Prayer for the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon (4/30/2025)

Click to listen: https://phucphan.podbean.com/e/prayer-for-the-50th-anniversary-of-the-fall-of-saigon-4302025/

Hello, this is Deacon Phúc Phan, from St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, and I am joined by my wife, Theresa. Thank you for joining us for this time of prayer and reflection as we commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon.

April 30, 2025, will mark the 50th anniversary of the Fall of Saigon in 1975. This date, also known as ‘Black April,’ marks the end of the Vietnam War and is used as a day of remembrance to honor the lives lost. The aftermath of the war left many families vulnerable and prompted hundreds of thousands of Vietnamese people to flee the country. Many were welcomed as refugees in the United States.

Personally, my family immigrated to the United States in 1983, 8 years after the fall of Saigon. My parents braved the perilous journey so that their children could have a better future in America. I am grateful to my parents for their courage in the face of uncertainty and, as I reflect back on the stories that my parents have told us about their “escape” from Vietnam, I thank God for protecting us.

Dear friends, on the 50th Anniversary of the Fall of Saigon, let us pray that the Lord may bless our beloved homeland Vietnam with lasting peace and prosperity, and grant its people the grace to live in true freedom founded on justice and compassion. 

We pray for our community, especially here at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, that we may be a source of healing, hope, and compassion for one another, and that we may work together to build a more just and loving world.

We ask that the God of All Families, Cultures, and Nations teach us to hold one another in love and respect. May He help us to welcome and appreciate each other in our parish communities. 

In a spirit of deep gratitude, we ask the Lord to pour out His abundant blessings upon the nations and peoples who welcomed and cared for Vietnamese refugees and immigrants, allowing them the opportunity to live in peace, and to contribute in return to the flourishing of their second homeland.

And now, let us pray the Prayer to our Lady of Lavang, Patroness of Vietnam and the Vietnamese people, first in Vietnamese and then in English.

Lạy Mẹ Maria, Thánh Mẫu La Vang, Mẹ là Thánh Mẫu Chúa Trời, cùng là Thánh Mẫu loài người chúng con.  Cúi xin xuống phước hải hà, đoái thương con cái thiết tha van nài.

Xin cho chúng con tấm lòng từ bi nhân hậu, đại lượng bao dung, cùng nhau bồi đắp nền văn minh tình thương và sự sống.

Xin Mẹ phù hộ chúng con, luôn sống đức hạnh, đầy lòng cậy trông.  Và sau cuộc đời này, xin cho chúng con được về sống bên Mẹ, hưởng vinh phúc trong Chúa Ba Ngôi muôn đời.  Amen.

O Mary, Holy Mother of La Vang, Mother of God and our most loving Mother, pour out your abundant blessings upon your children who earnestly implore you. Give us a heart of compassion and charity to build a culture of love and life. Help us to live lives of virtue and hope, so that we may enjoy eternal life and the happiness of the Trinity with you for all eternity. Amen.

The Lord be with you. R: And with your spirit.