies and weekend retreat camping trips. Đồng Tâm includes the Vietnamese and English Mass texts (mirror pages) and a sample of Vietnamese, English, and bilingual titles. This publication would be a useful tool for your participation in the liturgy. You can find Đồng Tâm here.
If you are able, take the opportunity to attend a Vietnamese liturgy and enter the Vietnamese cultural experience, especially this 50th Anniversary year of the gift of Vietnamese Catholicism to the U.S.
[1] Vietnamese Catholic Migrants and Their Missionary Identity: Historical and Contemporary Contributions, Anthony Le Duc; Journal of Identity and Migration Studies, JIMS - Volume 19, number 1, 2025, p. 106.