By LiCAS.news
VIETNAM – More than 90,000 Catholics converged on the national shrine of Our Lady of La Vang in central Vietnam on Aug 15 to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary.
The annual pilgrimage opened before dawn with a grand procession from the Marian monument to the Basilica altar, according to the Vietnamese Bishops’ Conference.
Pilgrims prayed the Rosary, sang hymns, and lifted petitions to the Virgin who, tradition holds, appeared in La Vang 227 years ago to comfort Catholics facing persecution.
Father Dominic Phan Hung, vicar general of the Archdiocese of Hue, opened the celebration by recalling the legacy of the tradition.
“Before offering the solemn Mass in honor of the Assumption, children of Mary from across the nation and abroad gather here at La Vang to accompany the Blessed Mother in glorifying and thanking God for the singular grace given to her,” he said.
Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc Ngan of Hue and Father Dominic incensed the statue of Our Lady before leading the faithful toward the basilica.
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