Tens of thousands of pilgrims gathered at La Vang Sanctuary in Vietnam for a solemn Assumption Mass led by Archbishop Ngan under the theme ‘Mary, Mother of Hope.
Newsroom, August 30, 2025, Gaudium Press – Tens of thousands of pilgrims journeyed long distances to participate in the grand Marian gathering held at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of La Vang, in the Archdiocese of Huế in central Vietnam, on August 14 and 15, on the occasion of the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary into Heaven.
Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc Ngan Presided over Solemn Mass on the Feast of the Assumption.
In today’s world, full of conflicts and wars intensifying across multiple continents, the proclamation of hope in Christ becomes ever more urgent—that is why the theme “Mary, Mother of Hope” was chosen for the Marian encounter at La Vang.
The solemn ceremony of offering flowers to Our Lady of La Vang opened the Congress, which also included the presence of religious and priests from across the country.
Father Dominic Phan Hung, Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Huế, invited pilgrims to turn their hearts to Our Lady, for She is a source of inspiration and light for those seeking hope.
“Today we come here, to Our Lady of La Vang, the land of God’s grace. Through Her, God comforted and protected our ancestors in past times of persecution. Throughout history, Mary continued to pour many blessings upon those who come here in pilgrimage to pray to Her,” said Monsignor Joseph Vu Cong Vien, Coadjutor Bishop of the Archdiocese of Hanoi, in his homily at the Vigil Mass of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, on the afternoon of August 14.
Most attendees spent the night in tents. They came to La Vang to honor, pay tribute, and offer prayers and supplications to the Mother of La Vang, as many of their ancestors once did—persecuted Catholics who took refuge in the remote and desolate mountain forest of La Vang to hide, escape tribulations, and pray. Later, in 1798, Our Lady appeared to them and helped them endure the fierce persecution of the feudal regime in Vietnam.
The event’s organizing committee set up 40 open confessionals from morning until night, making them available to penitents wishing to approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation, before the gatherings began.
More than 90,000 pilgrims from across the country joined the procession in honor of Our Lady of La Vang, which began at 4:30 a.m. on August 15. Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc Ngan presided over the solemn Mass for the Feast of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, concelebrated by several bishops and hundreds of priests in the area of the Basilica of La Vang.
In his homily, Monsignor Ngan reminded attendees that “we came here not only to celebrate the Assumption of the Virgin Mary, but also to make a pilgrimage to the sacred land of La Vang, where She appeared to help those who were in distress due to persecution.”
The prelate also referred to the problems of today’s world, similar to those faced by our ancestors in the past: a secularized, busy, and loveless world, filled with crises in the form of new evils—from war to poverty, from division to individualism.
In the past, our forebears turned to the Virgin Mary in prayer, and now, in a time marked by so much suffering, the bishop invited the people of God, especially the pilgrims of La Vang, to pray and ask the Virgin Mary to always accompany humanity in difficult times.
With information from Vatican News. Translation by Gaudium Press.
Compiled by Adele Wong.
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