SAN DIEGO — Cardinal Robert W. McElroy will celebrate the Vietnamese Martyrs Mass on Nov. 6 at Good Shepherd Church.
The Mass is one of the most important ones for Vietnamese Catholics, about 5,000 of whom are active in the San Diego Diocese, said Giai Do. He is a founder of the Vietnamese Commission, which has organized the Martyrs Mass since 1979.
The Mass recalls a devastating time. The Catholic Church in Vietnam was decimated in the 18th and 19th centuries. The Vatican estimates the number of Vietnamese martyrs at between 130,000 and 300,000. The tortures they underwent are considered to be among the worst in Christian martyrdom. Pope St. John Paul II canonized 117 known martyrs in 1988.
The Mass on Nov. 6 begins at 2 p.m. with a colorful procession and will be celebrated in English and Vietnamese. Good Shepherd Church is located at 8200 Gold Coast Drive, Mira Mesa.
It’s one of five parishes with large Vietnamese communities. The others are Holy Family, Our Lady of the Sacred Heart (San Diego), Holy Spirit and St. Thomas More.
More information is available from Giai Do at giaiqdo@gmail.com.
