On Sunday, February 15, 2009 officials of four major entities of the Order of Preachers, more commonly known as the Dominicans, gathered together in Houston to officially mark the re-alignment of responsibility within the Order for serving the Vietnamese faithful in Houston. The Very Rev. Edward Ruane, O.P., Vicar of the Master of the Order traveled to Houston from Rome; the Very Rev. Joseph Luat Nguyen, O.P. Socius of the Provincial of Queen of Martyrs Province, came in from Vietnam; the Very Rev. Liem Tran, O.P. Vicar Provincial of the Vicariate of St. Vincent Liem arrived from his headquarters in Calgary, Canada; and the Very Rev. Martin Gleeson, O.P., Provincial of the Province of St. Martin de Porres traveled from his headquarters in New Orleans.
The re-alignment, in effect, transfers St. Dominic House and the responsibility for its associated ministries, which include Our Lady of Lavang Parish and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, from the Province of St. Martin de Porres to the Vicariate of St. Vincent Liem.
Father Ruane served as the main celebrant and preacher at the Eucharistic liturgy which was held at Our Lady of Lavang’s church. Also participating in the celebration were the local friars; a number of friars from other parts of the United States and Canada, including Father Liem Tran’s entire Vicariate Council; a number of Dominican Sisters; representatives of the Dominican Laity; and members of the local clergy.
Father Ruane expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Master of the Order for the on-going welcome and trust that the Dominican friars have enjoyed in the Archdiocese first under Archbishop Fiorenza and more recently under Cardinal DiNardo. He also expressed delight and gratitude to the friars representing the Dominican entities involved, for the fraternal spirit which characterized the process leading up to this transfer. The agreement entered into by these Dominican entities states that they “.. . enter into this agreement with a shared understanding that the transfer will enable the Order to better serve the growing Vietnamese population in Houston, Texas in the future than would be possible without this transfer.”
Dominican friars from both the Vicariate of St. Vincent Liem and Queen of Martyrs Province have served in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston from the late 1970’s until now on assignment to the Province of St. Martin de Porres. The Dominicans have been an integral part of the history of the Vietnamese presence in the Archdiocese including the establishment and continuous pastoral leadership of Our Lady of Lavang Parish (est. 1985) and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (est. 1994).
The re-alignment, in effect, transfers St. Dominic House and the responsibility for its associated ministries, which include Our Lady of Lavang Parish and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish, from the Province of St. Martin de Porres to the Vicariate of St. Vincent Liem. Father Ruane served as the main celebrant and preacher at the Eucharistic liturgy which was held at Our Lady of Lavang’s church. Also participating in the celebration were the local friars; a number of friars from other parts of the United States and Canada, including Father Liem Tran’s entire Vicariate Council; a number of Dominican Sisters; representatives of the Dominican Laity; and members of the local clergy.
Father Ruane expressed his gratitude on behalf of the Master of the Order for the on-going welcome and trust that the Dominican friars have enjoyed in the Archdiocese first under Archbishop Fiorenza and more recently under Cardinal DiNardo. He also expressed delight and gratitude to the friars representing the Dominican entities involved, for the fraternal spirit which characterized the process leading up to this transfer. The agreement entered into by these Dominican entities states that they “.. . enter into this agreement with a shared understanding that the transfer will enable the Order to better serve the growing Vietnamese population in Houston, Texas in the future than would be possible without this transfer.”
Dominican friars from both the Vicariate of St. Vincent Liem and Queen of Martyrs Province have served in the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston from the late 1970’s until now on assignment to the Province of St. Martin de Porres. The Dominicans have been an integral part of the history of the Vietnamese presence in the Archdiocese including the establishment and continuous pastoral leadership of Our Lady of Lavang Parish (est. 1985) and Our Lady of Lourdes Parish (est. 1994).