August 17, 1798: apparition in Vietnam

On this day in 1798, an apparition of the Virgin Mary appeared to Vietnamese believers. She is now known as Our Lady of La Vang.

Many people have claimed sightings of the Virgin Mary, often in times of difficulty in the church. In the late 18th century, Vietnamese leaders began a string of persecutions against Catholics; La Vang was a forested area where believers hid to escape martyrdom.

Other famous apparitions include:

• Guadalupe, Mexico: Saint Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin in 1531
• La Salette, France: two schoolchildren in 1846
• Lourdes, France: Saint Bernadette Soubirous in 1858 (in a cave)
• Fátima, Portugal: three schoolchildren in 1917

Image: statue of Our Lady of La Vang. Photo by Wikimedia Commons user Hoangvantoanajc