BRIDGEPORT—Over 700 people gathered at St. Augustine Cathedral on Sunday, November 17 to celebrate the Memorial of the Vietnamese Martyrs and the 30th anniversary of the founding of eponymous Vietnamese Catholic community in the Diocese of Bridgeport.
Bishop Frank J. Caggiano was the principal celebrant of the Mass. He was assisted by Father Augustine Nguyen, episcopal vicar for Vietnamese Catholics in the Diocese of Bridgeport, and Father Philip Lành Phan, administrator of Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Quasi-Parish, as well as other priests and clergy.
Vietnamese immigrants were joined by their children, grandchildren and friends and dignitaries, including Mayor of Bridgeport Joseph P. Ganim, to mark this joyous occasion.
“As we celebrate the 30th anniversary of the Holy Vietnamese Martyrs Parish, we give heartfelt thanks to God for the tremendous faith, resilience, and unity of this vibrant community,” Bishop Caggiano said. “A blessing to our diocese, this parish has served as a wonderful spiritual home for many individuals, especially our brothers and sisters from Vietnam.”
Following the Mass was a reception that included a traditional Vietnamese celebration with music, dancing and, of course, a variety of Vietnamese foods and treats.
According to Father Nguyen, there were about 20 Vietnamese Catholic families in the city of Bridgeport in 1991.
“First, they came together to St. Peter Church in Bridgeport and attended English Mass,” Father Nguyen said. “Later on, their numbers increased to about 40 families and it was time for have Mass in Vietnamese once a month.”
Due to the continued increase in numbers and need for additional space, the ministry eventually moved to St. Augustine Cathedral.
The Vietnamese Catholic Community was established in 1994 and the only Vietnamese priest available was Father Alphongus Dong Tran from Springfield, Mass., who would come to Bridgeport to celebrate Mass once a week.
Since then, the Vietnamese community has spread to all parts of Fairfield County.
“They come to Mass from all over the diocese, as well as from other places such as New York, Waterbury, New Haven, etc.” Father Nguyen said. “On special occasions like (Lunar) New Year or Feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs, we get over 1,000 Vietnamese Catholics to come to Mass.”
When Father Nguyen was ordained in 2012, he was the first Vietnamese priest to be ordained in the Diocese of Bridgeport. Since then, Father Phan and Father Anh Vu have been ordained into the diocese as priests of Jesus Christ.
In addition, the Vietnamese Community has several smaller ministries including a Vietnamese language program, a vibrant youth group, men’s and women’s groups, teen and adult choirs, a Catholic mother’s group, a Cursillo program and a couples enrichment program.
Regarding the feast day, it is estimated that between 130,000 and 300,000 Christians were martyred in Vietnam during years of 1630 to 1886—all victims of persecution and various campaigns against Catholics during this time period. St. John Paul II canonized 117 of these martyrs (96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish Dominicans, and 10 French members of the Paris Foreign Missions Society (Missions Etrangères de Paris)) in 1988.
The feast day for St. Andrew Dũng-Lạc and his companion martyrs was established as November 24, and the martyrs are considered the patron saints of Vietnam.
For more information on the Vietnamese Catholic Community, visit www.bridgeportdiocese.org/office-of-multicultural-ministry/vietnamese-catholic-community.