Vietnamese catholics affirm beliefs
During rehearsal they talked, fidgeted and formed crooked lines, but when it
came time for the girls to dance at Our Lady of Vietnam Festival on Saturday in
Riverdale, seriousness and devotion took over. Even 10-year-olds could tell this
was important.
"We're dancing for the blessed lady to thank her for giving us this life. It's like an
honor," said Quyen Kim Tran of Hapeville Elementary School.
Last weekend's festival at Our Lady of Vietnam Catholic Church, 91 Valley Hill
Road in Riverdale, was more than just about dancing, food booths, balloons and
processions. For the many young people who gathered it was a time to reaffirm
their beliefs.
The church festival commemorates the apparition of the Virgin Mary in Vietnam
in the late 1700s to a group of Vietnamese Catholics who, persecuted for their
beliefs, took refuge in the jungle. The event also honors 117 Catholic Vietnamese
and European missionaries who were executed by emperors in Vietnam during
the 18th and 19th centuries. They were canonized by Pope John Paul II in 1988.
"The festival helps the young people a lot because it brings us together and
helps us remember," said Ngoc Vu, 19, a photographer and hair stylist from
DeKalb County.
She said Vietnamese children grow up knowing the hardship their families faced
during the Vietnam War. They learn not to take anything for granted, and their
faith is important to them, she said.
"Asian families are very strict. They grow up knowing right from wrong. We have
a hard life, so it gives us appreciation for everything, to be able to eat, to go to
school," Vu said.
For Phuc Dinh, 18, said being part of the church helps him deal with peer
pressure.
"I want to come here because this is like my second home. I have Sunday
school here, and people make me feel welcomed and warm," he said. "[The
festival] helps us remember that once Mother Maria helped us and when we feel
pressure, we can come to her anytime."
The traditions learned by these children are the same that Kim Le, 29, of
Peachtree City wants to pass on to her children.
"The Catholic religion strong," she said. "My husband and I were raised Catholic
and so will our children."
By Tasgola Karla Bruner - The Atlanta Journal - October 25, 2001.
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