Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. ― As the first and only Vietnamese bishop in the United States, Dominic Dinh Mai Luong broke a number of barriers in representing the voice of a community ― refugees ― not often heard.
Other clergymen from the Diocese of Orange attended the mass to celebrate Luong’s retirement. (Photo: Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet)
After 50 years as a clergyman, the 75-year-old Luong stepped down and gave his final mass at Saint Colomban Church.
“It was in this historic church, 12 years and seven months ago, on June 11, 2003, that I was ordained bishop for the diocese of Orange,” Luong said. “But everything has a season. Now my time has come. The season of retirement has arrived for me.”
Luong, who has suffered physical setbacks in the past few years, was born in Minh Cuong in the province of Bui Chu in North Vietnam. As the son of devout Catholic parents, Luong went to junior seminary school in his hometown and, at 16, was sent to the United States in 1956 to continue his formation for the priesthood. After studying for 10 years, he was ordained to the priesthood for the Diocese of Da Nang in New York.
Bishop Dominic Dinh Mai Luong has retired after 50 years in the Catholic clergy. (Photo: Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet)
Luong became the director of the Archdicosean Vietnamese Apostolate and moved to New Orleans in 1976. There, he played a large role in helping many Vietnamese refugees resettle following the fall of Saigon in 1975. He remained until 1983 in Louisiana, where he was the founding pastor of Mary, Queen of Vietnam Parish. Bishop Tod Brown ordained Bishop Dominic Mai Luong to the fullness of the priesthood on June 11, 2003, at Saint Columban Church in Garden Grove.
“I am very emotional and sad that he is retiring because we have very few Vietnamese voices in the church, so once he retires, we are like birds without direction,” he said. “We are also proud of the work he’s done.”
Luong presided over his final mass at Saint Colomban Church, also where he was ordained as a bishop in 2003. (Photo: Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet)
Catholicism is the second-most prevalent religion, after Buddhism, among the nearly 200,000 Vietnamese Americans in Orange County and 1.7 million nationwide.
There are 40 Vietnamese Americans priests in Orange County’s diocese.
“Thank you for giving me this opportunity to serve,” Luong told the congregation. “I want to encourage everyone to work together in this coming year to help our brothers and sisters in our homeland of Vietnam find peace and stability.”
Other Catholic leaders were on hand to mark Luong’s retirement.
“It was hard for him to accept retirement,” said Father Steve Sallot, vicar general at the Diocese of Orange, “because he loves his work as a bishop. He loves to be with the people. If it was up to him, he’d work until he was 100. Today he stood up and said it was his season, and his time to retire. It was very gracious of him to say that.”
Luong gave his last mass to a crowded church. (Photo: Thuy Phan/Nguoi Viet)
“It was a very inspiring ceremony,” said Father Ben Tran, 40, of St. Anne Church in Seal Beach.“Bishop Luong is a great shepherd and a great bishop of our diocese. It was wonderful to hear how much he’s accomplished and how much he’s touched our hearts and served our diocese of Orange. He’s definitely someone that I look up to as a priest.”
“He has welcomed all who came to our diocese,” Father Sallot said. “That was probably one of his greatest gifts. He was welcoming to the immigrants, Hispanics and Asian — not just Vietnamese ― but the Chinese and Korean communities as well. He has a heart for the Vietnamese immigrants and an open heart for all refugees because it’s what he went through.”
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