Our Lady of La Vang Parish facts for kids
Our Lady of La Vang Parish (which is also called Vietnamese: Giáo Xứ Đức Mẹ La Vang in Vietnamese and Spanish: Iglesia Católica Nuestra Señora de La Vang in Spanish) is a special church for Vietnamese Americans in San Jose, California. It used to be known as Saint Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish. This church was once the main church, or cathedral, for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Jose in California.
The church is located in Downtown San Jose, very close to San José State University. It is named after Our Lady of La Vang, a special figure in the Catholic faith. The Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul, a group of religious sisters, also run St. Patrick Elementary School right on the church grounds.
Contents
History of the Parish
How the Church Started
The church, originally named St. Patrick, was founded in the city of San Jose, California in 1872. It was one of the first Catholic churches in the area, started after the Cathedral Basilica of St. Joseph. Father Joseph Gallagher was the first leader, or pastor, of the church. It was named after Saint Patrick, who is the patron saint of Ireland.
Building and Rebuilding
The first church building was a beautiful Gothic style church. It was finished in 1888 at the corner of Ninth and Santa Clara streets. Sadly, this building was destroyed by the big 1906 San Francisco earthquake. But the community worked hard, and a new church was built in less than a year!
This second church was later replaced by the current building in 1967. This new church is located at the corner of Eighth and Santa Clara streets.
Becoming a Cathedral and Changing Names
From 1981 to 1990, St. Patrick's served as the main cathedral for the Diocese of San José. A cathedral is where the bishop has his special chair, called a cathedra. After 1990, the main bishop's chair moved to the newly updated St. Joseph's church. Because of this, St. Patrick's was then called St. Patrick Proto-Cathedral Parish. "Proto-cathedral" means it was once a cathedral but isn't anymore.
In 2002, the church changed its focus. It became a special church for the Vietnamese community. This means that besides services in English and Spanish, the church also offers several services in Vietnamese.
Fire and New Beginnings
On August 31, 2012, the church building was badly damaged by a fire. It was later taken down in 2017. On April 28, 2013, Bishop Patrick J. McGrath decided to rename the church in honor of Our Lady of La Vang. Even with the new church name, the school next to it remained St. Patrick School. The brand new church building officially opened its doors on May 13, 2023.
See also
In Spanish: Protocatedral de San Patricio (San José) para niños
External links
- Our Lady of La Vang Parish
- Giáo Xứ Đức Mẹ La Vang (Vietnamese)
- Our Lady of La Vang Parish at the Diocese of San Jose website
- St. Patrick Elementary School
