ASIA/VIETNAM - Marian Jubilee Pilgrimage: places Mary at the center of the feast of Pentecost

Da Nang (Agenzia Fides) - More than ten thousand faithful, from all the parishes and communities of the vast diocese of Da Nang - which covers more than 10,000 square kilometers in central Vietnam - participated in the Jubilee pilgrimage to the Marian Shrine of Our Lady of Tra Kieu, on the occasion of the Holy Year 2025. The Marian site, deeply rooted in popular devotion, commemorates an apparition of the Virgin Mary that occurred 140 years ago, when, according to local tradition, the Mother of God appeared to console, encourage, and help her children in times of difficulty. The pilgrimage - celebrated on the Solemnity of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary - has been defined as "an event of love, faith, commitment, and service, an opportunity to profess one's faith in the face of the challenges of the present time," explained to Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc, Coadjutor of the Archdiocese of Hue and, at the same time, Apostolic Administrator of Da Nang. The prelate presided over the solemn Eucharist, concelebrated by hundreds of priests, and attended by numerous men and women religious, and lay faithful.
The pilgrimage had a double meaning: on the one hand, it concluded the traditional "month of flowers" - the month of May, dedicated in Vietnam to Marian devotion—and, on the other, it served as spiritual preparation for the Solemnity of Pentecost. The Vietnamese Catholic community, which represents approximately 7% of the country's population (about seven million faithful), expresses a profound devotion to the Virgin Mary. Throughout the month, the faithful participated in celebrations, prayer vigils, open-air Masses, and community rosaries at Marian shrines, where fresh flowers were offered as a sign of love and gratitude to the Mother of God. The pilgrimage was also a celebration of Mary as the "Woman of Pentecost," which falls on June 8. The faithful go to the places where the Virgin Mary appeared to save Catholics during the bloody persecutions in the history of the Vietnamese Church, such as Our Lady of La Vang in the Diocese of Hue, Our Lady of Nui Cui in the Diocese of Xuan Loc, or Our Lady of Tra Kieu in the Diocese of Da Nang, to ask for her protection. Mary, in fact, filled with the Holy Spirit, demonstrates in herself the work that the Spirit accomplishes in every believer. “Mary,” was the reflection proposed to the faithful by the Vicar General, Father Bonaventura Mai Thai, “is in the Cenacle as the first to receive the fullness of the Holy Spirit. Mary is a great connoisseur of the Spirit's action. She lives in a profound relationship with God and the Holy Spirit, thus becoming a model for the apostles and for all of us. Mary is a model of openness and acceptance of the Spirit of God. Contemplating Mary at Pentecost, we have the opportunity to allow ourselves to be shaped by the Holy Spirit to transmit God's love to the world.”
The figure of Mary, who sets out to reach Elizabeth's house, Archbishop Joseph Dang Duc noted, is “the image and model of a synodal Church, a Church that knows how to go out of herself to encounter, listen to, and serve her neighbor.” “Mission today means not remaining locked up at home or in church, but is an invitation for all to reach out to the poor, the suffering, and the marginalized who need support, comfort, and encouragement, starting with those at our side, in our families or in our communities.” Mary,” he added, “was filled with the Holy Spirit. This is an important reminder for all members of the People of God in our diocese. All activities, community gatherings, liturgies, and pilgrimages, without the grace of the Holy Spirit, will be purely social gatherings. With the presence of the Holy Spirit, they will be spiritual moments lived in the presence of God, and will bring renewal, true joy, and peace to hearts. Today, each of us, regardless of our status and mission, whether priest, religious, or lay person, is invited to live in a spirit of gratitude, humility, and dedication, like the Virgin Mary, to know how to trust, praise, and give thanks to God.”
Thus, he concluded, "the pilgrimage to the Marian shrine of Tra Kieu is not only an individual act, but a communal act to renew our vocation and mission, since we are all the people of God and we are all walking together in faith, in love, toward evangelization."
The Diocese of Da Nang has been the cradle of Catholicism in southern Vietnam. The roots of Christian preaching date back to three Jesuit missionaries who landed in Hoi An in 1615 and began their work of evangelization. One of the fruits of their preaching was the first Vietnamese blessed and martyr, Blessed Andrew of Phu Yen, a catechist beatified in 2000 by Pope Saint John Paul II. In the 17th and 18th centuries, Da Nang was one of the main centers of the diocese of Cochinchina (in southern Vietnam), a place from where missionaries departed.
The Marian shrine of Tra Kieu, located in Quang Nam province, is a well-known pilgrimage destination. In September 1885, the Blessed Virgin Mary is said to have appeared at the top of the church in the Catholic village of Tra Kieu to help parishioners defeat the royal soldiers who were trying to exterminate the village's Christian inhabitants. John XXIII created the Diocese of Da Nang on January 18, 1963. The territory includes the city of Da Nang and the province of Quang Nam. Currently, the diocese has 73,000 Catholics out of a population of 2.7 million, and has 51 parishes. (PA/AD) (Agenzia Fides, 3/6/2025)

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