Dominic Mai Thanh Lương
Dominic Mai Thanh Lương (20 December 1940 – 6 December 2017) was a Vietnamese-born prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He was an auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange from 2003-15.
Dominic Mai Thanh Lương | |
|---|---|
| Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Orange Titular Bishop of Cebarades | |
| Archdiocese | Los Angeles |
| Diocese | Orange |
| Appointed | 25 April 2003 |
| Installed | 11 June 2003 |
| Term ended | 20 December 2015 |
| Other post(s) | Titular Bishop of Cebarades |
| Orders | |
| Ordination | 21 May 1966 |
| Consecration | 11 June 2003 by Tod Brown, Alfred Clifton Hughes, and Jaime Soto |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Đa Minh Mai Thanh Lương 20 December 1940 Minh Cuong, Viet Nam |
| Died | 6 December 2017 (aged 76) |
| Motto | Jam non estis hospites et advenae (You are strangers and aliens no longer) |
| Styles of Dominic Mai Thanh Lương | |
|---|---|
| Reference style | |
| Spoken style | Your Excellency |
| Religious style | Bishop |
Early life and education edit
Mai Thanh Lương was born near Hanoi on 20 December 1940, the youngest of nine children.[1] His father worked as a real estate notary.[1] He received his early education at a French Vietnamese elementary school, and afterwards attended Holy Family Seminary High School.[2]
In 1954, he left home against his father's wishes to enter a seminary in Saigon.[3]
In 1956, he was sent by the Bishop of Da Nang to continue his studies in the United States, where he enrolled at a diocesan seminary in Buffalo, New York, two years later.[3] He completed his philosophical and theological studies at St. Bernard's Seminary, Rochester, New York.[2]
Priesthood edit
Luong was ordained to the priesthood on 21 May 1966.[4] Although ordained for the Diocese of Da Nang, the increasing violence of the Vietnam War prevented him from returning to his native country.[2]
He pursued postgraduate studies at Canisius College in Buffalo, where he earned a Master of Science degree in biology and psychology in 1967.[1] He then served as a chaplain at a hospital in Buffalo until 1975, when he became a curate at St. Louis Church, also in Buffalo.[2]
In 1976, Luong was incardinated in the Archdiocese of New Orleans at the invitation of Archbishop Philip Hannan, who assigned him to the spiritual care of Vietnamese refugees in southern Louisiana.[4]
He became an American citizen the following year.[1] He served as director of the Vietnamese Apostolate from 1976–83, and was named pastor of in New Orleans in 1983.[2]
In addition to his pastoral duties, he became rector of the Vietnamese Martyrs Chapel in 1986 and director of the National Center for the Vietnamese Apostolate in 1989.[2] He was made a monsignor in 1986, and served as a member of the archdiocesan priests' council (1987–92) and dean of New Orleans East (2002–03).[2]
Episcopacy edit
On 25 April 2003, Luong was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange, California, and titular bishop of Cebarades by Pope John Paul II.[4] He received his episcopal consecration on 11 June from Bishop Tod David Brown, with Archbishop Alfred Clifton Hughes and Bishop Jaime Soto serving as co-consecrators.[4] He selected as his episcopal motto: "You Are Strangers And Aliens No Longer" (Ephesians 2:19).[5]
Luong has been an outspoken proponent for the rights of Catholics in Vietnam.[6] He was the first native-born Vietnamese Roman Catholic Bishop in the United States.[7]
The Vatican announced that his resignation was accepted on 20 December 2015, his 75th birthday.[8]
Death edit
Dominic died on 6 December 2017, aged 77 at Saint Joseph Hospital in Orange County, California.[where?][9]
See also edit
References edit
- ^ a b c d Lobdell, William and Mai Tran (17 May 2003). "In O.C., a Bishop Into the Breach". Los Angeles Times.
- ^ a b c d e f g . Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. Archived from the original on 25 December 2017. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ a b "MSGR. DOMINIC LUONG COLLECTION". University of New Orleans. Retrieved 24 December 2017.
- ^ a b c d "Bishop Dominic Mai Luong". Catholic-Hierarchy.org.[self-published source]
- ^ . Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange. Archived from the original on 2010-05-14. Retrieved 2010-06-06.
- ^ "Orange County bishop says Vietnamese Catholic Church will outlive its struggles", catholicnewsagency.com, 31 January 2011
- ^ Do, Anh. "Dominic Luong, first Vietnamese American bishop in U.S., dies at 77". Los Angeles Times. Retrieved 14 April 2024.
- ^ "Rinunce e nomine" (in Italian). Vatican News Service. 20 December 2015. Retrieved 24 December 2015.
- ^ . Rcbo.org. 6 December 2017. Archived from the original on 11 March 2020. Retrieved 25 December 2017.
External links edit
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange Official Site