Originally published at Orange County Catholic
ON JULY 1, 2024, Fr. Martin Vu began his new assignment as parochial administrator of St. Joseph Catholic Church in Placentia. Many tasks greeted Fr. Martin upon his arrival at the 71-year-old church. The interior was undergoing major renovations and so Mass services were moved to the parish hall. Additionally, Fr. Martin was tasked with supervising the final touches for the renovation of the rectory to accommodate retired priests. These significant tasks needed to be attended to while becoming acquainted
with parishioners and conducting administrative duties. This was a daunting task for any priest, much less a new administrator still in his early years as a priest.
The St. Joseph Rectory project is part of a larger diocesan initiative.. Other locations that are part of this Diocese-wide plan include St. Kilian parish in Mission Viejo, Our Lady Queen of Angels parish in Newport Beach and Clearwater at North Tustin Retirement Home. St. Joseph was chosen in part due to its history of community hospitality given to retired priests and having a rectory with a large footprint to work with.
The vision for the St. Joseph renovation, completed in August, included a new pantry, kitchen, patio renovations and expansion of the living
