Ho Chi Minh City Exhibition Draws 22,000 Visitors as Church Celebrates St. Carlo Acutis

More than 22,000 visits were recorded during a 10-day exhibition on Marian apparitions in Ho Chi Minh City, southern Vietnam, as the Archdiocese of Saigon concluded the event on October 12 with a Mass celebrating the feast of St. Carlo Acutis.

Bishop Joseph Bui Cong Trac, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Saigon, presided over the evening Mass at Thu Thiem Parish Church, which brought together young Catholics, parishioners and members of the religious community.

Before the Mass, young people carried a relic of St. Carlo in procession from the exhibition area into the church, linking the display on Marian apparitions with the Eucharistic celebration.

In his homily, Bishop Trac highlighted the saint’s devotion to the Virgin Mary and the Eucharist as a model for young Catholics seeking holiness in everyday life.

“Saint Carlo Acutis tells us to have devotion to the Virgin Mary. After the Eucharist, the Rosary is the most powerful weapon against the devil. The Rosary is the shortest ladder to Heaven,” the bishop said, recalling the young saint’s teaching.

He also explained the appeal of Carlo’s example for young people today, emphasizing that holiness can inspire others through a life rooted in love.

“Holiness spreads of its own accord; holiness draws people of its own accord. That is love, which is what today’s reading tells us. For whoever remains in love remains in God, and God in him,” Bishop Trac said.

The celebration coincided with the patronal feast of the parish catechetical team, the Friends of Carlo Acutis group and children who have chosen the saint as their patron.

To conclude his homily, the bishop shared a poem he had written in honor of Carlo, highlighting the saint’s love for the Eucharist, devotion to Mary, daily prayer and use of the internet to witness to God’s love.

Hosted by the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Thu Thiem, the exhibition, “Marian Apparitions Around the World,” ran for 10 days along the Saigon River. It introduced visitors to accounts of Marian apparitions while inviting them to deepen their faith through prayer.

From October 4 to 11, the community gathered after daily visiting hours for Eucharistic adoration and the Rosary, making prayer an integral part of the exhibition rather than limiting the event to viewing displays.

The exhibition attracted more than 22,000 visits, more than double the attendance of a 2025 exhibition on Eucharistic miracles at the Archdiocese of Saigon’s Pastoral Center, which drew just over 10,000 visits.

Young people played a central role in the event. Thirteen choirs, comprising 630 singers, took turns providing music for Eucharistic adoration and Mass, while 34 volunteers assisted visitors. The organizing team spent 153 days preparing the program.

The initiative also extended beyond the physical exhibition through an audio series titled “The Apparitions of the Virgin Mary.” The series comprised 156 videos with a combined running time of more than 18.5 hours, narrated by five professional voice artists.

After the Mass, Sister Teresa Tri Thi Minh Thuy, superior general of the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Thu Thiem, thanked Bishop Trac, the clergy, religious and faithful who supported the event.

She expressed hope that, through Mary’s intercession, visitors would find consolation and strength to face daily difficulties and remain committed to the Rosary and Eucharistic adoration.

The closing celebration emphasized the connection between Marian devotion, the Eucharist and the call to holiness exemplified by Carlo Acutis, who was canonized by Pope Leo XIV on September 7, 2025.

Although the exhibition has ended, organizers hope its impact will continue through the prayer and faith practices it encouraged among the thousands who visited.