On the Feast of the Assumption: Ninety thousand pilgrims at the Marian Shrine in La Vang
Millions of Vietnamese Catholics, both inside and outside the country, are turning their attention, also through the media, to the Marian Shrine of La Vang in the Archdiocese of Huế, in central Vietnam.
Meanwhile, tens of thousands of pilgrims traveled long distances to participate in the great Marian pilgrimage held at the shrine on August 14 and 15, on the occasion of the Solemnity of the Assumption. Most of them stayed overnight in simple tents. They came to honor the Mother of La Vang and offer prayers and supplications, as many of their ancestors had done in the past, the persecuted Catholics who sought refuge in the remote mountain forests of La Vang to hide, escape the turmoil, and pray. It was here that Our Lady appeared in 1798 and helped the faithful survive the cruel persecution of Vietnam’s feudal regime.
During the pilgrimage, thousands of volunteers from numerous Catholic associations in parishes and religious orders of the Archdiocese of Huế worked to ensure the functioning of the lighting and sound systems, security, medical care, and garbage collection. This ensured that the gathering, under the protection of Our Lady of La Vang, ran smoothly, orderly, and peacefully. The organizing committee provided 40 confessionals, open from morning to evening, so that they were available at all times to those wishing to receive the Sacrament of Reconciliation before the start of the congress.
Given the current global situation, marked by conflicts and wars on various continents, the proclamation of hope in Jesus Christ becomes ever more urgent. For this reason, the theme « Mary, Mother of Hope » was chosen for the Marian pilgrimage to La Vang.
The solemn ceremony of offering flowers to Our Lady of La Vang marked the beginning of the celebrations, which, despite the summer afternoon heat, were attended by numerous Catholics and some non-Catholics, religious, and priests from across the country. At the beginning, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Huế, Father Dominic Phan Hung, invited the pilgrims to turn their hearts to Mother Mary, as she is a source of inspiration and light for those seeking hope. « Today we come here to Our Lady of La Vang, the place of God’s grace. Through her, God comforted and protected our ancestors in the past in the face of the difficulties of persecution. Throughout history, Mary has continued to shower many blessings on those who make pilgrimages here to pray to her, » said Joseph Vu Cong Vien, Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hanoi, in his homily during the vigil for the Assumption of Virgin Mary on the afternoon of August 14.
Over 90,000 Catholics from across the country participated in the procession in honor of Our Lady of La Vang, which began at 4:30 a.m. on August 15. Following this, the Solemn Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary was presided over by Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc Ngan. Several bishops and hundreds of priests concelebrated it on the grounds of the Basilica of La Vang.
In his homily during the Mass, Bishop Ngan said: « We have come here today not only to celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, but also to make a pilgrimage to the holy shrine of La Vang, where she appeared to help those in great need due to persecution. » The bishop also pointed out the problems of today’s world, which are similar to those our ancestors faced in the past: a secularized, hectic, and loveless world, full of crises in the form of new evils, from war to poverty, from division to individualism. In the past, people turned to the Virgin Mary in prayer, and this is why, in a current situation marked by so much suffering, the bishop invited the pilgrims of La Vang to ask the Virgin Mary in prayer to always accompany humanity in difficult times.
By Andrew Doan Thanh Phong – Agenzia Fides – August 20, 2025