The parishioners of the Vietnamese Martyr’s Catholic Church sought to construct a shrine to Our Lady of La Vang to remember the plight of Catholics in Vietnam and provide an open outdoor space to host various church events throughout the year.

The 10,000 SF shrine is situated on the north side of the church property and features a bell tower, statue, shade structures, three gold metal trees and paved approach. The entire shrine is rich with symbolism.

The bell tower is modeled after the bell tower at the Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang outside of Hue, Vietnam dating to the early 1800s. The Basilica is considered a national shrine in Vietnam and sits atop the original site of the apparition of the Virgin Mary. The bell tower stands 40 feet tall from base to top of cross, styled in three vertical sections. It is finished in stucco and brick to match the original and houses a 500 lb bronze bell.

The marble statue is symbolic of the original apparition of the Virgin Mary (Lady of La Vang) and the infant Jesus Christ that appeared in the La Vang jungle of Vietnam to the persecuted Vietnamese Catholic population in 1798. The solid marble statue stands 17 feet tall and weighs nearly 12,000 lbs. It was hand-carved from a 10 ton block of marble in Vietnam by a single craftsman, and took over a year to complete.

The gold-painted metallic trees are designed to resemble fig trees and the leaves represent the many donors to the project.

Shade structure flank both sides of the statue and 12 steps lead up to the main plaza of the shrine representing the 12 disciples. The five steps leading the base of the statue represent God’s grace and undeserved favor towards humanity.