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The Vietnamese Catholic Center |
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Q: What is Our Lady of La Vang? A: Our Lady of La Vang is the central and national shrine of Vietnam, approximately 60 kilometers from the former capitol Huê. The name is derived from a type of fern which used to grow in great quantities in the region. During the great persecution (1798-1801) many Christians took refuge in the jungle situated in proximity of Quang Tri, a village in central Vietnam, where they experienced hunger and sickness, and prepared themselves for martyrdom. One day, as the community was assembled in prayer, the figure of a lady surrounded by many lights, appeared to them. She presented herself as the Mother of God, encouraged and consoled them, and gave them a special sign of her loving care. She advised the people to use the leaves of the fern to treat their ailments, and promised them to receive their prayers with maternal generosity. All who would congregate on this site to pray would be heard and their petitions granted. Mary appeared on several occasions at the same site. After the persecution in 1802, the Christians left their jungle hiding place and returned to their villages. However, the story of the apparition and its message was passed on. In 1820 a chapel was built at the apparition site. From 1820-1885 still another wave of persecution decimated the Christian population. More than 100,000 Vietnamese Christians died as martyrs. In 1885 the chapel in honor of Our Lady of La Vang was destroyed by a fanatic. A new chapel was built between 1886 and 1901 (consecration). Soon it was no longer able to hold the many pilgrims to La Vang, and in 1923 a new and bigger church was erected. It was consecrated in 1928 (August 22) in the presence of 20,000 pilgrims. Every three years a national pilgrimage was organized for the whole country which was to have a special meaning even after the separation of South and North. In 1959 La Vang was officially declared a national shrine, marking the 300 years of the Church's presence in Vietnam (AAS 51 (1959) 84-86). The Church of La Vang was made a basilica minor in 1961. The Holy Father recently said, "In visiting the shrine of Our Lady of La Vang, who is so loved by the Vietnamese faithful, pilgrims come to entrust to her their joys and sorrows, their hopes and sufferings. In this way, they call on God and become intercessors for their families and nation, asking the Lord to infuse in the heart of all people feelings of peace, fraternity and solidarity, so that all the Vietnamese will be more united every day in the construction of a world based on essential spiritual and moral values, where each one will be recognized because of his dignity as a son of God, and be able go in freedom and as a son toward the Father of Heaven, 'rich in mercy,' ". For more information, follow the link http://www.catholic.org.tw/vntaiwan/lavang/lavang.htm |
Our Lady of La Vang She is the official patroness of the Catholic Church of Vietnam, so declared by Pope John Paul II on the occasion of the 200th anniversary of Mary’s apparitions. The story began back in the years 1789 to 1801, when the Catholic Church was being persecuted and the Vietnamese Catholics fled and hid in the jungles of the district of La Vang. During that time Our Lady appeared to these people to console them and to strengthen their faith to endure their sufferings. Mary invited the people to come and pray, and she promised them the grace of God for the sacrifices they made to do so. In the early 1900's a basilica was built at the site of the apparitions, which quickly became a major pilgrimage site. In 1972 the church was destroyed by the bombs of the communist army, except that the statue of Our Lady of La Vang was miraculously spared from destruction. The Holy Father intended to visit this site in 1999, but was refused by the Vietnamese government. Our Lady of La Vang continues to be an inspiration for those who suffer for their faith, and she continues to invite people to pray and make sacrifices for the love of their Faith. We are all encouraged to come to Mary, that she might draw us to her Immaculate Heart, and encourage us in our times of suffering to be united to the sufferings of Christ her Divine Son. Our Lady of La Vang, pray for us.
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