A rendering of the Diocese of Orange's Our Lady of La Vang Shrine. Image courtesy of Torrence Architects
Posted on 11/25/2018 7:06:58 AM PST by marshmallow
A rendering of the Diocese of Orange's Our Lady of La Vang Shrine. Image courtesy of Torrence Architects
GARDEN GROVE, Calif. (RNS) — Like most Vietnamese-American Catholics, Elysabeth Nguyen grew up hearing stories of Our Lady of La Vang, who is said to have saved her people from persecution.
The Marian apparition is said to have appeared in the late 1700s to a group of Catholics fleeing persecution in Vietnam. She then became a centerpiece of Catholic faith in the country, and after the fall of Saigon in 1975 — when more than a million Vietnamese became refugees — her intercession was credited with sparing the lives of her devotees. Churches named for the La Vang virgin are now thought to be as numerous in the United States as those dedicated to the apparitions at Fatima or Lourdes.
Now Nguyen and a group of Vietnamese-American Catholics in Orange County, Calif., home to the largest Vietnamese Catholic community outside Vietnam, are leading the development of the United States’ first major stand-alone shrine to Our Lady of La Vang.
The multi-million-dollar shrine, located at the Catholic Diocese of Orange’s Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove, will offer the 100,000 Vietnamese-American Catholics in the diocese a gathering place and, its builders expect, an international pilgrimage site. The diocese broke ground on the project in October.
“To have a shrine here reminds them of the homeland, of how grateful they are to be here, and the fruits and blessings they’ve had since coming to this country,” said Nguyen, project manager for the La Vang Shrine Committee with the Diocese of Orange.
(Excerpt) Read more at religionnews.com ...
More correctly....a Roman Catholic statue of Mary, paid for by Roman Cahtolics, made by Roman Catholics, in a shrine [you honestly can't make this up] designed by Roman Catholics to be used by Roman Catholics.
Scripture does not change.....however, Roman Catholicism has, does and will change.
Perhaps you wear the Scapular....or Miraculous Medal?
Do you believe all of the promises of the apparition claiming to be Mary?
ZULU, sadly, some people here are just inveterate anti-Catholics and will repeat the same old lies - never with any actual evidence of course.
I’ve grown to realize that they cannot help themselves.
It’s like Liberalism. It’s a mental disease.
I cannot attest to what those individuals did or did not believe.
You are right.
I leave him to his Cromwellian dilusions.
Sadly, there are some Roman Catholics who are so mislead by their denomination they cannot see the error of their ways.
Evidence has been presented to vlad, and other Roman Catholics, numerous times on this topic clearly illustrating their idolatry.
They refuse to see their deception.
If you compare the teachings of Roman Catholicism against the New Testament you will quickly see who has been deceived.
Scripture does not change....however, Roman Catholicism has, does and will change.
What part of “they don’t worship the statue, but they VENERATE the person it represents” don’t you people understand??
Catholics don”t worship statues.
Catholics don’t worship saints.
Catholics don’t worship the Virgin.
I KNOW this as a former Catholic.
Maybe if you get out of the backwoods and get to meet some real Catholics you will get educated.
“Sadly, there are some Roman Catholics who are so mislead by their denomination they cannot see the error of their ways.”
—
How do you feel about Buddhists,Hindus,and Muslims?
You seem to be obsessed with the beliefs of others—which is strange.
.
“More correctly....a Roman Catholic statue of Mary,”
Catholics are Christians.
“paid for by Roman Cahtolics, made by Roman Catholics, in a shrine [you honestly can’t make this up] designed by Roman Catholics to be used by Roman Catholics.”
Catholics are Christians and the shrine is open to anyone who wants to come to it - but it was primarily designed for Christians. Protestants will go there too and Eastern Orthodox as well. It happens. I’ve seen it.
“Scripture does not change.....however, Roman Catholicism has, does and will change.”
God, in Scripture, commanded statues to be made for the Temple.
According to the 25th Session of this General Council:
“The images of Christ and of the Virgin Mother of God, and of the saints are to be had and retained particularly in churches, and due honor and veneration are to be given them; not that any divinity or virtue is believed to be in them on account of which they are to be worshipped, or that anything is to be asked of them, or that trust is to be reposed in images, as was of old by the Gentiles, who placed their hopes in idols; but because the honor which is shown them is referred to the prototypes which these images represent; so that we through the images which we kiss...or bend the knee, adore Christ and venerate the saints, whom they represent.” The Canons and Decrees of the Council of Trent (TAN Books, 1978) p. 215-6.
“Perhaps you wear the Scapular....or Miraculous Medal?”
Nope. I did wear a scapular for a brief time many years ago.
“Do you believe all of the promises of the apparition claiming to be Mary?”
Which apparition? I have no reason to doubt promises from an approved apparition but I always keep in mind the following: All such promises are predicated on faith and obedience to Christ. No promise from anyone - no matter how important even in the spiritual realm - is worth anything if you lack faith in Christ and have no obedience of faith toward His will and commandments.
My faith is not built upon apparitions nor will I be saved by any apparition. But I do know many people who have their faith in Christ deepened, strengthened, and enlivened by apparitions. If an approved apparition helps a person to become a better Christian, then so be it.
“Evidence has been presented to vlad, and other Roman Catholics, numerous times on this topic clearly illustrating their idolatry.”
Not even once. You honestly seem to think posting pictures of people with statues is the same thing as posting evidence of idolatry. You have never once posted any evidence of any Catholic actually worshiping a statue.
Now, if you act as you always have, you’ll post a whole string of photos of say, Pope John Paul II kneeling in front of a statue and praying. But he wasn’t worshipping the statue nor was he praying to the statue. But that won’t stop you. Truth seems to be irrelevant to you.
It’s pointless to discuss it further with this guy.
My guess is he keeps a sharpened axe in his house to chop up Catholic altars.
He uses his own personal ersatz definitions of words to define and condemn the behavior of others.
And hates bacon
:)
I’m just surprised he hasn’t called in the reinforcements, yet.
The large statue of Kwan Am outside the nearby Vietnamese Buddhist temple here reminds me why the idol is known as the Vietnamese Virgin Mary. The resemblance is strong. It’s one of many places where natives became Christian but translated their old gods into Christian saints. Same thing happened in Britain, for one example.
— How do you feel about Buddhists,Hindus,and Muslims?
They are lost individuals in need of salvation through faith in Christ, and only Christ.
You seem to be obsessed with the beliefs of others—which is strange.
I enjoy religious discussions and sharing the Gospel of Christ.
And we no longer have a Temple.
But no where were the Jews ever commanded to bow before or pray to the statues that were in the Temple. Throughout the Bible they were instructed to NOT bow before or pray to idols. Same for non-Jews. We are to avoid idolatry.
Roman Catholicism on the other hand does teach its adherents to do just that...worship idols....and to rely upon the apparition to avoid the hell fire by the wearing of a piece of cloth.
Nope. I did wear a scapular for a brief time many years ago.
Why did you stop?
>>“Do you believe all of the promises of the apparition claiming to be Mary?”<<
Which apparition? I have no reason to doubt promises from an approved apparition but I always keep in mind the following: All such promises are predicated on faith and obedience to Christ. No promise from anyone - no matter how important even in the spiritual realm - is worth anything if you lack faith in Christ and have no obedience of faith toward His will and commandments.
These apparitions all claim to be Mary under various names.
All are false in their message.
None needed.
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