Do Whatever He Tells You
“Do whatever he tells you.” This was the theme of the 34th annual Marian Days celebration in Carthage, MO. From the 3rd to the 7th of August Br. Sebastian and I camped out on the campus of the Vietnamese Congregation of the Mother Co-Redemptrix along with 60,000 other pilgrims from across the United States and even some from Vietnam and Canada. This celebration in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary is capped off each evening with a Pontifical Mass, but other highlights include a candlelight procession in honor of St. Joseph, a procession in the streets of Carthage with the pilgrimage statue of Our Lady of Fatima, perpetual adoration, veneration of relics from the Vietnamese Martyrs, as well as entertainment in Vietnamese and English.
The Catholic Church is strong among the Vietnamese community in the United States. Large Vietnamese parishes from Arlington, TX, Oklahoma City, OK, and other parts set up restaurants and drink stands. Religious Orders and Congregations such as the Franciscans, Dominicans, Benedictines, Cistercians, Redemptorists, Carmelites, the Holy Family of Nazareth Sisters, and others were present. Hundreds of priests concelebrated and heard confessions.
We were among the tens of the thousands of pilgrims in the temporary tent city. Every morning the bells over the loudspeakers awakened us. A walk through Calvary Hill, a park with life size Stations of the Cross, brought me to the shower facility. After that there were a series of workshops, prayer opportunities, and many chances to meet new people. There were also times for adoration and plenty of opportunities for confession. Although the highs were in the 100s there were plenty of air-conditioned areas and lots to drink, as well as plenty of food.
The theme for this year came from the Gospel of John. Mary tells the servants at the wedding at Cana, “Do whatever he tells you.” Indeed that is what many of the pilgrims were doing. This annual renewal of faith, family, and friends is a time to communally listen to what God wants of us. It was an honor to be a part of an entire community coming together from all parts, and I hope to be a part of this again.
