Event will focus on “50 Years of Gratitude and Hope”
Celebrating the Journey of Faith of Vietnamese Catholics to the U.S. starting in 1975
All Are Invited to Attend this Free Event

Who:     Vietnamese community from across Florida

What:   Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Congress

When:  Friday, November 21^st, 6 pm – 10 pm
Saturday, November 22^nd 8:30 am – 10 pm
Sunday, November 23^rd, 8:30 am – 4 pm

Where: Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Catholic Church, 4000 43rd Street N., St. Petersburg

This annual event is a celebration of Vietnamese tradition and faith. Activities include workshops, games, food, music, performances, prayer candles, worship services, and outdoor processions.

Keynote speakers include Bishop Thanh Thai Nguyen, a California bishop who escaped Vietnam by boat in 1979. Bishop Gregory Parkes will celebrate the opening Mass on Friday, November 20^th at 6 p.m.

The media are invited to preview and cover this event. Interview opportunities include Father Nguyễn Vũ Việt, pastor of Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Parish, who was a political prisoner in Vietnam before migrating to the U.S.

Additional Information:

This year, the annual festival commemorates the 50th anniversary of Vietnamese immigration to America that coincides with the 50th anniversary of the fall of Saigon in April 1975.

Each year, the festival is held in November to observe the day of remembrance for the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam, 117 individuals who were persecuted and killed because of their faith in Vietnam during the 18^th and 19^th centuries. They were named saints by Pope John Paul II in 1988.

Participants will have the opportunity to pray before relics of the martyrs. Sacred relics are physical objects that have a direct association with Jesus or the saints.

Caption: Performances during the Holy Martyrs of Vietnam Congress retell the stories of how Vietnamese martyrs were arrested and martyred in the 18th and 19th centuries. Courtesy photo.