As Pentecost nears, the jubilee pilgrims returned home carrying Mary’s example: a call to embody the Spirit’s boldness and compassion in a world yearning for hope.
Newsroom (03/06/2025 08:38, Gaudium Press) More than ten thousand faithful from across Vietnam’s Diocese of Da Nang—a vast territory spanning over 10,000 square kilometers—gathered at the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Tra Kieu for a Jubilee pilgrimage marking the Holy Year 2025. The solemn celebration, held on the Feast of the Visitation, honored both the 140th anniversary of Mary’s reported apparition at the site and the enduring faith of Vietnamese Catholics amid historical and modern challenges.
A Tradition of Marian Devotion
The pilgrimage carried dual significance: it concluded Vietnam’s traditional “Month of Flowers”—May’s nationwide observance dedicated to Marian devotion—and served as spiritual preparation for Pentecost. Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc, Coadjutor of Hue and Apostolic Administrator of Da Nang, presided over the Mass, concelebrated by hundreds of priests and attended by religious and lay faithful. He described the event as “an act of love, faith, and commitment” in the face of contemporary trials.
Vietnamese Catholics, who comprise 7% of the population (roughly seven million), have long turned to Mary as a spiritual anchor. During May, vigils, processions, and floral offerings at shrines like Tra Kieu, La Vang, and Nui Cui—all linked to apparitions during periods of persecution—highlight this deep devotion.
Mary as Model of the Spirit-Filled Church
In his homily, Archbishop Dang Duc framed Mary’s Visitation journey as a blueprint for the Synodal Church: “Mission today means reaching out to the poor, suffering, and marginalized—just as Mary did.” Father Bonaventura Mai Thai, Vicar General, added that Mary’s presence at Pentecost exemplifies the Spirit’s transformative power: “She teaches us to be open to God’s grace, which alone turns our gatherings from social events into encounters with divine joy and peace.”
The prelate urged pilgrims to emulate Mary’s “gratitude, humility, and trust,” emphasizing that the pilgrimage was not merely personal but a communal renewal of baptismal vows: “We walk together toward evangelization.”
A Shrine Forged in Persecution
The Tra Kieu shrine commemorates an 1885 apparition, when Mary reportedly appeared atop the village church to protect Catholics under siege by royal troops. This legacy resonates in Da Nang, a historic cradle of Vietnamese Catholicism. Jesuit missionaries first planted the faith here in 1615, and the region later produced Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen, the country’s first native martyr (beatified in 2000). Today, the diocese’s 73,000 Catholics—served by 51 parishes—continue to draw strength from this heritage, blending ancient devotion with a missionary vision for the future.
- Raju Hasmukh with files from Agenzia Fides
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