Anecdotes about the Virgin Mary

The forgotten Virgin who called again, in Tà Pao

Tà Pao, Bình Thuận (Vietnam)

In south-central Vietnam, on Mount Tà Pao, within the Diocese of Phan Thiết, Our Lady of Tà Pao (Đức Mẹ Tàpao) is venerated. The title carries no dogmatic epithet; it simply takes its name from the place where the image of the Virgin and Child stands. It belongs to that beautiful family of Vietnamese Marian shrines that emerged in the 20th century, along with La Vang and Trà Kiệu.

The story, as recounted by Vietnamese church sources, has the power of a parable. The statue was erected atop the mountain during the period of South Vietnam, a time of great flourishing of public Marian devotions; it is generally placed towards the end of the 1950s, although the exact date and sculptor are not precisely known. After the political changes of 1975, the pilgrimages ceased, and the image, in that isolated spot, was left semi-abandoned, overgrown with vegetation. The memory remained in the collective consciousness, but organized worship almost disappeared.

From the 1990s onward, with a degree of openness, some faithful began to climb the mountain again and found that the statue was still there, faithfully waiting. Stories of healings, spiritual consolation, and signs circulated, drawing pilgrims back once more. The diocese took note of the phenomenon, steps, an esplanade, and a chapel were built, and since the 2000s, Ta Pao has become established as one of the main Marian pilgrimage sites in Vietnam.

A careful distinction must be made. The physical existence of the statue, its abandonment after 1975, the resurgence of pilgrimages, and the pastoral recognition of the site are all documented. However, accounts of signs appearing in the image, lights or changes in expression, and individual healings belong to the realm of devotion: numerous votive offerings and testimonies of grace exist, but these are not recorded as miracles officially discerned and declared individually by the diocesan authority.

The most moving stories are those of reconciliation. After the rediscovery, entire families climbed together to pray for unity after years of division caused by war and exile; and many Vietnamese emigrants, former "boat people," return to visit Ta Pao to thank the Virgin Mary for having preserved their faith in extremely difficult circumstances. In these Vietnamese Marian shrines, the Rosary is the daily prayer of the pilgrim people, a prayer that sustained their faith during the years of silence.