From a Forest in La Vang

“From this day on, prayers said on this spot will be heard – and answered.” – Our Lady at La Vang, 1798

I was recently in Hue City in Vietnam for the International Conference on Religious Tourism. While the event was rich with opportunities to learn, collaborate, and network with conference delegates from around the world, the trip also served as an open door for all participants, leading us to experience Central Vietnam’s heritage and encounter architectural complexes declared by UNESCO as world heritage sites. Since the last day of the conference was on a Sunday with a planned visit to a Buddhist temple, I decided to explore the local churches in Hue instead, and attend Mass with two other Filipino conference participants.

While not actually sure whether we would be able to attend mass, since the mass schedule was not on the church website, we still decided to take our chance. We thought we could at least spend some time praying in front of the tabernacle. However, God has other plans for us, far from what we expected.

As soon as we arrived in the church, we saw a congregation of priests. It turned out that they were about to celebrate a funeral mass for a 34 year old seminarian whose death was caused by an accidental fall. We were invited to attend the mass, making us experience both a Vietnamese funeral and a mass. It was edifying to observe enculturation in both rites, with the use of incense in place of candles and Vietnamese melodic forms in liturgical songs.

Before the mass started, however, the parish priest spent time with us. We learned that he finished Canon Law in Rome and he got to know some Filipino priests while studying there. He told us that he was also flying to the country this month. What was more interesting though was his offer to book a ride for us so we could visit the Apparition Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang.

Since there are no direct flights from the Philippines to Central Vietnam, my hours with Google were focused on exploring Northern and Southern Vietnam – Ho Chi Minh and Hanoi. Although my companions and I are practicing Catholics, we were not aware that this important shrine of Our Lady of La Vang was just an hour and a half by car from Hue where we were based for a week.

The shrine, situated in what is today Hai Phu commune in Hải Lăng District of Quảng Trị Province, was the very site where the Virgin Mary appeared in 1798, in the forest of La Vang, to console Vietnamese Catholics who had taken refuge from persecution. Here, they gathered nightly to pray the rosary, and one night, Mary carrying the infant Jesus appeared to console them. She also showed them the leaves of an indigenous fern that could treat a variety of physical ailments. Our Lady appeared many more times in this place to strengthen the faith of the people.

And the shrine was astoundingly beautiful… I have never seen an image of Our Lady as pretty as Our Lady of La Vang! The devotion of the sculptor of the image of Our Lady of La Vang must have made him exceed himself.

I left the shrine feeling Our Lady’s mantle clothe me during my stay in Vietnam, I felt safe and guided throughout my trip. And as I flew over the West Philippine Sea, which serves as our only border with Vietnam, I prayed that the mantle of Vietnam’s beloved patron saint – Our Lady of La Vang – extends and protects everyone who would seek her protection.