The story of the Shrine of Our Lady of La Vang begins in 1798, during a time of Catholic persecution in Vietnam, when an apparition of the Virgin Mary is said to have appeared to comfort and heal those suffering in the La Vang rain forest. Today, the Vietnamese Martyr’s Catholic Parish in San Antonio honors this cultural and spiritual heritage through the construction of a 10,000-square-foot shrine, a project that symbolizes resilience and faith.

Marksmen General Contractors, selected for our expertise in working with the Archdiocese of San Antonio, played a crucial role in bringing this meaningful project to life. Initially, the project’s scope and budget were misaligned, but through a collaborative pre-construction process that included value engineering and problem solving, we successfully guided the church to a viable plan.

The shrine features a 40-foot bell tower modeled after the Basilica of Our Lady of La Vang in Vietnam, a 17-foot marble statue of the Virgin Mary and the infant Jesus Christ, and symbolic golden metal trees representing the project’s donors. This sanctuary now serves as a sacred space for prayer, reflection, and remembrance, steeped in both Vietnamese culture and Catholic faith.