The Valley Catholic
in the diocese
January 14, 2014
3
Our Lady of La Vang Parish celebrates fund-raising campaign to build new church
By Roberta Ward
Our Lady of La Vang Parish (formerly St. Patrick Parish) in downtown San
Jose, celebrated a Mass of Thanksgiving, Dec. 14, in recognition of the more
than $17 million already raised to build
a new church and related facilities after
a devastating fire in August 2012.
Our Lady of La Vang Parish is a
personal parish of the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose serving the
Vietnamese community. Founded in
1872, St. Patrick was the second Roman
Catholic parish established in the City
of San José, following what is now the
Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph.
From 1981 until 1990, St. Patrick
served as the cathedral of the Diocese
of San José; the cathedral was then
transferred to the newly renovated St.
Joseph, at which time St. Patrick was
re-designated a proto-cathedral.
On July 1, 1999, the parish status
changed from being a territorial parish to being a personal parish for
Vietnamese Catholics, but the parish
embraces various ethnic groups, also
offering liturgical services in English
and Spanish.
Our Lady of La Vang pastor, Father
Loi Huynh, welcomed parishioners and
Order of Malta to
sponsor diocesan Day
of Sick, Feb. 15, at
Santa Teresa Church
Members of the San Jose location of
the Order of Malta are planning a special diocesan celebration of World Day
of the Sick, Sat., Feb. 15, 11 a.m. at Santa
Teresa Church, San Jose. Since 1992, the
day has been designated worldwide by
the Vatican as an opportunity to give
special attention to those who are sick
or incapacitated.
The event is usually celebrated on or
near the Feast of Our Lady of Lourdes,
Feb. 11. All parishioners in the Diocese
of San Jose are invited to participate.
San Jose Bishop Patrick J. McGrath will
preside at the Mass during which there
will be an anointing of the sick and
blessing with Lourdes water.
The Sovereign Military Hospitaller
Order of St. John of Jerusalem of Rhodes
and Malta, better known as the Order of
Malta, is an ancient religious Catholic
Order founded in Jerusalem in 1050.
The Order sponsors annual pilgrimages to Lourdes, which include
“malades”—those who are sick – and
numbers of Knights and Dames of Malta
who travel with and serve them.
Locally, Order of Malta members volunteer at Martha’s Kitchen, John XXIII
Senior Center, Sacred Heart Community
Service, in San Jose, and the Veteran’s
Hospital in Palo Alto.
The Order of Malta has long focused
on its hospitaller works aimed at helping
the sick and the poor. Its own Rule borrows from the Rule of St. Benedict and
the Benedictine tradition of community.
For more information visit www.
orderofmaltausawestern.org.
Present for the special Mass were (l-r) Msgr. Francis V. Cilia, Vicar General; Auxiliary Bishop
Thomas A. Daly; Bishop Patrick J. McGrath; Father Hao Dinh, Vicar for Vietnamese Ministry
and pastor of Holy Family Parish; and Father Eugene O’Donnell, Dean.
Father Loi Huynh, pastor, delivered homily
during Mass of Thanksgiving.
others to the big white tent on parish
grounds which was the setting for the
Mass of Thanksgiving.
He spoke of “that dreadful day of
August 30, 2012, when our most beloved church was destroyed by fire.
Our grief started when our cherished
place of worship ceased to exist leaving us with no space for liturgical
services and sacramental celebrations,
and no space for prayer for the faithful
parishioners.
“Following that painful day, it was
heartbreaking to witness our parishioners dispersed to many different
locations to attend Mass, trying to find
a church where we could celebrate a
funeral or wedding for our beloved
parishioners.
“Every week, liturgical teams and
volunteers pack up and transfer music
equipment, liturgical furniture and
supplies. They have managed to create a portable/movable altar for easier
‘This wonderful milestone
is the result of your tireless
hard work, perseverance
and prayers.’
and faster set-up. Everyone has worked
together to create an atmosphere of
holiness and prayerfulness--in a sports
gymnasium,” he said.
“We did not lose hope. We believed
and we continue to believe that God is
journeying alongside us. He remains
with us throughout the planning process and preparation. God has strengthened us, and together, we are looking
forward to the rebuilding of God’s
House,” Father Loi said in his homily.
“We also come together to celebrate
the positive capital campaign results we
have accomplished within just seven
months,” he said. “Soon we will have
a church named in honor Our Lady
of La Vang--for us now and for future
generations.”
Also present for the special Mass
was Bishop Patrick J. McGrath who
congratulated the community for their
fundraising efforts, noting, “With
an average gift of $16,069 from 1067
families, the community of Our Lady
of La Vang has responded to the call of
sacrificial giving.
“The ‘Together, We Build our Church’
campaign has raised $17,146,132. Taking
into consideration insurance compensation from the fire, which is estimated
to be about $5 million, the total fund
available for the project is over $22 million,” the bishop announced.
“This wonderful milestone is the
result of your tireless hard work,
perseverance and prayers. I am truly
impressed and offer my heartfelt congratulations. This story is an inspiration for the entire diocese.
“You have this once in a lifetime
opportunity to leave a long-standing
legacy for generations. I encourage
you to carry forth - continue to work
together while embracing your unique
culture and practices,” Bishop McGrath
said.
Join us as
Bishop Patrick J. McGrath
presides at a special celebration of the
World Day of the Sick
Saturday, February 15, 2014 at 11:00 a.m.
Santa Teresa Church
794 Ca \