CHARLOTTE — This year parishioners at St. Joseph Vietnamese Church are celebrating 40 years since the first Vietnamese Catholics found refuge in the Diocese of Charlotte, and they are giving thanks in a special way this Thanksgiving holiday.
The diocese welcomed its first Vietnamese refugees in 1975, the year when Saigon fell and the Vietnam War ended.
Since then, many more Vietnamese immigrants have made the journey to settle in western North Carolina, and the Vietnamese Catholic community continues to grow. St. Joseph Church on Sandy Porter Road in southwest Charlotte is home to many of these first- and second-generation immigrant families.
"This year marks 40 years since we first arrived in Charlotte," explained Father Tri Truong, pastor of St. Joseph Church and himself the child of a Vietnamese immigrant. "It is a significant milestone for us on our journey. We have journeyed from a few families in 1975 to over 900 registered families at St. Joseph Church.
"We have journeyed from having Mass once a month at the parishes of St. Ann Church, Our Lady of Consolation Church and Our Lady of the Assumption Church, to having a parish serving the Vietnamese Catholics in the Charlotte area with Mass every day and four Masses on the weekend."
The Vietnamese community has also fostered priestly vocations in the diocese, with five Vietnamese priests ordained for the Diocese of Charlotte.
"We have come so far in our journey, and we are very thankful for what we have," Father Truong said.
On Thursday, Nov. 26, a Mass of Thanksgiving will be offered for this significant milestone.
Before Mass, the parish will also have a procession in honor of the Vietnamese Martyrs. (Editor's note: For details about the Vietnamese Martyrs, see page 2.)
All of the parish choirs will sing and pay tribute to these saints at Mass. A celebration will follow in the parish fellowship hall featuring traditional music, dancing and food.
Vietnamese Catholics can find more information about the annual Thanksgiving celebration and St. Joseph Church at www.giaoxuthanhgiuse.net.
— Catholic News Herald