A Catholic Pilgrimage of Martyrs, Marian Shrines & the Living Church of Vietnam

13 Days / 11 Nights | Hanoi • Bắc Ninh • Nam Định • Ninh Bình • Hạ Long Bay • Huế • La Vang • Hội An • Đà Nẵng • Ho Chi Minh City • Vũng Tàu • Vĩnh Long • Cần Thơ • Bạc Liêu

A Journey Through One of Asia’s Most Remarkable Catholic Communities

Vietnam tells one of the great stories of Catholic faith in Asia.

It is a story written through mission, persecution, martyrdom, Marian devotion and extraordinary perseverance.

For centuries, Vietnamese Catholics endured periods of severe persecution. Bishops, priests, religious and lay faithful gave their lives rather than renounce Christ. Today, their witness forms part of the spiritual inheritance of a vibrant local Church.

This pilgrimage journeys through Vietnam in the footsteps of that faith.

From the churches of Hanoi and Nam Định to the great Marian sanctuary of Our Lady of La Vang, from Catholic villages and the shrine of Our Lady of Trà Kiệu to places associated with the Vietnamese martyrs, we encounter Christianity not merely as something preserved from the past, but as a faith still lived by Vietnamese Catholics today.

The journey crosses the country from north to south, incorporating Hanoi, Bắc Ninh, Nam Định, Ninh Bình, Hạ Long Bay, Huế, Hội An, Đà Nẵng, Ho Chi Minh City, Vũng Tàu, Vĩnh Long, Cần Thơ and Bạc Liêu.

Along the way, we also discover Vietnam itself: Hạ Long Bay, imperial Huế, Hội An, the Mekong Delta, Vietnamese cuisine, floating markets and the extraordinary landscapes of Southeast Asia.

This is more than a Catholic tour of Vietnam.

It is a pilgrimage to discover what happens when the Gospel takes root deeply enough that men and women are prepared to give everything for Christ.

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Why Pilgrimage to Vietnam?

Catholic pilgrims often know the martyrs of Rome, the saints of medieval Europe or the Christians of the Holy Land.

Far fewer know the extraordinary history of Christianity in Vietnam.

The Church’s presence here developed over centuries and endured repeated periods of persecution. The canonized Martyrs of Vietnam represent bishops, priests and lay Catholics from different backgrounds whose witness spans generations.

But the story did not end with martyrdom.

Churches, shrines, seminaries, religious communities and Catholic villages continue to form part of Vietnamese life.

A pilgrimage to Vietnam therefore offers something increasingly important for Catholic travelers:

an encounter with the universality of the Church.

Catholicism is not European.

It belongs to no single nation, culture or language.

To celebrate Mass with Vietnamese Catholics, pray at their Marian shrines and remember their martyrs is to encounter the same Church in a culture very different from our own.

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Pilgrimage Highlights

• St. Joseph’s Cathedral — Hanoi
• Catholic heritage of northern Vietnam
• Ngăm Giáo Parish Church and the story of Servant of God Marcel Nguyễn Tân Văn
• Basilica of the Immaculate Conception at Phú Nhai
• Catholic Nam Định
• Phát Diệm Cathedral
• Hạ Long Bay
• Imperial city of Huế
• Our Lady of La Vang
• Rosary pilgrimage at La Vang
• Phủ Cam Cathedral
• Shrine of Our Lady of Trà Kiệu
• Hội An
• Catholic heritage of Ho Chi Minh City
• Huyện Sỹ Church
• Cathedral Basilica of Our Lady of the Immaculate Conception
• Shrine of Our Lady of Bãi Dâu
• Christ the King of Vũng Tàu
• Redemptorist Church of Our Lady of Perpetual Help
• Vietnam Martyrs’ Pilgrimage Center
• Place of martyrdom of St. Philípphê Phan Văn Minh
• Church associated with St. Philípphê Phan Văn Minh
• Tomb and shrine associated with Fr. Phanxicô Xaviê Trương Bửu Diệp
• Mekong Delta
• Cái Răng Floating Market
• Opportunities for Holy Mass throughout the pilgrimage
• Vietnamese food, history and culture
• Encounters with the living Catholic Church in Vietnam

The Martyrs of Vietnam

The history of Catholicism in Vietnam includes repeated periods of persecution.

Among those who gave their lives were Vietnamese laypeople and clergy as well as foreign missionaries.

The Church commemorates 117 Martyrs of Vietnam, canonized together by St. John Paul II in 1988.

They came from different walks of life.

Some were bishops.
Some priests.
Some catechists.
Some soldiers.
Some fathers of families.

Their unity was not profession or nationality.

It was their refusal to abandon Christ.

That makes Vietnam an especially powerful destination for Catholics seeking a pilgrimage focused on martyrdom, courage, fidelity and evangelization.

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Mary & the Persecuted Church

Vietnam is also an unexpectedly strong Marian pilgrimage destination.

Two shrines form a natural spiritual axis through the itinerary:

Our Lady of La Vang

The great Marian devotion of Vietnamese Catholicism, associated by tradition with Mary’s consolation of Catholics during persecution.

Our Lady of Trà Kiệu

Another Marian devotion deeply connected with a Catholic community’s memory of persecution and protection.

Together they communicate a powerful theme:

where the Church suffers, Mary remains close to her children.

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A Pilgrimage to the Living Church of Asia

Asia is not peripheral to Christianity.

Christ was born in Asia, the Apostles preached across Asia, and ancient Christian communities developed throughout the continent.

Vietnam, however, gives pilgrims the opportunity to encounter a later chapter of that story: the growth of Catholic Christianity in Southeast Asia, its encounter with local cultures, the persecution of believers and the development of a distinctly Vietnamese Catholic tradition.

This is particularly valuable for American parishes.

The purpose is not merely to look at Catholic monuments.

It is to encounter Catholics whose history and culture may be very different from ours while recognizing the same universal Church.

Optional Extensions

Cambodia & Angkor Wat

Add 3–4 days in Cambodia, combining the cultural heritage of Angkor with an encounter with the small Catholic community of Cambodia.

Vietnam Martyrs Intensive

For groups particularly interested in the martyrs, reduce general sightseeing and incorporate additional martyrdom sites, Catholic villages, churches and opportunities to meet local Catholic communities.

Marian Vietnam

Develop a more explicitly Marian variation centered on La Vang, Trà Kiệu, Bãi Dâu and other Vietnamese Marian devotions.

Vietnam Catholic Heritage & Food

A premium small-group version could place greater emphasis on Vietnamese cuisine, regional specialties and high-quality local dining while maintaining the full spiritual program.