THE OUR LADY of La Vang Shrine, with a canopy-like design, was designed to evoke the remote rainforest setting of the 1798 apparition. (Diocese of Orange/Steven Georges).

In 1798, an apparition appeared to a group of persecuted Catholics in a rain forest in Vietnam. They believed it was the Virgin Mary and since then Our Lady of La Vang has been a symbol of faith and hope to Vietnamese Catholics on both sides of the Pacific Ocean.

On Saturday, July 17, the Diocese of Orange will unveil the Our Lady of La Vang Shrine at Christ Cathedral in Garden Grove. The event will coincide with the second anniversary of the cathedral as the seat of a Catholic bishop.

The public is invited to the event, slated to run from 3 to 10 pm. at the campus at Lewis Street and Chapman Avenue.

“This shrine to Our Lady of La Vang is not only another example of how beauty draws to God, but it is a testimony to the faith of our Vietnamese brothers and sisters who have contributed so much to the life of our parishes here in Orange County, and which then points us all to the Mother of God and her protection,” Diocese of Orange Bishop Kevin Vann said.

A musical prelude will go from 3 to 4 p.m., with the shrine blessing from 4 to 5 pm., followed by an outdoor Mass. Evening entertainment is scheduled to begin at 7:30 p.m.

Much traffic is anticipated, so attendees are encouraged to use offsite parking for shuttles from UCI Health (3800 W. Chapman, Orange) or Prospect, Megasys and CalOptima, all in parking lots of The Outlets at Orange, located across Lewis Street in Orange.

For those unable to attend in person, the blessing ceremony and Mass will be livestreamed on the diocese’s YouTube and Facebook channels, with commentary in English and Vietnamese.