IRVINE, Calif. — Dominic Dinh Mai Luong, the first-ever Vietnamese American bishop, who spent his career advocating for refugees and immigrants, died on Dec. 6 at the age of 77.
The second youngest of 11 children, Luong was born Dec. 20, 1940 in Minh Cuong, about 50 miles from Hanoi. As a young seminarian in the Diocese of Bui Chu, Luong was sent to the United States in 1956 to continue his education.
Luong was ordained to priesthood in 1966 in New York. He earned a bachelor’s degree in physics and master’s degrees in biology and psychology. He then returned to junior seminary in Buffalo where he taught biology and served as a chaplain to St. Francis Hospital.
When a wave of Vietnamese refugees began to make their way to the U.S. after the fall of Saigon and the communist takeover in 1975, Luong was transferred to New Orleans where a large number of refugees were landing. He served as the Director of Archdiocesan Vietnamese Apostolate there from 1976 until 1983, when he became the founding pastor of Mary Queen of Vietnam parish.
Luong was appointed auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Orange by Pope John Paul II on April 25, 2003. The area which is home to the largest Vietnamese population outside of Vietnam. He retired in 2015, but remained active as bishop emeritus based at St. Bonaventure Church in Huntington Beach, which has a significant Vietnamese membership.
R.I.P. and the palliative service of a Chaplain are truly inspiring