St. Anthony of Padua & Le Van Phung Parish

Our Savior Lives! Church Front St. Anthony Catholic Church Le Van Phung Parish Church Front 1/3 Welcome Welcome, and thank you for visiting St. Anthony of Padua & Le Van Phung Parish online. We hope that our website highlights the wide variety of worship, fellowship and service opportunities available. Please feel free to read more about our church on this site, or come in for a visit. We would love to greet you and share with you our love for Jesus Christ and for you, our neighbor. Our Mission We pledge our lives to Christ and Covenant with each other to Demonstrate his Spirit through Worship, Prayer, Evangelization, and Ministry to the needs of our community. Weddings & Receptions Our church offers a traditional setting for your most sacred celebration. Mass Schedule: Monday- Saturday: 6: 45 AM (Vietnamese) 7:30 AM (Adoration) Saturday Vigil: 6:00 PM (Vietnamese) Sunday: 7:45 AM (Vietnamese) 9:00 AM Adoration 10:00 AM (Vietnamese) 12:45 PM (CCD School) S tations of t he Cross : Fridays during Lent: 4:3 0 PM & 7:0 0 PM Thanksgiving Day : 10:00 AM (Vietnamese) *Baptism - Last Sunday of the month Confessions: Daily before Mass Saturdays: 3:15 - 3:50 PM also *By Appointment. Read more > Read more > Read more > Read more > Events > Latest News CLICK HERE FOR THE DIOCESE OF BATON ROUGE JOB OPENINGS! Food Bank First Saturdays: 8:30 AM- 10:30 AM General Offertory : GO20 Maintenance: M21 Easter Flower Offering: EF22 Religious Education: RE14 Propagation of Faith: PF15 Campaign for Human Development: CHD16 Retirement Fund for Religious: RFR17 Catholic Life Center Services: CLCS18 Christmas Flower Offering: CF23 Peter’s Pence: PP11 Catholic Charities : CC12 Catholic University of America: CUA13 Memorial Candles: MC24 Church “Text to Give” group codes: (Only Funds which are active can be access) Catholic Diocese of Baton Rouge

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Gospel Reflection Today's feast celebrates Mary's Assumption into heaven. It is one of three feasts of Mary that are Holy Days of Obligation for Catholics in the United States. January 1 is the feast of Mary, the Mother of God, and December 8 is the feast of the Immaculate Conception of Mary. The assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into heaven has long been held as an important Catholic belief. The belief was not defined as dogma, however, until 1950 by Pope Pius XII. The dogma teaches that Mary, who was without sin, was taken, body and soul, into the glory of heaven. The Gospel for this holy day recalls Mary's actions after the announcement of Jesus' birth by the Angel Gabriel. Mary goes to visit her cousin Elizabeth who is also with child. Elizabeth greets Mary with full recognition of the roles they and their unborn children will play in God's plan for salvation. Mary responds to Elizabeth's greeting with her song of praise, the Magnificat. Both women recall and echo God's history of showing favor upon the people of Israel. Mary's Magnificat, in particular, echoes the song of praise offered by Hannah, the mother of Samuel. The Gospel for this day reminds us that Mary's Assumption into heaven is best understood with regard for the full spectrum of Catholic beliefs about the person of Christ and the person of Mary. Only Mary, who was born without stain of original sin—the Immaculate Conception—could give birth to Christ, who is fully God and fully human. This is called the Immaculate Conception. Because of Mary's role in God's plan of salvation, she does not suffer from the effects of sin, which are death and decay. Mary is the first to receive the fullness of the redemption that her son has won for all of humanity. The Church, therefore, recognizes Mary as the sign of the salvation promised to all. Today's Gospel highlights Mary's faith. Mary's faith enabled her to recognize the work of God in her people's history and in her own life. Her openness to God allowed God to work through her so that salvation might come to all. Mary is a model and symbol of the Church. May we be like Mary, open and cooperative in God's plan of salvation. Loyola Press — A Jesuit Ministry

Contact St. Anthony of Padua & Le Van Phung Parish 2305 Choctaw Dr. Baton Rouge, Louisiana 70805 peterhieunguyenicm@gmail.com Tel: 225-357-4800 (English) Tel: 346-270-7509 (Vietnamese) Your details were sent successfully! Send

Forms: Please view/print and complete the forms below (if needed): Family Registration Baptism Registration *Bring to the appointment with Priest. Các Tờ Đơn: Xin vui lòng tài về máy và in ra theo nhu cầu (Please download and print out as needed): Thay Đổi Địa Chỉ (Change of Address) Đơn Xin Gia Nhập Đoàn Liên Minh Thánh Tâm ("Lien Minh Thanh Tam" Registration Form) Đơn Xin Tham Gia Ca Đoàn Têrêsa (Teresa Choir Registration Form)

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About us History of St. Anthony Catholic Church In 1915 the St. Anthony Society was established to assist the Italian immigrants coming to Baton Rouge. The Society made a donation for the Construction of a Chapel to serve the needs of these immigrants. St. Anthony was a mission of St. Joseph. In 1920 Archbishop Shaw appointed Father Ralph Vincent Lawrence as the first Pastor of St. Anthony of Padua, a parish of about 225 families. In 1922 a larger Church was constructed and in 1923 Father Thomas Colbert was appointed Pastor. He served for 25 years. St. John in the Plains, Zachary, St. Isidore, Baker and St. Francis, Greenwell Springs (now St. Alphonsus) were three missions attached to St. Anthony. A Parish Corporation was formed to handle the transactions under a charter on December 7, 1921 with the legal title of “Congregation of St. Anthony’s Roman Catholic Church of East Baton Rouge, Louisiana. By 1926, population was 1500 and by 1928 it was 2000. The average mass attendance on Sunday’s was recorded at 600 adults and 900 children. In 1937 the parish census showed an increase to 2800 Catholics. A third Church and a school were constructed to handle the growing congregation. Over the years the boundaries changed as new Parishes were established with the city, including St. Gerard, Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Mercy and St. Charles. The fourth Church was completed in 1953. The first Mass in the new Church was held on Christmas Eve in 1953. Several changes were at work in the 1960’s which changed the area around the church. A zoning shift from residential to industrial; construction of the I – 110 interstate, many homes were leveled and suburbs moved toward the south and east. A rebirth for St. Anthony occurred in 1988 when the Vietnamese Community became a part of St. Anthony Parish. Soon after the parish were renamed Sts. Anthony of Padua and Le Van Phung Parish. The Buildings and grounds have been transformed and a new energetic spirit is evident in this multicultural community. The Vietnamese Catholics were being welcome to St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church. The Vietnamese Catholics Coming to St. Anthony Church Sts. Anthony of Padua and Lê Văn Phung Parish in Baton Rouge used to be called St. Anthony of Padua Parish. Besides St. Anthony, the new name also honors St. Lê Văn Phung, a Vietnamese martyr, who was canonized by Pope John Paul II in June 1988. It also indicates that the parish is now the home of most of the Vietnamese Catholic community in Baton Rouge. When and how did the Vietnamese come to the parish? The story started over 35 years ago when South Vietnam was lost to the Communist from the North. In July 1975, the first 5 Vietnamese families came to Baton Rouge from refugee camps. All were sponsored by the Diocese. For the first several months, they were living in the old “white house” across the street from St. Anthony Church, which has been torn down. Among those 5 families was a widow, and one of her children was a 16 year-old boy named Than Vu who did not speak English. And, you are right; he is now Father Than Vu, the Vicar General (VG) of the Diocese of Baton Rouge and pastor of St. Aloysius. Besides those first five families, three Vietnamese priests were also sponsored by the Diocese at the same time. One of them was Fr. Paul Nguyen, whose first assignment was at Immaculate Conception Church in Lakeland, LA. Fr. Paul drove to Baton Rouge on Sunday afternoon to say Mass for the Vietnamese Catholics at St. Anthony. Later he was assigned an Associate Pastor at St. Anthony and at the same time was the chaplain of the Vietnamese Catholic Community. More Vietnamese “boat people” refugees came to town from many refugee camps in Southeast Asia during the following 15 years. In 1990 there were approximately 2,000 Vietnamese in BR, half of them were Catholics and worshiped at St. Anthony. In 1983 Fr. Joseph Nguyen from New Orleans was brought to BR by Bishop Ott when Fr. Paul retired from St. Anthony. For the first 2 years in BR, Fr. Joseph was a resident priest at Sacred Heart church and therefore the Vietnamese Catholics “moved” there. In 1985, Bishop Ott re-assigned Fr. Joseph to St. Anthony as an administrator, then a pastor, and the Vietnamese Catholics moved back to St. Anthony with him. St. Anthony has officially become the Vietnamese Catholic Community’s home parish. Since then, Fr. Joseph has retired and became the Superior General of the Vietnamese in the United States, and Fr. Francis Minh Nguyen became the next pastor. He is the priest responsible for all of the renovations that you see today. Fr. Joseph requested the help of Fr. Francis who was with us about seven years to oversee the building of the Retreat Center in Texas for the Vietnamese. Fr. Dominic Chin Pham replaced Fr. Francis Nguyen in which he only was with us for about a year. Fr. Dominic was requested to go to the Philippines by Fr. Joseph for the Formation of Priest for the ICM Religious Order. The current pastor is Fr. Peter Tan Viet Nguyen, who came less than a year ago from Dallas, Texas. Under Fr. Joseph the Vincent Liem Sunday School was established. Now the school has 350 students from 1st to 12th grades. Classes meet from 10 AM to 12:30 PM on Sundays except during the summers. From 1990 until about 2005, hundreds of Vietnamese came to Baton Rouge every year in the “H.O. Program” which allowed former South Vietnamese officials and military personnel and families to come to the States. As a result, the Vietnamese Catholic Community grew to the size of about 3,000 (?) now. Currently, Sts. Anthony of Padua and Lê văn Phung parish has 597 Vietnamese families registered as members among the total of 733 families. The Vietnamese live everywhere in Baton Rouge and the surrounding towns; of course many of them have chosen to register at other Catholic churches near their homes.

St. Anthony Photo Gallery Sign in front the church Front of church Cross and Candles Sign in front the church 1/7 St. Anthony Catholic Church Front of Hall Bride Prep Room Inside of Church Front of Hall 1/3 Weddings Scroll though pictures. Make your wedding day perfect! If you were like most little girls, your wedding day was something that was forever in your imagination, a joyous event that would mark a new and exciting era in your life. Inside Reception Hall Reception Hall Preparation Room for Bride/ Groom Inside Reception Hall 1/5 Receptions Scroll through Pictures. This is a great place for you to relax after you wedding and enjoy this special celebration with your family and friends

Services Please contact us for more information. Weddings & Receptions This is a great place to enjoy your special day.  To inquire about any of our services: Call us > St. Vincent Liem Sunday School The new page for Office of Child and Youth Protection is active. Click Here. CCD Director: Sr. Lan Nguyen Email Address: phuonglanicm@yahoo.com Call us > Catholic Rituals of the Church Baptism For Catholics, the Sacrament of Baptism is the first step in a lifelong journey of commitment and discipleship. Whether we are baptized as infants or adults, Baptism is the Church's way of celebrating and enacting the embrace of God. Eucharist Catholics believe the Eucharist, or Communion, is both a sacrifice and a meal. We believe in the real presence of Jesus, who died for our sins. As we receive Christ's Body and Blood, we also are nourished spiritually and brought closer to God. Reconciliation The Catholic Sacrament of Reconciliation (also known as Penance, or Penance and Reconciliation) has three elements: conversion, confession and celebration. In it we find God's unconditional forgiveness; as a result we are called to forgive others. Confirmation Confirmation is a Catholic Sacrament of mature Christian commitment and a deepening of baptismal gifts. It is one of the three Sacraments of Initiation for Catholics. It is most often associated with the gifts of the Holy Spirit. Marriage For Catholics, the Sacrament of Marriage, or Holy Matrimony, is a public sign that one gives oneself totally to this other person. It is also a public statement about God: the loving union of husband and wife speaks of family values and also God's values. Holy Orders In the Sacrament of Holy Orders, or Ordination, the priest being ordained vows to lead other Catholics by bringing them the sacraments (especially the Eucharist), by proclaiming the Gospel, and by providing other means to holiness. Anointing of the Sick The Catholic Sacrament of Anointing of the Sick, formerly known as Last Rites or Extreme Unction, is a ritual of healing appropriate not only for physical but also for mental and spiritual sickness. Call us >

Gospel Reflection