Since the year 1930, after receiving the image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help from Father Luca Sach – the pastor of Cai Bong, Mother has always been present, near and in the footsteps of her children during her journey of refuge arduous and challenging.
1. Lost Photo of Mother
Day 2. 2. 1950, nearly 3 months after being renamed La Ma, a large fighting occurred in the area, parishioners fled. After that fierce rampage, they returned home in broken homes. The tiny church is displaying Mother is also robbed ruined.
2. Find a Photo
Three months later, on May 5th, 1950, while picking up snails under a canal in the area, a Caodaist named Vo Thi Lieng, known as Mrs. Sau Lieng, encountered a photo frame lying under the mud. When picking up, although the frame is still intact, but the photo paper has fade out and there are many tattered pieces muddy muddy. After that, Mr. Thanh Bien Hat’s son, came to ask to take the photo frame and brought back.
With reverence, Mr.Thanh brought a frame of his mother to clean and then sun drying in hopes of something better. However, even washing up many times, exposed to the same still nothing new, the photo frame is still black and photo paper is stuck to the glass.
Then, his father is Mr. Bien Hat bring the picture of Mother home, cherished on the cabinet in front of the leaf wall in the middle of the house.
3. Photo of Mother of Perpetual Help appeared more clearly and more detail.
On October 7, 1950, a fierce fighting took place. They just hide under the leaf wall behind the altar. Shooting guns silently, machine of the ship sounds farther away he ran to the front of the altar, making the sign of the cross to thank God and Mother for giving him and his son the chance to survive, escaping from the accident. He was amazed to find that his house and surrounding houses had been bombed and bullets made broken, only the altar and the leaf wall were intact.
Looking closely at the altar cabinet, he was extremely shocked: The image of Our Lady of Perpetual Help lies on the bottom of the mud more than three months, fade out all picture, now piling up her mother emerged unusually beautiful . The father and son have just witnessed a strange incident, can not help him to say: Mary do miracles! Mother works miracles!
Everyone noticed the incredible change in the photo, they were glad to see the strangeness going on in their eyes. This is the first time photo of the Mother appeared more clealy.
4. Photo of Mother appeared in the second time in Cai Son church.
On the 15th of August, 1951, on the occasion of the feast of Our Lady of the Assumption, was celebrated for the first time since Pope Pius XII proclaimed the Assumption, with the approval of the diocesan bishop Vinh Long was Bishop Peter Mactino Ngo Dinh Thuc – the father of Cai Son and La Ma parish – father Peter Du, organized to welcome the picture of Mother from La Ma to Cai Son.
On this occasion, thousands of people witnessed a strange event: the crown of the head of the Virgin Mary and the Infant Jesus appeared very clearly. The strange thing is that before, when the picture was picked up, photo paper attached to the glass, wrinkled yellow and many holes, now the portrait is very beautiful, but the hole has turned lost.
5. Our Lady of La Ma – Pilgrimage Center – Ben Tre
On January 12, 1952, Bishop Peter Mactino Ngo Dinh Thuc silently went to the La Ma church. After Fr. Peter Dư, the incident things which occurred on the August 15th 1951 in Cai Son on the fact that the image of Mother has become increasingly visible, as well as the goodness of the soul she gave to those who petitioned Her.
Later, the Bishop decided to form a commission composed of diocesan and religious priests, to consider “the wonder in La Ma “.
A month later, on February 11, 1952, Bishop Peter Mactino gave an Order with the following text:
“Even though the superiors have not figured out the truth, the bishop did not forbid faithfuls to visit this church, as long as the obedience of the Church would come out, after careful investigation and said that it was remembered to visit the holy place to be prayed, not to travel happy eating ect.
On October 20, 1952, according to the decision of the commission to consider the “The wonder of La Ma”, the image of Mother was taken to Cai Bong church to start the investigation. Those who have been invited to witness, those who received the Blessed Virgin Mary are also invited to report. Survey files are reported to the Holy See.
On this occasion, Bishop Peter Mactino Ngô Đình Thục, Bishop of Vinh Long diocese chose La Ma as the center of pilgrimage “Our Lady of Perpetual Help.” The bishop also appointed the priest Peter Tran Huu Du – Cai Son – officially accepted the La Ma parish .
After many years of preparation and construction, the new La Ma church was completed with 35m length, 16m width and 19m high bell tower. On three days of the 12th, 13th, 14th January 1957, the solemnity of the La Ma cathedral was celebrated with the participation of five bishops and hundreds of priests, religious men and women and tens of thousands from all over the place. Our Lady of La Ma Bến Tre became the third pilgrimage center of the Vietnamese Church, after Our Lady of La Vang and Our Lady of Tra Kieu. The pilgrimage center of Our Lady of La Ma, Ben Tre regularly welcomes pilgrims from all over parts to pay homage to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Every year, the Diocese of Vinh Long and the La Ma parish have organized two days of the festival as follows: 5th May is the anniversary of finding photos of Mother and Day 7th. October is the anniversary of the clear appearance of the Photo of Mother.
