Vietnam unveils massive Catholic shrine featuring 50-m Virgin Mary statue

The Our Lady of Cui Mountain Shrine overlooking Tri An Lake in southern Dong Nai City has officially opened as a major Catholic pilgrimage site, anchored by a towering 50-meter Virgin Mary statue. The Our Lady of Cui Mountain Center has been developed since 2015 on a site spanning more than 13.5 hectares, based on a master plan and design by Ngo Viet Nam Son, a prominent Vietnamese architect and urban planner. On Oct. 14, the Xuan Loc Diocese inaugurated the shrine's main church at a ceremony attended by tens of thousands of Catholic faithful. The complex is about 90 km from Ho Chi Minh City. One of Vietnam’s largest Catholic pilgrimage sites, the center features a plaza that can accommodate more than 100,000 people and a 50-meter-tall statue of the Virgin Mary, consisting of a 33-meter statue atop a 17-meter base. It is currently the tallest Virgin Mary statue in Vietnam. A statue of Jesus Christ is suspended at the center of the shrine. The spacious interior features wooden pews arranged in eight rows, with wide aisles between every other row to facilitate the movement of worshippers. The shrine has a dome measuring 75 m in diameter and can accommodate around 5,000 people. During major religious celebrations, the capacity expands to hundreds of thousands when the surrounding areas and the large plaza in front are used. The tabernacle housing the Blessed Sacrament inside the shrine. A cross sits above the ceiling at the top of the tower, which is decorated with numerous small stars. A bas-relief depicting Vietnamese holy martyrs adorns the shrine's walls. The shrine's interior features an open design, with numerous doors around its perimeter to facilitate the movement of worshippers and let in natural light. With all doors open, the venue can accommodate more than 20,000 people. The upper-left section above the church entrance hall houses the choir, which performs during important liturgical ceremonies. The roof is topped with a cross, while the 55-meter-tall bell tower stands alongside 12 small chapels. The curved roofline honors the 117 Vietnamese martyrs. The Blessed Sacrament Chapel is designed in the style of a traditional communal house of Vietnam’s Central Highlands ethnic groups. Its two soaring curved roofs resemble angel wings spread wide, reverently lifting the cross of Christ skyward. The 50-meter-tall shrine to the Virgin Mary atop Cui Mountain is illuminated with colored lights. A mass held inside the shrine on Oct. 14, the day of its dedication. The structure covers more than 5,000 square meters and sits on a small hill, with a design inspired by a celestial crown. Its roof is adorned with a laurel wreath, a crown and a cross plated in gold and silver and set with precious stones. The Xuan Loc Diocese was established on Oct. 14, 1965, after separating from the Archdiocese of Saigon. With more than 1.1 million Catholics, it is the diocese with the largest Catholic population in Vietnam. The dedication of the Our Lady of Cui Mountain Shrine coincided with the 61st anniversary of the diocese's establishment.