Our Lady of Lavang, New Orleans

Our Lady of Lavang is a Catholic church in Gentilly (the most racially diverse neighborhood in NOLA) with a 100% Vietnamese congregation. The mass is conducted in Vietnamese, and the shrine is an interesting mix of traditional Vietnamese architecture and Catholic iconography. Our Lady of Lavang was a Marian apparition that occurred in Vietnam in the 19th century, at a time when Catholics in that country were being persecuted. The Vatican has never authenticated it, but JP2 allowed as it was "important". To keeping the coffers full among the Vietnamese diaspora, no doubt. HEY-O.

PICT1048, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.

PICT1069, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.

PICT1073, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.

PICT1057, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.

PICT1045, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.

PICT1052, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.

PICT1062, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.

PICT1056, originally uploaded by pinstripe_bindi.