Young Catholics Bring Carlo Acutis’ Marian Apparition Exhibition to Ho Chi Minh City

A collection on Marian apparitions begun by Saint Carlo Acutis has opened at the Congregation of the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Thu Thiem, bringing accounts of Marian apparitions and shrines from around the world to Catholics in Vietnam.

The exhibition, The Apparitions of the Virgin Mary Around the World, opened October 3 and will run through October 12 at the congregation’s grounds in Thu Thiem, an area of Ho Chi Minh City across the Saigon River from the city’s central districts. The event coincides with October, traditionally observed by Catholics as the month of the Rosary.

Organized by Friends of Carlo Acutis Saigon together with the Lovers of the Holy Cross of Thu Thiem, the exhibition marks the first anniversary of Acutis’ canonization.

The 154 displays, all translated into Vietnamese, present accounts of Marian apparitions together with their historical and geographical contexts. Among them is Our Lady of La Vang, an important Marian devotion in the history of Vietnamese Catholicism.

The exhibition also features a replica of the tilma of Our Lady of Guadalupe, associated with the apparition of the Virgin Mary to Saint Juan Diego in Mexico in 1531. The replica was made using fabric similar to the original and was later brought into contact with the original tilma. It was presented to the exhibition by the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico.

The collection, internationally known as The Appeals of Our Lady: Apparitions and Marian Shrines in the World, was begun by Acutis in 2006 and completed in 2014, several years after his death from leukemia at age 15.

The displays combine images, historical accounts and information about Marian shrines and apparitions. They reflect Acutis’ effort to use modern means of communication to help people encounter and learn about the Catholic faith.

The opening program began with a talk by Fr. John Baptist Phuong Dinh Toai, MI, on Mary’s place in the life of the Church.

Fr. Toai said he was encouraged by the young Catholics involved in organizing the exhibition, including members of Generation Z. The young organizers have also invited their peers to visit the exhibition, pray the Rosary and participate in Eucharistic adoration and evening prayer during the 10-day program.

Sr. Theresa Tri Thi Minh Thuy, superior general of the congregation, encouraged visitors to approach Mary with the trust of children approaching their mother. She said Mary leads people to Jesus and invited the faithful to learn from her example of listening, humility and trust in God.

The exhibition is accompanied by liturgical activities intended to move visitors from learning about Marian devotion to prayer.

The program will conclude Oct. 12 with a Mass marking the feast of Saint Carlo Acutis at Thu Thiem Parish Church. Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Bui Cong Trac will preside, with music provided by the Archdiocese of Saigon Youth Day Choir.

For its young organizers, the exhibition provides an opportunity to share Acutis’ legacy while inviting Catholics, particularly young people, to deepen their prayer, rediscover their faith and draw closer to Christ.