Marian Days ascends upon Carthage

CARTHAGE, Mo. — The 46th annual Marian Days festival began today, transforming the City of Carthage into a vibrant hub of faith, culture, and community. 

Held on the 28-acre campus of the Congregation of the Mother of the Redeemer (CRM) at 1900 Grand Ave, this four-day pilgrimage honoring the Blessed Virgin Mary is expected to draw up to 100,000 Vietnamese American Roman Catholics and other visitors from across the United States, Canada, Vietnam, and beyond.

“Well, I enjoy meeting different cultures,” Bennett Wilson said. “And the Vietnamese are very nice people. They really are very genuine. And I enjoy the food. They have great food here. I’ve been to most of the Marion days since it started 40 some years ago. I’ve always had a good time.”

The festival, which runs through Sunday, opened with a lively Mass at the statue of Our Lady of Refugees, a poignant symbol of the Vietnamese diaspora’s resilience. The statue, sculpted by a Vietnamese refugee in 1983, depicts the Virgin Mary extending a hand to a refugee while holding the Christ Child. 

Marian Days, rooted in the Vietnamese Catholic community’s history, began in 1978 as a small gathering of “boat people” who fled Vietnam after the Fall of Saigon in 1975. Sponsored by then-Bishop Bernard Law, 185 clergy members of the CRM settled in Carthage, turning a vacant seminary into a spiritual home. What started with 1,500 attendees has grown into one of the largest Vietnamese Catholic pilgrimages globally, blending spiritual renewal with cultural celebration.

The event significantly boosts the local economy, with estimates of $12 to $18 million in economic impact and $1.2 to $1.8 million in sales tax revenue for Carthage and nearby towns like Joplin and Neosho.

Despite its growth, Marian Days retains its core as a “family reunion” for Vietnamese Catholics, fostering faith and cultural ties.