Gulf Pine Catholic

P ine C atholic Gulf SEPTEMBER 3, 2021 > VOLUME 39, NO. 1 > WWW.BILOXIDIOCESE.ORG THE NEWSPAPER OF THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF BILOXI Vietnamese Martyrs Parish in Biloxi unveils statue of Our Lady of La Vang during outdoor Mass Bishop Louis F. Kihneman blessed the new St. Joseph Courtyard and statue of Our Lady of La Vang during an August 15 Mass at the Church of the Vietnamese Martyrs. The 13-ft. statue was given to the parish by an anonymous donor and Synergy Aqua Technout of Vancleave constructed the 30-ft. grotto. Mary is believed to have first appeared in La Vang in 1798 to console persecuted Vietnamese Catholics during feudal times. Father Thang Pham encourages visitors to stop by and pray before the statue. The church is located at 171 Oak Street, Biloxi. Photo/Juliana Skelton