Vietnamese Mass & Community

The Cathedral of St. Joseph has a large Vietnamese community who celebrate Mass here at the Cathedral on one Saturday a month at the 4:00 PM Mass for the Sunday Vigil.  The First Reading is proclaimed in Vietnamese and the music is led by the Vietnamese Choir.  Other Masses entirely in Vietnamese are held usually at Noon on Christmas and on Easter.
 
 

The Story of Our Lady of La Vang

Catholicism was introduced to Vietnam by Portuguese missionaries in the 16th Century. But not until after the arrival of the French Jesuits in the 17th Century did it begin to expand and establish its influence, which, as a result, created resentments, especially inside the imperial court, as it saw its authority being challenged.

In 1789, fearing the spread of Catholicism, the Emperor at the time restricted its practice, and soon after, issued anti-Catholic edict, which started the persecution of Catholics that would last 100 years. Many were imprisoned or executed. Many others fled their home and went into hiding.

A group of people sought refuge in a forest in central Vietnam, named La Vang forest, and became very ill. Frightened and exhausted, they gathered at the foot of a tree to pray the rosary every night. One night, a lady wearing the traditional Vietnamese long dress, arms holding a child, appeared in front of them. She comforted them and told them to boil leaves from the trees for medicine to cure the illness. She told them, from this day on, anyone who came to this site to pray would have their prayers heard and answered. The people interpreted the vision as the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus Christ. After the persecution eased up in 1802, the people emerged from the forest and returned to their village. They passed on the story of the apparition and the message. As the story spread, many came to the site to pray. In 1820, a small chapel was built in her honor, the Chapel of Our Lady of La Vang.

From 1830 to 1885, Vietnamese Catholics endured another wave of persecutions, and many took refuge in La Vang forest. Again and again, The Lady of La Vang appeared to comfort them and listen to their prayers.

The construction of a new chapel began in 1886 and finished in 1901. In 1961, the Vietnamese Bishops Conference chose La Vang to be the National Marian Center of Vietnam. In 1962, Pope John XXIII (23rd) elevated the church of Our Lady of La Vang to the Basilica rank. The Basilica was later destroyed during the war. Although there is no official Vatican recognition of Marian apparition, in 1988, Pope John Paul II publicly recognized the significance of the Lady of La Vang and expressed a desire to rebuild the Basilica to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the first vision.