The Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang is located at Christ Cathedral in the Diocese of Orange, in the city of Garden Grove. The site serves as a gathering place for Vietnamese-American Catholics within the diocese, while also serving as an international pilgrimage destination.
“Having a shrine here helps them remember their homeland, and reminds them to be grateful for the life they have built in this land, as well as the achievements and blessings they have received since arriving here.”
The two-acre shrine complex is anchored by a statue of Our Lady of La Vang standing about 3.6 meters tall, set on a cloud-shaped pedestal. Above the statue is a glass canopy supported by tree-like columns, along with a curving stainless-steel ribbon that wraps around the structure. The grounds will also include a plaza for outdoor Masses and four gardens designated for retreat and prayer.
Aaron Torrence, the project’s architect, traveled to Vietnam to better understand the form and function needed for the diocese’s shrine; his design blends elements from the La Vang shrine with the modern architectural style of the Christ Cathedral campus.
Torrence studied the architectural details and landscaping of the shrine in Vietnam, and also visited a nearby quarry to examine the region’s distinctive stone. He also observed the morning Mass and how people interacted with the statue while praying.
According to Torrence, the shrine in Orange County will allow the faithful to feel “close” to the statue; pilgrims will be able to come near enough to touch it while praying to Our Lady, something he learned from his trip to Vietnam.
In addition, details such as Our Lady’s pedestal and the tree-shaped columns surrounding her are reminiscent of the original shrine in Quang Tri. Torrence added that for the landscape design, he used stone brought from Vietnam along with yellow-flowering plants similar to those found in the forest surrounding the shrine in Vietnam.
The Vatican has not officially recognized the La Vang apparition as a Marian apparition, but in 1988, Pope John Paul II acknowledged its significance to the Vietnamese Catholic community.
I myself traveled to Vietnam to visit the original shrine, in order to learn about the history of the apparition as well as the religious rites performed there.
The director of the shrine in Quang Tri gave her a branch taken from the shrine’s garden; according to legend, this is the very type of tree that Our Lady of La Vang gave to Catholics to use as medicine when they fell ill while fleeing through the forest to escape persecution. A brick from the original church is now on display at Christ Cathedral.
“There is a sacred bond between the shrines here and in Vietnam.”