Around 7,000 Catholics gathered at the Hai Duong Martyrs' Shrine in northern Vietnam on November 6 for the annual pilgrimage feast honoring the martyrs who witnessed to their faith in the region.
Bishop Vincent Nguyen Van Ban of Hai Phong presided over the solemn Mass, concelebrated by about 120 priests, with the participation of religious, seminarians, aspirants and pilgrims from within and outside the Diocese of Hai Phong.
The celebration followed a three-day Triduum that began on November 4, during which pilgrims visited the shrine, prayed before the martyrs' relics and received the Sacrament of Reconciliation.
Before the Mass, the faithful took part in a rite honoring the martyrs and a procession carrying their relics through the shrine grounds.
In his homily, Bishop Ban reflected on the Eight Beatitudes and the lives of the martyrs, emphasizing that their witness to Christ began long before their deaths.
"Before becoming those who died for Christ, they were already those who lived for Christ, and that very life prepared them to remain faithful to the Lord until the very last moment," he said.
He urged Catholics to honor the martyrs not merely by commemorating their deaths but by living the faith they professed. He also highlighted loyalty and love, including the refusal to harbor resentment toward persecutors, as essential elements of Christian witness.
At the end of the Mass, Father Joseph Nguyen Van Vang, director of the shrine, thanked the bishop, clergy, religious, benefactors and pilgrims for their participation.
He said the spirit of synodality had helped mobilize the faithful to rebuild the shrine and strengthen devotion to the martyrs, describing the gathering of pilgrims from different communities as an expression of the Church journeying together.
Dominicus Pham Ngo Quyen, a pilgrim from Cat Ba sub-parish in An Hai Parish, said he was moved by the opportunity to venerate the martyrs' relics and see the restoration of historic structures at the shrine. He also acknowledged the cooperation of local authorities in facilitating the celebrations.
Maria Do Thi Thuy of Hai Duong Parish said the pilgrimage helped her reconnect with the roots of her faith and remember the sacrifices of earlier generations of Christians.
The annual November pilgrimage makes the Hai Duong shrine an important destination for Catholics seeking to honor the martyrs and renew their commitment to the Christian faith
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