The procession begins from the courtyard of the village church. Well, actually, this is a mission, one of the three missions of a very large parish. While the church is large, it is full every mass. The number of vocations is very strong, with 200 in the Hanoi seminary alone, so in about five years every church will have its own priest, and more will be coming.
Here the procession returns to the church with the statue of the Blessed Mother carried with honor by the young men of the parish. The brass band is playing along with the drum and the gong, a tradition that goes back thousands of years.
Here the procession returns to the church with the statue of the Blessed Mother carried with honor by the young men of the parish. The brass band is playing along with the drum and the gong, a tradition that goes back thousands of years.
After the procession, the children dance in front of the statue of Mary. They practice for many weeks and it shows. Notice the stage mothers along the wall of the church -- just like stage mothers everywhere.
Muou Giap is a very poor village, but they have a very strong sense of what it means to be Catholic. They come together as one to worship and to be part of the Body of Christ, something that Americans could take as an example. I was proud to be here for the procession to honor Mary, and even prouder to worship with the community on Pentecost, the birthday of the Church.
