Community Rules
Vincent Dang and his wife, Hoang Dinh, pose with their sons, Lucas (11) and Zachariah (9), and their niece, Han (6), in the library at St. Joseph Catholic School in Arlington, Sept. 23. (NTC/Rodger Mallison)
Instilling strong Catholic values in their family was never a question for Vincent Dang and his wife, Hoang Dinh. When the two moved to Arlington shortly after their wedding, they immediately sought the nearest Catholic church, eager to practice their faith as their parents had taught them, and just as they hoped to teach their own children.
Parishioners of St. Vincent de Paul Church in Arlington for 13 years and parents of two St. Joseph Catholic School students — Lucas and Zachariah — Vincent and Hoang shared with the North Texas Catholic how community and a steady practice of faith shape their family’s daily life.
HOW THEY MET: Hoang’s and Vincent’s parents have known each other since before the Vietnam War, but the two first met in their late twenties when Vincent came to visit Harrisburg, Pa, where Hoang grew up.
The couple married on June 23, 2012, at Hoang’s home parish, St. Catherine Laboure.
“I went to the Catholic school there,” she said. “I went to 12th grade all the way from elementary, so we got married in the church I grew up in.”
While Vincent had not attended Catholic school in Vietnam, he did grow up in a vibrant Catholic community.
“There were a lot of activities and services over there. I would go to church twice a day as a boy, in the morning at 4 a.m. and at 5 p.m. daily,” he recalled. “It was just a very close and tight community.”
DUAL PERSPECTIVE: Tradition and Catholic values are important in the Dang household, Vincent said. When the couple had children, there was no question about whether they would attend Catholic school.
“It’s different as a parent, you know,” Hoang reflected. “I definitely have a greater appreciation for Catholic school now. It’s not just the academics, which are certainly very good, but it’s very wholesome. My boys are well-mannered and polite, and they’re taught service to the community.”
KEEP IT CLOSE: When the Dangs first moved to Texas, they lived very close to St. Vincent de Paul in Arlington. “We now live in Mansfield, but we just kept going back to St. Vincent,” Hoang said with a laugh. “Our boys have been raised there. I love the small community, and we know all the faces there.”
From kid’s programs to donation drives to joining small prayer groups or being inspired to volunteer at Mission Arlington as a family, the Dangs have many ties of gratitude and joy connected to the Arlington church.
FAITH AT SCHOOL, HOME: The environment at St. Joseph Catholic School “feels like a family. Everyone knows each other and the teachers really care about their students,” Vincent said.
At the school, parents work with teachers to help develop their children’s faith and education.
“We are both working full-time jobs,” said Vincent, who works in software development. “We only have a small window after work from 5 to 9 p.m. to be with them.” Homework, prayers, and family time routines are supplemented and invigorated through conversations and lessons taught at school.
“It’s a time to reinforce what they’ve learned in school,” Hoang, a physician’s assistant, said. “I hope with the qualities they learn here, they will be able to grow as good humans.”
ALL TOGETHER: After hearing the success of their children’s education at St. Joseph, Vincent’s brother and sister-in-law decided to send their 6-year-old daughter, Han Dang, to the Arlington school as well.
“They live on the same block, and so we pick up, and we drop off, and we get to do a lot of things together,” Hoang and Vincent said.
TAKE IT SERIOUS: The Dangs will pass on a vacation destination if there isn’t a Catholic church nearby to attend Sunday Mass.
“Our faith is a priority,” Hoang said. “Prayers at nighttime, very simple but important. When we have routines, it’s automatic for the boys, and I don’t have to remind them even when we’re away from home.”
First, the brothers will brush their teeth. Then they pray the Our Father, three Hail Marys, the Glory Be. After a few minutes of silent prayer, the boys will read through their picture book Bible before settling down to sleep.
“We hope they have good habits,” Vincent said, thinking forward to when the boys are in high school and college, and their faith is challenged.
PARENTS HELPING PARENTS: “There are a lot of good parents out here who are probably more involved than us. They take care of this and that. It inspires me to step up a little bit more, to take care of our kids,” Hoang said.
“When you’re in a good community, you’ve got a lot of good parents that you can follow,” Vincent added.
TALK AND LISTEN: When it comes to sustaining a marriage, always eat dinner together, Hoang recommended.
“We talk a lot,” Vincent said. “We eat dinner, we talk, we don’t have phones or TVs — just everyday discussion. And we take time to listen.”
LIFE OF PRAYER: To be Catholic is to live a life of prayer, Hoang said.
“We encourage prayers a lot in everything we do. You know, prayers when we’re sick and hurt. Prayers also in thanksgiving.”
“We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, so I always ask God to guide me with how to solve and deal with the unknown,” Vincent added. “I’m always asking God to help guide me on what to do.”