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The Southern Cross : May 2012
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$2 inc. GST May 2012 TheSouthern Cross Part of your Catholic family since 1867 A six-metre tall, seven-tonne statue of Our Lady has been erected in Adelaide's northern suburbs by the Vietnamese Catholic community, many of whom prayed to Mary for protection during their perilous boat journey to Australia. At the feet of the marble statue are white waves -- a symbol of the vast oceans travelled by thousands of migrants to our shores. Named Our Lady of the Boat People, the statue will be blessed on June 3 by Archbishop Philip Wilson at the Catholic Vietnamese Community Centre in Pooraka. An image of the statue will feature as the icon for this year's Marian Procession on May 20 in the Adelaide Parklands. Monsignor Minh-Tam Nguyen, chaplain of the Vietnamese Catholic Community, says many boat people prayed to Our Lady when they fled Vietnam by boat in the late 1970s and '80s. "They were escaping Communist rule and many poor people died at sea and many were attacked by pirates," he says. "In their darkest hours they prayed to Mary for protection." "She is very important to me," says 47-year-old Vietnamese migrant Huong Tran. Huong, who escaped Vietnam in 1987, says: "Every-time I look at the statue I remember my origin. It is a sign, a reminder for ourselves and our children of how and why we are here." A mother of five children, Huong says the statue of Our Lady of the Boat People was also a symbol of tolerance and acceptance which many Vietnamese boat people received from Australians after their arrival. "It reminds us to open our hands to others in need." Her husband Trung recalls sitting by his sister's side in a wooden boat packed with 109 refugees fleeing Vietnam in 1987. "We had no food, little water and we worried whether we would make it or not. My sister prayed." It was his third attempt to reach Australia by boat after being imprisoned twice by the Communist regime. After four days at sea, a French tanker came to their rescue. Trung still counts his blessings. Mgr Nguyen fled Vietnam on a wooden boat with 88 migrants in April 1981. "We were like sardines in a tin," he said. The escape boat was hit by a severe storm on the fourth day which lasted 10 hours. "Death was the idea on my mind," he said. So he prayed, asking God to forgive his sins as he awaited his fate. When he awoke the next day, which was Palm Sunday, the sea was calm and he was alive. Mgr Nguyen says the earliest Vietnamese boat arrivals in Adelaide in 1979 began speaking of building a tribute to Our Lady. But, he says, it was only at the 30th anniversary of the community in 2009 that the idea gained momentum and after generous donations, the statue was sculpted in Vietnam from local marble last year. It arrived at Pooraka in February. "The statue is important because it shows our devotion and gratitude to Mary for her protection at sea and it is also a symbol of faith for boat people, not only in the literal sense but also as boat people travelling to Christ." The Marian Procession will be held on Sunday, May 20. Assemble at 2.15pm in South Parklands, between Peacock Rd and Sr Lewis Cohen Ave. For more information contact John Luttrell on 8210 8220 or jluttrell@adelaide.catholic.org. au. Protector honoured GRATEFUL BLESSINGS: Vietnamese boat refugee Huong Tran (third from left) with her husband Trung Luong, children Huan, Luan, Gia-Yen, Liem and Ninh with Monsignor Minh-Tam Nguyen at the statue of Our Lady of the Boat People in Pooraka. Photo: Nat Rogers Create a video clip to win an iPad3 Competition for secondary school students, see page 16. By Rebecca DiGirolamo Free lifetime maintenance program with every solar system installed before June 30. Solar with peace of mind... Planet Safe Energy's "Next Gen Advantage" Premium European systems Accredited installations www.planetsafeenergy.com.au phone 277 0076
Links
jluttrell@adelaide.catholic.org
www.planetsafeenergy.com.au
jluttrell@adelaide.catholic.org.au
www.planetsafeenergy.com.au
www.planetsafeenergy.com.au
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