Holy Martyrs of Vietnam (Diocese of Arlington)

Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Catholic Church
Dedication:	Holy Vietnamese Martyrs
Venerated Saints:	None specified
Diocese:	Diocese of Arlington
Deanery:	Deanery 2
Address:	915 S Wakefield Street, Arlington, VA 22204
Coordinates:	38.8572, -77.2297
City:	Arlington, VA
Subdivision:	Virginia
Country:	United States
County:	Arlington County
Website:	https://www.holymartyrs.org/
Founded:	1975
School:	Yes
Email:	office@holymartyrs.org

Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Catholic Church is a personal parish in the Diocese of Arlington, serving the Vietnamese Catholic community in northern Virginia. Dedicated to the Holy Vietnamese Martyrs—117 saints (including 96 Vietnamese, 11 Spanish Dominicans, and 10 French missionaries from the Paris Foreign Missions Society) canonized by Pope John Paul II on June 19, 1988, for their martyrdom between 1745 and 1862 during periods of persecution—the parish provides liturgies and ministries in the Vietnamese language while following the Roman Rite.

Established in 1975 following the arrival of Vietnamese refugees after the fall of Saigon, the parish initially gathered in borrowed facilities before dedicating its current church building in 1991. As of December 19, 2025, Holy Martyrs of Vietnam continues to offer Masses in Vietnamese, sacramental preparation, cultural celebrations, and support for the Vietnamese diaspora.

The parish fosters devotion to the Vietnamese Martyrs, whose feast is celebrated on November 24, as a witness to fidelity amid persecution.

History

The Vietnamese Catholic community in northern Virginia formed in 1975 with the influx of refugees after the Vietnam War. The parish was established to provide pastoral care in the Vietnamese language and culture.

Initial Masses were held in shared spaces. The current church was dedicated in 1991.

The parish remains a personal parish for Vietnamese Catholics, preserving faith and heritage for immigrants and their descendants.

The 117 Vietnamese Martyrs were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988; their martyrdom occurred during persecutions under various Vietnamese emperors in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries, as documented in Church records.

Special features

• Liturgies and ministries primarily in Vietnamese, supporting cultural continuity
• Annual celebration of the feast of the Vietnamese Martyrs on November 24
• Community events preserving Vietnamese Catholic traditions

Relics

According to established Catholic tradition, the main altar contains deposited relics, as is customary in dedicated churches. Specific details regarding the saints associated with these relics are not publicly documented in available sources. This follows common practice where first-class relics, often of martyrs, are sealed within the altar.

Architecture

The church building, dedicated in 1991, reflects late twentieth-century design suited to communal worship.

Art and devotional features

Specific details on stained glass windows, statues, sculptures, or other interior artwork are limited in publicly available sources as of December 19, 2025. Devotional elements typically include representations of the Vietnamese Martyrs, often portraying groups of clergy, religious, and lay faithful in traditional attire, symbolizing their collective witness.