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Vietnamese pilgrims flock to Marian site after pandemic

Devotees have been urged to live out the spirit of synodality at the feast of the Assumption of Mary
Pilgrims attend a Mass to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang in Quang Tri province on Aug. 15

Pilgrims attend a Mass to celebrate the feast of the Assumption of Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang in Quang Tri province on Aug. 15. (Photo: UCA News)

Published: August 16, 2022 10:31 AM GMT
Updated: December 29, 2022 10:14 AM GMT

Tens of thousands of Marian devotees have been urged to live out the spirit of synodality at a national Marian shrine.

More than 50,000 people including followers of other faiths and those from abroad attended major celebrations to mark the feast of the Assumption of Mary on Aug. 14-15 at the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang in Quang Tri province.

Six archbishops and bishops concelebrated Masses with the theme Mother Mary – Example of Synodality, joined by hundreds of priests from many dioceses.

“We children of Mother Mary gather around her here to show the spirit of synodality with God, Mary, the Universal Church and all peoples around the world,” Archbishop Joseph Nguyen Chi Linh of Hue said.

Pilgrims including followers of other faiths live out the community synodality and experience love, peace and fraternity from one another.

Archbishop Linh said in 2008 a government official who was in charge of religion was moved by the fact that pilgrims at the Marian shrine – which covered a small area with an old church bell – were dressed poorly, slept on the ground and drank water from nearby streams. They went through a spiritual experience and were determined to work hard with local authorities to return many hectares of land to the local church.

A provincial official admitted that he could only deal with his personal problems by quietly making pilgrimages to the 222-year-old shrine.

Government officials are Communist Party members and ostensibly atheists.

The head of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Vietnam said that all people in society show synodality with local Catholics at the shrine. Vietnamese people dream about being in solidarity with one another.

Noting that Mother Mary was happy as she knew how to journey with God and other people, he said pilgrims will be ecstatic when they know how to share divine love with others.

The prelate said he is happy to gather with a great number of people at the shrine since the Covid pandemic hit the country in 2020. Thanks to Marian devotees’ fervent prayers, Mother Mary saved victims and contained the pandemic just as she had consoled their ancestors and stopped religious persecution in the 18th century.

He expressed deep gratitude to many dioceses who sent some 1,000 dancers and singers and groups of musicians to perform at ceremonies at the shrine.

During the two-day pilgrimage, Marian devotees went to confession, recited the rosary in front of a big statue of Mary, carried a Marian statue on a colorful base around the 21-hectare shrine, danced offering flowers to a Marian statue and played drums and trumpets.

A man from Da Lat said he could not afford to travel to the shrine, and his neighbor who is not Catholic offered him money to cover travel costs. She also gave him money to donate to the shrine and beggars at the shrine.

Other pilgrims said they came to sincerely thank Mother Mary for having cured their terminal diseases and brought their relatives who abandoned their faith back to the church.

Le Phu Nhan, one of 10 non-Catholic volunteers from a charity group, said they provided instant noodles and bottled water for Van Kieu ethnic pilgrims from 39 mission stations based in Huong Hoa district of Quang Tri province.

“We have visited the shrine two times, and we are happy to serve other pilgrims as we are all children of Mary,” the 46-year-old man said.

The Blessed Mother is believed to have appeared in La Vang in 1798 to console persecuted Vietnamese Catholics. In 1961, the bishops of Vietnam declared the site the national Marian Shrine.

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